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Chapter 17 Just Like a Book Well,
Miss Pollyanna,
I'm thinking you must be a very forgiving little person or she wouldn't have come to see me again today.
Why,
Mr Pendleton,
I was really glad to come and I was sure I don't see why I shouldn't be either.
Oh,
Well,
You know,
I was pretty cross with you,
I'm afraid,
Both the other day when you so kindly bought me the jelly and that time when you found me with a broken leg at first.
I don't think I'll ever thank you for that.
Now,
I'm sure even you would admit you were very forgiving to come and see me after such ungrateful treatment.
Pollyanna stirred uneasily.
But I was glad to find you,
That is,
I don't mean I was glad your leg was broken,
Of course,
She corrected.
John Pendleton smiled.
I understand.
Your tongue does get away with you once in a while,
Doesn't it,
Miss Pollyanna?
I thank you,
Though.
And I consider you a very brave little girl to do what you did that day.
Thanks for the jelly,
Too,
He added in a lighter tone.
Did you like it?
Very much,
I suppose.
There isn't any more today that Aunt Polly didn't send,
Is there?
No,
Sir.
Please,
Mr.
Pendleton,
I didn't mean to be rude the other day when I said Aunt Polly did not send it.
There was no answer to this.
John Pendleton was not smiling now.
He was looking straight ahead of him with eyes that seemed to be gazing through and beyond the object before them.
After a time,
He drew alongside and turned to Pollyanna.
Well,
This will never do at all.
I didn't send for you to see me moping.
Listen,
Out in the library,
The big room where the telephone is,
You know,
You'll find a carved box on the lower shelf of the big case with glass doors in the corner not far from the fireplace.
It'll be there if that confounded woman hasn't regulated it to somewhere else.
You can bring it to me.
It's heavy,
But not too heavy for you to carry,
I think.
I'm awfully strong,
Declared Pollyanna,
And she sprang to her feet.
In a minute,
She returned with the box.
It was full of treasures,
Curios that John Pendleton had picked up in years of travel,
And concerning each was some entertaining story,
Whether it were a set of exquisitely carved chessmen from China or a little jade idol from India.
It was after she heard the story of the little jade idol that Pollyanna murmured wistfully,
Well,
I suppose it would be better to take a little boy in India to bring up,
One that didn't know any more than to think that God was that dull thing,
Than it would be to take Jimmy Bean,
A little boy who knows God's up in the sky.
Still I can't help wishing they'd wanted Jimmy Bean too,
Besides the India boys.
John Pendleton did not seem to hear this.
Again,
His eyes were staring straight before him,
But soon he roused himself and picked another curio to talk about.
The visit was a delightful one,
But before it was over,
Pollyanna was realising they were talking about something besides the wonderful things in the beautiful carved box.
They were talking of herself,
Nancy,
Aunt Polly and her daily life.
Then not until it was nearly time for her to go did the man say,
Little girl,
I want you to come and see me often.
I'm lonesome and I need you.
I'm going to tell you another reason too.
At first,
After I found out who you were the other day,
I didn't want you to come any more.
You reminded me of something I've tried years long to forget,
But after a time I found I was wanting to see you so much,
The fact I wasn't seeing you was making me remember all the more vividly the things I wanted to forget.
Now I want you to come.
So will you,
Little girl?
Yes,
Mr Pendleton,
Read Pollyanna.
Her eyes were luminous with sympathy for the sad-faced man lying back on the pillow before her.
After supper that evening,
Pollyanna,
Sitting on the back porch,
Told Nancy all about Mr John Pendleton's wonderful carved box and the wonderful things it contained.
To think,
Sighed Nancy,
He showed you all them things and told you about them.
He's so cross he never talks to no one.
But he isn't cross,
Nancy,
Only on the outside,
Demurred Pollyanna.
I don't see why everybody thinks he's so bad either,
They wouldn't if they knew him.
Even Aunt Polly doesn't like him very well.
She wouldn't send the jelly to him,
You know,
And she was so afraid he'd think she did.
Probably she didn't call him no duty.
But what beats me,
Pollyanna,
Is he came to take to you so much.
No offence or nothing.
But he did,
Nancy,
Pollyanna nodded.
I reckon he didn't want to all the time.
Only today he owned up one time he just felt he never wanted to see me again,
Because I remind him of something he wants to forget.
What was it?
He didn't tell me,
He just said there was something he wanted to forget.
All the mystery,
Breathed Nancy.
That's why he talked to you in the first place.
That's just like a book,
That is.
I've read a lot of them.
Lady Maud's Secret,
The Lost Heir and Hidden for Years.
All of them had mysteries and things like that.
My stars and stockings.
No wonder he talked to you,
No wonder.
But he didn't,
Cried Pollyanna.
Not until I talked to him.
You didn't even know who I was until I took the calf's foot jelly.
I know.
Nancy sprang to her feet and clasped her hands together.
The next minute she was at Pollyanna's side.
Now think and answer me straight and true,
She urged.
It was after he found out you was Miss Polly's niece.
He said he didn't ever want to see you again,
Wasn't he?
Yes,
I told him that the last time I saw him and he told me this today.
I thought as much,
Triumphed Nancy.
And Miss Polly wouldn't send the jelly herself,
Would she?
No.
And you told him she didn't send it?
Yes.
And then he began to act queer and cry out sudden after he found out you were a niece.
He did that,
Didn't he?
Yes,
He did act a little queer over that jelly,
Admitted Pollyanna with a thoughtful frown.
I've got it.
Mr.
John Pendleton was Miss Polly Harrington's lover.
Nancy,
He couldn't be,
She doesn't even like him,
Objected Pollyanna.
Of course she don't,
That's the quarrel.
It's like this,
Just before you come,
Mr.
Tom told me Miss Polly had a lover once.
I didn't believe it,
I couldn't own a lover.
But Mr.
Tom said she had and he was living right now in this town.
And now I know it's John Pendleton.
But Nancy,
I should think if they loved each other,
They'd make up some of the time.
I guess you don't know much about love,
Miss Pollyanna.
You ain't big enough yet anyhow.
But if there is a set of folks in the world that wouldn't have no use for that here glad game of It'll be a pair of quarrelling lovers,
And that is what they would be.
Ain't ears cross as sticks most generally,
And ain't she?
Then Nancy stopped abruptly,
Remembering just in time to whom and about whom she was speaking.
Suddenly,
However,
She chuckled.
I ain't saying no,
Miss Pollyanna.
But what it would be a pretty slick piece of business if you could get them to play in it so that they would be glad to make up.
My lad,
Wouldn't folks dare some?
Miss Polly and Mr.
Pendleton.
I guess though there ain't much chance anyway,
Not much chance.
Meanwhile,
Pollyanna said nothing.
But later,
When she went back into the house,
Her face was very thoughtful.
