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Chapter 25 A Waiting Game On the day after John Pendleton's call at the Harrington Homestead,
Miss Polly set herself to the task of preparing Pollyanna for the visit of the specialist.
Pollyanna,
My dear,
She began gently,
We have decided we want another doctor besides Dr.
Warren to see you.
Another one might tell us something new to do,
To help you get well faster,
You know.
A joyous light came to Pollyanna's face,
Dr.
Chilton,
Oh Aunt Polly,
I'd so love to have Dr.
Chilton,
I've wanted him all the time,
But I was afraid you didn't on his account of seeing you in the Sun Parlour that day,
You know.
I didn't like to say anything,
But I'm so glad you do want him.
Aunt Polly's face turned white,
Then red,
Then back to white again,
But when she answered she showed very plainly she was trying to speak lightly and cheerfully.
Oh no dear,
It wasn't Dr.
Chilton at all that I meant,
It's a new doctor,
A very famous one from New York,
He knows a great deal about,
About hurts like yours.
Pollyanna's face fell,
I don't believe he knows half so much as Dr.
Chilton,
Oh yes he does,
I'm sure,
But it was Dr.
Chilton who doctored Mr.
Pendleton's broken leg,
If you don't mind very much Aunt Polly,
I'd like to have Dr.
Chilton,
Truly I would.
A distressed colour suffused Miss Polly's face,
For a moment she did not speak at all,
Then she said gently,
Though with a touch of her old stern decisiveness,
But I do mind Pollyanna,
I mind very much,
I would do any,
Almost anything for you my dear,
But for reasons which I do not care to speak of now,
I do not wish Dr.
Chilton called in on this case,
Believe me he cannot know so much about your trouble as this great doctor does,
Who comes from New York tomorrow.
Pollyanna still looked unconvinced,
But Aunt Polly,
If you loved Dr.
Chilton,
What Pollyanna?
Aunt Polly's voice was very sharp now,
Her cheeks were very red too,
I say if you loved Dr.
Chilton and didn't love the other one,
It seems to me that would make some difference in the good he'd do.
And I love Dr.
Chilton.
The nurse entered the room at that moment and Aunt Polly rose to her feet abruptly,
A look of relief on her face.
I'm very sorry Pollyanna,
She said a little stiffly,
But I'm afraid you'll have to let me be the judge this time,
Besides it's already arranged,
The New York doctor's coming tomorrow.
As it happened,
However,
The New York doctor did not come tomorrow.
At the last moment,
A telegram told of an unavoidable delay owing to the sudden illness of the specialist himself.
This led Pollyanna into a renewed pleading for the substitution of Dr.
Chilton.
But as before,
Aunt Polly shook her head and said,
No dear,
Very decisively,
Yet with a still more anxious assurance she would do anything but that to please her dear Pollyanna.
As the days of waiting passed one by one,
It did indeed seem that Aunt Polly was doing everything but that,
That she could do to please her niece.
I wouldn't have believed it,
He couldn't have made me believe it,
Nancy said to old Tom one morning.
There don't seem to be a minute in the day Miss Polly ain't just hanging around waiting to do something for that blessed lamb,
It'd take more than to let in the cat.
And what wouldn't that fluff and all buff upstairs for love nor money a week ago,
And now she lets them tumble all over the bed,
Just because it pleases Miss Pollyanna.
And when she ain't doing nothing else,
She's moving them little glass danglers round her different windows in the room,
So the sun will make the rainbows dance,
As that blessed child calls it.
She sent Timothy down to Cobb's Greenhouse three times for fresh flowers,
That besides all the posies fetched in for her too.
The other day if I didn't find her sitting before the bed with a nurse actually doing her hair,
And Miss Pollyanna looking on and bossing from the bed,
Her eyes all shiny and happy,
I declare to goodness,
If Miss Polly ain't wore her hair like that every day now,
Just to please that blessed child.
Old Tom chuckled.
Well it strikes me Miss Polly herself ain't looking none the worse for wearing them hair curls around her forehead,
He observed trily.
Course she ain't,
She looks like folks now,
Said Nancy indignantly.
She's actually almost.
.
.
Careful now Nancy,
You know what you said,
When I told her she was handsome once.
Nancy shrugged her shoulders.
She ain't handsome of course,
But I'll own up she don't look like the same woman,
What with the ribbons and lace jiggers Miss Pollyanna makes her wear around her neck.
I told you so,
Nodded the man,
I told you she weren't old.
Well I'll own up she ain't got quite as good as imitation of it as she did have,
Said Nancy.
Say,
Who was her lover?
I ain't found out that yet.
Ain't you?
Asked the old man with an odd look on his face.
Well I guess you won't hear it from me.
Oh come on old Tom,
Come on now,
Whilled the girl.
There ain't many folks here I can ask.
Maybe not,
But here's one that ain't answering.
How is she today the little girl?
Nancy shook her head,
Her face had sobered.
Just the same Mr Tom,
There ain't no special differences I can see.
She just lays there and sleeps and talks some and tries her smile to be glad because of the sunsets or the moon rises or some other thing,
Till it's enough to make your heart break with aching.
You know this the game,
Blessed sweetheart,
Nodded old Tom.
She told you about it then?
Yes,
She told me a long time ago.
I was growling one day because I was so bent up and crooked,
And what do you suppose the little thing said?
I wouldn't think she could find anything about that to be glad about.
She did,
She said I could be glad that I didn't have to stoop so far to do my weeding because I was already bent part way over.
Nancy gave a wistful laugh,
No I ain't surprised after all.
You might know she'd find something,
We'd been playing that game since almost the first.
There weren't no one else she could play it with though,
Although she did speak of her aunt.
Miss Polly?
Nancy chuckled.
I guess she ain't got such an awful different opinion,
The mistress and I have,
She bridled.
I was only thinking it would be some of a surprise to her,
He exclaimed with dignity.
Yes,
I guess it would then.
I ain't saying what it would be now,
I believe anything of the old mistress now,
Even that she'd take to playing it herself.
No one felt those days of weeding were easy.
The nurse tried to look cheerful but her eyes were troubled,
The doctor was openly nervous and impatient.
Miss Polly said not very much,
But even the softening waves of hair about her face and the becoming lace at her throat could not hide the fact she was growing thin and pale.
As to Pollyanna,
She petted the dog,
Smoothed the cat's sleek head,
Admired the flowers and ate the fruits and jellies that were sent to her and returned innumerable cheery answers to the many messages of love and inquiry that were brought to her bedside.
But she too grew pale and thin and the nervous activity of the poor little hands and arms only emphasised the pitiful motionless of the once active little feet and legs now lying so woefully quiet under the blankets.
As to the game,
Pollyanna told Nancy these days how glad she was going to be when she could go to school again,
Go to see Mrs Snow,
Go to call on Mr Pendleton and go to ride with Dr Chilton.
She did not seem to realise all this gladness was in the future,
Not the present.
Nancy,
However,
Did realise it.
And when she was alone,
She cried bitter tears.
