CHAPTER XXXI. A NEW UNCLE
The next time Dr. Warren entered the chamber where Pollyanna laywatching the dancing shimmer of color on the ceiling, a tall,broad-shouldered man followed close behind him.
"Dr. Chilton!--oh, Dr. Chilton, how glad I am to see YOU!" criedPollyanna. And at the joyous rapture of the voice, more than one pair ofeyes in the room brimmed hot with sudden tears. "But, of course, if AuntPolly doesn't want--"
"It is all right, my dear; don't worry," soothed Miss Polly, agitatedly,hurrying forward. "I have told Dr. Chilton that--that I want him to lookyou over--with Dr. Warren, this morning."
"Oh, then you asked him to come," murmured Pollyanna, contentedly.
"Yes, dear, I asked him. That is--" But it was too late. The adoringhappiness that had leaped to Dr. Chilton's eyes was unmistakable andMiss Polly had seen it. With very pink cheeks she turned and left theroom hurriedly.
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 everdid has been done to-day," he said in a voice shaken with emotion.
At twilight a wonderfully tremulous, wonderfully different Aunt Pollycrept to Pollyanna's bedside. The nurse was at supper. They had the roomto themselves.
"Pollyanna, dear, I'm going to tell you--the very first one of all. Someday I'm going to give Dr. Chilton to you for your--uncle. And it'syou that have done it all. Oh, Pollyanna, I'm so--happy! Andso--glad!--darling!"
Pollyanna began to clap her hands; but even as she brought her smallpalms together the first time, she stopped, and held them suspended.
"Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, WERE you the woman's hand and heart he wantedso long ago? You were--I know you were! And that's what he meant bysaying I'd done the gladdest job of all--to-day. I'm so glad! Why, AuntPolly, I don't know but I'm so glad that I don't mind--even my legs,now!"
Aunt Polly swallowed a sob.
"Perhaps, some day, dear--" But Aunt Polly did not finish. Aunt Pollydid not dare to tell, yet, the great hope that Dr. Chilton had put intoher heart. But she did say this--and surely this was quite wonderfulenough--to Pollyanna's mind:
"Pollyanna, next week you're going to take a journey. On a nicecomfortable little bed you're going to be carried in cars and carriagesto a great doctor who has a big house many miles from here made onpurpose 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!"
CHAPTER XXXII. WHICH IS A LETTER FROM POLLYANNA
"Dear Aunt Polly and Uncle Tom:--Oh, I can--I can--I CAN walk! I didto-day all the way from my bed to the window! It was six steps. My, howgood it was to be on legs again!
"All the doctors stood around and smiled, and all the nurses stoodbeside of them and cried. A lady in the next ward who walked last weekfirst, peeked into the door, and another one who hopes she can walk nextmonth, was invited in to the party, and she laid on my nurse's bed andclapped her hands. Even Black Tilly who washes the floor, looked throughthe piazza window and called me 'Honey, child' when she wasn't cryingtoo 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 beinghere almost ten months, and I didn't miss the wedding, anyhow. Wasn'tthat just like you, Aunt Polly, to come on here and get married rightbeside my bed, so I could see you. You always do think of the gladdestthings!
"Pretty soon, they say, I shall go home. I wish I could walk all the waythere. I do. I don't think I shall ever want to ride anywhere anymore. It will be so good just to walk. Oh, I'm so glad! I'm glad foreverything. Why, I'm glad now I lost my legs for a while, for you never,never know how perfectly lovely legs are till you haven't got them--thatgo, I mean. I'm going to walk eight steps to-morrow.
"With heaps of love to everybody,
"POLLYANNA."
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