"Yes. Oh, I know now; he wasn't. It was that blessed child's
mother he was in love with, and that's why he wanted--but never
mind that part," she added hastily, remembering just in time her
promise to Pollyanna not to tell that Mr. Pendleton had wished
her to come and live with him. "Well, I've been askin' folks
about him some, since, and I've found out that him an' Miss Polly
hain't been friends for years, an' that she's been hatin' him
like pizen owin' ter the silly gossip that coupled their names
tergether when she was eighteen or twenty."
"Yes, I remember," nodded Old Tom. "It was three or four years
after Miss Jennie give him the mitten and went off with the other
chap. Miss Polly knew about it, of course, and was sorry for him.
So she tried ter be nice to him. Maybe she overdid it a
little--she hated that minister chap so who had took off her
sister. At any rate, somebody begun ter make trouble. They said
she was runnin' after him."
"Runnin' after any man--her!" interjected Nancy.
"I know it; but they did," declared Old Tom, "and of course no
gal of any spunk'll stand that.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250