Chapter 2 The Coming of Pollyanna Miss Polly climbed the stairs.
She walked into the attic room and sighed.
Pollyanna would arrive soon.
She looked around the room.
There was a small bed, a chair, a washstand, a dresser, and a small table.
There were no pictures on the walls.
There was nothing that looked warm or welcoming.
The room was also very hot.
There were no drapes on the windows, so sunshine poured right in.
There were no screens on the windows, so they remained closed.
A fly was buzzing against a closed window trying to get out.
Miss Polly quickly killed it.
She opened the window a tiny bit to throw it outside.
She frowned once more, then left the room.
Miss Polly found Nancy in the kitchen.
I found a fly in Miss Pollyanna's room, she said.
That means the windows must have been open at some point.
I have ordered new screens, but until then I want the windows to remain closed, Nancy quietly said.
Yes, ma'am.
"'I will need you to go with Timothy to the station this afternoon,' Miss Polly said.
"'You can take the horse and buggy.
The telegram said she has light hair, a red gingham dress, and a straw hat.
I'm afraid that's all I know.'
"'Of course, ma'am.
But shouldn't you be the one?'
"'No,' Miss Polly said.
She sounded angry.
"'I will not be going to the train station.
It is not necessary.'
At precisely twenty minutes to four that afternoon, Nancy and Timothy left for the station.
Timothy was Tom's son.
It was often said that if Tom was Miss Polly's right-hand man, then Timothy was her left.
Timothy was a very nice young man.
Many people said that he was handsome, too.
Although Nancy had only worked at the house for a short time, she and Timothy were already good friends.
Today, however, Nancy was not in a talkative mood.
She sat quietly in the buggy all the way to the station.
When they arrived, she jumped out and headed for the platform.
Timothy walked up beside Nancy.
I wonder what she's going to be like, he said.
Can you imagine what will happen if she's a noisy kid?
Miss Polly wouldn't take it very well.
They heard the train's whistle as it pulled into the station.
Timothy, Nancy said sadly, she shouldn't have sent me.
It's not right.
Miss Polly should be here to meet her niece.
Soon Nancy saw a young girl, light hair, gingham dress and straw hat, step off the train.
Her face was freckled and eager.
The girl looked up and down the platform as if searching for someone.
It took Nancy a few minutes to raise her courage to say hello.
She walked up to the girl and stuttered, Miss Pollyanna?
Before Nancy had a chance to say another word, she was wrapped in the little girl's arms.
Oh, I'm so pleased that you came to meet me, Pollyanna gushed.
I hoped that you would come and here you are.
I couldn't be happier.
I'm so glad, glad, glad.
You are, Nancy said.
She looked over at Timothy, confused.
I thought about you the whole trip.
I wondered what you would look like, Pollyanna said.
Nancy drew a long breath.
She felt that someone had to breathe deeply after that long speech.
She looked quickly at Timothy, but he turned away.
Neither one wanted to break the news that Miss Polly had not come to meet the girl.
Timothy found her trunk and they left the train station.
Pollyanna sat between them on the buggy seat.
She asked a stream of questions.
In fact, she did not stop talking the entire way home.
I hope it isn't too far, Pollyanna said.
I won't mind so much if it is, of course, but I would like to be home.
It will be a lovely ride, though.
My goodness, what a pretty street, Pollyanna exclaimed.
I knew that it would be.
Father told me that Buildingsville was a beautiful town.
Pollyanna stopped talking for a moment.
Nancy turned to see what was wrong.
She saw that the little girl had tears in her eyes and her chin was shaking.
Pollyanna only paused a moment, though.
Soon she was back to her constant chatter. told me all about it.
He remembered everything about Beldingsville.
Oh, wait, Pollyanna said, I forgot to explain about this gingham dress.
Mrs. Gray said that I should tell you right away.
You might think it strange that I'm wearing gingham rather than black.
There just wasn't any black material in the church's supply to make me a morning dress.
Someone suggested buying me a black dress and hat, but it might have been expensive.
Besides, Mrs. Gray said that she didn't like children in black.
I mean, she liked children, of course, but not Children wearing black.
Well, I'm sure it will be all right, Nancy said.
She was surprised that she managed to get a word in.
I'm glad you feel that way, Pollyanna said.
I do too, of course.
It would be a good deal harder to be glad in black.
Glad?
Nancy gasped.
Yes.
Father has gone to heaven to be with Mother and the rest, you know.
He said I must be glad.
It's been pretty hard to do it, even in the Red Gingham.
I miss him terribly and wish I could be with all of them, too, and I was all alone after he died.
I only had the ladies' aid, but now I'm sure it will be easier because I've got you, Aunt Polly.
I'm so glad I've got you.
Oh no, you've made a mistake, Nancy said.
She felt panicked.
I'm only Nancy.
I'm not your Aunt Polly at all.
You aren't, stammered the little girl.
She was clearly saddened by the news.
No, I'm only Nancy, she said.
I should have said so back at the station.
Your Aunt Polly and I aren't a bit alike.
Not one bit you.
Then pollyanna asked you don't look like someone from the ladies aid.
Timothy burst out laughing.
I'm the hired girl.
I do all the work around the house, except for laundry.
Miss durgan takes care of the laundry.
Nancy tried not to look bothered by timothy's laughter.
There is an Aunt Polly isn't there?
Demanded the child.
You bet your life there is, Timothy said.
He continued to chuckle under his breath.
Pollyanna relaxed.
Oh, that's all right then.
Pollyanna sat quietly for no more than fifteen seconds.
And you know, I'm glad she didn't come to meet me.
I can still look forward to meeting her now, and I've also got you.
She looked at Nancy and smiled.
Nancy blushed.
Timothy looked at her with a smile.
I'd say that's a pretty nice compliment, he said.
Why don't you thank the little lady?
I was just thinking about Miss Polly.
Nancy said slowly was too.
Pollyanna said sighing, i'm very interested and curious about her.
You know she's the only aunt i've got.
I didn't know anything about her until a short while ago.
Father said that she lived in a big house way on top of a hill.
Look, you can see it now.
Nancy said oh my, how pretty it is.
Pollyanna said there are so many trees.
I never saw such green grass in all my life.
Is aunt polly rich nancy?
Yes, miss.
I'm so glad.
I've never known anyone with a lot of money except the White family.
They had a lot of money.
There were carpets in every room and ice cream on Sundays.
Does Aunt Polly have ice cream on Sundays?
Nancy shook her head.
She avoided looking at Timothy, who was laughing again.
No, I guess Miss Polly doesn't like ice cream.
At least I've never seen any in the house.
Pollyanna's face fell.
That is so sad.
How could anyone one not like ice cream?
Pollyanna thought for a moment.
But what about the carpets?
Does she have carpets in every room?
Yes, she has carpets.
Nancy replied in almost every room.
She added nancy was thinking about the bare room in the attic where pollyanna would sleep.
There were no carpets in that room.
Oh, I'm so glad.
Pollyanna clapped her hands.
I love carpets.
We didn't have any.
We only had two little rugs the church gave us.
Mrs. White also had a lot of pictures.
Don't you just love pictures?
I don't really know, Nancy said.
So many of Pollyanna's questions confused her.
I love pictures.
We didn't have any, of course.
There aren't so many pictures at a church that they can donate them.
They only gave us pictures twice.
One time the picture was so nice that Father sold it to buy some shoes.
The other one was so bad that it fell to pieces as soon as we hung it up.
The glass, I mean, it was the glass that broke.
I cried so much when the picture broke.
We had so few pretty things.
The buggy pulled into the driveway at Miss Polly's.
Pollyanna pointed at the house again.
It's such a beautiful house, isn't it?
As Timothy unloaded the trunk, Nancy whispered in his ear I'll never say another word about leaving this job again.
My work just became very interesting.
I'll say, Timothy added.
With that little girl around, this house will be more fun than the fair.
