The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Page 36

  CHAPTER XXXIV

  HUCK said: "Tom, we can slope, if we can find a rope. The window ain'thigh from the ground."

  "Shucks! what do you want to slope for?"

  "Well, I ain't used to that kind of a crowd. I can't stand it. I ain'tgoing down there, Tom."

  "Oh, bother! It ain't anything. I don't mind it a bit. I'll take care ofyou."

  Sid appeared.

  "Tom," said he, "auntie has been waiting for you all the afternoon. Marygot your Sunday clothes ready, and everybody's been fretting about you.Say--ain't this grease and clay, on your clothes?"

  "Now, Mr. Siddy, you jist 'tend to your own business. What's all thisblowout about, anyway?"

  "It's one of the widow's parties that she's always having. This timeit's for the Welshman and his sons, on account of that scrape theyhelped her out of the other night. And say--I can tell you something, ifyou want to know."

  "Well, what?"

  "Why, old Mr. Jones is going to try to spring something on the peoplehere tonight, but I overheard him tell auntie today about it, as asecret, but I reckon it's not much of a secret now. Everybody knows--thewidow, too, for all she tries to let on she don't. Mr. Jones was boundHuck should be here--couldn't get along with his grand secret withoutHuck, you know!"

  "Secret about what, Sid?"

  "About Huck tracking the robbers to the widow's. I reckon Mr. Jones wasgoing to make a grand time over his surprise, but I bet you it will droppretty flat."

  Sid chuckled in a very contented and satisfied way.

  "Sid, was it you that told?"

  "Oh, never mind who it was. _Somebody_ told--that's enough."

  "Sid, there's only one person in this town mean enough to do that, andthat's you. If you had been in Huck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down thehill and never told anybody on the robbers. You can't do any but meanthings, and you can't bear to see anybody praised for doing good ones.There--no thanks, as the widow says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and helpedhim to the door with several kicks. "Now go and tell auntie if youdare--and tomorrow you'll catch it!"

  Some minutes later the widow's guests were at the supper-table, and adozen children were propped up at little side-tables in the same room,after the fashion of that country and that day. At the proper time Mr.Jones made his little speech, in which he thanked the widow for thehonor she was doing himself and his sons, but said that there wasanother person whose modesty--

  And so forth and so on. He sprung his secret about Huck's share inthe adventure in the finest dramatic manner he was master of, but thesurprise it occasioned was largely counterfeit and not as clamorous andeffusive as it might have been under happier circumstances. However,the widow made a pretty fair show of astonishment, and heaped so manycompliments and so much gratitude upon Huck that he almost forgotthe nearly intolerable discomfort of his new clothes in the entirelyintolerable discomfort of being set up as a target for everybody's gazeand everybody's laudations.

  The widow said she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have himeducated; and that when she could spare the money she would start him inbusiness in a modest way. Tom's chance was come. He said:

  "Huck don't need it. Huck's rich."

  Nothing but a heavy strain upon the good manners of the company keptback the due and proper complimentary laugh at this pleasant joke. Butthe silence was a little awkward. Tom broke it:

  "Huck's got money. Maybe you don't believe it, but he's got lots of it.Oh, you needn't smile--I reckon I can show you. You just wait a minute."

  Tom ran out of doors. The company looked at each other with a perplexedinterest--and inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue-tied.

  "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well, there ain't ever anymaking of that boy out. I never--"

  Tom entered, struggling with the weight of his sacks, and Aunt Pollydid not finish her sentence. Tom poured the mass of yellow coin upon thetable and said:

  "There--what did I tell you? Half of it's Huck's and half of it's mine!"

  The spectacle took the general breath away. All gazed, nobody spoke fora moment. Then there was a unanimous call for an explanation. Tom saidhe could furnish it, and he did. The tale was long, but brimful ofinterest. There was scarcely an interruption from any one to break thecharm of its flow. When he had finished, Mr. Jones said:

  "I thought I had fixed up a little surprise for this occasion, but itdon't amount to anything now. This one makes it sing mighty small, I'mwilling to allow."

  The money was counted. The sum amounted to a little over twelve thousanddollars. It was more than any one present had ever seen at one timebefore, though several persons were there who were worth considerablymore than that in property.