Pollyanna
bedside--that her case is very much like one that a college friend of
mine has just helped. For years he's been making this sort of thing a
special study. I've kept in touch with him, and studied, too, in a way.
And from what I hear--but I want to SEE the girl!”
John Pendleton came erect in his chair.
“You must see her, man! Couldn't you--say, through Dr. Warren?”
The other shook his head.
“I'm afraid not. Warren has been very decent, though. He told me
himself that he suggested consultation with me at the first, but--Miss
Harrington said no so decisively that he didn't dare venture it again,
even though he knew of my desire to see the child. Lately, some of his
best patients have come over to me--so of course that ties my hands
still more effectually. But, Pendleton, I've got to see that child!
Think of what it may mean to her--if I do!”
“Yes, and think of what it will mean--if you don't!” retorted Pendleton.
“But how can I--without a direct request from her aunt?--which I'll
never get!”
“She must be made to ask you!”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
“No, I guess you don't--nor anybody else. She's too proud and too angry
to ask me--after what she said years ago it would mean if she did ask
me. But when I think of that child, doomed to lifelong misery, and when
I think that maybe in my hands lies a chance of escape, but for that
confounded nonsense we call pride and professional etiquette, I--” He
did not finish his sentence, but with his hands thrust deep into his
pockets, he turned and began to tramp up and down the room again,
angrily.
“But if she could be made to see--to understand,” urged John Pendleton.
“Yes; and who's going to do it?” demanded the doctor, with a savage
turn.
“I don't know, I don't know,” groaned the other, miserably.
Outside the window Jimmy Bean stirred suddenly. Up to now he had
scarcely breathed, so intently had he listened to every word.
“Well, by Jinks, I know!” he whispered, exultingly. “I'M a-goin' ter
do it!” And forthwith he rose to his feet, crept stealthily around the
corner of the house, and ran with all his might down Pendleton Hill.
CHAPTER XXX. JIMMY TAKES THE HELM
“It's Jimmy Bean. He wants ter see ye, ma'am,” announced Nancy in the
doorway.
“Me?” rejoined Miss Polly, plainly surprised. “Are you sure he did not
mean Miss Pollyanna? He may see her a few minutes to-day, if he likes.”
“Yes'm. I told him. But he said it was you he wanted.”
“Very well, I'll come down.” And Miss Polly arose from her chair a
little wearily.
In the sitting room she found waiting for her a round-eyed,
flushed-faced boy, who began to speak at once.
“Ma'am, I s'pose it's dreadful--what I'm doin', an' what I'm sayin';
but I can't help it. It's for Pollyanna, and I'd walk over hot coals for
her, or face you, or--or anythin' like that, any time. An' I think you
would, too, if you thought there was a chance for her ter walk again.
An' so that's why I come ter tell ye that as long as it's only pride an'
et--et-somethin' that's keepin' Pollyanna from walkin', why I knew you
WOULD ask Dr. Chilton here if you understood--”
“Wh-at?” interrupted Miss Polly, the look of stupefaction on her face
changing to one of angry indignation.
Jimmy sighed despairingly.
“There, I didn't mean ter make ye mad. That's why I begun by tellin' ye
about her walkin' again. I thought you'd listen ter that.”
“Jimmy, what are you talking about?”
Jimmy sighed again.
“That's what I'm tryin' ter tell ye.”
“Well, then tell me. But begin at the beginning, and be sure I
understand each thing as you go. Don't plunge into the middle of it as
you did before--and mix everything all up!”
Jimmy wet his lips determinedly.
“Well, ter begin with, Dr. Chilton come ter see Mr. Pendleton, an' they
talked in the library. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, Jimmy.” Miss Polly's voice was rather faint.
“Well, the window was open, and I was weedin' the flower-bed under it;
an' I heard 'em talk.”
“Oh, Jimmy! LISTENING?”
“'Twa'n't about me, an' 'twa'n't sneak listenin',” bridled Jimmy.
“And I'm glad I listened. You will be when I tell ye. Why, it may make
Pollyanna--walk!”
“Jimmy, what do you mean?” Miss Polly was leaning forward eagerly.
“There, I told ye so,” nodded Jimmy, contentedly. “Well, Dr. Chilton
knows some doctor somewhere that can cure Pollyanna, he thinks--make her
walk, ye know; but he can't tell sure till he SEES her. And he wants ter
see her somethin' awful, but he told Mr. Pendleton that you wouldn't let
him.”
Miss Polly's face turned very red.
“But, Jimmy, I--I can't--I couldn't! That is, I didn't know!” Miss Polly
was twisting her fingers together helplessly.
“Yes, an' that's what I come ter tell ye, so you WOULD know,” asserted
Jimmy, eagerly. “They said that for some reason--I didn't rightly catch
what--you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton come, an' you told Dr. Warren so; an'
Dr. Chilton couldn't come himself, without you asked him, on account of
pride an' professional et--et--well, et-somethin anyway. An' they was
wishin' somebody could make you understand, only they didn't know who
could; an' I was outside the winder, an' I says ter myself right away,
'By Jinks, I'll do it!' An' I come--an' have I made ye understand?”
“Yes; but, Jimmy, about that doctor,” implored Miss Polly, feverishly.
“Who was he? What did he do? Are they SURE he could make Pollyanna
walk?”
“I don't know who he was. They didn't say. Dr. Chilton knows him, an'
he's just cured somebody just like her, Dr. Chilton thinks. Anyhow,
they didn't seem ter be doin' no worryin' about HIM. 'Twas YOU they
was worryin' about, 'cause you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton see her. An'
say--you will let him come, won't you?--now you understand?”
Miss Polly turned her head from side to side. Her breath was coming
in little uneven, rapid gasps. Jimmy, watching her with anxious eyes,
thought she was going to cry. But she did not cry. After a minute she
said brokenly:
“Yes--I'll let--Dr. Chilton--see her. Now run home, Jimmy--quick! I've
got to speak to Dr. Warren. He's up-stairs now. I saw him drive in a few
minutes ago.”
A little later Dr. Warren was surprised to meet an agitated,
flushed-faced Miss Polly in the hall. He was still more surprised to
hear the lady say, a little breathlessly:
“Dr. Warren, you asked me once to allow Dr. Chilton to be called in
consultation, and--I refused. Since then I have reconsidered. I very
much desire that you SHOULD call in Dr. Chilton. Will you not ask him at
once--please? Thank you.”
CHAPTER XXXI. A NEW UNCLE
The next time Dr. Warren entered the chamber where Pollyanna lay
watching the dancing shimmer of color on the ceiling, a tall,
broad-shouldered man followed close behind him.
“Dr. Chilton!--oh, Dr. Chilton, how glad I am to see YOU!” cried
Pollyanna. And at the joyous rapture of the voice, more than one pair of
eyes in the room brimmed hot with sudden tears. “But, of course, if Aunt
Polly doesn't want--”
“It is all right, my dear; don't worry,” soothed Miss Polly, agitatedly,
hurrying forward. “I have told Dr. Chilton that--that I want him to look
you over--with Dr. Warren, this morning.”
“Oh, then you asked him to come,” murmured Pollyanna, contentedly.
“Yes, dear, I asked him. That is--” But it was too late. The adoring
happiness that had leaped to Dr. Chilton's eyes was unmistakable and
Miss Polly had seen it. With very pink cheeks she turned and left the
room hurriedly.
Over in the window the nurse and Dr. Warren were talking earnestly. Dr.
Chilton held out both his hands to Pollyanna.
“Little girl, I'm thinking that one of the very gladdest jobs you ever
did has been done to-day,” he said in a voice shaken with emotion.
At twilight a wonderfully tremulous, wonderfully different Aunt Polly
crept to Pollyanna's bedside. The nurse was at supper. They had the room
to themselves.
“Pollyanna, dear, I'm going to tell you--the very first one of all. Some
day I'm going to give Dr. Chilton to you for your--uncle. And it's
you that have done it all. Oh, Pollyanna, I'm so--happy! And
so--glad!--darling!”
Pollyanna began to clap her hands; but even as she brought her small
palms together the first time, she stopped, and held them suspended.
“Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, WERE you the woman's hand and heart he wanted
so long ago? You were--I know you were! And that's what he meant by
saying I'd done the gladdest job of all--to-day. I'm so glad! Why, Aunt
Polly, I don't know but I'm so glad that I don't mind--even my legs,
now!”
Aunt Polly swallowed a sob.
“Perhaps, some day, dear--” But Aunt Polly did not finish. Aunt Polly
did not dare to tell, yet, the great hope that Dr. Chilton had put into
her heart. But she did say this--and surely this was quite wonderful
enough--to Pollyanna's mind:
“Pollyanna, next week you're going to take a journey. On a nice
comfortable little bed you're going to be carried in cars and carriages
to a great doctor who has a big house many miles from here made on
purpose for just such people as you are. He's a dear friend of Dr.
Chilton's, and we're going to see what he can do for you!”
CHAPTER XXXII. WHICH IS A LETTER FROM POLLYANNA
“Dear Aunt Polly and Uncle Tom:--Oh, I can--I can--I CAN walk! I did
to-day all the way from my bed to the window! It was six steps. My, how
good it was to be on legs again!
“All the doctors stood around and smiled, and all the nurses stood
beside of them and cried. A lady in the next ward who walked last week
first, peeked into the door, and another one who hopes she can walk next
month, was invited in to the party, and she laid on my nurse's bed and
clapped her hands. Even Black Tilly who washes the floor, looked through
the piazza window and called me 'Honey, child' when she wasn't crying
too much to call me anything.
“I don't see why they cried. _I_ wanted to sing and shout and yell!
Oh--oh--oh! just think, I can walk--walk--WALK! Now I don't mind being
here almost ten months, and I didn't miss the wedding, anyhow. Wasn't
that just like you, Aunt Polly, to come on here and get married right
beside my bed, so I could see you. You always do think of the gladdest
things!
“Pretty soon, they say, I shall go home. I wish I could walk all the way
there. I do. I don't think I shall ever want to ride anywhere any
more. It will be so good just to walk. Oh, I'm so glad! I'm glad for
everything. Why, I'm glad now I lost my legs for a while, for you never,
never know how perfectly lovely legs are till you haven't got them--that
go, I mean. I'm going to walk eight steps to-morrow.
“With heaps of love to everybody,
“POLLYANNA.”