Mystery 01 - The Mystery of The Burnt Cottage by Enid Blyton

Author:Enid Blyton [Blyton, Enid]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Tramp turns up Again

It was seven o’clock when the three of them rode up Pip’s drive. Bets was getting worried, because her bedtime was coming very near, and she couldn’t bear to think that she would have to go before she heard the news that Larry, Daisy and Pip might be bringing.

She jumped for joy when she heard their bicycle bells jangling as they rode at top speed up the drive. It was such a lovely evening that she, Fatty and Buster were still in the garden. Fatty had examined his bruises again, and was pleased to see that they were now a marvellous red-purple. Although they hurt him he couldn’t help being very proud of them.

“What news? What news?” yelled Bets, as the three travellers returned.

“Plenty!” cried Larry. “Half a tick - let’s put our bikes away!”

Soon all five and Buster were sitting in the summer-house talking. Fatty’s eyes nearly dropped out of his head when he heard how Larry had dragged the letter out of his pocket and dropped it by accident at Horace Peeks’s feet.

“But Clear-Orf’s on the trail all right,” said Pip. “We met him as we were going home. Larry knocked him off his bike, going round the corner. Clear-Orf must be brighter than we think. He’s a little way behind us, that’s all!”

“Well, we’d better get on Mr. Smellie’s track as soon as possible tomorrow,” said Fatty. “Bets and I have got his address.”

“Good for you,” said Larry. “Where does he live?”

“It was in the telephone book,” said Bets. “It was very easy to find because there was only one Mr. Smellie. He lives at Willow-Dene, Jeffreys Lane.”

“Why, that’s just at the back of our garden,” said Larry, in surprise. “Isn’t it, Daisy? Willow-Dene backs on to half our garden. I never knew who lived there, because we’ve never once seen anyone in the garden, except an old woman.”

“That would be Miss Miggle, the housekeeper,” said Fatty.

“How do you know?” asked Daisy, in surprise.

“Oh, Bets and I have been very good Find-Outers today,” said Fatty, with a grin. “We asked your gardener where Willow-Dene was, and he knew it, because his brother works there. And he told us about Miss Miggle, and how difficult she finds it to keep old Mr. Smellie clean, and make him have his meals, and remember to put his mack on when it rains, and so on.”

“What’s the matter with him, then?” said Larry. “Is he mad or silly or something?”

“Oh no. He’s a something -ologist,” said Bets. “He studies old, old paper and documents, and knows more about them than anyone else. He doesn’t care about anything but old writings. The gardener says he’s got some very, very valuable ones himself.”

“Well, as he conveniently lives so near us, perhaps Larry and I could interview him tomorrow,”‘ said Daisy, very much looking forward to a bit more “find-outing,” as Bets kept calling it. “I think we’re getting rather good at interviewing. I bet we’re better than old Clear-Orf. Any Suspect would know at once that Mr.

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