CHAPTER III

Tom approached Aunt Polly, who sat by an open window in a cozy room that served multiple purposes: bedroom, breakfast nook, dining area, and library all combined. The warm summer air, quiet ambiance, scent of flowers, and hum of bees had lulled her into dozing over her knitting, with the cat asleep on her lap. Her spectacles perched securely on her head.

Aunt Polly assumed Tom would have already left long ago and was surprised to see him requesting permission to play:

“Mayn’t I go and play now, aunt?”

“What? Already? How much have you done?”

“It’s all done, aunt.”

Tom’s claim of completion made Aunt Polly skeptical. She went outside to verify for herself. Although she would have been satisfied with a partial truth, finding the entire fence freshly whitewashed took her breath away. She marveled at Tom’s unexpected diligence and allowed him to play, warning he must return within a week or face consequences.

Aunt Polly was so impressed by his efforts that she rewarded him with an apple from the pantry, along with a lecture on how virtue enhances life’s simple pleasures. As they chatted, Tom sneakily took a doughnut.

Leaving Aunt Polly behind, Tom spotted Sid beginning to climb upstairs. He promptly threw clods at Sid, causing chaos before disappearing over the fence himself. His soul was at ease now that he had retaliated against Sid for drawing attention to his black thread and getting him into trouble.

Tom continued on his path, eventually arriving near Jeff Thatcher’s house where a new girl captivated him with her beauty. The sight made his previous infatuation with Amy Lawrence fade instantly. Mesmerized by the new girl in the garden, Tom began performing absurd antics to capture her admiration. After she left, he retrieved a pansy she had tossed over the fence and kept it close to his heart.

He lingered around the house all evening, hoping for another glimpse of her. When night fell and she never reappeared, Tom reluctantly headed home, his mind filled with visions of the girl.

During supper, Aunt Polly noted Tom’s unusual high spirits and scolded him about throwing clods at Sid. Despite receiving a reprimand for trying to sneak sugar from the kitchen, Tom remained unperturbed. When Sid accidentally broke the sugar bowl, Tom gleefully admitted it was Sid’s fault, not his own.

Aunt Polly struggled with her feelings of guilt but refrained from showing leniency due to discipline rules. Disgruntled, Tom retreated into a corner, contemplating his woes and imagining scenarios where he’d be cared for by Aunt Polly if ill or deceased—though he remained stubbornly silent about these fantasies.

When cousin Mary arrived, full of joyous energy, Tom chose solitude over her cheerful company. Seeking places that matched his somber mood, he found himself at the river’s edge, contemplating a wish to disappear without notice. He reflected on his flower and the girl who had given it to him, imagining how she might react if she knew about him.

As night deepened, Tom ventured near the house of his newfound interest. Pausing beneath her window, he lay in contemplation, holding his treasured pansy close. Imagining a tragic end there, under the cold morning light, brought both sorrow and satisfaction to his pensive mood.

A maid appeared, breaking the silence with a burst of water that drenched Tom. Startled yet relieved, he dashed away into the night. Sid, who had witnessed everything from inside, chose not to provoke further conflict by keeping quiet about what he saw. Later, as they prepared for bed, Tom snuck in without praying, much to Sid’s silent observation.