looked. Could it be possible that she was not aware that he was there?
He carried his exploits to her immediate vicinity; came war-whooping
around, snatched a boy s cap, hurled it to the roof of the schoolhouse,
broke through a group of boys, tumbling them in every direction, and
fell sprawling, himself, under Becky s nose, almost upsetting her and
she turned, with her nose in the air, and he heard her say: Mf! some
people think they re mighty smart always showing off!
Tom s cheeks burned. He gathered himself up and sneaked off, crushed and
crestfallen.
CHAPTER XIII
Tom s mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was a
forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they found out
what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry; he had tried
to do right and get along, but they would not let him; since nothing
would do them but to be rid of him, let it be so; and let them blame
_him_ for the consequences why shouldn t they? What right had the
friendless to complain? Yes, they had forced him to it at last: he would
lead a life of crime. There was no choice.
By this time he was far down Meadow Lane, and the bell for school to
take up tinkled faintly upon his ear. He sobbed, now, to think he
should never, never hear that old familiar sound any more it was very
hard, but it was forced on him; since he was driven out into the cold
world, he must submit but he forgave them. Then the sobs came thick and
fast.
Just at this point he met his soul s sworn comrade, Joe
Harper hard-eyed, and with evidently a great and dismal purpose in his
heart. Plainly here were two souls with but a single thought. Tom,
wiping his eyes with his sleeve, began to blubber out something about
a resolution to escape from hard usage and lack of sympathy at home by
roaming abroad into the great world never to return; and ended by hoping
that Joe would not forget him.
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