Pollyanna Eleanor H. Porter (classic english novels txt) đ
- Author: Eleanor H. Porter
Book online «Pollyanna Eleanor H. Porter (classic english novels txt) đ». Author Eleanor H. Porter
There was no reply to this. Mrs. Snow was picking at the lace on her nightgown. At last she spoke fretfully.
âI should think somebody might give me a new nightdressâ âinstead of lamb broth, for a change!â
âWhyâ âmother!â
No wonder Milly quite gasped aloud with bewilderment. In the drawer behind her at that moment lay two new nightdresses that Milly for months had been vainly urging her mother to wear.
IX Which Tells of the ManIt rained the next time Pollyanna saw the Man. She greeted him, however, with a bright smile.
âIt isnât so nice today, is it?â she called blithesomely. âIâm glad it doesnât rain always, anyhow!â
The man did not even grunt this time, nor turn his head. Pollyanna decided that of course he did not hear her. The next time, therefore (which happened to be the following day), she spoke up louder. She thought it particularly necessary to do this, anyway, for the Man was striding along, his hands behind his back, and his eyes on the groundâ âwhich seemed, to Pollyanna, preposterous in the face of the glorious sunshine and the freshly-washed morning air: Pollyanna, as a special treat, was on a morning errand today.
âHow do you do?â she chirped. âIâm so glad it isnât yesterday, arenât you?â
The man stopped abruptly. There was an angry scowl on his face.
âSee here, little girl, we might just as well settle this thing right now, once for all,â he began testily. âIâve got something besides the weather to think of. I donât know whether the sun shines or not.â Pollyanna beamed joyously.
âNo, sir; I thought you didnât. Thatâs why I told you.â
âYes; wellâ âEh? What?â he broke off sharply, in sudden understanding of her words.
âI say, thatâs why I told youâ âso you would notice it, you knowâ âthat the sun shines, and all that. I knew youâd be glad it did if you only stopped to think of itâ âand you didnât look a bit as if you were thinking of it!â
âWell, of all theâ ââ ejaculated the man, with an oddly impotent gesture. He started forward again, but after the second step he turned back, still frowning.
âSee here, why donât you find someone your own age to talk to?â
âIâd like to, sir, but there arenât any âround here, Nancy says. Still, I donât mind so very much. I like old folks just as well, maybe better, sometimesâ âbeing used to the Ladiesâ Aid, so.â
âHumph! The Ladiesâ Aid, indeed! Is that what you took me for?â The manâs lips were threatening to smile, but the scowl above them was still trying to hold them grimly stern.
Pollyanna laughed gleefully.
âOh, no, sir. You donât look a mite like a Ladiesâ Aiderâ ânot but that youâre just as good, of courseâ âmaybe better,â she added in hurried politeness. âYou see, Iâm sure youâre much nicer than you look!â
The man made a queer noise in his throat.
âWell, of all theâ ââ he ejaculated again, as he turned and strode on as before.
The next time Pollyanna met the Man, his eyes were gazing straight into hers, with a quizzical directness that made his face look really pleasant, Pollyanna thought.
âGood afternoon,â he greeted her a little stiffly. âPerhaps Iâd better say right away that I know the sun is shining today.â
âBut you donât have to tell me,â nodded Pollyanna, brightly. âI knew you knew it just as soon as I saw you.â
âOh, you did, did you?â
âYes, sir; I saw it in your eyes, you know, and in your smile.â
âHumph!â grunted the man, as he passed on.
The Man always spoke to Pollyanna after this, and frequently he spoke first, though usually he said little but âgood afternoon.â Even that, however, was a great surprise to Nancy, who chanced to be with Pollyanna one day when the greeting was given.
âSakes alive, Miss Pollyanna,â she gasped, âdid that man speak to you?â
âWhy, yes, he always doesâ ânow,â smiled Pollyanna.
âââHe always doesâ! Goodness! Do you know whoâ âheâ âis?â demanded Nancy.
Pollyanna frowned and shook her head.
âI reckon he forgot to tell me one day. You see, I did my part of the introducing, but he didnât.â
Nancyâs eyes widened.
âBut he never speaks ter anybody, childâ âhe hainât for years, I guess, except when he just has to, for business, and all that. Heâs John Pendleton. He lives all by himself in the big house on Pendleton Hill. He wonât even have any one âround ter cook for himâ âcomes down ter the hotel for his meals three times a day. I know Sally Miner, who waits on him, and she says he hardly opens his head enough ter tell what he wants ter eat. She has ter guess it moreân half the timeâ âonly itâll be somethinâ cheap! She knows that without no tellinâ.â
Pollyanna nodded sympathetically.
âI know. You have to look for cheap things when youâre poor. Father and I took meals out a lot. We had beans and fish balls most generally. We used to say how glad we were we liked beansâ âthat is, we said it specially when we were looking at the roast turkey place, you know, that was sixty cents. Does Mr. Pendleton like beans?â
âLike âem! What if he doesâ âor donât? Why, Miss Pollyanna, he ainât poor. Heâs got loads of money, John Pendleton hasâ âfrom his father. There ainât nobody in town as rich as he is. He could eat dollar bills, if he wanted toâ âand not know it.â
Pollyanna giggled.
âAs if anybody could eat dollar bills and not know it, Nancy, when they come to try to chew âem!â
âHo! I mean heâs rich enough ter do it,â shrugged Nancy. âHe ainât spendinâ his money, thatâs all. Heâs a-savinâ of it.â
âOh, for the heathen,â surmised Pollyanna. âHow perfectly splendid! Thatâs denying yourself and taking up your cross. I know; father told me.â
Nancyâs lips parted abruptly, as if there were angry words all ready to come; but her eyes, resting on Pollyannaâs jubilantly
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