CHAPTER XXXI
AFTER LONG YEARS
Pollyanna was so happy that night after she had sent her letter toJimmy that she could not quite keep it to herself. Always before goingto bed she stepped into her aunt's room to see if anything wereneeded. To-night, after the usual questions, she had turned to put outthe light when a sudden impulse sent her back to her aunt's bedside. Alittle breathlessly she dropped on her knees.
"Aunt Polly, I'm so happy I just had to tell some one. I WANT to tellyou. May I?"
"Tell me? Tell me what, child? Of course you may tell me. You mean,it's good news--for ME?"
"Why, yes, dear; I hope so," blushed Pollyanna. "I hope it will makeyou--GLAD, a little, for me, you know. Of course Jimmy will tell youhimself all properly some day. But _I_ wanted to tell you first."
"Jimmy!" Mrs. Chilton's face changed perceptibly.
"Yes, when--when he--he asks you for me," stammered Pollyanna, with aradiant flood of color. "Oh, I--I'm so happy, I HAD to tell you!"
"Asks me for you! Pollyanna!" Mrs. Chilton pulled herself up in bed."You don't mean to say there's anything SERIOUS between you and--JimmyBean!"
Pollyanna fell back in dismay.
"Why, auntie, I thought you LIKED Jimmy!"
"So I do--in his place. But that place isn't the husband of my niece."
"AUNT POLLY!"
"Come, come, child, don't look so shocked. This is all sheer nonsense,and I'm glad I've been able to stop it before it's gone any further."
"But, Aunt Polly, it HAS gone further," quavered Pollyanna. "Why, I--Ialready have learned to lo-- --c-care for him--dearly."
"Then you'll have to unlearn it, Pollyanna, for never, never will Igive my consent to your marrying Jimmy Bean."
"But--w-why, auntie?"
"First and foremost because we know nothing about him."
"Why, Aunt Polly, we've always known him, ever since I was a littlegirl!"
"Yes, and what was he? A rough little runaway urchin from an Orphans'Home! We know nothing whatever about his people, and his pedigree."
"But I'm not marrying his p-people and his p-pedigree!"
With an impatient groan Aunt Polly fell back on her pillow.
"Pollyanna, you're making me positively ill. My heart is going like atrip hammer. I sha'n't sleep a wink to-night. CAN'T you let this thingrest till morning?"
Pollyanna was on her feet instantly, her face all contrition.
"Why, yes--yes, indeed; of course, Aunt Polly! And to-morrow you'llfeel different, I'm sure. I'm sure you will," reiterated the girl, hervoice quivering with hope again, as she turned to extinguish thelight.
But Aunt Polly did not "feel different" in the morning. If anything,her opposition to the marriage was even more determined. In vainPollyanna pleaded and argued. In vain she showed how deeply herhappiness was concerned. Aunt Polly was obdurate. She would have noneof the idea. She sternly admonished Pollyanna as to the possible evilsof heredity, and warned her of the dangers of marrying into she knewnot what sort of family. She even appealed at last to her sense ofduty and gratitude toward herself, and reminded Pollyanna of the longyears of loving care that had been hers in the home of her aunt, andshe begged her piteously not to break her heart by this marriage ashad her mother years before by HER marriage.
When Jimmy himself, radiant-faced and glowing-eyed, came at teno'clock, he was met by a frightened, sob-shaken little Pollyanna thattried ineffectually to hold him back with two trembling hands. Withwhitening cheeks, but with defiantly tender arms that held her close,he demanded an explanation.
"Pollyanna, dearest, what in the world is the meaning of this?"
"Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, why did you come, why did you come? I was going towrite and tell you straight away," moaned Pollyanna.
"But you did write me, dear. I got it yesterday afternoon, just intime to catch my train."
"No, no;--AGAIN, I mean. I didn't know then that I--I couldn't."
"Couldn't! Pollyanna,"--his eyes flamed into stern wrath,--"you don'tmean to tell me there's anybody ELSE'S love you think you've got tokeep me waiting for?" he demanded, holding her at arm's length.
"No, no, Jimmy! Don't look at me like that. I can't bear it!"
"Then what is it? What is it you can't do?"
"I can't--marry you."
"Pollyanna, do you love me?"
"Yes. Oh, y-yes."
"Then you shall marry me," triumphed Jimmy, his arms enfolding heragain.
"No, no, Jimmy, you don't understand. It's--Aunt Polly," struggledPollyanna.
"AUNT POLLY!"
"Yes. She--won't let me."
"Ho!" Jimmy tossed his head with a light laugh. "We'll fix Aunt Polly.She thinks she's going to lose you, but we'll just remind her thatshe--she's going to gain a--a new nephew!" he finished in mockimportance.
But Pollyanna did not smile. She turned her head hopelessly from sideto side.
"No, no, Jimmy, you don't understand! She--she--oh, how can I tellyou?--she objects to--to YOU--for--ME."
Jimmy's arms relaxed a little. His eyes sobered.
"Oh, well, I suppose I can't blame her for that. I'm no--wonder, ofcourse," he admitted constrainedly. "Still,"--he turned loving eyesupon her--"I'd try to make you--happy, dear."
"Indeed you would! I know you would," protested Pollyanna, tearfully.
"Then why not--give me a chance to try, Pollyanna, even ifshe--doesn't quite approve, at first. Maybe in time, after we weremarried, we could win her over."
"Oh, but I couldn't--I couldn't do that," moaned Pollyanna, "afterwhat she's said. I couldn't--without her consent. You see, she's doneso much for me, and she's so dependent on me. She isn't well a bit,now, Jimmy. And, really, lately she's been so--so loving, and she'sbeen trying so hard to--to play the game, you know, in spite of allher troubles. And she--she cried, Jimmy, and begged me not to breakher heart as--as mother did long ago. And--and Jimmy, I--I justcouldn't, after all she's done for me."
There was a moment's pause; then, with a vivid red mounting to herforehead, Pollyanna spoke again, brokenly.
"Jimmy, if you--if you could only tell Aunt Polly somethingabout--about your father, and your people, and--"
Jimmy's arms dropped suddenly. He stepped back a little. The colordrained from his face.
"Is--that--it?" he asked.
"Yes." Pollyanna came nearer, and touched his arm timidly. "Don'tthink--It isn't for me, Jimmy. I don't care. Besides, I KNOW that yourfather and your people were all--all fine and noble, because YOU areso fine and noble. But she--Jimmy, don't look at me like that!"
But Jimmy, with a low moan had turned quite away from her. A minutelater, with only a few choking words, which she could not understand,he had left the house.
From the Harrington homestead Jimmy went straight home and sought outJohn Pendleton. He found him in the great crimson-hung library where,some years before, Pollyanna had looked fearfully about for the"skeleton in John Pendleton's closet."
"Uncle John, do you remember that packet father gave me?" demandedJimmy.
"Why, yes. What's the matter, son?" John Pendleton had given a startof surprise at sight of Jimmy's face.
"That packet has got to be opened, sir."
"But--the conditions!"
"I can't help it. It's got to be. That's all. Will you do it?"
"Why, y-yes, my boy, of course, if you insist; but--" he pausedhelplessly.
"Uncle John, as perhaps you have guessed, I love Pollyanna. I askedher to be my wife, and she consented." The elder man made a delightedexclamation, but the other did not pause, or change his sternly intentexpression. "She says now she can't--marry me. Mrs. Chilton objects.She objects to ME."
"OBJECTS to YOU!" John Pendleton's eyes flashed angrily.
"Yes. I found out why when--when Pollyanna begged if I couldn't tellher aunt something about--about my father and my people."
"Shucks! I thought Polly Chilton had more sense--still, it's just likeher, after all. The Harringtons have always been i
nordinately proud ofrace and family," snapped John Pendleton. "Well, could you?"
"COULD _I_! It was on the end of my tongue to tell Pollyanna thatthere couldn't have been a better father than mine was; then,suddenly, I remembered--the packet, and what it said. And I wasafraid. I didn't dare say a word till I knew what was inside thatpacket. There's something dad didn't want me to know till I was thirtyyears old--when I would be a man grown, and could stand anything. See?There's a secret somewhere in our lives. I've got to know that secret,and I've got to know it now."
"But, Jimmy, lad, don't look so tragic. It may be a good secret.Perhaps it'll be something you'll LIKE to know."
"Perhaps. But if it had been, would he have been apt to keep it fromme till I was thirty years old? No! Uncle John, it was something hewas trying to save me from till I was old enough to stand it and notflinch. Understand, I'm not blaming dad. Whatever it was, it wassomething he couldn't help, I'll warrant. But WHAT it was I've got toknow. Will you get it, please? It's in your safe, you know."
John Pendleton rose at once.
"I'll get it," he said. Three minutes later it lay in Jimmy's hand;but Jimmy held it out at once.
"I would rather you read it, sir, please. Then tell me."
"But, Jimmy, I--very well." With a decisive gesture John Pendletonpicked up a paper-cutter, opened the envelope, and pulled out thecontents. There was a package of several papers tied together, and onefolded sheet alone, apparently a letter. This John Pendleton openedand read first. And as he read, Jimmy, tense and breathless, watchedhis face. He saw, therefore, the look of amazement, joy, and somethingelse he could not name, that leaped into John Pendleton's countenance.
"Uncle John, what is it? What is it?" he demanded.
"Read it--for yourself," answered the man, thrusting the letter intoJimmy's outstretched hand. And Jimmy read this:
"The enclosed papers are the legal proof that my boy Jimmy is reallyJames Kent, son of John Kent, who married Doris Wetherby, daughter ofWilliam Wetherby of Boston. There is also a letter in which I explainto my boy why I have kept him from his mother's family all theseyears. If this packet is opened by him at thirty years of age, he willread this letter, and I hope will forgive a father who feared to losehis boy entirely, so took this drastic course to keep him to himself.If it is opened by strangers, because of his death, I request that hismother's people in Boston be notified at once, and the inclosedpackage of papers be given, intact, into their hands.
"JOHN KENT."
Jimmy was pale and shaken when he looked up to meet John Pendleton'seyes.
"Am I--the lost--Jamie?" he faltered.
"That letter says you have documents there to prove it," nodded theother.
"Mrs. Carew's nephew?"
"Of course."
"But, why--what--I can't realize it!" There was a moment's pausebefore into Jimmy's face flashed a new joy. "Then, surely now I knowwho I am! I can tell--Mrs. Chilton SOMETHING of my people."
"I should say you could," retorted John Pendleton, dryly. "The BostonWetherbys can trace straight back to the crusades, and I don't knowbut to the year one. That ought to satisfy her. As for your father--hecame of good stock, too, Mrs. Carew told me, though he was rathereccentric, and not pleasing to the family, as you know, of course."
"Yes. Poor dad! And what a life he must have lived with me all thoseyears--always dreading pursuit. I can understand--lots of things, now,that used to puzzle me. A woman called me 'Jamie,' once. Jove! howangry he was! I know now why he hurried me away that night withouteven waiting for supper. Poor dad! It was right after that he wastaken sick. He couldn't use his hands or his feet, and very soon hecouldn't talk straight. Something ailed his speech. I remember when hedied he was trying to tell me something about this packet. I believenow he was telling me to open it, and go to my mother's people; but Ithought then he was just telling me to keep it safe. So that's what Ipromised him. But it didn't comfort him any. It only seemed to worryhim more. You see, I didn't understand. Poor dad!"
"Suppose we take a look at these papers," suggested John Pendleton."Besides, there's a letter from your father to you, I understand.Don't you want to read it?"
"Yes, of course. And then--" the young fellow laughed shamefacedly andglanced at the clock--"I was wondering just how soon I could goback--to Pollyanna."
A thoughtful frown came to John Pendleton's face. He glanced at Jimmy,hesitated, then spoke.
"I know you want to see Pollyanna, lad, and I don't blame you; but itstrikes me that, under the circumstances, you should go first to--Mrs.Carew, and take these." He tapped the papers before him.
Jimmy drew his brows together and pondered.
"All right, sir, I will." he agreed resignedly.
"And if you don't mind, I'd like to go with you," further suggestedJohn Pendleton, a little diffidently.
"I--I have a little matter of my own that I'd like to see--your auntabout. Suppose we go down today on the three o'clock?"
"Good! We will, sir. Gorry! And so I'm Jamie! I can't grasp it yet!"exclaimed the young man, springing to his feet, and restlessly movingabout the room. "I wonder, now," he stopped, and colored boyishly, "doyou think--Aunt Ruth--will mind--very much?"
John Pendleton shook his head. A hint of the old somberness came intohis eyes.
"Hardly, my boy. But--I'm thinking of myself. How about it? Whenyou're her boy, where am I coming in?"
"You! Do you think ANYTHING could put you one side?" scoffed Jimmy,fervently. "You needn't worry about that. And SHE won't mind. She hasJamie, you know, and--" He stopped short, a dawning dismay in hiseyes. "By George! Uncle John, I forgot--Jamie. This is going to betough on--Jamie!"
"Yes, I'd thought of that. Still, he's legally adopted, isn't he?"
"Oh, yes; it isn't that. It's the fact that he isn't the real Jamiehimself--and he with his two poor useless legs! Why, Uncle John, it'lljust about kill him. I've heard him talk. I know. Besides, Pollyannaand Mrs. Carew both have told me how he feels, how SURE he is, and howhappy he is. Great Scott! I can't take away from him this--But whatCAN I do?" "I don't know, my boy. I don't see as there's anything youcan do, but what you are doing."
There was a long silence. Jimmy had resumed his nervous pacing up anddown the room. Suddenly he wheeled, his face alight.
"There IS a way, and I'll do it. I KNOW Mrs. Carew will agree. WEWON'T TELL! We won't tell anybody but Mrs. Carew herself, and--andPollyanna and her aunt. I'll HAVE to tell them," he added defensively.
"You certainly will, my boy. As for the rest--" John Pendleton pauseddoubtfully.
"It's nobody's business."
"But, remember, you are making quite a sacrifice--in several ways. Iwant you to weigh it well."
"Weigh it? I have weighed it, and there's nothing in it--with Jamie onthe other side of the scales, sir. I just couldn't do it. That's all."
"I don't blame you, and I think you're right," declared John Pendletonheartily. "Furthermore, I believe Mrs. Carew will agree with you,particularly as she'll KNOW now that the real Jamie is found at last."
"You know she's always said she'd seen me somewhere," chuckled Jimmy."Now how soon does that train go? I'm ready."
"Well, I'm not," laughed John Pendleton. "Luckily for me it doesn't gofor some hours yet, anyhow," he finished, as he got to his feet andleft the room.
CHAPTER XXXII
A NEW ALADDIN
Whatever were John Pendleton's preparations for departure--and theywere both varied and hurried--they were done in the open, with twoexceptions. The exceptions were two letters, one addressed toPollyanna, and one to Mrs. Polly Chilton. These letters, together withcareful and minute instructions, were given into the hands of Susan,his housekeeper, to be delivered after they should be gone. But of allthis Jimmy knew nothing.
The travelers were nearing Boston when John Pendleton said to Jimmy:
"My boy, I've got one favor to ask--or rather, two. The first is thatwe say nothing to Mrs. Carew until to-morrow afternoon; the other isthat you al
low me to go first and be your--er--ambassador, youyourself not appearing on the scene until perhaps, say--four o'clock.Are you willing?"
"Indeed I am," replied Jimmy, promptly; "not only willing, butdelighted. I'd been wondering how I was going to break the ice, andI'm glad to have somebody else do it."
"Good! Then I'll try to get--YOUR AUNT on the telephone to-morrowmorning and make my appointment."
True to his promise, Jimmy did not appear at the Carew mansion untilfour o'clock the next afternoon. Even then he felt suddenly soembarrassed that he walked twice by the house before he summonedsufficient courage to go up the steps and ring the bell. Once in Mrs.Carew's presence, however, he was soon his natural self, so quicklydid she set him at his ease, and so tactfully did she handle thesituation. To be sure, at the very first, there were a few tears, anda few incoherent exclamations. Even John Pendleton had to reach ahasty hand for his handkerchief. But before very long a semblance ofnormal tranquillity was restored, and only the tender glow in Mrs.Carew's eyes, and the ecstatic happiness in Jimmy's and JohnPendleton's was left to mark the occasion as something out of theordinary.
"And I think it's so fine of you--about Jamie!" exclaimed Mrs. Carew,after a little. "Indeed, Jimmy--(I shall still call you Jimmy, forobvious reasons; besides, I like it better, for you)--indeed I thinkyou're just right, if you're willing to do it. And I'm making somesacrifice myself, too," she went on tearfully, "for I should be soproud to introduce you to the world as my nephew."
"And, indeed, Aunt Ruth, I--" At a half-stifled exclamation from JohnPendleton, Jimmy stopped short. He saw then that Jamie and Sadie Deanstood just inside the door. Jamie's face was very white.
"AUNT RUTH!" he exclaimed, looking from one to the other with startledeyes. "AUNT RUTH! You don't mean--"
All the blood receded from Mrs. Carew's face, and from Jimmy's, too.John Pendleton, however, advanced jauntily.
"Yes, Jamie; why not? I was going to tell you soon, anyway, so I'lltell you now." (Jimmy gasped and stepped hastily forward, but JohnPendleton silenced him with a look.) "Just a little while ago Mrs.Carew made me the happiest of men by saying yes to a certain questionI asked. Now, as Jimmy calls me 'Uncle John,' why shouldn't he beginright away to call Mrs. Carew 'Aunt Ruth'?"
"Oh! Oh-h!" exclaimed Jamie, in plain delight, while Jimmy, under JohnPendleton's steady gaze just managed to save the situation by notblurting out HIS surprise and pleasure. Naturally, too, just then,blushing Mrs. Carew became the center of every one's interest, and thedanger point was passed. Only Jimmy heard John Pendleton say low inhis ear, a bit later:
"So you see, you young rascal, I'm not going to lose you, after all.We shall BOTH have you now."
Exclamations and congratulations were still at their height, whenJamie, a new light in his eyes, turned without warning to Sadie Dean.
"Sadie, I'm going to tell them now," he declared triumphantly. Then,with the bright color in Sadie's face telling the tender story evenbefore Jamie's eager lips could frame the words, more congratulationsand exclamations were in order, and everybody was laughing and shakinghands with everybody else.
Jimmy, however, very soon began to eye them all aggrievedly,longingly.
"This is all very well for YOU," he complained then. "You each haveeach other. But where do I come in? I can just tell you, though, thatif only a certain young lady I know were here, _I_ should havesomething to tell YOU, perhaps."
"Just a minute, Jimmy," interposed John Pendleton. "Let's play I wasAladdin, and let me rub the lamp. Mrs. Carew, have I your permissionto ring for Mary?"
"Why, y-yes, certainly," murmured that lady, in a puzzled surprisethat found its duplicate on the faces of the others.
A few moments later Mary stood in the doorway.
"Did I hear Miss Pollyanna come in a short time ago?" asked JohnPendleton.
"Yes, sir. She is here."
"Won't you ask her to come down, please."
"Pollyanna here!" exclaimed an amazed chorus, as Mary disappeared.Jimmy turned very white, then very red.
"Yes. I sent a note to her yesterday by my housekeeper. I took theliberty of asking her down for a few days to see you, Mrs. Carew. Ithought the little girl needed a rest and a holiday; and myhousekeeper has instructions to remain and care for Mrs. Chilton. Ialso wrote a note to Mrs. Chilton herself," he added, turning suddenlyto Jimmy, with unmistakable meaning in his eyes. "And I thought aftershe read what I said, that she'd let Pollyanna come. It seems she did,for--here she is."
And there she was in the doorway, blushing, starry-eyed, yet withaljust a bit shy and questioning.
"Pollyanna, dearest!" It was Jimmy who sprang forward to meet her, andwho, without one minute's hesitation, took her in his arms and kissedher.
"Oh, Jimmy, before all these people!" breathed Pollyanna inembarrassed protest.
"Pooh! I should have kissed you then, Pollyanna, if you'd beenstraight in the middle of--of Washington Street itself," vowed Jimmy."For that matter, look at--'all these people' and see for yourself ifyou need to worry about them."
And Pollyanna looked; and she saw:
Over by one window, backs carefully turned, Jamie and Sadie Dean; overby another window, backs also carefully turned, Mrs. Carew and JohnPendleton.
Pollyanna smiled--so adorably that Jimmy kissed her again.
"Oh, Jimmy, isn't it all beautiful and wonderful?" she murmuredsoftly. "And Aunt Polly--she knows everything now; and it's all right.I think it would have been all right, anyway. She was beginning tofeel so bad--for me. Now she's so glad. And I am, too. Why, Jimmy, I'mglad, GLAD, _GLAD_ for--everything, now!"
"'I'm glad, GLAD, _GLAD_ for--everything now!'"]
Jimmy caught his breath with a joy that hurt.
"God grant, little girl, that always it may be so--with you," hechoked unsteadily, his arms holding her close.
"I'm sure it will," sighed Pollyanna, with shining eyes of confidence.
THE END
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