Page 253 - the-adventures-of-tom-sawyer

to drink. That little piece is our last candle!’
Becky gave loose to tears and wailings. Tom did what he
could to comfort her, but with little effect. At length Becky
said:
‘Tom!’
‘Well, Becky?’
‘They’ll miss us and hunt for us!’
‘Yes, they will! Certainly they will!’
‘Maybe they’re hunting for us now, Tom.’
‘Why, I reckon maybe they are. I hope they are.’
‘When would they miss us, Tom?’
‘When they get back to the boat, I reckon.’
‘Tom, it might be dark then — would they notice we
hadn’t come?’
‘I don’t know. But anyway, your mother would miss you
as soon as they got home.’
A frightened look in Becky’s face brought Tom to his
senses and he saw that he had made a blunder. Becky was
not to have gone home that night! The children became si-
lent and thoughtful. In a moment a new burst of grief from
Becky showed Tom that the thing in his mind had struck
hers also — that the Sabbath morning might be half spent
before Mrs. Thatcher discovered that Becky was not at Mrs.
Harper’s.
The children fastened their eyes upon their bit of candle
and watched it melt slowly and pitilessly away; saw the half
inch of wick stand alone at last; saw the feeble flame rise and
fall, climb the thin column of smoke, linger at its top a mo-
ment, and then — the horror of utter darkness reigned!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer