3 Polyanna - Read By Stephanie Poppins

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Chapter 3 The Coming of Pollyanna In due time came the telegram announcing that Pollyanna would arrive in Beldingsville the next day,

The 25th of June,

At four o'clock.

Miss Polly read the telegram,

Frowned,

Then climbed the stairs to the attic room.

She still frowned as she looked about her.

The room contained a small bed,

Neatly made,

Two straight-back chairs,

A washstand and a bureau without any mirror,

And a small table.

There were no drapery curtains at the dormer windows,

No pictures on the wall.

All day the sun had been pouring down upon the roof,

And the little room was like an oven for heat.

As there were no screens,

The windows had not been raised.

A big fly was buzzing angrily in one of them now,

Up and down,

Up and down,

Trying to get out.

Miss Polly killed the fly,

Swept it through the window,

Straightening a chair.

She frowned again,

Then she left the room.

Nancy,

She said a few minutes later at the kitchen door,

I found a fly upstairs in Miss Pollyanna's room.

The window must have been raised at some time.

I've ordered screens,

But until they come I shall expect you to see the windows remain closed.

My niece will arrive tomorrow at four o'clock.

I desire you to meet her at the station.

Timothy will take the open buggy and drive you over.

The telegram says light hair,

Red checked gingham dress and straw hat.

That is all I know,

But I think it's efficient for your purpose.

Yes,

Ma'am,

But you.

.

.

Miss Polly evidently read the pause aright,

But she frowned and said crisply,

No,

I shall not go.

It is not necessary I should,

I think.

That is all.

And she turned away.

Miss Polly's arrangement for the comfort of her niece,

Pollyanna,

Were now complete.

In the kitchen,

Nancy set her flat iron with a vigorous dig across the dish towel she was ironing.

Light hair,

Red checked gingham dress and straw hat,

All she knows indeed.

Well,

I'll be ashamed to own up that I would,

And my onliest niece was a-coming away from across the continent.

Promptly,

At twenty minutes to four the next afternoon,

Timothy and Nancy drove off in the open buggy to meet the expected guest.

Timothy was all Tom's son.

It was sometimes said in the town if old Tom was Miss Polly's right-hand man,

Timothy was her left.

He was a good-natured youth and a good-looking one as well.

Short as had been Nancy's stay at the house,

The two were already good friends.

Today,

However,

She was too full of her mission to be her usual talkative self,

And almost in silence she took the drive to the station and alighted to wait for the train.

Over and over in her mind she was saying,

Light hair,

Red checked dress,

Straw hat.

Over and over again she was wondering just what sort of child Pollyanna was.

I hope for her sake she's quiet and sensible and don't chop knives nor bang doors,

She sighed to Timothy,

Who'd sorted up to her.

Or if she ain't,

Nobody knows what will become of the rest of us,

Grinned Timothy.

Imagine Miss Polly and her noisy kid.

Coy!

There goes the whistle now.

I did think it was meant of her to send me,

Chatted the suddenly frightened Nancy as she turned and hurried to the point where she could best watch the passengers alight.

It was not long before Nancy saw her,

This slender little girl in the red checked gingham with two fat braids of flaxen hair hanging down her back.

Beneath the straw hat,

An eager freckled little face turned to the right,

Then to the left,

Plainly searching for someone.

Nancy knew the child at once and not for some time could she control her shaking knees sufficiently to go to her.

The little girl was standing quite by herself when she finally did approach.

Oh,

I'm so glad,

Glad to see you,

Cried an eager voice.

Of course I'm Pollyanna and I'm so glad you came to meet me.

I hoped you would.

You did,

Stammered Nancy,

Vaguely wondering how Pollyanna could possibly have known her and wanted her.

You did,

She repeated,

Trying to straighten her hat.

Oh yes,

I've been wondering all the way here what you looked like,

Cried the little girl,

Dancing on her toes and sweeping the embarrassed Nancy from head to foot with her eyes.

And now I know.

I'm glad you look just like you do look.

Nancy was relieved just then to have Timothy come up.

Pollyanna's words had been most confusing.

This is Timothy.

Maybe you have a trunk,

She stammered.

Yes,

I have,

Nodded Pollyanna importantly.

I've got a brand new one.

The lady's aide bought it for me and wasn't it lovely of them when they wanted the carpet so much.

Of course I don't know how much red carpet a trunk could buy,

But it ought to buy some.

As much as half an aisle,

Don't you think?

I've got a little thing here in my bag that Mr Grey said was a cheque.

I must give it to you before I can get my trunk.

Mr Grey is Mrs Grey's husband.

They're cousins of Deacon Carr's wife.

I came east with them.

They're lovely.

Here it is,

She finished,

Producing the cheque after much fumbling in the bag she carried.

Nancy drew a long breath.

Instinctively she felt someone had to draw one after that speech.

Then she stalled a glance at Timothy.

Timothy's eyes were studiously turned away.

The three were off at last,

With Pollyanna's trunk in behind and Pollyanna herself snugly ensconced between Nancy and Timothy.

During the whole process of getting started,

The little girl kept up an uninterrupted stream of comments and questions until the somewhat dazed Nancy found herself quite out of breath trying to keep up.

There,

Isn't this lovely?

It is far,

Is it?

I hope it is.

I love to ride,

Sighed Pollyanna as the wheels began to turn.

Of course,

It isn't far.

If it isn't,

I shan't mind,

Because I'll be glad to get there all the sooner,

You know.

What a pretty street.

I knew it was going to be pretty,

Father told me.

She stopped with a little choking breath.

Nancy,

Looking at her apprehensively,

Saw her small chin was quivering and her eyes were full of tears.

In a moment,

However,

She hurried on with a brave lifting of her head.

Father told me all about it,

He remembered,

And I ought to have explained before.

Mrs Grey told me too at once about this red gingham dress,

You know,

And why I'm not in black.

She said you'd think it was queer,

But there weren't any black things in the last missionary barrel,

Only a lady's velvet busk,

Which Dick and Carl's wife said wasn't suitable for me at all.

Besides,

It had white spots,

Worn,

You know,

On both elbows and other places.

Part of the lady's aide wanted to buy me a black dress and hat,

But the other part thought the money ought to go toward the red carpet they're trying to get for the church.

Mrs White said maybe it was just as well anyway,

For she didn't like children in black.

That is,

I mean,

She liked the children,

Of course,

But not the black part.

Pollyanna then paused for breath,

And Nancy managed to stammer.

Well,

I'm sure it'll be all right.

I'm glad you feel that way,

I do too,

Nodded Pollyanna,

Again with that choking little breath.

Of course,

It would have been a good deal harder to be glad in black.

Glad?

Gasped Nancy,

Surprised.

Yes,

That father's gone to heaven to be with mother and the rest of us,

You know.

He said I must be glad,

But it's been pretty hard to do it,

Even in red gingham,

Because I wanted him and I couldn't help feeling I ought to have him,

Especially as mother and the rest have God and the angels,

While I didn't have anybody but the lady's aide.

But now I'm sure it'll be easy because I've got you,

Aunt Polly.

I'm so glad I've got you.

Nancy's aching sympathy for the poor little forlornness beside her suddenly turned into shock terror.

Oh,

But you made an awful mistake,

Dear,

She faltered.

I'm only Nancy.

I ain't your Aunt Polly at all.

What?

Stammered the little girl in plain dismay.

No,

I'm only Nancy.

I never thought you were taking her for me.

We ain't a bit alike,

We ain't.

Timothy chuckled softly,

But Nancy was too disturbed to answer the merry flash from his eyes.

So who are you?

Questioned Pollyanna.

You don't look a bit like a lady's aider.

Timothy laughed outright this time.

I'm Nancy,

The hide girl.

I do all the work except the washing and the hard ironing.

Miss Durgeon does that.

But there is an Aunt Polly,

Demanded the child anxiously.

Who but your life there is,

Cut in Timothy.

Pollyanna relaxed visibly.

Oh,

That's all right then.

There was a moment's silence then she went on brightly.

And you know,

I'm glad after all she didn't come to meet me because now I've got her still coming and you besides.

Nancy flushed.

Timothy turned to her with a quizzical smile.

I call that pretty slick compliment,

He said.

Why don't you thank the little lady?

I was thinking about Miss Polly,

Faltered Nancy.

Pollyanna sighed contentedly.

I was too.

I'm so interested in her.

You know,

She's all the aunt I've got and I didn't know I had her for ever so long.

Then father told me he said she lived in a lovely great big house way on top of a hill.

She does.

You can see it now,

Said Nancy.

It's that big white one with the green blinds way ahead.

How pretty.

And what a lot of trees and grass all around.

I never saw such a lot of green grass all at once.

Is my aunt Polly rich,

Nancy?

Yes,

Miss.

I'm so glad.

It must be perfectly lovely to have lots of money.

I never knew anyone that did have only the whites.

They're some rich.

They have carpets in every room and ice cream sundaes.

Does Aunt Polly have ice cream sundaes?

Nancy shook her head.

Her lips twitched.

She threw a merry look into Timothy's eyes.

No,

Miss,

Your aunt don't like ice cream,

I guess.

Leastways,

I never saw it on her table.

Then Pollyanna's face fell.

Oh,

Doesn't she?

I'm so sorry.

I don't see how she can help liking ice cream.

But anyhow,

I can be kind of glad about that because the ice cream you don't eat can't make your stomach ache like Mrs.

White's did.

That is,

I hate hers,

You know,

Lots of it.

Maybe Aunt Polly's got the carpets,

Though.

Yeah,

She's got the carpets.

In every room.

Well,

In almost every room,

Answered Nancy.

Then she frowned suddenly at the thought of that bare little attic room that would be Pollyanna's with no carpet at all.