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Chapter 12 Before the Lady's Aid Dinner,
Which came at noon in the Harrington Homestead,
Was a silent meal on the day of the Lady's Aid meeting.
Pollyanna,
It's true,
Tried to talk,
But she did not make a success of it,
Chiefly because four times she was obliged to break off her glad in the middle,
Much to her blushing discomfort.
The fifth time it happened,
Miss Polly moved her head wearily.
There,
There,
Child,
Say it if you want to,
She sighed,
I'm sure I'd rather you did than not if it's going to make all this fuss.
Pollyanna's puckered little face cleared.
Thank you,
I'm afraid it would be pretty hard not to say it,
You see I've played it so long.
You've what?
Demanded Aunt Polly.
Played it,
The game,
You know,
That father.
.
.
Pollyanna stopped with a painful blush at finding herself so soon again on forbidden ground.
Aunt Polly frowned and said nothing.
The rest of the meal was a silent one.
Pollyanna was not sorry to hear Aunt Polly tell the minister's wife over the telephone that she would not be at the ladies' aid meeting that afternoon,
Owing to a headache.
When Aunt Polly went upstairs to her room and closed the door,
Pollyanna tried to be sorry for the headache,
But she could not help feeling glad her aunt was not to be present when she laid the case of Jimmy Bean before the ladies' aid.
She could not forget Aunt Polly had called Jimmy Bean a little beggar,
And she did not want Aunt Polly to call him that before the ladies' aid.
Pollyanna knew they met at two in the chapel next to the church,
Not quite half a mile from home.
She planned her going there for,
So she should get there a little time before three.
I want them all to be there,
She said to herself,
Else the very one that wasn't there might be the one who would be wanting to give Jimmy Bean a home.
And of course,
Two o'clock always means three,
Really,
To ladies' aiders.
Quietly but with confident courage,
Pollyanna ascended the chapel steps,
Pushed open the door and entered the vestibule.
A soft babble of feminine chatter and laughter came from the main room.
Hesitating only a brief moment,
Pollyanna pushed open one of the inner doors.
The chatter dropped to a surprised hush.
She advanced a little timidly.
Now that the time had come,
She felt unwontedly shy,
After all these half-strange,
Half-familiar faces about her were not her own dear ladies' aide.
How do you do,
Ladies' aiders?
She faltered politely.
I'm Pollyanna Whittier.
I remember some of you know me,
Maybe.
Anyway,
I do know you,
Only I don't know you all together this way.
The silence could almost be felt now.
Some of the ladies did know this rather extraordinary niece of their fellow member,
And nearly all had heard of her,
But not one of them could think of anything to say.
I've come to lay the case before you,
Stammered Pollyanna after a moment.
There was a slight rustle.
Did your aunt send you,
My dear?
Asked Mrs.
Ford,
The minister's wife.
Pollyanna coloured a little.
Oh,
No,
I came all by myself.
You see,
I'm used to ladies' aiders.
It was them that put me up with father.
Someone tittered hysterically,
And the minister's wife frowned.
Yes,
Dear,
What is it?
Well,
It's Jimmy Bean,
Sighed Pollyanna.
He hasn't any home except the orphan one,
And they're full,
And they don't want him,
He thinks,
So he wants another.
He wants one of the common kind that has a mother instead of a matron in it.
Folks that'll care,
You know.
He's ten years old,
Going on eleven,
And I thought some of you might like him.
To live with you,
You know.
Well did you ever,
Murmured a voice,
Breaking the days to pause that followed Pollyanna's words.
With anxious eyes,
Pollyanna swept the circle of faces.
Oh,
I forgot to say,
He will work.
Still,
There was silence.
Then coldly,
One or two women began to question her.
After a time,
They had all the story and began to talk amongst themselves,
Animatedly,
And not quite pleasantly.
Pollyanna listened with growing anxiety.
Some of what was said,
She could not understand.
But she did gather,
After a time,
There was no woman there who had a home to give him,
Though every woman seemed to think some of the others might take him,
As there were several who had no little boys of their own already in their home,
But there was no one who agreed herself to take him.
Then she heard the minister's wife suggest timidly that they as a society might perhaps assume his support and education,
Instead of sending quite so much money this year to the little boys in far away India.
A great many ladies talked then,
And several of them talked all at once,
And even more loudly and more unpleasantly than before.
It seemed that their society was famous for its offering to Hindu missions,
And several said they should die of mortification if it should be less this year.
Some of what was said at this time,
Pollyanna again thought she could not have understood too,
For it sounded almost as if they did not care at all what the money did,
As long as the sum opposite the name of their society in a certain report headed the list,
And of course that could not be what they meant at all.
But it was all very confusing and not quite pleasant,
So that Pollyanna was glad indeed when at last she found herself outside in the hushed sweet air.
Only she was very sorry,
For she knew it was not going to be easy,
Or anything but sad,
To tell Jimmy Bean tomorrow the ladies' aide had decided they would rather send all their money to bring up the little India boys than to save out enough to bring up one little boy in their own town.
They would not get a bit of credit in the report,
Said the lady who was tall and wore spectacles.
But Pollyanna thought this was not a good reason at all.
Not but that it's good of course to send money to the boys over there.
I shouldn't want them not to send them some money there,
Sighed Pollyanna to herself as she trudged sorrowfully along.
But the way they acted,
It was as if little boys here weren't any account,
Only the boys' way off.
I should think though they'd rather see Jimmy Bean grow up safe.
They'd rather see Jimmy Bean grow up healthy and educated,
Rather than just growing their old report.
