Page 227 - pollyanna

of their being so poor,’ resumed Pollyanna, in some haste.
‘And she’s got perfectly beautiful rings with diamonds and
rubies and emeralds in them; but she says she’s got one ring
too many, and that she’s going to throw it away and get a
divorce instead. What is a divorce, Aunt Polly? I’m afraid
it isn’t very nice, because she didn’t look happy when she
talked about it. And she said if she did get it, they wouldn’t
live there any more, and that Mr. Payson would go ‘way
off, and maybe the children, too. But I should think they’d
rather keep the ring, even if they did have so many more.
Shouldn’t you? Aunt Polly, what is a divorce?’
‘But they aren’t going ‘way off, dear,’ evaded Aunt Polly,
hurriedly. ‘They’re going to stay right there together.’
‘Oh, I’m so glad! Then they’ll be there when I go up to
see—O dear!’ broke off the little girl, miserably. ‘Aunt Polly,
why CAN’T I remember that my legs don’t go any more, and
that I won’t ever, ever go up to see Mr. Pendleton again?’
‘There, there, don’t,’ choked her aunt. ‘Perhaps you’ll
drive up sometime. But listen! I haven’t told you, yet, all that
Mrs. Payson said. She wanted me to tell you that they—they
were going to stay together and to play the game, just as you
wanted them to.’
Pollyanna smiled through tear-wet eyes.
‘Did they? Did they, really? Oh, I am glad of that!’
‘Yes, she said she hoped you’d be. That’s why she told you,
to make you—GLAD, Pollyanna.’
Pollyanna looked up quickly.
‘Why, Aunt Polly, you—you spoke just as if you knew—
DO you know about the game, Aunt Polly?’

Pollyanna