CHAPTER VI
JERRY TO THE RESCUE
It was not long before Pollyanna reached the edge of the Garden at acorner where two streets crossed. It was a wonderfully interestingcorner, with its hurrying cars, automobiles, carriages andpedestrians. A huge red bottle in a drug-store window caught her eye,and from down the street came the sound of a hurdy-gurdy. Hesitatingonly a moment Pollyanna darted across the corner and skipped lightlydown the street toward the entrancing music.
Pollyanna found much to interest her now. In the store windows weremarvelous objects, and around the hurdy-gurdy, when she had reachedit, she found a dozen dancing children, most fascinating to watch. Soaltogether delightful, indeed, did this pastime prove to be thatPollyanna followed the hurdy-gurdy for some distance, just to seethose children dance. Presently she found herself at a corner so busythat a very big man in a belted blue coat helped the people across thestreet. For an absorbed minute she watched him in silence; then, alittle timidly, she herself started to cross.
It was a wonderful experience. The big, blue-coated man saw her atonce and promptly beckoned to her. He even walked to meet her. Then,through a wide lane with puffing motors and impatient horses on eitherhand, she walked unscathed to the further curb. It gave her adelightful sensation, so delightful that, after a minute, she walkedback. Twice again, after short intervals, she trod the fascinating wayso magically opened at the lifting of the big man's hand. But the lasttime her conductor left her at the curb, he gave a puzzled frown.
"Twice again, after short intervals, she trod thefascinating way"]
"See here, little girl, ain't you the same one what crossed a minuteago?" he demanded. "And again before that?"
"Yes, sir," beamed Pollyanna. "I've been across four times!"
"Well!" the officer began to bluster; but Pollyanna was still talking.
"And it's been nicer every time!"
"Oh-h, it has--has it?" mumbled the big man, lamely. Then, with alittle more spirit he sputtered: "What do you think I'm here for--justto tote you back and forth?"
"Oh, no, sir," dimpled Pollyanna. "Of course you aren't just for me!There are all these others. I know what you are. You're a policeman.We've got one of you out where I live at Mrs. Carew's, only he's thekind that just walks on the sidewalk, you know. I used to think youwere soldiers, on account of your gold buttons and blue hats; but Iknow better now. Only I think you ARE a kind of a soldier, 'causeyou're so brave--standing here like this, right in the middle of allthese teams and automobiles, helping folks across."
"Ho--ho! Brrrr!" spluttered the big man, coloring like a schoolboy andthrowing back his head with a hearty laugh. "Ho--ho! Just as if--" Hebroke off with a quick lifting of his hand. The next moment he wasescorting a plainly very much frightened little old lady from curb tocurb. If his step were a bit more pompous, and his chest a bit morefull, it must have been only an unconscious tribute to the watchingeyes of the little girl back at the starting-point. A moment later,with a haughtily permissive wave of his hand toward the chafingdrivers and chauffeurs, he strolled back to Pollyanna.
"Oh, that was splendid!" she greeted him, with shining eyes. "I loveto see you do it--and it's just like the Children of Israel crossingthe Red Sea, isn't it?--with you holding back the waves for the peopleto cross. And how glad you must be all the time, that you can do it! Iused to think being a doctor was the very gladdest business there was,but I reckon, after all, being a policeman is gladder yet--to helpfrightened people like this, you know. And--" But with another"Brrrr!" and an embarrassed laugh, the big blue-coated man was back inthe middle of the street, and Pollyanna was all alone on thecurbstone.
For only a minute longer did Pollyanna watch her fascinating "RedSea," then, with a regretful backward glance, she turned away.
"I reckon maybe I'd better be going home now," she meditated. "It mustbe 'most dinner time." And briskly she started to walk back by the wayshe had come.
Not until she had hesitated at several corners, and unwittingly madetwo false turns, did Pollyanna grasp the fact that "going back home"was not to be so easy as she had thought it to be. And not until shecame to a building which she knew she had never seen before, did shefully realize that she had lost her way.
She was on a narrow street, dirty, and ill-paved. Dingy tenementblocks and a few unattractive stores were on either side. All aboutwere jabbering men and chattering women--though not one word of whatthey said could Pollyanna understand. Moreover, she could not helpseeing that the people looked at her very curiously, as if they knewshe did not belong there.
Several times, already, she had asked her way, but in vain. No oneseemed to know where Mrs. Carew lived; and, the last two times, thoseaddressed had answered with a gesture and a jumble of words whichPollyanna, after some thought, decided must be "Dutch," the kind theHaggermans--the only foreign family in Beldingsville--used.
On and on, down one street and up another, Pollyanna trudged. She wasthoroughly frightened now. She was hungry, too, and very tired. Herfeet ached, and her eyes smarted with the tears she was trying so hardto hold back. Worse yet, it was unmistakably beginning to grow dark.
"Well, anyhow," she choked to herself, "I'm going to be glad I'm lost,'cause it'll be so nice when I get found. I CAN be glad for that!"
It was at a noisy corner where two broader streets crossed thatPollyanna finally came to a dismayed stop. This time the tears quiteoverflowed, so that, lacking a handkerchief, she had to use the backsof both hands to wipe them away.
"Hullo, kid, why the weeps?" queried a cheery voice. "What's up?"
With a relieved little cry Pollyanna turned to confront a small boycarrying a bundle of newspapers under his arm.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed. "I've so wanted to seesome one who didn't talk Dutch!"
The small boy grinned.
"Dutch nothin'!" he scoffed. "You mean Dago, I bet ye."
Pollyanna gave a slight frown.
"Well, anyway, it--it wasn't English," she said doubtfully; "and theycouldn't answer my questions. But maybe you can. Do you know whereMrs. Carew lives?"
"Nix! You can search me."
"Wha-at?" queried Pollyanna, still more doubtfully.
The boy grinned again.
"I say not in mine. I guess I ain't acquainted with the lady."
"But isn't there anybody anywhere that is?" implored Pollyanna. "Yousee, I just went out for a walk and I got lost. I've been ever andever so far, but I can't find the house at all; and it's supper--Imean dinner time and getting dark. I want to get back. I MUST getback."
"Gee! Well, I should worry!" sympathized the boy.
"Yes, and I'm afraid Mrs. Carew'll worry, too," sighed Pollyanna.
"Gorry! if you ain't the limit," chuckled the youth, unexpectedly."But, say, listen! Don't ye know the name of the street ye want?"
"No--only that it's some kind of an avenue," desponded Pollyanna.
"A avenOO, is it? Sure, now, some class to that! We're doin' fine.What's the number of the house? Can ye tell me that? Just scratch yourhead!"
"Scratch--my--head?" Pollyanna frowned questioningly, and raised atentative hand to her hair.
The boy eyed her with disdain.
"Aw, come off yer perch! Ye ain't so dippy as all that. I say, don'tye know the number of the house ye want?"
"N-no, except there's a seven in it," returned Pollyanna, with afaintly hopeful air.
"Won't ye listen ter that?" gibed the scornful youth. "There's a sevenin it--an' she expects me ter know it when I see it!"
"Oh, I should know the house, if I could only see it," declaredPollyanna, eagerly; "and I think I'd know the street, too, on accountof the lovely long yard running right up and down through the middleof it."
This time it was the boy who gave a puzzled frown.
"YARD?" he queried, "in the middle of a street?"
"Yes--trees and grass, you know, with a walk in the middle of it, andseats, and--" But the boy interrupted her with a whoop of delight.
"Gee whiz! Commonwealth Avenue, sure as yer livin'! Wouldn't that getyer goat, now?"
"Oh, do you know--do you, really?" besought Pollyanna. "That soundedlike it--only I don't know what you meant about the goat part. Therearen't any goats there. I don't think they'd allow--"
"Goats nothin'!" scoffed the boy. "You bet yer sweet life I know where'tis! Don't I tote Sir James up there to the Garden 'most ev'ry day?An' I'll take YOU, too. Jest ye hang out here till I get on ter my jobagain, an' sell out my stock. Then we'll make tracks for that 'ereAvenue 'fore ye can say Jack Robinson."
"You mean you'll take me--home?" appealed Pollyanna, still plainly notquite understanding.
"Sure! It's a cinch--if you know the house."
"Oh, yes, I know the house," replied the literal Pollyanna, anxiously,"but I don't know whether it's a--a cinch, or not. If it isn't, can'tyou--"
But the boy only threw her another disdainful glance and darted offinto the thick of the crowd. A moment later Pollyanna heard hisstrident call of "paper, paper! Herald, Globe,--paper, sir?"
With a sigh of relief Pollyanna stepped back into a doorway andwaited. She was tired, but she was happy. In spite of sundry puzzlingaspects of the case, she yet trusted the boy, and she had perfectconfidence that he could take her home.
"He's nice, and I like him," she said to herself, following with hereyes the boy's alert, darting figure. "But he does talk funny. Hiswords SOUND English, but some of them don't seem to make any sensewith the rest of what he says. But then, I'm glad he found me,anyway," she finished with a contented little sigh.
It was not long before the boy returned, his hands empty.
"Come on, kid. All aboard," he called cheerily. "Now we'll hit thetrail for the Avenue. If I was the real thing, now, I'd tote ye homein style in a buzzwagon; but seein' as how I hain't got the dough,we'll have ter hoof it."
It was, for the most part, a silent walk. Pollyanna, for once in herlife, was too tired to talk, even of the Ladies' Aiders; and the boywas intent on picking out the shortest way to his goal. When thePublic Garden was reached, Pollyanna did exclaim joyfully:
"Oh, now I'm 'most there! I remember this place. I had a perfectlylovely time here this afternoon. It's only a little bit of a ways homenow."
"That's the stuff! Now we're gettin' there," crowed the boy. "What'd Itell ye? We'll just cut through here to the Avenue, an' then it'll beup ter you ter find the house."
"Oh, I can find the house," exulted Pollyanna, with all the confidenceof one who has reached familiar ground.
It was quite dark when Pollyanna led the way up the broad Carew steps.The boy's ring at the bell was very quickly answered, and Pollyannafound herself confronted by not only Mary, but by Mrs. Carew, Bridget,and Jennie as well. All four of the women were white-faced andanxious-eyed.
"Child, child, where HAVE you been?" demanded Mrs. Carew, hurryingforward.
"Why, I--I just went to walk," began Pollyanna, "and I got lost, andthis boy--"
"Where did you find her?" cut in Mrs. Carew, turning imperiously toPollyanna's escort, who was, at the moment, gazing in frank admirationat the wonders about him in the brilliantly-lighted hall.
"Where did you find her, boy?" she repeated sharply.
For a brief moment the boy met her gaze unflinchingly; then somethingvery like a twinkle came into his eyes, though his voice, when hespoke, was gravity itself.
"Well, I found her 'round Bowdoin Square, but I reckon she'd beendoin' the North End, only she couldn't catch on ter the lingo of theDagos, so I don't think she give 'em the glad hand, ma'am."
"The North End--that child--alone! Pollyanna!" shuddered Mrs. Carew.
"Oh, I wasn't alone, Mrs. Carew," fended Pollyanna. "There were everand ever so many people there, weren't there, boy?"
But the boy, with an impish grin, was disappearing through the door.
Pollyanna learned many things during the next half-hour. She learnedthat nice little girls do not take long walks alone in unfamiliarcities, nor sit on park benches and talk to strangers. She learned,also, that it was only by a "perfectly marvelous miracle" that she hadreached home at all that night, and that she had escaped many, manyvery disagreeable consequences of her foolishness. She learned thatBoston was not Beldingsville, and that she must not think it was.
"But, Mrs. Carew," she finally argued despairingly, "I AM here, and Ididn't get lost for keeps. Seems as if I ought to be glad for thatinstead of thinking all the time of the sorry things that might havehappened."
"Yes, yes, child, I suppose so, I suppose so," sighed Mrs. Carew; "butyou have given me such a fright, and I want you to be sure, SURE, SUREnever to do it again. Now come, dear, you must be hungry."
It was just as she was dropping off to sleep that night that Pollyannamurmured drowsily to herself:
"The thing I'm the very sorriest for of anything is that I didn't askthat boy his name nor where he lived. Now I can't ever say thank youto him!"