Pollyanna - Eleanor Hodgman Porter (e ink ebook reader txt) đ
- Author: Eleanor Hodgman Porter
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Pollyanna now, like Mrs. Snow, was knitting wonderful things out of bright colored worsteds that trailed their cheery lengths across the white spread, and made Pollyannaâagain like Mrs. Snowâso glad she had her hands and arms, anyway.
Pollyanna saw people now, occasionally, and always there were the loving messages from those she could not see; and always they brought her something new to think aboutâand Pollyanna needed new things to think about.
Once she had seen John Pendleton, and twice she had seen Jimmy Bean. John Pendleton had told her what a fine boy Jimmy was getting to be, and how well he was doing. Jimmy had told her what a first-rate home he had, and what bang-up âfolksâ Mr. Pendleton made; and both had said that it was all owing to her.
âWhich makes me all the gladder, you know, that I HAVE had my legs,â Pollyanna confided to her aunt afterwards.
The winter passed, and spring came. The anxious watchers over Pollyannaâs condition could see little change wrought by the prescribed treatment. There seemed every reason to believe, indeed, that Dr. Meadâs worst fears would be realizedâthat Pollyanna would never walk again.
Beldingsville, of course, kept itself informed concerning Pollyanna; and of Beldingsville, one man in particular fumed and fretted himself into a fever of anxiety over the daily bulletins which he managed in some way to procure from the bed of suffering. As the days passed, however, and the news came to be no better, but rather worse, something besides anxiety began to show in the manâs face: despair, and a very dogged determination, each fighting for the mastery. In the end, the dogged determination won; and it was then that Mr. John Pendleton, somewhat to his surprise, received one Saturday morning a call from Dr. Thomas Chilton.
âPendleton,â began the doctor, abruptly, âIâve come to you because you, better than any one else in town, know something of my relations with Miss Polly Harrington.â
John Pendleton was conscious that he must have started visiblyâhe did know something of the affair between Polly Harrington and Thomas Chilton, but the matter had not been mentioned between them for fifteen years, or more.
âYes,â he said, trying to make his voice sound concerned enough for sympathy, and not eager enough for curiosity. In a moment he saw that he need not have worried, however: the doctor was quite too intent on his errand to notice how that errand was received.
âPendleton, I want to see that child. I want to make an examination. I MUST make an examination.â
âWellâcanât you?â
âCANâT I! Pendleton, you know very well I havenât been inside that door for more than fifteen years. You donât knowâbut I will tell youâthat the mistress of that house told me that the NEXT time she ASKED me to enter it, I might take it that she was begging my pardon, and that all would be as beforeâwhich meant that sheâd marry me. Perhaps you see her summoning me nowâbut I donât!â
âBut couldnât you goâwithout a summons?â
The doctor frowned.
âWell, hardly. I have some pride, you know.â
âBut if youâre so anxiousâcouldnât you swallow your pride and forget the quarrelââ
âForget the quarrel!â interrupted the doctor, savagely. âIâm not talking of that kind of pride. So far as THAT is concerned, Iâd go from here there on my kneesâor on my headâif that would do any good. Itâs PROFESSIONAL pride Iâm talking about. Itâs a case of sickness, and Iâm a doctor. I canât butt in and say, âHere, take me!âcan I?â
âChilton, what was the quarrel?â demanded Pendleton.
The doctor made an impatient gesture, and got to his feet.
âWhat was it? Whatâs any loversâ quarrel after itâs over?â he snarled, pacing the room angrily. âA silly wrangle over the size of the moon or the depth of a river, maybeâit might as well be, so far as its having any real significance compared to the years of misery that follow them! Never mind the quarrel! So far as I am concerned, I am willing to say there was no quarrel. Pendleton, I must see that child. It may mean life or death. It will meanâI honestly believeânine chances out of ten that Pollyanna Whittier will walk again!â
The words were spoken clearly, impressively; and they were spoken just as the one who uttered them had almost reached the open window near John Pendletonâs chair. Thus it happened that very distinctly they reached the ears of a small boy kneeling beneath the window on the ground outside.
Jimmy Bean, at his Saturday morning task of pulling up the first little green weeds of the flowerbeds, sat up with ears and eyes wide open.
âWalk! Pollyanna!â John Pendleton was saying. âWhat do you mean?â
I mean that from what I can hear and learnâa mile from her bedsideâthat her case is very much like one that a college friend of mine has just helped. For years heâs been making this sort of thing a special study. Iâve kept in touch with him, and studied, too, in a way. And from what I hearâbut I want to SEE the girl!â
John Pendleton came erect in his chair.
âYou must see her, man! Couldnât youâsay, through Dr. Warren?â
The other shook his head.
âIâm afraid not. Warren has been very decent, though. He told me himself that he suggested consultation with me at the first, butâMiss Harrington said no so decisively that he didnât dare venture it again, even though he knew of my desire to see the child. Lately, some of his best patients have come over to meâso of course that ties my hands still more effectually. But, Pendleton, Iâve got to see that child! Think of what it may mean to herâif I do!â
âYes, and think of what it will meanâif you donât!â retorted Pendleton.
âBut how can Iâwithout a direct request from her aunt?âwhich Iâll never get!â
âShe must be made to ask you!â
âHow?â
âI donât know.â
âNo, I guess you donâtânor anybody else. Sheâs too proud and too angry to ask meâafter what she said years ago it would mean if she did ask me. But when I think of that child, doomed to lifelong misery, and when I think that maybe in my hands lies a chance of escape, but for that confounded nonsense we call pride and professional etiquette, Iââ He did not finish his sentence, but with his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he turned and began to tramp up and down the room again, angrily.
âBut if she could be made to seeâto understand,â urged John Pendleton.
âYes; and whoâs going to do it?â demanded the doctor, with a savage turn.
âI donât know, I donât know,â groaned the other, miserably.
Outside the window Jimmy Bean stirred suddenly. Up to now he had scarcely breathed, so intently had he listened to every word.
âWell, by Jinks, I know!â he whispered, exultingly. âIâM a-goinâ ter do it!â And forthwith he rose to his feet, crept stealthily around the corner of the house, and ran with all his might down Pendleton Hill.
CHAPTER XXX. JIMMY TAKES THE HELM
âItâs Jimmy Bean. He wants ter see ye, maâam,â announced Nancy in the doorway.
âMe?â rejoined Miss Polly, plainly surprised. âAre you sure he did not mean Miss Pollyanna? He may see her a few minutes to-day, if he likes.â
âYesâm. I told him. But he said it was you he wanted.â
âVery well, Iâll come down.â And Miss Polly arose from her chair a little wearily.
In the sitting room she found waiting for her a round-eyed, flushed-faced boy, who began to speak at once.
âMaâam, I sâpose itâs dreadfulâwhat Iâm doinâ, anâ what Iâm sayinâ; but I canât help it. Itâs for Pollyanna, and Iâd walk over hot coals for her, or face you, orâor anythinâ like that, any time. Anâ I think you would, too, if you thought there was a chance for her ter walk again. Anâ so thatâs why I come ter tell ye that as long as itâs only pride anâ etâet-somethinâ thatâs keepinâ Pollyanna from walkinâ, why I knew you WOULD ask Dr. Chilton here if you understoodââ
âWh-at?â interrupted Miss Polly, the look of stupefaction on her face changing to one of angry indignation.
Jimmy sighed despairingly.
âThere, I didnât mean ter make ye mad. Thatâs why I begun by tellinâ ye about her walkinâ again. I thought youâd listen ter that.â
âJimmy, what are you talking about?â
Jimmy sighed again.
âThatâs what Iâm tryinâ ter tell ye.â
âWell, then tell me. But begin at the beginning, and be sure I understand each thing as you go. Donât plunge into the middle of it as you did beforeâand mix everything all up!â
Jimmy wet his lips determinedly.
âWell, ter begin with, Dr. Chilton come ter see Mr. Pendleton, anâ they talked in the library. Do you understand that?â
âYes, Jimmy.â Miss Pollyâs voice was rather faint.
âWell, the window was open, and I was weedinâ the flower-bed under it; anâ I heard âem talk.â
âOh, Jimmy! LISTENING?â
â âTwaânât about me, anâ âtwaânât sneak listeninâ,â bridled Jimmy. âAnd Iâm glad I listened. You will be when I tell ye. Why, it may make Pollyannaâwalk!â
âJimmy, what do you mean?â Miss Polly was leaning forward eagerly.
âThere, I told ye so,â nodded Jimmy, contentedly. âWell, Dr. Chilton knows some doctor somewhere that can cure Pollyanna, he thinksâmake her walk, ye know; but he canât tell sure till he SEES her. And he wants ter see her somethinâ awful, but he told Mr. Pendleton that you wouldnât let him.â
Miss Pollyâs face turned very red.
âBut, Jimmy, IâI canâtâI couldnât! That is, I didnât know!â Miss Polly was twisting her fingers together helplessly.
âYes, anâ thatâs what I come ter tell ye, so you WOULD know,â asserted Jimmy, eagerly. âThey said that for some reasonâI didnât rightly catch whatâyou wouldnât let Dr. Chilton come, anâ you told Dr. Warren so; anâ Dr. Chilton couldnât come himself, without you asked him, on account of pride anâ professional etâetâwell, et-somethin anyway. Anâ they was wishinâ somebody could make you understand, only they didnât know who could; anâ I was outside the winder, anâ I says ter myself right away, âBy Jinks, Iâll do it!â Anâ I comeâanâ have I made ye understand?â
âYes; but, Jimmy, about that doctor,â implored Miss Polly, feverishly. âWho was he? What did he do? Are they SURE he could make Pollyanna walk?â
âI donât know who he was. They didnât say. Dr. Chilton knows him, anâ heâs just cured somebody just like her, Dr. Chilton thinks. Anyhow, they didnât seem ter be doinâ no worryinâ about HIM. âTwas YOU they was worryinâ about, âcause you wouldnât let Dr. Chilton see her. Anâ sayâyou will let him come. wonât you?ânow you understand?â
Miss Polly turned her head from side to side. Her breath was coming in little uneven, rapid gasps. Jimmy, watching her with anxious eyes, thought she was going to cry. But she did not cry. After a minute she said brokenly:
âYesâIâll letâDr. Chiltonâsee her. Now run home, Jimmyâquick! Iâve got to speak to Dr. Warren. Heâs up-stairs now. I saw him drive in a few minutes ago.â
A little later Dr. Warren was surprised to meet an agitated, flushed-faced Miss Polly in the hall. He was still more surprised to hear the lady say, a little breathlessly:
âDr. Warren, you asked me once to allow Dr.
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