Here Baggs bowed toward “Madame Blake.”
“And,” he continued, “if you will permit me, I will bring the very coat, and splain that rag business too.”
Here he triumphantly looked about upon his auditors as if he were carrying a point in the town meetings, where he had been famous as an orator.
“Yes, I will bring the coat, this very moment”—and as he spoke, he rose and stepped toward the door into the store—“and no one need feel s’cluded from the investigation. All please stay here. Our young friend there”—he pointed toward Walter—“may remain. I will satisfy all—yes—I will—” and he was gone.
“Well,” declared Squire Tuck, “this is interesting business,” and he looked toward Varney.
“Yes, but just wait and give the man a chance to speak for himself. It’s a serious thing to charge a man with forgery.”
“I should think, sir,” roared Uncle Boardman, “to take away a man’s property was a pretty serious matter also!”
“Yes; serious, vile, imperdent, reskelly—” Aunt Lydia stood with opened mouth pouring out a torrent of hot adjectives, when Squire Tuck interrupted her and interrupted also the tumult that had become general, saying, shouting rather, “Now all be quiet! We want to hear from Baggs. He ought to have got that coat by this time.”
The Squire stepped to the door into the store and opened it, wishing to assist the tardy Baggs. “Allow me, Brother Tuck, the pleasure of helping you,” said Varney with much politeness, and he followed the Squire who had stepped out into the store. Those in the sitting–room now heard one word from the Squire and it came in no gentle tones: “Gone!” What a rush there was from that sitting–room!
“Oh!” exclaimed Aunt Lydia, “why didn’t I hold on to that coat while I had the chance!”