As I mentioned before, without more context it's hard to say exactly who Timothy Verrill is in this story. He could be an ordinary person with an interesting personal experience, or someone with a certain reputation in a small community.
A fellow scientist named Tom, perhaps. He could be a bit of a joker but also very brilliant. He and Abby might have a friendly rivalry, constantly trying to outdo each other in their experiments, but also respecting each other's skills. And then there could be the lab technician, Lisa. She is the one who keeps all the equipment in working order. Without her, Abby's experiments would be constantly interrupted by faulty machinery. She's a bit quiet but very reliable.
I'm not sure specifically which 'Timothy Verrill story' you are referring to. There could be many people named Timothy Verrill. Maybe you can give some more context, like is he a local hero, an artist, or something else?
Since I don't know the details of the Timothy Ferguson story, I can't really say what its significance is. It could be significant in his personal life, like a story of his self - discovery or overcoming an obstacle.
Sorry, Timothy Dalton doesn't do novel narration. He's made his mark in the entertainment industry through his acting performances rather than in the field of novel narration.
Maybe it's a dare. His friends could have dared him to wear Tony's clothes for a day and he reluctantly agrees. And as he wears them, he realizes there's more to Tony's style than he thought.