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Thewinterpassed,andspringcame. TheanxiouswatchersoverPollyanna’sconditioncouldseelittlechangewroughtbytheprescribedtreatment. Thereseemedeveryreasontobelieve,indeed,thatDr.Mead’sworstfearswouldberealized—thatPollyannawouldneverwalkagain.
Beldingsville,ofcourse,keptitselfinformedconcerningPollyanna; andofBeldingsville,onemaninparticularfumedandfrettedhimselfintoafeverofanxietyoverthedailybulletinswhichhemanagedinsomewaytoprocurefromthebedofsuffering. Asthedayspassed,however,andthenewscametobenobetter,butratherworse,somethingbesidesanxietybegantoshowintheman’sface:despair,andaverydoggeddetermination,eachfightingforthemastery. Intheend,thedoggeddeterminationwon; anditwasthenthatMr.JohnPendleton,somewhattohissurprise,receivedoneSaturdaymorningacallfromDr.ThomasChilton.
"Pendleton,"beganthedoctor,abruptly,"I’vecometoyoubecauseyou,betterthananyoneelseintown,knowsomethingofmyrelationswithMissPollyHarrington."
JohnPendletonwasconsciousthathemusthavestartedvisibly—hedidknowsomethingoftheaffairbetweenPollyHarringtonandThomasChilton,butthematterhadnotbeenmentionedbetweenthemforfifteenyears,ormore.
"Yes,"hesaid,tryingtomakehisvoicesoundconcernedenoughforsympathy,andnoteagerenoughforcuriosity. Inamomenthesawthatheneednothaveworried,however:thedoctorwasquitetoointentonhiserrandtonoticehowthaterrandwasreceived.
