To understand why Mrs. Price responds the way she does when Phyllis claims the sweater, we can look for textual evidence in the story. One possible reason for her response is that Mrs. Price is frustrated and exasperated by the constant bickering and dishonesty among her students. In the text, we see Mrs. Price's irritation when she says, "All right, I'm going to open my desk drawer. I'm going to look one more time, and if that sweater's not there, Phyllis, you may take your seat." This suggests that Mrs. Price has reached her limit and is unwilling to entertain any more arguments or claims.
