Tom arrived home in a dreary mood, and his aunt’s first words showed him that he had brought his misery to the wrong place.
“Tom, I’ve a notion to skin you alive!” cried Aunt Polly.
“What have I done?” asked Tom in surprise.
“Done? You’ve done enough! Here I go over to Mrs. Harper’s house like an old softy, expecting to make her believe all that stuff about your dream, and then she tells me that Joe told her the whole truth. You really were here and heard
Tom hung his head for a moment. He had no answer to give his aunt. He could only try to explain that he didn’t think it would turn out this way. But his explanation only made Aunt Polly angrier. Finally, Tom gave in and told his aunt that the real reason he had returned that night was to tell her that he really hadn’t drowned and to ease her mind.
Aunt Polly looked up sternly and said, “Tom, I would be the thankfulest soul in this world if I could believe that you ever had such a good thought, but you know you never did. And I know it too!”
Tom pleaded and tried to convince his aunt that he really was telling the truth. “When you
“What bark?” Aunt Polly asked.
“The bark I wrote on to tell you we’d gone pirating. I wish now you’d woken up when I kissed you. I do, honest.”
The hard lines in his aunt’s face relaxed, and a sudden tenderness dawned in her eyes. She couldn’t believe that Tom had really kissed her. But she could tell that the boy was speaking the truth. Still, she had to be sure.
When Tom had gone off to school, Aunt Polly ran to the closet and took out the jacket he had worn on the pirating trip. She hesitated before putting her hand in the pocket. If Tom was lying this time, she couldn’t bear it. Twice she put her
“I could forgive the boy now,” she cried, “even if he’d committed a million sins!”