CHAPTER XX. WHICH IS MORE SURPRISING
Sunday mornings Pollyanna usually attended church and Sunday school.Sunday afternoons she frequently went for a walk with Nancy. She hadplanned one for the day after her Saturday afternoon visit to Mr. JohnPendleton; but on the way home from Sunday school Dr. Chilton overtookher in his gig, and brought his horse to a stop.
"Suppose you let me drive you home, Pollyanna," he suggested. "I wantto speak to you a minute. I, was just driving out to your place totell you," he went on, as Pollyanna settled herself at his side."Mr. Pendleton sent a special request for you to go to see him thisafternoon, SURE. He says it's very important."
Pollyanna nodded happily.
"Yes, it is, I know. I'll go."
The doctor eyed her with some surprise.
"I'm not sure I shall let you, after all," he declared, his eyestwinkling. "You seemed more upsetting than soothing yesterday, younglady."
Pollyanna laughed.
"Oh, it wasn't me, truly--not really, you know; not so much as it wasAunt Polly."
The doctor turned with a quick start.
"Your--aunt!" he ejaculated.
Pollyanna gave a happy little bounce in her seat.
"Yes. And it's so exciting and lovely, just like a story, you know.I--I'm going to tell you," she burst out, with sudden decision. "Hesaid not to mention it; but he wouldn't mind your knowing, of course. Hemeant not to mention it to HER."
"HER?"
"Yes; Aunt Polly. And, of course he WOULD want to tell her himselfinstead of having me do it--lovers, so!"
"Lovers!" As the doctor said the word, the horse started violently, asif the hand that held the reins had given them a sharp jerk.
"Yes," nodded Pollyanna, happily. "That's the story-part, you see. Ididn't know it till Nancy told me. She said Aunt Polly had a lover yearsago, and they quarrelled. She didn't know who it was at first. But we'vefound out now. It's Mr. Pendleton, you know."
The doctor relaxed suddenly, The hand holding the reins fell limply tohis lap.
"Oh! No; I--didn't know," he said quietly.
Pollyanna hurried on--they were nearing the Harrington homestead.
"Yes; and I'm so glad now. It's come out lovely. Mr. Pendleton askedme to come and live with him, but of course I wouldn't leave Aunt Pollylike that--after she'd been so good to me. Then he told me all aboutthe woman's hand and heart that he used to want, and I found out that hewanted it now; and I was so glad! For of course if he wants to make upthe quarrel, everything will be all right now, and Aunt Polly and I willboth go to live there, or else he'll come to live with us. Of courseAunt Polly doesn't know yet, and we haven't got everything settled; so Isuppose that is why he wanted to see me this afternoon, sure."
The doctor sat suddenly erect. There was an odd smile on his lips.
"Yes; I can well imagine that Mr. John Pendleton does--want to see you,Pollyanna," he nodded, as he pulled his horse to a stop before the door.
"There's Aunt Polly now in the window," cried Pollyanna; then, a secondlater: "Why, no, she isn't--but I thought I saw her!"
"No; she isn't there--now," said the doctor, His lips had suddenly losttheir smile.
Pollyanna found a very nervous John Pendleton waiting for her thatafternoon.
"Pollyanna," he began at once. "I've been trying all night to puzzleout what you meant by all that, yesterday--about my wanting your AuntPolly's hand and heart here all those years. What did you mean?"
"Why, because you were lovers, you know once; and I was so glad youstill felt that way now."
"Lovers!--your Aunt Polly and I?"
At the obvious surprise in the man's voice, Pollyanna opened wide hereyes.
"Why, Mr. Pendleton, Nancy said you were!"
The man gave a short little laugh.
"Indeed! Well, I'm afraid I shall have to say that Nancy--didn't know."
"Then you--weren't lovers?" Pollyanna's voice was tragic with dismay.
"Never!"
"And it ISN'T all coming out like a book?"
There was no answer. The man's eyes were moodily fixed out the window.
"O dear! And it was all going so splendidly," almost sobbed Pollyanna."I'd have been so glad to come--with Aunt Polly."
"And you won't--now?" The man asked the question without turning hishead.
"Of course not! I'm Aunt Polly's."
The man turned now, almost fiercely.
"Before you were hers, Pollyanna, you were--your mother's. And--it wasyour mother's hand and heart that I wanted long years ago."
"My mother's!"
"Yes. I had not meant to tell you, but perhaps it's better, after all,that I do--now." John Pendleton's face had grown very white. Hewas speaking with evident difficulty. Pollyanna, her eyes wide andfrightened, and her lips parted, was gazing at him fixedly. "I lovedyour mother; but she--didn't love me. And after a time she went awaywith--your father. I did not know until then how much I did--care. Thewhole world suddenly seemed to turn black under my fingers, and--But,never mind. For long years I have been a cross, crabbed, unlovable,unloved old man--though I'm not nearly sixty, yet, Pollyanna. Then,One day, like one of the prisms that you love so well, little girl, youdanced into my life, and flecked my dreary old world with dashes of thepurple and gold and scarlet of your own bright cheeriness. I found out,after a time, who you were, and--and I thought then I never wanted tosee you again. I didn't want to be reminded of--your mother. But--youknow how that came out. I just had to have you come. And now I want youalways. Pollyanna, won't you come NOW?"
"But, Mr. Pendleton, I--There's Aunt Polly!" Pollyanna's eyes wereblurred with tears.
The man made an impatient gesture.
"What about me? How do you suppose I'm going to be 'glad' aboutanything--without you? Why, Pollyanna, it's only since you came thatI've been even half glad to live! But if I had you for my own littlegirl, I'd be glad for--anything; and I'd try to make you glad, too, mydear. You shouldn't have a wish ungratified. All my money, to the lastcent, should go to make you happy."
Pollyanna looked shocked.
"Why, Mr. Pendleton, as if I'd let you spend it on me--all that moneyyou've saved for the heathen!"
A dull red came to the man's face. He started to speak, but Pollyannawas still talking.
"Besides, anybody with such a lot of money as you have doesn't need meto make you glad about things. You're making other folks so glad givingthem things that you just can't help being glad yourself! Why, lookat those prisms you gave Mrs. Snow and me, and the gold piece you gaveNancy on her birthday, and--"
"Yes, yes--never mind about all that," interrupted the man. His facewas very, very red now--and no wonder, perhaps: it was not for "givingthings" that John Pendleton had been best known in the past. "That's allnonsense. 'Twasn't much, anyhow--but what there was, was because of you.YOU gave those things; not I! Yes, you did," he repeated, in answer tothe shocked denial in her face. "And that only goes to prove all themore how I need you, little girl," he added, his voice softening intotender pleading once more. "If ever, ever I am to play the 'glad game,'Pollyanna, you'll have to come and play it with me."
The little girl's forehead puckered into a wistful frown.
"Aunt Polly has been so good to me," she began; but the man interruptedher sharply. The old irritability had come back to his face. Impatiencewhich would brook no opposition had been a part of John Pendleton'snature too long to yield very easily now to restraint.
"Of course she's been good to you! But she doesn't want you, I'llwarrant, half so much as I do," he contested.
"Why, Mr. Pendleton, she's glad, I know, to have--"
"Glad!" interrupted the man, thoroughly losing his patience now. "I'llwager Miss Polly doesn't know how to be glad--for anything! Oh, she doesher duty, I know. She's a very DUTIFUL woman. I've had experience withher 'duty,' before. I'll acknowledge we haven't been the best of friendsfor the last fifteen or twenty years. But I know her. Every one knowsher--and she isn't the 'glad' kind, Pol
lyanna. She doesn't know how tobe. As for your coming to me--you just ask her and see if she won't letyou come. And, oh, little girl, little girl, I want you so!" he finishedbrokenly.
Pollyanna rose to her feet with a long sigh.
"All right. I'll ask her," she said wistfully. "Of course I don't meanthat I wouldn't like to live here with you, Mr. Pendleton, but--" Shedid not complete her sentence. There was a moment's silence, then sheadded: "Well, anyhow, I'm glad I didn't tell her yesterday;--'cause thenI supposed SHE was wanted, too."
John Pendleton smiled grimly.
"Well, yes, Pollyanna; I guess it is just as well you didn't mentionit--yesterday."
"I didn't--only to the doctor; and of course he doesn't count."
"The doctor!" cried John Pendleton, turning quickly."Not--Dr.--Chilton?"
"Yes; when he came to tell me you wanted to see me to-day, you know."
"Well, of all the--" muttered the man, falling back in his chair. Thenhe sat up with sudden interest. "And what did Dr. Chilton say?" heasked.
Pollyanna frowned thoughtfully.
"Why, I don't remember. Not much, I reckon. Oh, he did say he could wellimagine you did want to see me."
"Oh, did he, indeed!" answered John Pendleton. And Pollyanna wonderedwhy he gave that sudden queer little laugh.