Eleanor H. Porter: Pollyanna

27. CHAPTER XXVII. TWO VISITS (continued)

Pollyanna colored painfully. She had forgotten that she had never told her aunt of Mr. Pendleton's desire to adopt her--and certainly she would not wish to tell her now that she had ever thought for a minute of leaving her--this dear Aunt Polly!

"The child's presence," stammered Pollyanna, hastily. "Mr. Pendleton told me once, you see, that only a woman's hand and heart or a child's presence could make a--a home. And now he's got it--the child's presence."

"Oh, I--see," said Miss Polly very gently; and she did see--more than Pollyanna realized. She saw something of the pressure that was probably brought to bear on Pollyanna herself at the time John Pendleton was asking HER to be the "child's presence," which was to transform his great pile of gray stone into a home. "I see," she finished, her eyes stinging with sudden tears.

Pollyanna, fearful that her aunt might ask further embarrassing questions, hastened to lead the conversation away from the Pendleton house and its master.

"Dr. Chilton says so, too--that it takes a woman's hand and heart, or a child's presence, to make a home, you know," she remarked.

Miss Polly turned with a start.

"DR. CHILTON! How do you know--that?"

"He told me so. 'Twas when he said he lived in just rooms, you know--not a home."

Miss Polly did not answer. Her eyes were out the window.

"So I asked him why he didn't get 'em.--a woman's hand and heart, and have a home."

"Pollyanna!" Miss Polly had turned sharply. Her cheeks showed a sudden color.

"Well, I did. He looked so--so sorrowful."

"What did he--say?" Miss Polly asked the question as if in spite of some force within her that was urging her not to ask it.