The next day Pollyanna went to Sunday school after the church service. As she started to walk home, she spotted Dr. Chilton. He offered her a ride.
"Mr. Pendleton wants you to visit him this afternoon," Dr. Chilton said as Pollyanna settled into the carriage. "He said it was very important."
Pollyanna nodded. "Yes, I'll be there."
"You seemed to upset my patient yesterday." The doctor's eyes twinkled. "I'm not sure you should go after all."
Pollyanna laughed. "Oh, it wasn't me. It was Aunt Polly."
"Your aunt!" Dr. Chilton said.
Pollyanna bounced on the seat. "It's so exciting, just like a story in a book. Mr. Pendleton said not to mention it, but he won't mind if you know. He meant I shouldn't mention it to Aunt Polly. Of course, he'll want to tell her himself because that's what sweethearts do."
"Sweethearts!" At that word the horse started violently, as if Dr. Chilton had jerked the reins.
"Yes, Nancy told me that Aunt Polly had a sweetheart years ago. But they quarreled and broke off their engagement. We just figured out who Aunt Polly's sweetheart is. It's Mr. Pendleton!"
"Really? I hadn't heard that." Dr. Chilton looked amused.
They were almost at the Harrington house, so Pollyanna hurried to finish. "I'm so glad now. Everything has turned out perfectly just like in a book. Mr. Pendleton asked me to come live with him. But I can't leave Aunt Polly after all she's done for me. Then he told me about the woman he used to love and that he still loves her. So Aunt Polly and I will go live with him, or he'll come live with us."
Pollyanna paused for breath. "We haven't got everything settled yet, so I suppose that's why he wants to see me later."
"Hmm, yes, well, here we are at your house." Dr. Chilton pulled his horse to a stop.
"There's Aunt Polly in the window!" Pollyanna cried. "Oh, now I don't see her."
The doctor was no longer smiling.
That afternoon Pollyanna found a nervous Mr. Pendleton waiting in his library.
"I've been thinking about this ever since you left yesterday," he said. "Why did you say I wanted Aunt Polly's hand and heart years ago?"
"Because you were sweethearts! And I was so glad you still felt that way."
"Sweethearts? Your aunt and me?"
Pollyanna was startled by the surprise in his voice. "Nancy said you were."
"Nancy was wrong."
"You mean, you weren't engaged?" Pollyanna said with dismay.
"Never." Mr. Pendleton stared out the window.
"But everything was working out perfectly just like in a book." Pollyanna was on the verge of tears. "I'd have been glad to live here—with Aunt Polly."
Mr. Pendleton didn't look at Pollyanna. "Does that mean you won't come now?"
"I can't. I'm Aunt Polly's."
The man turned toward Pollyanna and said fiercely, "Before you were hers, you were your mother's. And it was your mother's hand and heart that I wanted years ago."
"My mother's?" Pollyanna blinked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I loved your mother, but she didn't love me. Instead she married your father, and my whole world collapsed. I became a grumpy, unlovable, unloved old man—although I'm not yet sixty. Then one day you danced into this gray, stone house like a colorful prism. At first, I couldn't stand to be reminded of your mother, but that's changed. Now I'm begging you to let me adopt you."
Pollyanna's eyes blurred with tears. "But, Mr. Pendleton, what about Aunt Polly?"
Mr. Pendleton gestured impatiently. "What about me? How can I be glad without you? I'll spend every last cent of my money on your happiness."
Pollyanna looked shocked. "But you've saved your money for the orphans overseas."
"I never . . ."
Pollyanna didn't notice that Mr. Pendleton had tried to speak. "And you make people like Mrs. Snow and Nancy glad with your gifts," she went on.
Mr. Pendleton shook his head. "Prisms and a gold coin—they're nothing. And Miss Polly doesn't need you as much as I do."
"I know she's glad—"
"Miss Polly doesn't know how to be glad about anything. She only knows how to do her duty. Please, just ask if she'll let you live here."
Pollyanna promised to ask, but she wasn't very glad about it!