CHAPTER XIV. JUST A MATTER OF JELLY
Pollyanna was a little late for supper on the night of the accident toJohn Pendleton; but, as it happened, she escaped without reproof.
Nancy met her at the door.
"Well, if I ain't glad ter be settin' my two eyes on you," she sighed inobvious relief. "It's half-past six!"
"I know it," admitted Pollyanna anxiously; "but I'm not to blame--trulyI'm not. And I don't think even Aunt Polly will say I am, either."
"She won't have the chance," retorted Nancy, with huge satisfaction."She's gone."
"Gone!" gasped Pollyanna. "You don't mean that I've driven her away?"Through Pollyanna's mind at the moment trooped remorseful memoriesof the morning with its unwanted boy, cat, and dog, and its unwelcome"glad" and forbidden "father" that would spring to her forgetful littletongue. "Oh, I DIDN'T drive her away?"
"Not much you did," scoffed Nancy. "Her cousin died suddenly down toBoston, and she had ter go. She had one o' them yeller telegram lettersafter you went away this afternoon, and she won't be back for threedays. Now I guess we're glad all right. We'll be keepin' housetergether, jest you and me, all that time. We will, we will!"
Pollyanna looked shocked.
"Glad! Oh, Nancy, when it's a funeral?"
"Oh, but 'twa'n't the funeral I was glad for, Miss Pollyanna. It was--"Nancy stopped abruptly. A shrewd twinkle came into her eyes. "Why, MissPollyanna, as if it wa'n't yerself that was teachin' me ter play thegame," she reproached her gravely.
Pollyanna puckered her forehead into a troubled frown.
"I can't help it, Nancy," she argued with a shake of her head. "Itmust be that there are some things that 'tisn't right to play the gameon--and I'm sure funerals is one of them. There's nothing in a funeralto be glad about."
Nancy chuckled.
"We can be glad 'tain't our'n," she observed demurely. But Pollyanna didnot hear. She had begun to tell of the accident; and in a moment Nancy,open-mouthed, was listening.
At the appointed place the next afternoon, Pollyanna met Jimmy Beanaccording to agreement. As was to be expected, of course, Jimmy showedkeen disappointment that the Ladies' Aid preferred a little India boy tohimself.
"Well, maybe 'tis natural," he sighed. "Of course things you don't knowabout are always nicer'n things you do, same as the pertater on 'totherside of the plate is always the biggest. But I wish I looked that wayter somebody 'way off. Wouldn't it be jest great, now, if only somebodyover in India wanted ME?"
Pollyanna clapped her hands.
"Why, of course! That's the very thing, Jimmy! I'll write to my Ladies'Aiders about you. They aren't over in India; they're only out West--butthat's awful far away, just the same. I reckon you'd think so if you'dcome all the way here as I did!"
Jimmy's face brightened.
"Do you think they would--truly--take me?" he asked.
"Of course they would! Don't they take little boys in India to bringup? Well, they can just play you are the little India boy this time.I reckon you're far enough away to make a report, all right. You wait.I'll write 'em. I'll write Mrs. White. No, I'll write Mrs. Jones. Mrs.White has got the most money, but Mrs. Jones gives the most--which iskind of funny, isn't it?--when you think of it. But I reckon some of theAiders will take you."
"All right--but don't furgit ter say I'll work fur my board an' keep,"put in Jimmy. "I ain't no beggar, an' biz'ness is biz'ness, even withLadies' Aiders, I'm thinkin'." He hesitated, then added: "An' I s'pose Ibetter stay where I be fur a spell yet--till you hear."
"Of course," nodded Pollyanna emphatically. "Then I'll know just whereto find you. And they'll take you--I'm sure you're far enough away forthat. Didn't Aunt Polly take--Say!" she broke off, suddenly, "DO yousuppose I was Aunt Polly's little girl from India?"
"Well, if you ain't the queerest kid," grinned Jimmy, as he turned away.
It was about a week after the accident in Pendleton Woods that Pollyannasaid to her aunt one morning:
"Aunt Polly, please would you mind very much if I took Mrs. Snow'scalf's-foot jelly this week to some one else? I'm sure Mrs. Snowwouldn't--this once."
"Dear me, Pollyanna, what ARE you up to now?" sighed her aunt. "You AREthe most extraordinary child!"
Pollyanna frowned a little anxiously.
"Aunt Polly, please, what is extraordinary? If you're EXtraordinary youcan't be ORdinary, can you?"
"You certainly can not."
"Oh, that's all right, then. I'm glad I'm EXtraordinary," sighedPollyanna, her face clearing. "You see, Mrs. White used to say Mrs.Rawson was a very ordinary woman--and she disliked Mrs. Rawson somethingawful. They were always fight--I mean, father had--that is, I mean, WEhad more trouble keeping peace between them than we did between any ofthe rest of the Aiders," corrected Pollyanna, a little breathless fromher efforts to steer between the Scylla of her father's past commands inregard to speaking of church quarrels, and the Charybdis of her aunt'spresent commands in regard to speaking of her father.
"Yes, yes; well, never mind," interposed Aunt Polly, a trifleimpatiently. "You do run on so, Pollyanna, and no matter what we'retalking about you always bring up at those Ladies' Aiders!"
"Yes'm," smiled Pollyanna, cheerfully, "I reckon I do, maybe. But yousee they used to bring me up, and--"
"That will do, Pollyanna," interrupted a cold voice. "Now what is itabout this jelly?"
"Nothing, Aunt Polly, truly, that you would mind, I'm sure. You let metake jelly to HER, so I thought you would to HIM--this once. You see,broken legs aren't like--like lifelong invalids, so his won't lastforever as Mrs. Snow's does, and she can have all the rest of the thingsafter just once or twice."
"'Him'? 'He'? 'Broken leg'? What are you talking about, Pollyanna?"
Pollyanna stared; then her face relaxed.
"Oh, I forgot. I reckon you didn't know. You see, it happened while youwere gone. It was the very day you went that I found him in the woods,you know; and I had to unlock his house and telephone for the men andthe doctor, and hold his head, and everything. And of course then I cameaway and haven't seen him since. But when Nancy made the jelly for Mrs.Snow this week I thought how nice it would be if I could take it to himinstead of her, just this once. Aunt Polly, may I?"
"Yes, yes, I suppose so," acquiesced Miss Polly, a little wearily. "Whodid you say he was?"
"The Man. I mean, Mr. John Pendleton."
Miss Polly almost sprang from her chair.
"JOHN PENDLETON!"
"Yes. Nancy told me his name. Maybe you know him."
Miss Polly did not answer this. Instead she asked:
"Do YOU know him?"
Pollyanna nodded.
"Oh, yes. He always speaks and smiles--now. He's only cross OUTSIDE, youknow. I'll go and get the jelly. Nancy had it 'most fixed when I camein," finished Pollyanna, already halfway across the room.
"Pollyanna, wait! Miss Polly's voice was suddenly very stern. I'vechanged my mind. I would prefer that Mrs. Snow had that jelly to-day--asusual. That is all. You may go now."
Pollyanna's face fell.
"Oh, but Aunt Polly, HERS will last. She can always be sick and havethings, you know; but his is just a broken leg, and legs don't last--Imean, broken ones. He's had it a whole week now."
"Yes, I remember. I heard Mr. John Pendleton had met with an accident,"said Miss Polly, a little stiffly; "but--I do not care to be sendingjelly to John Pendleton, Pollyanna."
"I know, he is cross--outside," admitted Pollyanna, sadly, "so I supposeyou don't like him. But I wouldn't say 'twas you sent it. I'd say 'twasme. I like him. I'd be glad to send him jelly."
Miss Polly began to shake her head again. Then, suddenly, she stopped,and asked in a curiously quiet voice:
"Does he know who you--are, Pollyanna?"
The little girl sighed.
"I reckon not. I told him my name, once, but he never calls meit--never."
"Does he know where you--live?"
"Oh, no. I never told him that."
"Then he doesn't know you're my--niece?"
"I don't think so."
For a moment there was silence. Miss Polly was looking at Pollyannawith eyes that did not seem to see her at all. The little girl, shiftingimpatiently from one small foot to the other, sighed audibly. Then MissPolly roused herself with a start.
"Very well, Pollyanna," she said at last, still in that queer voice, sounlike her own; "you may you may take the jelly to Mr. Pendleton as yourown gift. But understand: I do not send it. Be very sure that he doesnot think I do!"
"Yes'm--no'm--thank you, Aunt Polly," exulted Pollyanna, as she flewthrough the door.