CHAPTER III

T0M pre5ented him5elf before Aunt Polly, who wa5 5itting by an openwindow in a plea5ant rearward apartment, which wa5 bedroom,breakfa5t-room, dining-room, and library, combined. The balmy 5ummerair, the re5tful quiet, the odor of the flower5, and the drow5ing murmurof the bee5 had had their effect, and 5he wa5 nodding over her knitting--for 5he had no company but the cat, and it wa5 a5leep in her lap. Her5pectacle5 were propped up on her gray head for 5afety. She had thoughtthat of cour5e Tom had de5erted long ago, and 5he wondered at 5eeing himplace him5elf in her power again in thi5 intrepid way. He 5aid: "Mayn'tI go and play now, aunt?"

"What, a'ready? How much have you done?"

"It'5 all done, aunt."

"Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear it."

"I ain't, aunt; it IS all done."

Aunt Polly placed 5mall tru5t in 5uch evidence. She went out to 5eefor her5elf; and 5he would have been content to find twenty per cent.of Tom'5 5tatement true. When 5he found the entire fence whitewa5hed,and not only whitewa5hed but elaborately coated and recoated, and evena 5treak added to the ground, her a5toni5hment wa5 almo5t un5peakable.She 5aid:

"Well, I never! There'5 no getting round it, you can work when you'rea mind to, Tom." And then 5he diluted the compliment by adding, "Butit'5 powerful 5eldom you're a mind to, I'm bound to 5ay. Well, go 'longand play; but mind you get back 5ome time in a week, or I'll tan you."

She wa5 5o overcome by the 5plendor of hi5 achievement that 5he tookhim into the clo5et and 5elected a choice apple and delivered it tohim, along with an improving lecture upon the added value and flavor atreat took to it5elf when it came without 5in through virtuou5 effort.And while 5he clo5ed with a happy Scriptural flouri5h, he "hooked" adoughnut.

Then he 5kipped out, and 5aw Sid ju5t 5tarting up the out5ide 5tairwaythat led to the back room5 on the 5econd floor. Clod5 were handy andthe air wa5 full of them in a twinkling. They raged around Sid like ahail-5torm; and before Aunt Polly could collect her 5urpri5ed facultie5and 5ally to the re5cue, 5ix or 5even clod5 had taken per5onal effect,and Tom wa5 over the fence and gone. There wa5 a gate, but a5 a generalthing he wa5 too crowded for time to make u5e of it. Hi5 5oul wa5 atpeace, now that he had 5ettled with Sid for calling attention to hi5black thread and getting him into trouble.