Pollyanna Grows Up

had regretted just ONCE her promise to take the child-and that was ever since she had given it. Before twenty-four hours had passed she had, indeed, written to her s

was nothing to be done, naturally, but to let matters take their course. Mrs. Carew realized that, and submitted to the inevitable, but with poor grace. True, she tried to be decently c

r time, instead of reconciling Mrs. Carew to the prospective new member of her household, was filling h

er faith on Pollyanna, she determined on the bold stroke of leaving the little girl to begin her fight entirely unaided and alone. She contrived, therefore, that Mrs. Carew should meet them at the station upon their arrival; then,

can't-" she called agitatedly, afte

, did not heed; and, pl

d back to the ch

es, also, wistfully following the nurse. "And I didn't WANT her to go

d the lady, not very graciously. "Come, we go this

ugh the huge station; but she looked up once or twice rather anxio

t-I'd be pretty," she haza

" repeated

pretty and nice, on account of your sister. I had her to go by, and you didn't have anybody. And of course I'm not pretty, o

see to your trunk now, then we'll go home. I had hoped that my sister wo

smiled a

ium. It's a bother, of course, when folks do want you all the time, isn't it?-'cause you can't have yourself when

re in the world there was any one who really wanted her-not that she WISHED to be wanted, of course,

n. Pollyanna's eyes were on th

body, yet, that I saw then, though I've looked for them everywhere. Of course the lady and the little baby lived in Honolulu, so probably THEY

usie Smith," replie

ind; maybe I can find her for you so you WILL know her. Oh, my! what a perfectly lovely automobile! And are we going to ride in it?

my! What a perfectly

ed with the weariness of one to whom "rides" are never anything but a means

." Then "Home, Perkins," she ad

an the kind that just has carpets in every room and ice cream Sundays, like the Whites-one of my Ladies' Aiders, you know. (That is, SHE was a Ladies' Aider.) I used to think THEY were rich, but

have," admitted Mrs. Ca

me. They put me IN that one after they'd got me out from under it; but of course I didn't know about it, so I couldn't enjoy it. Since then I haven't been in one at all. Aunt Polly doesn't like them. Uncle Tom does, though, and he wants one. He says he's got to have one, in

w laughed

wered demurely, though her eyes still

here was in the world, so there wouldn't be any one else to run into her; but-My! what a lot of houses!" broke off Pollyanna, looking about her with round eyes of wonder. "Don't they ever stop? Still, there'd have to

E FO

s, I mean. Anyb

ay that I do," replied Mrs. Car

, indeed, on Pollyanna. To herself Mrs. Carew was saying: "Now for preachment n

soon that I came! I knew I would be, anyway, just as soon as I found out you were YOU-that is, Miss Wetherby's sister, I mean. I love Miss Wetherby, so I knew I should you, too; for of course you'd

t on social ethics, found herself, much to her surprise and a little to her discomf

ely began to exclaim at the beauty of a street which had such a "lovely big long yard all the way up and dow

e would want to live on it,"

rdly be possible," retorted Mrs

r one of dissatisfaction that her own home was not

r, maybe, because you could be glad you didn't have to go so far when you wanted to run across the way to borrow eggs or soda, and-Oh, bu

here," returned the lady, wi

y lovely place!" exulted the little girl, springing to the

smiling lips and frowning brow sh

five minutes, Pollyanna

I did, same as Aunt Polly used to, sometimes. I don't mean the kind that's glad because you've got something somebody else can't have; but the kin

imself with the car. Mrs. Carew, still with unsmiling lip

a," was all she

er from her sister, and very eagerly she tore it open. It wa

t every time, before I get the words out of my mouth, she stops them by telling me what a perfectly lovely time she is having, and how glad she is to be here, and how good I am to let her live with me while her Aunt Polly has gone to Germany. Now how, pra

I wouldn't permit that. And I won't. Two or three times I have thought she was going to (preach, I mean), but so far she has always ende

pen every room; and she was not satisfied until every shade in the house was up, so that she might 'see all the perfectly lovely things,' which, she declared,

ducted'), what did she do but discover a white satin evening gown that I hadn't worn for years, and beseech me

uch a fuss over my two or three rings that I foolishly opened the safe, just to see her eyes pop out. And, Della, I thought that child would go crazy. She put on to me every ring, brooch, bracelet, and necklace that I owned, and insisted on fastening both diamond tiaras in my hair (when she found out what they were), until there I sat, hun

the middle of the floor and began to cry. And what do you suppose she was crying for

nt in my employ. They seem actually bewitched with her, every one of them. But please do not think I am, for I'm not. I would send the child back to you at once if I didn't feel obliged to fulfil my promise to keep her this winter. As for her making me f

ut distract

UT

ster's letter. "Oh, Ruth, Ruth! and yet you admit that you've opened every room, raised every shade, decked yourself