Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the thirty-third chapter of Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
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Take your chapter by chapter one by too many adventures and mountains we can climb.
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Take your word for word line but line one part at a time.
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Welcome to Bite at a Time Books, where we read you your favorite classics one byte at a time.
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My name is Brie Carlyle and I love to read and wanted to share my passion with listeners like you.
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Today we'll be continuing Anne of the island by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
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Chapter 33 he just kept coming and coming.
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Three days later, Anne came home from school and found Janet crying tears.
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And Janet seemed so incongruous that Anne was honestly alarmed.
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Oh, what is the matter?
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She cried anxiously.
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I'm 40 today.
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Sobbed.
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Janet well, you were nearly that yesterday.
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And it didn't hurt.
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Comforted Anne trying not to smile, but went on Janet with a big gulp.
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John Douglas won't ask me to marry him.
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Oh, but he will, said Anne lamely.
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You must give him time, Janet.
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Time, said Janet with indescribable scorn.
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He has had 20 years.
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How much time does he want?
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You mean that John Douglas has been coming to see you for 20 years?
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He has.
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And he has never so much as mentioned marriage to me.
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And I don't believe he ever will.
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Now, I've never said a word to Immortal about it, but it seems to me I've just got to talk it out with someone at last or go crazy.
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John Douglas begun to go with me 20 years ago before mother died.
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Well, he kept coming and coming and after a spell I begun making quilts and things.
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But he never said anything about getting married, only just kept coming and coming.
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There wasn't anything I could do.
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Mother died when we'd been going together for eight years.
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I thought he maybe would speak out then, seeing as I was left alone in the world.
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He was real kind and feeling and did everything he could for me.
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But he never said Mary.
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And that's the way it has been going on ever since.
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People blame me for it.
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They say I won't marry him because his mother is so sickly and I don't want the bother of waiting on her.
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Why, I'd love to wait on John's mother, but I let them think so.
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I'd rather they'd blame me than pity me.
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It's so dreadful humiliating that John won't ask me.
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And why won't he?
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Seems to me if I only knew his reason I wouldn't mind it so much.
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Perhaps his mother doesn't want him to marry anybody, suggested Anne.
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Oh, she does.
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She's told me time and again that she'd love to see John settled before her time comes.
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She's always giving him hints.
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You heard her yourself the other day.
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I thought I'd have gone through the floor.
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It's beyond me, said Anne helplessly.
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She thought of Ludovic's speed, but the cases were not parallel.
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John Douglas was not a man of Ludovic's type.
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You should show more spirit, Janet, she went on resolutely.
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Why didn't you send him about his business long ago?
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I couldn't, said poor Janet.
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Pathetically.
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You see, Anne, I've always been awful fond of John.
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He might just as well keep coming as not, for there was never anybody else I'd want, so it didn't matter.
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But it might have made him speak out like a man, urged Anne.
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Janet shook her head.
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No, I guess not.
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I was afraid to try anyway for fear he'd think I meant it and just go.
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I suppose I'm a poor spirited creature, but that is how I feel and I can't help it.
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Oh, you could help it, Janet.
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It isn't too late yet.
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Take a firm sand.
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Let that man know you are not going to endure his chilly shallowing any longer.
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I'll back you up.
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I don't know, said Janet hopelessly.
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I don't know if I could ever get up.
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Enough spunk.
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Things have drifted so long, but I'll think it over.
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Anne felt that she was disappointed in John Douglas.
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She had liked him so well and she had not thought him the sort of man who would play fast and loose with a woman's feelings for 20 years.
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He certainly should be taught a lesson.
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And Anne felt vindictively that she would enjoy seeing the process.
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Therefore she was delighted when Janet told her, as they were going to prayer meeting the next night, that she meant to show some spirit.
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I'll let John Douglas see.
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I'm not going to be trodden on any longer.
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You're perfectly right, said Anne emphatically.
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When prayer meeting was over, John Douglas came up with his usual request.
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Janet looked frightened but resolute.
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No, thank you, she said Isoly.
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I know the road home pretty well alone, I ought to saying.
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I've been traveling it for 40 years.
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So you needn't trouble yourself, Mr.
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Douglas.
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Anne was looking at John Douglas and in that brilliant moonlight she saw the last twist of the rack again.
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Without a word he turned and strode down the road.
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Stop.
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Han called wildly after him, not caring in the least for the other dumbfounded onlookers Mr.
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Douglas.
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Stop.
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Come back.
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John Douglas stopped, but he did not come back.
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Anne flew down the road, caught his arm and fairly dragged him back to Janet.
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You must come back, she said imploringly.
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It's all a mistake, Mr.
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Douglas.
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All my fault.
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I made Janet do it.
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She didn't want to, but it's alright.
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Now isn't it Janet?
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Without a word, Janet took his arm and walked away.
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Anne followed them meekly home and slipped in by the back door.
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Well, you are a nice person to back me up, said Janet sarcastically.
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I couldn't help it Janet, said Anne repentantly.
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I just felt as if I had stood by and seen murder done.
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I had to run after him.
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Oh, I'm just glad as you did.
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When I saw John Douglas making off down that road, I just felt as if every little bit of joy and happiness that was left in my life was going with him.
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It was an awful feeling.
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Did he ask you why you did it?
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Asked Anne.
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No, never said a word about it, replied Janet.
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Doley.
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Thank you for joining Byte at the Time Books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics.
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If you enjoy our show, be sure to follow us so you get all the new episodes.
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If you want to see exclusive behind the scenes of our show, follow us on YouTube.
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We would also love for you to drop us a rating on your favorite podcast platform and share our show with your friends.
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You can catch us on all the social medias at Bite at a Timebooks or on our website bite atotimebooks.com.
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Again, my name is Brie Carlyle and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of Anne of the island.
