"
"But he'd be a lovely child's presence," faltered Pollyanna. She
was almost crying now. "And you COULDN'T be lonesome--with Jimmy
'round."
"I don't doubt it," rejoined the man; "but--I think I prefer the
lonesomeness."
It was then that Pollyanna, for the first time in weeks, suddenly
remembered something Nancy had once told her. She raised her chin
aggrievedly.
"Maybe you think a nice live little boy wouldn't be better than
that old dead skeleton you keep somewhere; but I think it would!"
"SKELETON?"
"Yes. Nancy said you had one in your closet, somewhere."
"Why, what--" Suddenly the man threw back his head and laughed.
He laughed very heartily indeed--so heartily that Pollyanna began
to cry from pure nervousness. When he saw that, John Pendleton
sat erect very promptly. His face grew grave at once.
"Pollyanna, I suspect you are right--more right than you know,"
he said gently. "In fact, I KNOW that a 'nice live little boy'
would be far better than--my skeleton in the closet; only--we
aren't always willing to make the exchange.
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