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
Nancy stared.
âWhy, ofâ âcourse,â she answered a little uncertainly.
Nancyâs capable hands made short work of unpacking the books, the patched undergarments, and the few pitifully unattractive dresses. Pollyanna, smiling bravely now, flew about, hanging the dresses in the closet, stacking the books on the table, and putting away the undergarments in the bureau drawers.
âIâm sure itâ âitâs going to be a very nice room. Donât you think so?â she stammered, after a while.
There was no answer. Nancy was very busy, apparently, with her head in the trunk. Pollyanna, standing at the bureau, gazed a little wistfully at the bare wall above.
âAnd I can be glad there isnât any looking-glass here, too, âcause where there isnât any glass I canât see my freckles.â
Nancy made a sudden queer little sound with her mouthâ âbut when Pollyanna turned, her head was in the trunk again. At one of the windows, a few minutes later, Pollyanna gave a glad cry and clapped her hands joyously.
âOh, Nancy, I hadnât seen this before,â she breathed. âLookâ ââway off there, with those trees and the houses and that lovely church spire, and the river shining just like silver. Why, Nancy, there doesnât anybody need any pictures with that to look at. Oh, Iâm so glad now she let me have this room!â
To Pollyannaâs surprise and dismay, Nancy burst into tears. Pollyanna hurriedly crossed to her side.
âWhy, Nancy, Nancyâ âwhat is it?â she cried; then, fearfully: âThis wasnâtâ âyour room, was it?â
âMy room!â stormed Nancy, hotly, choking back the tears. âIf you ainât a little angel straight from Heaven, and if some folks donât eat dirt beforeâ âOh, land! thereâs her bell!â After which amazing speech, Nancy sprang to her feet, dashed out of the room, and went clattering down the stairs.
Left alone, Pollyanna went back to her âpicture,â as she mentally designated the beautiful view from the window. After a time she touched the sash tentatively. It seemed as if no longer could she endure the stifling heat. To her joy the sash moved under her fingers. The next moment the window was wide open, and Pollyanna was leaning far out, drinking in the fresh, sweet air.
She ran then to the other window. That, too, soon flew up under her eager hands. A big fly swept past her nose, and buzzed noisily about the room. Then another came, and another; but Pollyanna paid no heed. Pollyanna had made a wonderful discoveryâ âagainst this window a huge tree flung great branches. To Pollyanna they looked like arms outstretched, inviting her. Suddenly she laughed aloud.
âI believe I can do it,â she chuckled. The next moment she had climbed nimbly to the window ledge. From there it was an easy matter to step to the nearest tree-branch. Then, clinging like a monkey, she swung herself from limb to limb until the lowest branch was reached. The drop to the ground wasâ âeven for Pollyanna, who was used to climbing treesâ âa little fearsome. She took it, however, with bated breath, swinging from her strong little arms, and landing on all fours in the soft grass. Then she picked herself up and looked eagerly about her.
She was at the back of the house. Before her lay a garden in which a bent old man was working. Beyond the garden a little path through an open field led up a steep hill, at the top of which a lone pine tree stood on guard beside the huge rock. To Pollyanna, at the moment, there seemed to be just one place in the world worth being inâ âthe top of that big rock.
With a run and a skilful turn, Pollyanna skipped by the bent old man, threaded her way between the orderly rows of green growing things, andâ âa little out of breathâ âreached the path that ran through the open field. Then, determinedly, she began to climb. Already, however, she was thinking what a long, long way off that rock must be, when back at the window it had looked so near!
Fifteen minutes later the great clock in the hallway of the Harrington homestead struck six. At precisely the last stroke Nancy sounded the bell for supper.
One, two, three minutes passed. Miss Polly frowned and tapped the floor with her slipper. A little jerkily she rose to her feet, went into the hall, and looked upstairs, plainly impatient. For a minute she listened intently; then she turned and swept into the dining room.
âNancy,â she said with decision, as soon as the little serving-maid appeared; âmy niece is late. No, you need not call her,â she added severely, as Nancy made a move toward the hall door. âI told her what time supper was, and now she will have to suffer the consequences. She may as well begin at once to learn to be punctual. When she comes down she may have bread and milk in the kitchen.â
âYes, maâam.â It was well, perhaps, that Miss Polly did not happen to be looking at Nancyâs face just then.
At the earliest possible moment after supper, Nancy crept up the back stairs and thence to the attic room.
âBread and milk, indeed!â âand when the poor lamb hainât only just cried herself to sleep,â she was muttering fiercely, as she softly pushed open the door. The next moment she gave a frightened cry. âWhere are you? Whereâve you gone? Where have you gone?â she panted, looking in the closet, under the bed, and even in the trunk and down the water pitcher. Then she flew downstairs and out to Old Tom in the garden.
âMr. Tom, Mr. Tom, that blessed childâs gone,â she wailed. âSheâs vanished right up into Heaven where she come from, poor lambâ âand me told ter give her bread and milk in the kitchenâ âher whatâs eatinâ angel food this minute, Iâll warrant, Iâll warrant!â
The old man straightened up.
âGone? Heaven?â he repeated stupidly, unconsciously sweeping the brilliant sunset sky with his gaze. He stopped, stared a moment intently, then turned with a slow grin. âWell, Nancy, it do look like as if sheâd tried ter get as
Comments (0)