Pollyannas eyes grew a bit wild.
But I dont want to be taken care of that is, not for long! I want to get up. You know I go to school. Cant I go to school to-morrow?
From the window where Aunt Polly stood now there came a half-stifled cry.
To-morrow? smiled the nurse, brightly. Well, I may not let you out quite so soon as that, Miss Pollyanna. But just swallow these little pills for me, please, and well see what THEYlL do.
All right, agreed Pollyanna, somewhat doubtfully; but I MUST go to school day after to-morrow there are examinations then, you know.
She spoke again, a minute later. She spoke of school, and of the automobile, and of how her head ached; but very soon her voice trailed into silence under the blessed influence of the little white pills she had swallowed.
Chapter XXIV
John Pendleton
Pollyanna did not go to school to-morrow, nor the day after to-morrow. Pollyanna, however, did not realize this, except momentarily when a brief period of full consciousness sent insistent questions to her lips. Pollyanna did not realize anything, in fact, very clearly until a week had passed; then the fever subsided, the pain lessened somewhat, and her mind awoke to full consciousness. She had then to be told all over again what had occurred.
And so its hurt that I am, and not sick, she sighed at last. Well, Im glad of that.
G-glad, Pollyanna? asked her aunt, who was sitting by the bed.
Yes. Id so much rather have broken legs like Mr. Pendletons than lifelong-invalids like Mrs. Snow, you know. Broken legs get well, and lifelong-invalids dont.
Miss Polly who had said nothing whatever about broken legs got suddenly to her feet and walked to the little dressing table across the room. She was picking up one object after another now, and putting each down, in an aimless fashion quite unlike her usual decisiveness. Her face was not aimless-looking at all, however; it was white and drawn.
On the bed Pollyanna lay blinking at the dancing band of colors on the ceiling, which came from one of the prisms in the window.
Im glad it isnt smallpox that ails me, too, she murmured contentedly. That would be worse than freckles. And Im glad tisnt whooping cough Ive had that, and its horrid and Im glad tisnt appendicitis nor measles, cause theyre catching measles are, I mean and they wouldnt let you stay here.
You seem to to be glad for a good many things, my dear, faltered Aunt Polly, putting her hand to her throat as if her collar bound.
Pollyanna laughed softly.
I am. Ive been thinking of em lots of em all the time Ive been looking up at that rainbow. I love rainbows. Im so glad Mr. Pendleton gave me those prisms! Im glad of some things I havent said yet. I dont know but Im most glad I was hurt.
Pollyanna!
Pollyanna laughed softly again. She turned luminous eyes on her aunt. Well, you see, since I have been hurt, youve called me dear lots of times and you didnt before. I love to be called dear by folks that belong to you, I mean. Some of the Ladies Aiders did call me that; and of course that was pretty nice, but not so nice as if they had belonged to me, like you do. Oh, Aunt Polly, Im so glad you belong to me!
Pollyanna!
Pollyanna laughed softly again. She turned luminous eyes on her aunt. Well, you see, since I have been hurt, youve called me dear lots of times and you didnt before. I love to be called dear by folks that belong to you, I mean. Some of the Ladies Aiders did call me that; and of course that was pretty nice, but not so nice as if they had belonged to me, like you do. Oh, Aunt Polly, Im so glad you belong to me!
Aunt Polly did not answer. Her hand was at her throat again. Her eyes were full of tears. She had turned away and was hurrying from the room through the door by which the nurse had just entered.
It was that afternoon that Nancy ran out to Old Tom, who was cleaning harnesses in the barn. Her eyes were wild.
Mr. Tom, Mr. Tom, guess whats happened, she panted. You couldnt guess in a thousand years you couldnt, you couldnt!
Then I callate I wont try[162], retorted the man, grimly, specially as I haint got moren TEN ter live, anyhow, probably. Youd better tell me first off, Nancy.
Well, listen, then. Who do you spose is in the parlor now with the mistress? Who, I say?
Old Tom shook his head.
Theres no tellin, he declared.
Yes, there is. Im tellin. Its John Pendleton!
Sho, now! Youre jokin, girl.
Not much I am an me a-lettin him in myself crutches an all! An the team he come in a-waitin this minute at the door for him, jest as if he want the cranky old crosspatch he is, what never talks ter no one! jest think, Mr. Tom HIM a-callin on HER!
Well, why not? demanded the old man, a little aggressively.
Nancy gave him a scornful glance.
As if you didnt know bettern me! she derided.
Eh?
Oh, you neednt be so innercent, she retorted with mock indignation; you what led me wildgoose cha-sin[163] in the first place!
What do ye mean?
Nancy glanced through the open barn door toward the house, and came a step nearer to the old man.
Listen! twas you that was tellin me Miss Polly had a lover in the first place, want it? Well, one day I thinks I finds two and two, and I puts em tergether an makes four. But it turns out ter be five an no four at all, at all!
With a gesture of indifference Old Tom turned and fell to work.
If youre goin ter talk ter me, youve got ter talk plain horse sense, he declared testily. I never was no hand for figgers.[164]
Nancy laughed.
Well, its this, she explained. I heard somethin that made me think him an Miss Polly was lovers.
MR. PENDLETON! Old Tom straightened up.
Yes. Oh, I know now; he wasnt. It was that blessed childs mother he was in love with, and thats why he wanted but never mind that part, she added hastily, remembering just in time her promise to Pollyanna not to tell that Mr. Pendleton had wished her to come and live with him. Well, Ive been askin folks about him some, since, and Ive found out that him an Miss Polly haint been friends for years, an that shes been hatin him like pizen owin ter the silly gossip that coupled their names tergether when she was eighteen or twenty.
Yes, I remember, nodded Old Tom. It was three or four years after Miss Jennie give him the mitten[165]and went off with the other chap. Miss Polly knew about it, of course, and was sorry for him. So she tried ter be nice to him. Maybe she overdid it a little she hated that minister chap so who had took off her sister. At any rate, somebody begun ter make trouble. They said she was runnin after him.
Runnin after any man her! interjected Nancy.
I know it; but they did, declared Old Tom, and of course no gal of any spunkll stand that. Then about that time come her own lover an the trouble with HIM. After that she shut up like an oyster an wouldnt have nothin ter do with nobody fur a spell. Her heart jest seemed to turn bitter at the core.
Yes, I know. Ive heard about that now, rejoined Nancy; an thats why you could a knocked me down with a feather[166] when I see HIM at the door him, what she haint spoke to for years! But I let him in an went an told her.
What did she say? Old Tom held his breath suspended.
Nothin at first. She was so still I thought she hadnt heard; and I was jest goin ter say it over when she speaks up quiet like: Tell Mr. Pendleton I will be down at once. An I come an told him. Then I come out here an told you, finished Nancy, casting another backward glance toward the house.
Humph! grunted Old Tom; and fell to work again.
In the ceremonious parlor of the Harrington homestead, Mr. John Pendleton did not have to wait long before a swift step warned him of Miss Pollys coming. As he attempted to rise, she made a gesture of remonstrance. She did not offer her hand, however, and her face was coldly reserved.
I called to ask for Pollyanna, he began at once, a little brusquely.
Thank you. She is about the same, said Miss Polly.
And that is wont you tell me HOW she is? His voice was not quite steady this time.
A quick spasm of pain crossed the womans face.
I cant, I wish I could!
You mean you dont know?
Yes.
But the doctor?
Dr. Warren himself seems at sea[167]. He is in correspondence now with a New York specialist. They have arranged for a consultation at once.
But but what WERE her injuries that you do know?
A slight cut on the head, one or two bruises, and and an injury to the spine which has seemed to cause paralysis from the hips down.
A low cry came from the man. There was a brief silence; then, huskily, he asked:
And Pollyanna how does she take it?
She doesnt understand at all how things really are. And I CANt tell her.
But she must know something!
Miss Polly lifted her hand to the collar at her throat in the gesture that had become so common to her of late.
Oh, yes. She knows she cant move; but she thinks her legs are broken. She says shes glad its broken legs like yours rather than lifelong-invalids like Mrs. Snows; because broken legs get well, and the other doesnt. She talks like that all the time, until it it seems as if I should die!
Through the blur of tears in his own eyes, the man saw the drawn face opposite, twisted with emotion. Involuntarily his thoughts went back to what Pollyanna had said when he had made his final plea for her presence: Oh, I couldnt leave Aunt Polly now!
It was this thought that made him ask very gently, as soon as he could control his voice:
I wonder if you know, Miss Harrington, how hard I tried to get Pollyanna to come and live with me.
With YOU! Pollyanna!
The man winced a little at the tone of her voice; but his own voice was still impersonally cool when he spoke again.
Yes. I wanted to adopt her legally, you understand; making her my heir, of course.
The woman in the opposite chair relaxed a little. It came to her, suddenly, what a brilliant future it would have meant for Pollyanna this adoption; and she wondered if Pollyanna were old enough and mercenary enough to be tempted by this mans money and position.
The woman in the opposite chair relaxed a little. It came to her, suddenly, what a brilliant future it would have meant for Pollyanna this adoption; and she wondered if Pollyanna were old enough and mercenary enough to be tempted by this mans money and position.
I am very fond of Pollyanna, the man was continuing. I am fond of her both for her own sake, and for her mothers. I stood ready to give Pollyanna the love that had been twenty-five years in storage.