Pollyanna: The First Glad Book. Pollyanna Grows Up: The Second Glad Book / Поллианна. Поллианна вырастает

“Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, did you mean it, really? Why, that room’s got EVERYTHING-the carpet and curtains and three pictures, besides the one outdoors, too, �cause the windows look the same way. Oh, Aunt Polly!”

“Very well, Pollyanna. I am gratified that you like the change, of course; but if you think so much of all those things, I trust you will take proper care of them; that’s all. Pollyanna, please pick up that chair; and you have banged two doors in the last half-minute.” Miss Polly spoke sternly, all the more sternly because, for some inexplicable reason, she felt inclined to cry-and Miss Polly was not used to feeling inclined to cry.

Pollyanna picked up the chair.

“Yes’m; I know I banged �em-those doors,” she admitted cheerfully. “You see I’d just found out about the room, and I reckon you’d have banged doors if-” Pollyanna stopped short and eyed her aunt with new interest. “Aunt Polly, DID you ever bang doors?”

“I hope-not, Pollyanna!” Miss Polly’s voice was properly shocked.

“Why, Aunt Polly, what a shame!” Pollyanna’s face expressed only concerned sympathy.

“A shame!” repeated Aunt Polly, too dazed to say more.

“Why, yes. You see, if you’d felt like banging doors you’d have banged �em, of course; and if you didn’t, that must have meant that you weren’t ever glad over anything-or you would have banged �em. You couldn’t have helped it. And I’m so sorry you weren’t ever glad over anything!”

“PollyANna!” gasped the lady; but Pollyanna was gone, and only the distant bang of the attic-pstairway door answered for her.

Miss Polly, in the sitting room, felt vaguely disturbed;-but then, of course she HAD been glad-over some things!

Chapter XI

Introducing Jimmy

August came. August brought several surprises and some changes-none of which, however, were really a surprise to Nancy. Nancy, since Pollyanna’s arrival, had come to look for surprises and changes.

First there was the kitten.

Pollyanna found the kitten mewing pitifully some distance down the road. When systematic questioning of the neighbors failed to find anyone who claimed it, Pollyanna brought it home at once, as a matter of course.

“And I was glad I didn’t find any one who owned it, too,” she told her aunt in happy confidence; “�cause I wanted to bring it home all the time. I love kitties.