Pollyanna giggled.

"As if anybody COULD eat dollar bills and not know it, Nancy,
when they come to try to chew 'em!"

"Ho! I mean he's rich enough ter do it," shrugged Nancy. "He
ain't spendin' his money, that's all. He's a-savin' of it."

"Oh, for the heathen," surmised Pollyanna. "How perfectly
splendid! That's denying yourself and taking up your cross. I
know; father told me."

Nancy's lips parted abruptly, as if there were angry words all
ready to come; but her eyes, resting on Pollyanna's jubilantly
trustful face, saw something that prevented the words being
spoken.

"Humph!" she vouchsafed. Then, showing her old-time interest, she
went on: "But, say, it is queer, his speakin' to you, honestly,
Miss Pollyanna. He don't speak ter no one; and he lives all alone
in a great big lovely house all full of jest grand things, they
say. Some says he's crazy, and some jest cross; and some says
he's got a skeleton in his closet."

"Oh, Nancy!" shuddered Pollyanna. "How can he keep such a
dreadful thing? I should think he'd throw it away!"

Nancy chuckled. That Pollyanna had taken the skeleton literally
instead of figuratively, she knew very well; but, perversely, she
refrained from correcting the mistake.