spoke again, a minute later. She spoke of school, and of the
automobile, and of how her head ached; but very soon her voice trailed
into silence under the blessed influence of the little white pills she
had swallowed.

CHAPTER XXIV. JOHN PENDLETON

Pollyanna did not go to school "to-morrow," nor the "day after
to-morrow." Pollyanna, however, did not realize this, except momentarily
when a brief period of full consciousness sent insistent questions to
her lips. Pollyanna did not realize anything, in fact, very clearly
until a week had passed; then the fever subsided, the pain lessened
somewhat, and her mind awoke to full consciousness. She had then to be
told all over again what had occurred.

"And so it's hurt that I am, and not sick," she sighed at last. "Well,
I'm glad of that."

"G-glad, Pollyanna?" asked her aunt, who was sitting by the bed.

"Yes. I'd so much rather have broken legs like Mr. Pendleton's than
life-long-invalids like Mrs. Snow, you know. Broken legs get well, and
lifelong-invalids don't."

Miss Polly--who had said nothing whatever about broken legs--got
suddenly to her feet and walked to the little dressing table across the
room. She was picking up one object after another now, and putting each
down, in an aimless fashion quite unlike her usual decisiveness. Her
face was not aimless-looking at all, however; it was white and drawn.

On the bed Pollyanna lay blinking at the dancing band of colors on the
ceiling, which came from one of the prisms in the window.

"I'm glad it isn't smallpox that ails me, too," she murmured
contentedly. "That would be worse than freckles. And I'm glad 'tisn't
whooping cough--I've had that, and it's horrid--and I'm glad 'tisn't
appendicitis nor measles, 'cause they're catching--measles are, I
mean--and they wouldn't let you stay here."

"You seem to--to be glad for a good many things, my dear," faltered Aunt
Polly, putting her hand to her throat as if her collar bound.

Pollyanna laughed softly.

"I am. I've been thinking of 'em--lots of 'em--all the time I've been
looking up at that rainbow. I love rainbows. I'm so glad Mr. Pendleton
gave me those prisms! I'm glad of some things I haven't said yet. I
don't know but I'm 'most glad I was hurt."

"Pollyanna!"

Pollyanna laughed softly again. She turned luminous eyes on her aunt.
"Well, you see, since I have been hurt, you've called me 'dear' lots of
times--and you didn't before. I love to be called 'dear