Полліанна
A question of duty
"Pollyanna,Ihaveorderedscreensforthosewindows. Iknew,ofcourse,thatitwasmydutytodothat. ButitseemstomethatyouhavequiteforgottenYOURduty." "My—duty?" Pollyanna’seyeswerewidewithwonder.
"Certainly. Iknowitiswarm,butIconsiderityourdutytokeepyourwindowsclosedtillthosescreenscome. Flies,Pollyanna,arenotonlyuncleanandannoying,butverydangeroustohealth. AfterbreakfastIwillgiveyoualittlepamphletonthismattertoread."
"Toread? Oh,thankyou,AuntPolly. Ilovetoread!"
MissPollydrewinherbreathaudibly,thensheshutherlipstogetherhard. Pollyanna,seeinghersternface,frownedalittlethoughtfully.
"OfcourseI’msorryaboutthedutyIforgot,AuntPolly,"sheapologizedtimidly. "Iwon’traisethewindowsagain."
Herauntmadenoreply. Shedidnotspeak,indeed,untilthemealwasover. Thensherose,wenttothebookcaseinthesittingroom,tookoutasmallpaperbooklet,andcrossedtheroomtoherniece’sside.
"ThisisthearticleIspokeof,Pollyanna. Idesireyoutogotoyourroomatonceandreadit. Iwillbeupinhalfanhourtolookoveryourthings."
Pollyanna,hereyesontheillustrationofafly’shead,manytimesmagnified,criedjoyously:
"Oh,thankyou,AuntPolly!" Thenextmomentsheskippedmerrilyfromtheroom,bangingthedoorbehindher.
MissPollyfrowned,hesitated,thencrossedtheroommajesticallyandopenedthedoor; butPollyannawasalreadyoutofsight,clatteringuptheatticstairs.
