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One by one the short winter days came and went – but they were not short to Pollyanna. They were long, and sometimes full of pain.
Pollyanna saw people now, occasionally, and always there were the loving messages from those she could not see; and always they brought her something new to think about – and Pollyanna needed new things to think about.
John Pendleton told her what a fine boy Jimmy was getting to be, and how well he was doing. Jimmy told her what a first-rate home he had; and both said that it was all owing to her.
The winter passed, and spring came. There seemed every reason to believe, indeed, that Dr. Mead’s worst fears would be realized – that Pollyanna would never walk again.
One day Mr. John Pendleton, somewhat to his surprise, received one Saturday morning a call from Dr. Thomas Chilton.
“Pendleton,” began the doctor, abruptly, “I’ve come to you because you, better than anyone else in town, know something of my relations with Miss Polly Harrington.”
“Yes,” he said, trying to make his voice sound concerned enough for sympathy, and not eager enough for curiosity.
“Pendleton, I want to see that child. I want to make an examination. I MUST make an examination.”
“Well – can’t you?”
“CAN’T I! Pendleton, you know very well I haven’t been inside that door for more than fifteen years. The mistress of that house told me that the NEXT time she ASKED me to enter it, I might take it that she was begging my pardon, and that all would be as before – which meant that she’d marry me. Perhaps you see her summoning me now – but I don’t!”
“But couldn’t you go – without a summons?”
The doctor frowned.
“Well, hardly. I have some pride, you know.”
“But if you’re so anxious – couldn’t you swallow your pride and forget the quarrel – ”
“Forget the quarrel!” interrupted the doctor. “I’m not talking of that kind of pride. It’s PROFESSIONAL pride I’m talking about. It’s a case of sickness, and I’m a doctor.”
“Chilton, what was the quarrel?” demanded Pendleton.
“What was it? A silly wrangle over the size of the moon or the depth of a river! Never mind the quarrel! So far as I am concerned, I am willing to say there was no quarrel. Pendleton, I must see that child. It may mean life or death. It will mean – I honestly believe – nine chances out of ten that Pollyanna Whittier will walk again!”
The words were spoken clearly and impressively. Thus it happened that very distinctly they reached the ears of Jimmy Bean who was pulling up the first little green weeds of the flowerbeds near the window.
“Walk! Pollyanna!” John Pendleton was saying. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that from what I can hear and learn – that her case is very much like one that a college friend of mine has just helped. 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. He told me himself that he suggested consultation with me at the first, but – Miss Harrington said no. But, Pendleton, I must see that child! 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”
“But if she could be made to see – to understand,” urged John Pendleton.
“Yes; and who’s going to do it?” demanded the doctor.
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” groaned the other.
Outside the window Jimmy Bean whispered:
“Well, I know! I’m going to do it!” And he rose to his feet and ran with all his might down Pendleton Hill.
“It’s Jimmy Bean. He wants to see you, ma’am,” announced Nancy.
“Me?” rejoined Miss Polly, plainly surprised. “Are you sure he did not mean Miss Pollyanna? He may see her a few minutes today, if he likes.”
“Yes, I told him. But he said it was you he wanted.”
“Very well, I’ll come down.”
In the sitting room she found waiting for her a flushed-faced boy, who began to speak at once.
“Ma’am, I supppose it’s dreadful – what I’m doing – but it’s all for Pollyanna.”
“Jimmy, what are you talking about?”
“Well, to begin with, Dr. Chilton came to see Mr. Pendleton, and they talked in the library. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, Jimmy.”
“Well, the window was open, and I was weeding the flowerbed under it; and I heard their talk.”
“Oh, Jimmy! LISTENING?”
“‘Yes! And I’m glad I listened. You will be too when I tell you because it may make Pollyanna – walk!”
“Jimmy, what do you mean?”
“Well, Dr. Chilton knows some doctor somewhere that can cure Pollyanna, he thinks – make her walk; but he can’t tell sure till he SEES her. And he wants to see her. Please let him see her!”
Miss Polly’s face turned very red.
“But, Jimmy, I–I can’t – I couldn’t! That is, I didn’t know!”
“They said that for some reason you wouldn’t let Dr. Chilton come, and you told Dr. Warren so; and they wanted to find somebody who could make you understand; and I was outside the window and I said to myself right away, ‘I’ll do it!’ And that’s why I’m here.”
“But, Jimmy, about that doctor,” implored Miss Polly. “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, and he’s just cured somebody just like her, Dr. Chilton thinks. And say – you will let him come, won’t you? – now you understand?”
Miss Polly turned her head from side to side. After a minute she said brokenly:
“Yes – I’ll let – Dr. Chilton – see her. Now run home, Jimmy – quick!”
A little later Dr. Warren was surprised to meet a 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.”
“Dr. Chilton! – oh, Dr. Chilton, how glad I am to see YOU!” cried Pollyanna. “But, of course, if Aunt Polly doesn’t want – ”
“It is all right, my dear; don’t worry,” soothed Miss Polly, 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 – ”
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 today,” he said.
At twilight a wonderfully different Aunt Polly crept to Pollyanna’s bedside. The nurse was at supper.
“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!”
“Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, WERE you the woman’s hand and heart he wanted so long ago? You were – I know you were! 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!”
“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!”
“Dear Aunt Polly and Uncle Tom: – Oh, I can – I can – I CAN walk! I did today 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 clapped her hands. Even Black Tilly who washes the floor, looked through the 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 think of the gladdest things!
“Pretty soon, they say, I shall go home. I wish I could walk all the way there. 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. I’m going to walk eight steps tomorrow!”
“With heaps of love to everybody,
“POLLYANNA.”
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