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Page 84
Every one said afterward that it was the cat that did it.
Certainly, if Fluffy had not poked an insistent paw and nose
against Pollyanna's unlatched door, the door would not have swung
noiselessly open on its hinges until it stood perhaps a foot
ajar; and if the door had not been open, Pollyanna would not have
heard her aunt's words.
In the hall the two doctors, the nurse, and Miss Polly stood
talking. In Pollyanna's room Fluffy had just jumped to the bed
with a little purring "meow" of joy when through the open door
sounded clearly and sharply Aunt Polly's agonized exclamation.
"Not that! Doctor, not that! You don't mean--the child--will
NEVER WALK again!"
It was all confusion then. First, from the bedroom came
Pollyanna's terrified "Aunt Polly Aunt Polly!" Then Miss Polly,
seeing the open door and realizing that her words had been heard,
gave a low little moan and--for the first time in her
life--fainted dead away.
The nurse, with a choking "She heard!" stumbled toward the open
door. The two doctors stayed with Miss Polly. Dr. Mead had to
stay--he had caught Miss Polly as she fell. Dr. Warren stood by,
helplessly. It was not until Pollyanna cried out again sharply
and the nurse closed the door, that the two men, with a
despairing glance into each other's eyes, awoke to the immediate
duty of bringing the woman in Dr. Mead's arms back to unhappy
consciousness.
In Pollyanna's room, the nurse had found a purring gray cat on
the bed vainly trying to attract the attention of a white-faced,
wild-eyed little girl.
"Miss Hunt, please, I want Aunt Polly. I want her right away,
quick, please!"
The nurse closed the door and came forward hurriedly. Her face
was very pale.
"She--she can't come just this minute, dear. She will--a little
later. What is it? Can't I--get it?"
Pollyanna shook her head.
"But I want to know what she said--just now. Did you hear her? I
want Aunt Polly--she said something. I want her to tell me
'tisn't true--'tisn't true!"
The nurse tried to speak, but no words came. Something in her
face sent an added terror to Pollyanna's eyes.
"Miss Hunt, you DID hear her! It is true! Oh, it isn't true! You
don't mean I can't ever--walk again?"
"There, there, dear--don't, don't!" choked the nurse. "Perhaps he
didn't know. Perhaps he was mistaken. There's lots of things that
could happen, you know."
"But Aunt Polly said he did know! She said he knew more than
anybody else about--about broken legs like mine!"
"Yes, yes, I know, dear; but all doctors make mistakes sometimes.
Just--just don't think any more about it now--please don't,
dear."
Pollyanna flung out her arms wildly. "But I can't help thinking
about it," she sobbed. "It's all there is now to think about.
Why, Miss Hunt, how am I going to school, or to see Mr.
Pendleton, or Mrs. Snow, or--or anybody?" She caught her breath
and sobbed wildly for a moment. Suddenly she stopped and looked
up, a new terror in her eyes. "Why, Miss Hunt, if I can't walk,
how am I ever going to be glad for--ANYTHING?"
Miss Hunt did not know "the game;" but she did know that her
patient must be quieted, and that at once. In spite of her own
perturbation and heartache, her hands had not been idle, and she
stood now at the bedside with the quieting powder ready.
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