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“You did?” stammered Nancy.
“Oh, yes!” cried the little girl. “And I’m glad you look just like you do look.”
Timothy came up.
“This is Timothy. Maybe you have a trunk,” she stammered.
“Yes, I have,” nodded Pollya
The three were off at last, with Pollya
“There! Isn’t this lovely? Is it far? I hope it is – I love to ride,” sighed Pollya
She stopped with a little choking breath. Nancy saw that her small chin was quivering, and that her eyes were full of tears. In a moment, however, she hurried on, with a brave lifting of her head.
“Father has gone to Heaven to be with mother and the rest of us, you know. He said I must be glad. But it’s pretty hard to, because I need him, as mother and the rest have God and all the angels, while I don’t have anybody but the Ladies’ Aid. But now I’m sure it’ll be easier because I’ve got you, Aunt Polly. I’m so glad I’ve got you!”
“Oh, but – but you’ve made an awful mistake, dear,[13]” she faltered. “I’m only Nancy. I’m not your Aunt Polly!”
“You – you AREN’T?” stammered the little girl.
“No. I’m only Nancy. I never thought you’re taking me for her.”
Timothy chuckled softly.
“But who ARE you?” asked Pollya
“I’m Nancy, the hired girl. I do all the work except the washing and ironing.”
“But there IS an Aunt Polly?” demanded the child, anxiously.
“You bet your life there is,[14]” cut in Timothy.
Pollya
“Oh, that’s all right, then.” There was a moment’s silence, then she went on brightly: “And do you know? I’m glad, after all, that she didn’t come to meet me; because now I’ve got you besides.”
“I–I was thinking about Miss Polly,” faltered Nancy.
Pollya
“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 “on top of a hill.”
“She does. You can see it now,” said Nancy. “It’s that big white one with the green blinds.”
“Oh, how pretty! – and what a lot of trees and grass all around it! I never saw such a lot of green grass. Is my Aunt Polly rich, Nancy?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“I’m so glad. It must be perfectly lovely to have lots of money. Does Aunt Polly have ice-cream Sundays?”
“No, Miss. Your aunt doesn’t like ice-cream.”
Pollya
“Oh, doesn’t she? I’m so sorry! Maybe Aunt Polly has got the carpets, though.”
“Yes, she’s got the carpets.”
“In every room?”
“Well, in almost every room,” answered Nancy, thinking about the attic room where there was no carpet.
“Oh, I’m so glad,” exulted Pollya
“I don’t know,” answered Nancy.
“I do. But we didn’t have any pictures. My![16] but isn’t this a perfectly beautiful house?” she broke off.
Chapter IV. The Little Attic Room
Miss Polly Harrington did not rise to meet her niece.
“How do you do, Pollya
“Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, I don’t know how to be glad enough that you let me come to live with you,” she was sobbing. “You don’t know how perfectly lovely it is to have you and Nancy and all this!”
“Nancy, you may go,” Aunt Polly said.
“We will go upstairs to your room, Pollya
Without speaking, Pollya
She was on the stairway now.
“Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly,” breathed the little girl; “what a perfectly lovely, lovely house! How awfully glad you must be you’re so rich!”
“PollyANNA!” ejaculated her aunt. “I’m surprised at you – making a speech like that to me!”
“Why, Aunt Polly, AREN’T you?” asked Pollya
“Certainly not, Pollya
Miss Polly turned and walked down the hall toward the attic stairway door. At the top of the stairs there were i
“There, Pollya
Pollya
Her aunt frowned.
“When I ask a question, Pollya
“Yes, Aunt Polly.”
“Thank you; that is better. I believe you have everything that you need here,” she added. “I will send Nancy to help you unpack your truck. Supper is at six o’clock,” she finished and left the room.
For a moment Pollya
Nancy found her there when she came up a few minutes later.
“There, there, you, poor lamb,[18]” she crooned, drawing the little girl into her arms.
“Oh, Nancy, I’m so wicked,” she sobbed. “I just can’t understand why God and the angels need my father more than I do.”
“There, there, child, let’s have your key and we’ll get inside this trunk and take out your dresses.”
Pollya
“There aren’t very many there,” she faltered.
“Then they’re all soon be unpacked,” declared Nancy.
“It’s such a nice room! Don’t you think so?” Pollya
There was no answer. Nancy was very busy with the trunk.
“And I can be glad there isn’t any looking-glass here, too, because where there ISN’T any glass I can’t see my freckles.”
A few minutes later, Pollya
“Oh, Nancy, look at these trees and the houses and that lovely church spire, and the river. Oh, I’m so glad now she let me have this room!”
To Pollya
“Why, Nancy – what is it?” she cried; “This wasn’t – YOUR room, was it?”
“My room!” stormed Nancy. “You are a little angel straight from Heaven!”
After that Nancy sprang to her feet and went down the stairs.
Left alone, Pollya
“I believe I can do it,” she chuckled. The next moment she climbed to the window ledge. From there it was easy to step to the nearest tree-branch. Then she reached the lowest branch and dropped to the ground.
11
The Ladies’ Aid – Организация «Женская помощь», одно из благотворительных обществ в США
12
I knew it was going to be pretty – Я знала, что будет очень красиво!
13
you’ve made an awful mistake, dear – ты ошибаешься, дорогая
14
You bet your life there is – Еще как есть (о существовании тети Полли)
15
face fell – лицо вытянулось от изумления
16
My! – О боже!
17
How can I be proud of any gift the Lord has sent me? – Как я могу гордиться дарами, которые посылает мне господь?
18
There, there, you, poor lamb – Ну-ну, бедненькая ты моя овечка