Chapter 35

           ThereadermayrestsatisfiedthatTom’sandHuck’swindfallmadeamightystirinthepoorlittlevillageofSt.Petersburg. Sovastasum,allinactualcash,seemednexttoincredible. Itwastalkedabout,gloatedover,glorified,untilthereasonofmanyofthecitizenstotteredunderthestrainoftheunhealthyexcitement. Every"haunted"houseinSt.Petersburgandtheneighboringvillageswasdissected,plankbyplank,anditsfoundationsdugupandransackedforhiddentreasure—andnotbyboys,butmen—prettygrave,unromanticmen,too,someofthem. WhereverTomandHuckappearedtheywerecourted,admired,staredat. Theboyswerenotabletorememberthattheirremarkshadpossessedweightbefore;butnowtheirsayingsweretreasuredandrepeated; everythingtheydidseemedsomehowtoberegardedasremarkable; theyhadevidentlylostthepowerofdoingandsayingcommonplacethings; moreover,theirpasthistorywasrakedupanddiscoveredtobearmarksofconspicuousoriginality. Thevillagepaperpublishedbiographicalsketchesoftheboys. 

           TheWidowDouglasputHuck’smoneyoutatsixpercent.,andJudgeThatcherdidthesamewithTom’satAuntPolly’srequest. Eachladhadanincome,now,thatwassimplyprodigious—adollarforeveryweek-dayintheyearandhalfoftheSundays. Itwasjustwhattheministergot—no,itwaswhathewaspromised—hegenerallycouldn’tcollectit. Adollarandaquarteraweekwouldboard,lodge,andschoolaboyinthoseoldsimpledays—andclothehimandwashhim,too,forthatmatter. 

           JudgeThatcherhadconceivedagreatopinionofTom. Hesaidthatnocommonplaceboywouldeverhavegothisdaughteroutofthecave. WhenBeckytoldherfather,instrictconfidence,howTomhadtakenherwhippingatschool,theJudgewasvisiblymoved;