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
Aloud Miss Polly said nothing. To herself she said that of course she should at once undo the absurd work of her nieceâs fingers, and put her hair up properly again. As for âpeekingâ just as if she cared howâ â
At that momentâ âunaccountablyâ âMiss Polly caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror of the dressing table. And what she saw sent such a flush of rosy color to her cheeks thatâ âshe only flushed the more at the sight.
She saw a faceâ ânot young, it is trueâ âbut just now alight with excitement and surprise. The cheeks were a pretty pink. The eyes sparkled. The hair, dark, and still damp from the outdoor air, lay in loose waves about the forehead and curved back over the ears in wonderfully becoming lines, with softening little curls here and there.
So amazed and so absorbed was Miss Polly with what she saw in the glass that she quite forgot her determination to do over her hair, until she heard Pollyanna enter the room again. Before she could move, then, she felt a folded something slipped across her eyes and tied in the back.
âPollyanna, Pollyanna! What are you doing?â she cried.
Pollyanna chuckled.
âThatâs just what I donât want you to know, Aunt Polly, and I was afraid you would peek, so I tied on the handkerchief. Now sit still. It wonât take but just a minute, then Iâll let you see.â
âBut, Pollyanna,â began Miss Polly, struggling blindly to her feet, âyou must take this off! Youâ âchild, child! what are you doing?â she gasped, as she felt a soft something slipped about her shoulders.
Pollyanna only chuckled the more gleefully. With trembling fingers she was draping about her auntâs shoulders the fleecy folds of a beautiful lace shawl, yellowed from long years of packing away, and fragrant with lavender. Pollyanna had found the shawl the week before when Nancy had been regulating the attic; and it had occurred to her today that there was no reason why her aunt, as well as Mrs. White of her Western home, should not be âdressed up.â
Her task completed, Pollyanna surveyed her work with eyes that approved, but that saw yet one touch wanting. Promptly, therefore, she pulled her aunt toward the sun parlor where she could see a belated red rose blooming on the trellis within reach of her hand.
âPollyanna, what are you doing? Where are you taking me to?â recoiled Aunt Polly, vainly trying to hold herself back. âPollyanna, I shall notâ ââ
âItâs just to the sun parlorâ âonly a minute! Iâll have you ready now quickerân no time,â panted Pollyanna, reaching for the rose and thrusting it into the soft hair above Miss Pollyâs left ear. âThere!â she exulted, untying the knot of the handkerchief and flinging the bit of linen far from her. âOh, Aunt Polly, now I reckon youâll be glad I dressed you up!â
For one dazed moment Miss Polly looked at her bedecked self, and at her surroundings; then she gave a low cry and fled to her room. Pollyanna, following the direction of her auntâs last dismayed gaze, saw, through the open windows of the sun parlor, the horse and gig turning into the driveway. She recognized at once the man who held the reins. Delightedly she leaned forward.
âDr. Chilton, Dr. Chilton! Did you want to see me? Iâm up here.â
âYes,â smiled the doctor, a little gravely. âWill you come down, please?â
In the bedroom Pollyanna found a flushed-faced, angry-eyed woman plucking at the pins that held a lace shawl in place.
âPollyanna, how could you?â moaned the woman. âTo think of your rigging me up like this, and then letting meâ âbe seen!â
Pollyanna stopped in dismay.
âBut you looked lovelyâ âperfectly lovely, Aunt Polly; andâ ââ
âââLovelyâ!â scorned the woman, flinging the shawl to one side and attacking her hair with shaking fingers.
âOh, Aunt Polly, please, please let the hair stay!â
âStay? Like this? As if I would!â And Miss Polly pulled the locks so tightly back that the last curl lay stretched dead at the ends of her fingers.
âO dear! And you did look so pretty,â almost sobbed Pollyanna, as she stumbled through the door.
Downstairs Pollyanna found the doctor waiting in his gig.
âIâve prescribed you for a patient, and heâs sent me to get the prescription filled,â announced the doctor. âWill you go?â
âYou meanâ âan errandâ âto the drug store?â asked Pollyanna, a little uncertainly. âI used to go someâ âfor the Ladiesâ Aiders.â
The doctor shook his head with a smile.
âNot exactly. Itâs Mr. John Pendleton. He would like to see you today, if youâll be so good as to come. Itâs stopped raining, so I drove down after you. Will you come? Iâll call for you and bring you back before six oâclock.â
âIâd love to!â exclaimed Pollyanna. âLet me ask Aunt Polly.â
In a few moments she returned, hat in hand, but with rather a sober face.
âDidnâtâ âyour aunt want you to go?â asked the doctor, a little diffidently, as they drove away.
âY-yes,â sighed Pollyanna. âSheâ âshe wanted me to go too much, Iâm afraid.â
âWanted you to go too much!â
Pollyanna sighed again.
âYes. I reckon she meant she didnât want me there. You see, she said: âYes, yes, run along, run alongâ âdo! I wish youâd gone before.âââ
The doctor smiledâ âbut with his lips only. His eyes were very grave. For some time he said nothing; then, a little hesitatingly, he asked:
âWasnât itâ âyour aunt I saw with you a few minutes agoâ âin the window of the sun parlor?â
Pollyanna drew a long breath.
âYes; thatâs whatâs the whole trouble, I suppose. You see Iâd dressed her up in a perfectly lovely lace shawl I found upstairs,
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