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chapter eight

|gold in avonlea|

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anne teach that to you yesterday?" millie asked jerry as he carved the letters in the wood.

"yes, he even brought a visual," the boy as he continued to carve.

"oh alright, then. i'm sorry for not bringing any slate or paper or ink or whatever. i don't have any of that and i'm afraid to ask for that until the school starts," millie told the boy.

"no, it's no big of a deal. besides, i can use my carving skills in this," jerry assured as he turned around to turn at millie and gave her a smile.

"well then, it's a relief. i'll see that you already memorize all the alphabets."

"not all of them," the boy answered.

millie was gonna answered him when they heard a noise and turned around, it was nate.

"hey," he greeted.

"allô," the farm boy answered in his french accent and millie just nodded at nate.

"are you trying to better yourself, huh? huh?" nate said as he reached beside jerry and started to mess the poor boy's hair. "ooh. close but no cigar." he said as he gestured to the letter 'q' that's hasn't been finished yet. "gimmie that," nate said as he stole the knife from the boy's hand.

"s-stop--" millie was gonna say something but cut off by nate.

"shut up, orphan girl," nate said as millie glared at him. then, he turned again to jerry "you wanna get somewhere in life, you gotta pay attention to the details. see this 'q'? it's supposed to have a tail. you missed it, pal," he said as he carves a tail to an 'o' to form a letter 'q'.

"i wasn't finished," jerry defend himself.

"a tail like a little french..." he said as he turned around to face jerry, "pig."

millie was gonna defend jerry when a book slam in their side. they turned to whoever slams the book and they saw anne.

"aren't you bored of this yet?" anne seems to freeze in her position as she's having a flashback.

nate clears his throat, "you're bored of this, right?" the man said as he took the book.

anne stole the book in nate's hand, "nope! i'm not finished yet. and i like geology, it's not boring at all!"

"good," nate said as he turns to both millie and jerry, who seems have a terrified expression on their faces, he handed the knife to jerry. "good, see you, kids, later."

"is something wrong?" anne asked the two as millie and jerry both following nate in their eyes while they sharing a horrified look on their faces.

"he is a bad man," jerry said as millie nods in agreement while she closed her eyes in fear.

"what happened?" anne asked as she put her hand into millie's shoulder.

millie shook her head eagerly as jerry speak, "nothing. nothing. i don't know, i'm going."

"don't you want your lesson?"

"not today. bye."

"millie?" anne called her as she opened her eyes, "did something happened?"

"no, n-nothing happened, anne." she said as she followed jerry down to the barn, "s-see you later."

and anne left there confused about what happened between her friends and nate before she arrived.

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"all right, all right! he is trying to answer!" missus rachel lynde shouts as the town hall filled up with people questioning. the hall was in commotion due to nate's claim of gold in avonlea. the adults didn't know or notice that there are children hiding in listening in their meeting in the balcony without their knowledge.

suddenly, a man asked, "what if there's no gold?"

"give the man a chance!" missus lynde suggests, "now then, one at the time. everybody, please sit. this community will be polite and respectful of what this man is trying to tell us."

the man raised his hands as nate gestured to him, "sir? yes, you, sir. thank you."

the man stood up, "my name is thomas lynde, and my wife and i want to know where you sent the gold sample."

"yes, we do," missus lynde added.

"i sent the sample to an independent company in new york for testing and confirmation. as I said... i didn't want my employer to know," nate calmly explained.

the same man asked, "where's the proof?"

"how do we know you're telling the truth?" the other man added.

"how do we know what's real and what is fool's gold?" missus lynde said.

"i'm glad you asked. i have here a certificate i received in the mail from new york. this soils report certifies that there is indeed gold in avonlea. i mentioned i had taken this action earlier to william barry." nate said as the man raised his hand as the recognition.

"nathaniel told me in the strictest confidence. he was in a moral quandary and it all came out," the man proclaimed william barry said.

"there really is gold in avonlea..." anne whispered in amazement.

"father is quite preoccupied at the prospect," diana said.

"do you really think we'll all be rich like you, diana?!" ruby whispered in excitement.

"i-i think it is quite a false information..." millie said.

"what makes you think that millie?" ruby asked.

"i just... i don't really know. ugh, forget what i said," she mumbles.

"oh, yes, mister andrews," missus lynde called.

"and just how do we proceed?" the mister andrews asked.

"each landowner would send in a sample of their soil to new york for testing. now, I warn you, it's expensive. it's... one hundred fifty dollars per test."

"gosh... it is indeed expensive," millie mumbles in her breathe.

"money! i knew there was a catch!"

"it's an investment, fair enough. but an investment in the future."

"it's close to half what most folks make in a year."

"the reward for mining this land - your land - is incalculable."

"i have to write to Gilbert!" anne told to girls as their eyes widen, except millie, "I have to let him know about the gold!"

"gilbert?"

"and benjamin, of course!"

"but you don't even know where they are!" diana informed the redhead girl.

"i think i have a way i can find out!" anne excitedly said as she got up and exit the town hall.

millie followed her, "anne! are you serious about this idea?"

"yes, i am!"

"i-i mean, i don't even know them but... i think they will not come back for some gold and, and maybe that gold thing was a scam."

"i know it is true! i-i saw it!"

"y-you saw it?! h-how? when?"

"it's a secret between nate and i. i'm sorry, millie. but let's just go home, alright?"

"alright."