The deacon, Mr. Ander, and the sexton looked carefully around on the floor of the balcony near the broken window. They even found some little slivers of colored glass, for only the larger pieces had been swept up.
“Danny’s ring certainly came in here, stuck to the snowball he threw against the window,” decided the deacon. “It’s as plain as if we saw it happen. And I think, Bert, when I hand this ring to Danny’s father and tell how it was found—I think Danny will confess just how it happened. I want you with me when he does, so your name will be cleared.”
“Yes, I’d like to go with you,” Bert said. “But I ought to go home now. I’ve been away a good while, and maybe Nan might want some of the groceries I have in the basket downstairs. Nan is home alone with Flossie and Freddie. Mrs. Pry is sick in bed.”
“Then you’d better go home now,” agreed the deacon when Bert had further explained how it was the Bobbsey twins were keeping house by themselves. “This evening after supper I’ll call for you and we’ll take this ring back to Danny.”
“Do you want me to come along?” asked the sexton. “I’m going to be pretty busy, keeping up the fires, for it’s going to be a cold night.”
“Yes, it is,” agreed Mr. Ander “No, I don’t believe we need you, Robert. Two witnesses are enough to prove where the lost ring was found.”
“All right,” agreed Bert. “I’ll be ready for you after supper.”
It was with a very much lighter heart than he had had on entering the church that Bert left the edifice. Picking up his basket of groceries he started for home.
“Say, it is mighty cold!” he murmured as he felt the tingling air nip his ears and nose. “I’ll have to keep up a good fire in our furnace. Mrs. Pry has got to be kept warm with her lumbago.”
On leaving the church, Bert looked around for a sight of Danny Rugg, but that small bully and cheat was not in view, and Bert was glad of it.