The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 

Table of Contents
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CHAPTER 20: Respectable Huck Joins the Gang

Tom and Huck’s windfall caused quite a stir in the little town. It was talked about, gloated over, and glorified until the real story was pale and uninteresting compared to the myth created by the constant gossip.

Whenever Tom and Huck appeared, they were stared at and admired. They were stars. Everywhere they went, they were followed. Everything they said was listened to with sharp interest and repeated.

Widow Douglas put Huck’s money in the bank for him, and Aunt Polly did the same with

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Tom’s share. Each boy had an income now. Although it was only a dollar a day, to Tom and Huck it was a fortune.

Huck Finn’s wealth and the fact that he was now under the Widow Douglas’ protection introduced him to a whole new world. But for Huck, it was a world he wished he had never known. The Widow’s servants kept him clean and neat, combed and brushed. He had to eat with a knife and fork, and he had to use a napkin, cup, and plate. The Widow even forced him to go to church.

Huck bravely bore these miseries for three weeks, and then one day he ran away. For three days, everyone hunted for him.

Early on the fourth morning, Tom wisely went poking around the abandoned slaughterhouse—one of Huck’s earlier favorite hiding places. Sure enough, Huck was there. He was wearing his old rags and looked unkempt and uncombed.

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Tom Finds Huck’s Hiding Place.

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When Tom told him how worried everyone was over his disappearance, Huck said, “Don’t talk about it, Tom. I’ve tried that life, and it doesn’t work. It isn’t for me. The Widow was good to me, but I can’t live like she does. She makes me dress and wash and do everthing at a special time, and I’m just not used to living that way.”

Tom tried to convince Huck that he would learn to like his new life, but it seemed hopeless. Then Tom thought of a plan to get Huck to stay with the Widow,

“Look here, Huck,” he said. “We’re going to form that gang we talked about back at the cave. But we can’t let you join if you aren’t respectable.”

Huck was sad for a moment. “Can’t you let me in, Tom?” he asked. “Didn’t you let me play pirate?”

“Yes, but this is much more high-toned than a gang of pirates,” said Tom.

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Huck Refuses to Return to the Widow.

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“Now, Tom, haven’t we always been friends?” pleaded Huck. “You wouldn’t leave me out, would you?”

“Huck, I wouldn’t want to, and I don’t want to, but what would people say? Why, they’d say, ‘Mph! Tom Sawyer’s gang! Pretty low characters in it,’ and they’d mean you, Huck. You wouldn’t like that, and neither would I.”

Huck was silent for a long time. He had been used to living his own way for so many years, but now everything was different. Both the Widow and Tom wanted him to change. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Well, I’ll go back to the Widow for a month and tackle it and see if I can stand it, but only if you let me belong to the gang, Tom.”

So Tom and Huck walked arm and arm towards the Widow’s big house on the hill. And as they walked, they planned all sorts of new adventures.

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Planning New Adventures