The afternoon before Pollyanna's arrival, Miss Polly inspected the attic room.
A fly buzzed at one of the closed windows, trying to escape.
Miss Polly killed the fly, opened the window, and swept the fly outside.
Then she went downstairs and stood at the kitchen door.
"Nancy," Miss Polly said. "I found a fly in Miss Pollyanna's room.
Until the new screens come, keep the windows closed."
Nancy stopped ironing. "Yes, ma'am."
"My niece will arrive tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock," Miss Polly went on.
"Tom will drive you to the station to meet her.
The telegram said, 'blond hair, red gingham dress, straw hat.'
That's all I know, but that's enough information for you to find her."
"Yes, ma'am," Nancy said again. "But shouldn't you—"
"No, I don't need to go." Miss Polly walked away.
Nancy picked up her iron.
"Blond hair, red gingham dress, straw hat.
I'd be ashamed to admit that's all I know about my only niece."
The next afternoon Tom drove Nancy to the station.
As the train whistle sounded, Nancy was suddenly nervous.
But she soon spotted a girl with two blond braids in a red gingham dress.
Beneath a straw hat, an eager freckled face looked all around.
Nancy approached the child. "Are you Miss Pollyanna?"
"Yes!" The next moment Pollyanna was hugging Nancy tightly.
"I'm so glad, glad, glad to see you!
Of course I'm Pollyanna, and I hoped you'd come to meet me."
"You did?" Nancy couldn't understand how Pollyanna knew she'd be at the station.
"I've been wondering what you looked like."
Pollyanna danced around Nancy. "I'm glad you look just like you do."
Nancy didn't know how to reply.
She was relieved when Tom walked over and offered to find Pollyanna's trunk.
"It's a brand-new trunk," Pollyanna explained as Nancy guided her toward the wagon.
"The Ladies' Aid—the women's group at Father's church—was saving money for a new church carpet.
But the ladies bought me a trunk instead.
Anyway, the Ladies' Aiders—do you have Ladies' Aiders at your church?
Father said many churches do. They helped Father bring me up after Mother died."
Pollyanna kept up a stream of comments and questions.
By the time Tom returned with the trunk, Nancy was dazed and breathless.
But Pollyanna was still full of energy.
She climbed up and sat between them.
"This is lovely!" Pollyanna said as they started on their way.
"Is it far to your house? I hope it is because I love to ride.
But if it isn't, I'll be glad to get there soon.
What a pretty town! I knew this town would be pretty.
Father told me he remembered—"
Pollyanna stopped, and Nancy noticed her eyes filling with tears.
But in a moment, the little girl hurried on.
"I suppose you wonder why I'm wearing red instead of black for mourning.
There wasn't anything black in the donation box at church.
Do you have donation boxes here?
They're full of clothes and things that people don't want anymore.
But they think poor people will want them."
"I'm sure your dress will be fine," Nancy said.
"It would be harder to be glad in black."
"Glad?" Nancy said in surprise.
"Yes, glad that Father has gone to heaven to be with Mother and their babies.
He said I must be glad, which was awfully hard when I just had the Ladies' Aid.
But now I've got you, Aunt Polly, and I'm so glad!"
Nancy's eyes widened as she realized Pollyanna's mistake.
"I'm not your aunt Polly. I'm only Nancy, a girl who works for her!"
"Oh," Pollyanna said anxiously. "But there is an Aunt Polly, right?"
Tom chuckled. "There sure is."
Pollyanna relaxed.
"Then I'm glad I can look forward to meeting her.
Is Aunt Polly rich, Nancy?"
"Yes, miss."
"I hope she has carpets and pictures in every room.
I love pictures, but we didn't have any.
Father found one in the donation box.
It was so nice that he sold it to buy me shoes.
What a beautiful house!" Pollyanna exclaimed as they came up the drive.
Nancy thought about the plain attic room and silently vowed to stay at Miss Polly's house forever.
"This poor child needs someone to love her!"