grieving that was all that made me come.
I d give the whole world to believe that it would cover up a power
of sins, Tom. I d most be glad you d run off and acted so bad. But it
ain t reasonable; because, why didn t you tell me, child?
Why, you see, when you got to talking about the funeral, I just got all
full of the idea of our coming and hiding in the church, and I couldn t
somehow bear to spoil it. So I just put the bark back in my pocket and
kept mum.
What bark?
The bark I had wrote on to tell you we d gone pirating. I wish, now,
you d waked 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.
_Did_ you kiss me, Tom?
Why, yes, I did.
Are you sure you did, Tom?
Why, yes, I did, auntie certain sure.
What did you kiss me for, Tom?
Because I loved you so, and you laid there moaning and I was so sorry.
The words sounded like truth. The old lady could not hide a tremor in
her voice when she said:
Kiss me again, Tom! and be off with you to school, now, and don t
bother me any more.
The moment he was gone, she ran to a closet and got out the ruin of a
jacket which Tom had gone pirating in. Then she stopped, with it in her
hand, and said to herself:
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