He paused suddenly, his attention attracted by the outer covering of the invalid's bed, a large, heavy, man's overcoat, with a big cape. It was with difficulty that Freddy refrained from uttering the cry of mingled astonishment and dismay which rose to his lips as he recognised his Uncle Jo's old coat. The next moment Claude stepped nearer the bed, and his eyes fell upon the familiar garment too.
[CHAPTER VI.]
Freddy speaks out.
"FREDDY, did you notice what was on the bed? But of course you did. I saw that by your face! The idea of our being the ones to find father's old coat, and after such a long time too! I longed to ask the Lamberts how they got it, but that would never have done. We must hurry home and tell father at once!" and Claude quickened his footsteps almost to a run as he spoke.
The two boys were in the main street of the town once more, having cut short their visit to Bobby Lambert after the surprising discovery they had made. Both were greatly excited.
"There's no desperate hurry," Freddy said, in a voice which he could scarcely keep from trembling. "Yes, of course I saw it was uncle's coat; but how could it have got there?"
"Oh, I don't know! Perhaps those people are thieves, and we ought not to have gone to their house; but they seemed very respectable, didn't they?"
"Oh, yes! I don't think they are thieves! The boy looked really ill; and I am sure the little girl seemed very distressed because they had to pawn their blankets."
"Perhaps she was only pretending—father says appearances are often deceitful."
"But there were tears in her eyes; didn't you see them?"