helped her out of the other night. And say I can tell you something, if
you want to know.
Well, what?
Why, old Mr. Jones is going to try to spring something on the people
here tonight, but I overheard him tell auntie today about it, as a
secret, but I reckon it s not much of a secret now. Everybody knows the
widow, too, for all she tries to let on she don t. Mr. Jones was bound
Huck should be here couldn t get along with his grand secret without
Huck, you know!
Secret about what, Sid?
About Huck tracking the robbers to the widow s. I reckon Mr. Jones was
going to make a grand time over his surprise, but I bet you it will drop
pretty flat.
Sid chuckled in a very contented and satisfied way.
Sid, was it you that told?
Oh, never mind who it was. _Somebody_ told that s enough.
Sid, there s only one person in this town mean enough to do that, and
that s you. If you had been in Huck s place you d a sneaked down the
hill and never told anybody on the robbers. You can t do any but mean
things, and you can t bear to see anybody praised for doing good ones.
There no thanks, as the widow says and Tom cuffed Sid s ears and helped
him to the door with several kicks. Now go and tell auntie if you
dare and tomorrow you ll catch it!
Some minutes later the widow s guests were at the supper-table, and a
dozen children were propped up at little side-tables in the same room,
after the fashion of that country and that day. At the proper time Mr.
Jones made his little speech, in which he thanked the widow for the
honor she was doing himself and his sons, but said that there was
another person whose modesty
And so forth and so on. He sprung his secret about Huck s share in
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