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But I hadn't then and I believed every word he said IMPLICITLY."

"Who said? Who are you talking about?"

"The peddler that was here this afternoon. I bought the dye from him."

"Anne Shirley, how often have I told you never to let one of those Italians in the house! I don't believe in encouraging them to come around at all."

"Oh, I didn't let him in the house.

I remembered what you told me, and I went out, carefully shut the door, and looked at his things on the step.

Besides, he wasn't an Italian-he was a German Jew.

He had a big box full of very interesting things and he told me he was working hard to make enough money to bring his wife and children out from Germany.

He spoke so feelingly about them that it touched my heart.

I wanted to buy something from him to help him in such a worthy object.

Then all at once I saw the bottle of hair dye.

The peddler said it was warranted to dye any hair a beautiful raven black and wouldn't wash off.

In a trice I saw myself with beautiful raven-black hair and the temptation was irresistible.

But the price of the bottle was seventy-five cents and I had only fifty cents left out of my chicken money.

I think the peddler had a very kind heart, for he said that, seeing it was me, he'd sell it for fifty cents and that was just giving it away.

So I bought it, and as soon as he had gone I came up here and applied it with an old hairbrush as the directions said.

I used up the whole bottle, and oh, Marilla, when I saw the dreadful color it turned my hair I repented of being wicked, I can tell you.

And I've been repenting ever since."

"Well, I hope you'll repent to good purpose," said Marilla severely, "and that you've got your eyes opened to where your vanity has led you, Anne. Goodness knows what's to be done. I suppose the first thing is to give your hair a good washing and see if that will do any good."

Accordingly, Anne washed her hair, scrubbing it vigorously with soap and water, but for all the difference it made she might as well have been scouring its original red.

The peddler had certainly spoken the truth when he declared that the dye wouldn't wash off, however his veracity might be impeached in other respects.

"Oh, Marilla, what shall I do?" questioned Anne in tears.

"I can never live this down.

People have pretty well forgotten my other mistakes-the liniment cake and setting Diana drunk and flying into a temper with Mrs. Lynde.

But they'll never forget this.

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