Pollyanna Grows Up Eleanor H. Porter (booksvooks .TXT) đ
- Author: Eleanor H. Porter
Book online «Pollyanna Grows Up Eleanor H. Porter (booksvooks .TXT) đ». Author Eleanor H. Porter
Not until he had seen Pollyanna in jeopardy that day in the pasture had he realized how empty would be the worldâ âhis worldâ âwithout her. Not until his wild dash for safety with Pollyanna in his arms had he realized how precious she was to him. For a moment, indeed, with his arms about her, and hers clinging about his neck, he had felt that she was indeed his; and even in that supreme moment of danger he knew the thrill of supreme bliss. Then, a little later, he had seen Jamieâs face, and Jamieâs hands. To him they could mean but one thing: Jamie, too, loved Pollyanna, and Jamie had to stand by, helplessâ ââtied to two sticks.â That was what he had said. Jimmy believed that, had he himself been obliged to stand by helpless, âtied to two sticks,â while another rescued the girl that he loved, he would have looked like that.
Jimmy had gone back to camp that day with his thoughts in a turmoil of fear and rebellion. He wondered if Pollyanna cared for Jamie; that was where the fear came in. But even if she did care, a little, must he stand aside, weakly, and let Jamie, without a struggle, make her learn to care more? That was where the rebellion came in. Indeed, no, he would not do it, decided Jimmy. It should be a fair fight between them.
Then, all by himself as he was, Jimmy flushed hot to the roots of his hair. Would it be a âfairâ fight? Could any fight between him and Jamie be a âfairâ fight? Jimmy felt suddenly as he had felt years before when, as a lad, he had challenged a new boy to a fight for an apple they both claimed, then, at the first blow, had discovered that the new boy had a crippled arm. He had purposely lost then, of course, and had let the crippled boy win. But he told himself fiercely now that this case was different. It was no apple that was at stake. It was his lifeâs happiness. It might even be Pollyannaâs lifeâs happiness, too. Perhaps she did not care for Jamie at all, but would care for her old friend, Jimmy, if he but once showed her he wanted her to care. And he would show her. He wouldâ â
Once again Jimmy blushed hotly. But he frowned, too, angrily: if only he could forget how Jamie had looked when he had uttered that moaning âtied to two sticks!â If onlyâ âBut what was the use? It was not a fair fight, and he knew it. He knew, too, right there and then, that his decision would be just what it afterwards proved to be: he would watch and wait. He would give Jamie his chance; and if Pollyanna showed that she cared, he would take himself off and away quite out of their lives; and they should never know, either of them, how bitterly he was suffering. He would go back to his bridgesâ âas if any bridge, though it led to the moon itself, could compare for a moment with Pollyanna! But he would do it. He must do it.
It was all very fine and heroic, and Jimmy felt so exalted he was atingle with something that was almost happiness when he finally dropped off to sleep that night. But martyrdom in theory and practice differs woefully, as would-be martyrs have found out from time immemorial. It was all very well to decide alone and in the dark that he would give Jamie his chance; but it was quite another matter really to do it when it involved nothing less than the leaving of Pollyanna and Jamie together almost every time he saw them. Then, too, he was very much worried at Pollyannaâs apparent attitude toward the lame youth. It looked very much to Jimmy as if she did indeed care for him, so watchful was she of his comfort, so apparently eager to be with him. Then, as if to settle any possible doubt in Jimmyâs mind, there came the day when Sadie Dean had something to say on the subject.
They were all out in the tennis court. Sadie was sitting alone when Jimmy strolled up to her.
âYou next with Pollyanna, isnât it?â he queried.
She shook her head.
âPollyanna isnât playing any more this morning.â
âIsnât playing!â frowned Jimmy, who had been counting on his own game with Pollyanna. âWhy not?â
For a brief minute Sadie Dean did not answer; then with very evident difficulty she said:
âPollyanna told me last night that she thought we were playing tennis too much; that it wasnât kind toâ âMr. Carew, as long as he canât play.â
âI know; butâ ââ Jimmy stopped helplessly, the frown plowing a deeper furrow into his forehead. The next instant he fairly started with surprise at the tense something in Sadie Deanâs voice, as she said:
âBut he doesnât want her to stop. He doesnât want any one of us to make any differenceâ âfor him. Itâs that that hurts him so. She doesnât understand. She doesnât understand! But I do. She thinks she does, though!â
Something in words or manner sent a sudden pang to Jimmyâs heart. He threw a sharp look into her face. A question flew to his lips. For a moment he held it back; then, trying to hide his earnestness with a bantering smile, he let it come.
âWhy, Miss Dean, you donât mean to convey the idea thatâ âthat thereâs any special interest in each otherâ âbetween those two, do you?â
She gave him a scornful glance.
âWhere have your eyes been? She worships him! I meanâ âthey worship each other,â she corrected hastily.
Jimmy,
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