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 silent 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 moment, and then the horror of utter darkness
reigned!
How long afterward it was that Becky came to a slow consciousness that
she was crying in Tom s arms, neither could tell. All that they knew
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