"When I went in, he was tucking away something in his pocket."
Tony's friends were utterly confounded by this bold statement.
"You didn't see what it was, did you?" inquired Mr. Hyde, pained by the turn the affair was taking.
"I didn't. I thought it was an egg at first. He was kind of struck up when I entered, and asked me if I had seen Farmer Whipple. I told him I hadn't. The bell rang then, and he cut away to school."
Tim's story seemed plausible, but the master could not harbor a suspicion that Tony was guilty of theft.
"Which pocket was it, Tim?" asked Farmer Whipple.
"The side pocket of his linen sack."
"Which side?"
"The left-hand side."
"That will do," said Mr. Hyde; and he and Mr. Whipple conferred on the subject.