that she sprang to her feet with a
little cry of joy at the thought that had come to her.

As soon as she could, after that, she hurried up the hill to John
Pendleton's house; and in due time she found herself in the great dim
library, with John Pendleton himself sitting near her, his long, thin
hands lying idle on the arms of his chair, and his faithful little dog
at his feet.

"Well, Pollyanna, is it to be the 'glad game' with me, all the rest of
my life?" asked the man, gently.

"Oh, yes," cried Pollyanna. "I've thought of the very gladdest kind of a
thing for you to do, and--"

"With--YOU?" asked John Pendleton, his mouth growing a little stern at
the corners.

"N-no; but--"

"Pollyanna, you aren't going to say no!" interrupted a voice deep with
emotion.

"I--I've got to, Mr. Pendleton; truly I have. Aunt Polly--"

"Did she REFUSE--to let you--come?"

"I--I didn't ask her," stammered the little girl, miserably.

"Pollyanna!"

Pollyanna turned away her eyes. She could not meet the hurt, grieved
gaze of her friend.

"So you didn't even ask her!"

"I couldn't, sir--truly," faltered Pollyanna. "You see, I found
out--without asking. Aunt Polly WANTS me with her, and--and I want to
stay, too," she confessed bravely. "You don't know how good she's been
to me; and--and I think, really, sometimes she's beginning to be glad
about things--lots of things. And you know she never used to be. You
said it yourself. Oh, Mr. Pendleton, I COULDN'T leave Aunt Polly--now!"

There was a long pause. Only the snapping of the wood fire in the grate
broke the silence. At last, however, the man spoke.

"No, Pollyanna; I see. You couldn't leave her--now," he said. "I won't
ask you--again." The last word was so low it was almost inaudible; but
Pollyanna heard.

"Oh, but you don't know about the rest of it," she reminded him eagerly.
"There's the very gladdest thing you CAN do--truly there is!"

"Not for me, Pollyanna."

"Yes, sir, for you. You SAID it. You said only a--a woman's hand and
heart or a child's presence could make a home. And I can get it for
you--a child's presence;--not me, you know, but another one."

"As if I would have any but you!" resented an indignant voice.

"But you will--when you know; you're so kind and good! Why, think of the
prisms and the gold pieces, and all that money you save for the heathen,
and--"

"Pollyanna!" interrupted the man, savagely. "Once for all let us end
that nonsense! I'