“As if I required to be told by a woman that a little shrewdness may be necessary sometimes in dealing with the world!” said the deacon. And, climbing into the buggy with unusual alacrity, he whipped away at an extraordinary rate of speed.
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FIERCELY the squire was limping to and fro, between his office-room and Mrs. Peternot’s kitchen, compressing his lips, and striking the floor every now and then with his cane, as he exclaimed, “He shall lay in jail! I’ll prosecute him! State’s prison’s too good for him!” when his wife called from the window, “Squire! squire! Here’s Deacon Chatford, jest drove up; beckonin’ and hollerin’!”
“What now, I wonder?” said Peternot, as he put on his hat and went out, frowning, to meet his neighbor. “Wal! what is it, deacon?”
“I’ve thought of a plan,” said Mr. Chatford, hurriedly. “Get in here; we’ll talk as we ride. There’s not a minute to lose!”
“What plan?” demanded the stern old squire.
“The diffikilty can’t be settled, unless peradventur’ the boy gives up the money.”
“That’s just it!” cried the deacon. “He said he was willing to give it up; and now it’s fallen into my hands.”
“The treasure? in your hands?” exclaimed Peternot, limping quickly towards the buggy.
“That is,” said the deacon, remembering his wife’s injunction, to use a little worldly wisdom on the occasion,—“yes, I may say, in my hands, for I know where it is; I’ve secure possession on ’t; and I’ve resolved—But jump in! jump in! for we must overhaul Sellick before he delivers the boy up at the jail.”
“Wal, wal! This sounds like!—Wife! wife!” called Peternot, “hand out my gre’t-cut! May be cool ridin’.—In your hands? The best news yit! It’s comin’ out right, arter all! But, as you say, we must ketch Sellick ’fore he gits to the jail; the case ’ll haf to go before the gran’ jury, if we don’t.—Wife! wife! can’t ye step quick for once?”
Mrs. Peternot did “step quick for once”; out came the overcoat, and into it went the stiff-jointed old man. Then away rattled the buggy with the two neighbors seated side by side.
“Ketch ’em ’fore they git to the jail, and I can manage Judge Garty,” said Peternot. “But I must have some guarantee that the coin will be actooally restored to me, if I git the boy off.”