Pollyanna Crows up / Поллианна вырастает. Книга для чтения на английском языке

“But he does talk funny. His words SOUND English, but some of them don’t seem to make any sense with the rest of what he says. But then, I’m glad he found me, anyway,” she finished with a contented little sigh.

It was not long before the boy returned, his hands empty.

“Come on, kid. All aboard,” he called cheerily. “Now we’ll hit the trail for the Avenue. If I was the real thing, now, I’d tote ye home in style in a buzz-wagon; but seein’ as how I hain’t got the dough, we’ll have ter hoof it[42 - we’ll have ter hoof it – (разг.

It was, for the most part, a silent walk. Pollyanna, for once in her life, was too tired to talk, even of the Ladies’ Aiders; and the boy was intent on picking out the shortest way to his goal. When the Public Garden was reached, Pollyanna did exclaim joyfully:

“Oh, now I’m ’most there! I remember this place. I had a perfectly lovely time here this afternoon. It’s only a little bit of a ways home now.

“That’s the stuff! Now we’re gettin’ there,” crowed the boy. “What’d I tell ye? We’ll just cut through here to the Avenue, an’ then it’ll be up ter you ter find the house.”

“Oh, I can find the house,” exulted Pollyanna, with all the confidence of one who has reached familiar ground.

It was quite dark when Pollyanna led the way up the broad Carew steps. The boy’s ring at the bell was very quickly answered, and Pollyanna found herself confronted by not only Mary, but by Mrs.

“Child, child, where HAVE you been?” demanded Mrs. Carew, hurrying forward.

“Why, I – I just went to walk,” began Pollyanna, “and I got lost, and this boy —”

“Where did you find her?” cut in Mrs. Carew, turning imperiously to Pollyanna’s escort, who was, at the moment, gazing in frank admiration at the wonders about him in the brilliantly-lighted hall.

“Where did you find her, boy?” she repeated sharply.

For a brief moment the boy met her gaze unflinchingly; then something very like a twinkle came into his eyes, though his voice, when he spoke, was gravity itself.

“Well, I found her ’round Bowdoin Square, but I reckon she’d been doin’ the North End, only she couldn’t catch on ter the lingo of the Dagos, so I don’t think she give ’em the glad hand, ma’am.