Chapter 11 A Question Answered Mr. Pendleton greeted Pollyanna with a smile.
You must be a very forgiving person, he said.
I was so rude to you last time that I was worried you wouldn't come back.
Why, I was glad to come, Pollyanna said.
Why wouldn't I?
I was cross with you last time, and I was cross that time you found me in the woods.
I don't think I've ever thanked you for that, Mr. Pendleton said.
You were very brave.
Pollyanna was surprised by the compliment.
She was not sure how to respond.
I'm glad, she said.
I don't mean that I'm glad your leg was broken, of course.
Mr. Pendleton smiled.
No, of course not.
Your tongue does get away from you sometimes, doesn't it, Miss Pollyanna?
She laughed.
Yes, I suppose so.
I'd like to thank you for the jelly, too, Mr. Pendleton added.
Did you like it?
Pollyanna asked brightly.
Yes, very much so, he said.
Pollyanna frowned.
I'm sorry, too, she said.
I was rude when I said that Aunt Polly didn't send the jelly.
Mr. Pendleton did not respond.
He looked straight ahead with a very serious expression.
Pollyanna worried that she had offended him.
After a few moments, he looked at the little girl again.
He smiled, although Pollyanna knew it was forced.
She appreciated the effort, though.
"'Enough of this moping around, Miss Pollyanna,' he said.
"'That's not why I asked you here today.
Go into the library.
On the bottom shelf you'll find a black box with handles.
Pick it up and bring it in here.
I don't think it will be too heavy for you.'
"'Oh, I'm very strong,' Pollyanna said.
She was back in the room in a few minutes with the box.'
The next half hour was wonderful.
The box was full of treasures that Mr. Pendleton had brought back from his travels.
There were figurines from China and a brooch from India.
There was a beautifully carved chess set from Nepal.
Pollyanna had never seen anything like them.
Mr. Pendleton told her marvelous stories about each one.
I've never seen anything from India before, Pollyanna said wistfully.
I've certainly heard about the missions in India.
All of the ladies' aid send money to the missions there.
Mr. Pendleton did not hear Pollyanna.
He was already holding another treasure from the box and getting set to tell the next tale.
It was a wonderful afternoon.
Pollyanna realized that they were talking about much more than the treasures in the box.
They were talking about their lives.
Pollyanna told him all about Nancy and Aunt Polly in her daily life.
She even told him about her life out west before she came to Beldingsville.
When it was time to go, Mr. Pendleton smiled sweetly at Pollyanna.
Promise me that you'll come to visit me often, he said.
I'm a lonely old man and could use the company.
You know, you remind me of someone.
For a short while I didn't want to see you because the memory was painful.
Every day, the doctor asked if he should bring you here, and I always said no, but then I started to miss you.
I wanted to see your bright smile and hear your constant chatter.
He looked at Pollyanna and sighed.
And so I'm asking you to come and visit me often.
Brighten up on old man's dreary day.
Of course, Pollyanna said.
She felt as if she might cry.
I'll come as often as I can.
That night, after dinner, Nancy and Pollyanna sat on the back porch talking.
Pollyanna told her friend all about Mr. Pendleton's box of treasures.
She tried to describe each piece perfectly.
When I was leaving, Pollyanna said, he asked me to come visit him whenever I could.
I said yes, of course.
I truly love spending time with Mr. Pendleton.
But he did say one strange thing.
He told me that I remind him of someone.
He said that he thought about never seeing me again because it was too painful.
Isn't that strange and so sad?
You remind him of someone, Nancy said.
She thought about this carefully for a few moments.
Oh!
Suddenly her eyes went wide with excitement.
My word, Pollyanna, do you know what this means?
Nancy stood up and clapped her hands together.
Whatever are you talking about?
Pollyanna asked, confused.
The mystery.
Nancy crouched down beside Pollyanna.
Now tell me, was it just after Mr Pendleton discovered you were Miss Polly's niece that he didn't want to see you?
Why, yes, Pollyanna said.
That's exactly when it happened.
Then, don't you see?
Mr. Pendleton used to be Miss Polly's boyfriend.
Nancy was very pleased with herself.
She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest.
Mr. Pendleton, that's impossible.
Pollyanna could not believe her ears.
But it's true.
Old Tom told me himself, Nancy continued.
She could not help smiling.
Well, he didn't say who it was, but he did tell me that Miss Polly had a lost love.
He said they had a fight and haven't spoken in years, so you see it all adds up.
Mr. Pendleton loved Miss Polly, and now you remind him of her.
I guess he did act pretty strangely about the jelly, Pollyanna said thoughtfully.
But Miss Polly doesn't even like him.
Of course not, Nancy exclaimed.
That's because of the fight.
Pollyanna thought things over for a few moments.
I suppose that if they loved each other before, they might do so again.
They've both been alone all these years.
I would think they'd be happy to make up.
I guess you don't know much about being in love, Nancy chuckled.
Things are never that easy.
Pollyanna did not respond.
When she went into the house a little later, she was very thoughtful.
