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"Well,
what?"
"Why,
old Mr. Jones is going to try to spring something on the people here
to-night, but I overheard him tell auntie to-day about it, as a secret,
but I reckon it's not much of a secret now. Everybody knows -- the widow,
too, for all she tries to let on she don't. Mr. Jones was bound Huck
should be here -- couldn't get along with his grand secret without Huck,
you know!"
"Secret
about what, Sid?"
"About
Huck tracking the robbers to the widow's. I reckon Mr. Jones was going to
make a grand time over his surprise, but I bet you it will drop pretty
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, and that's
you. If you had been in Huck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hill and
never told anybody on the robbers. You can't do any but mean things, 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 helped
him to the door with several kicks. "Now go and tell auntie if you
dare -- and to-morrow you'll catch it!"
Some
minutes later the widow's guests were at the supper-table, and a dozen
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 the honor she was
doing himself and his sons, but said that there was another person whose
modesty --
And
so forth and so on. He sprung his secret about Huck's share in the
adventure in the finest dramatic manner he was master of, but the surprise
it occasioned was largely counterfeit and not as clamorous and effusive as
it might have been under happier circumstances. However, the widow made a
pretty fair show of astonishment, and heaped so many compliments and so
much gratitude upon Huck that he almost forgot the nearly intolerable
discomfort of his new clothes in the entirely intolerable discomfort of
being set up as a target for everybody's gaze and everybody's laudations.
The
widow said she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have him
educated; and that when she could spare the money she would start him in
business 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 kept back the due
and proper complimentary laugh at this pleasant joke. But the 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 perplexed
interest -- and inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue-tied.
"Sid,
what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He -- well, there ain't ever
any making of that boy out. I never --"
Tom
entered, struggling with the weight of his sacks, and Aunt Polly did not
finish her sentence. Tom poured the mass of yellow coin upon the table 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 for a
moment. Then there was a unanimous call for an explanation. Tom said he
could furnish it, and he did. The tale was long, but brimful of interest.
There was scarcely an interruption from any one to break the charm of its
flow. When he had finished, Mr. Jones said:
"I
thought I had fixed up a little surprise for this occasion, but it don't
amount to anything now. This one makes it sing mighty small, I'm willing
to allow."
The
money was counted. The sum amounted to a little over twelve thousand
dollars. It was more than any one present had ever seen at one time
before, though several persons were there who were worth considerably more
than that in property.
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