have gone. Miss Emily was dead and buried before Diana and I
heard of it at all. The first I knew of it was when I came home
from Orchard Slope one day and found a queer, shabby little black
horsehair trunk, all studded with brass nails, on the floor of my
room at Green Gables. Marilla told me that Jack Leith had
brought it over, and said that it had belonged to Miss Emily and
that, when she was dying, she asked them to send it to me.

"But what is in it? And what am I to do with it?" I asked in
bewilderment.

"There was nothing said about what you were to do with it. Jack
said they didn't know what was in it, and hadn't looked into it,
seeing that it was your property. It seems a rather queer
proceeding--but you're always getting mixed up in queer
proceedings, Anne. As for what is in it, the easiest way to find
out, I reckon, is to open it and see. The key is tied to it.
Jack said Miss Emily said she wanted you to have it because she
loved you and saw her lost youth in you. I guess she was a bit
delirious at the last and wandered a good deal. She said she
wanted you 'to understand her.' "

I ran over to Orchard Slope and asked Diana to come over and
examine the trunk with me. I hadn't received any instructions
about keeping its contents secret and I knew Miss Emily wouldn't
mind Diana knowing about them, whatever they were.

It was a cool, gray afternoon and we got back to Green Gables
just as the rain was beginning to fall. When we went up to my
room the wind was rising and whistling through the boughs of the