Mike's Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

man.”
    Benny nodded. “Did you talk to him?”
    “No, I didn’t. But I saw him talking to Mr. McCarthy. And I think he was the man Spotty growled at!”
    “Oh, you do!” cried Benny. “Then he must be the man that said you set the fire!”
    “That’s right,” said Mike. “Isn’t that a mystery?”
    “Yes, it is,” agreed Benny. “The next thing to do is see Mr. McCarthy.”
    “Right!” said Mike. “But we won’t rush it! Mr. Carter said I ought to become an FBI agent.”
    “Yes, he did,” said Benny. “And I’d like to see that newspaper picture again.”
    So the two boys ran downstairs to find the old newspaper.

CHAPTER 8
    Secrets
    E veryone looked for the newspaper, but no one could find it.
    “All the newspapers are in that box,” said Maggie. “I saved them all.”
    “They are all here but the right one,” said Benny.
    “I had one, but it burned up with my house,” said Mike.
    “Well, never mind,” said Aunt Jane. “You can always buy another at the newspaper office.”
    Henry said, “Mike, you know this is the time we buy a stove. You can look at the newspaper any time.”
    “This is a very important paper,” said Benny. “But I guess we can wait.”
    “Well, come on then,” said Jessie. “What fun it will be to get all those things! I never bought a stove before.”
    “Don’t you think Mrs. Wood ought to go with us?” asked Violet. “She ought to pick out the stove she wants.”
    “Right, as usual,” said Henry. “Come on, let’s go. Yes, Watch, you can come this time.” Lady stayed with Aunt Jane, as she always did.
    The children stopped at the blue house. Mrs. Wood was glad to go with them.
    “Let’s take Spotty, too,” said Mike.
    “He doesn’t like to be tied up. He’d love to go.”
    “Will he like to go with Watch?” asked Jessie.
    “Let’s try,” said Mike. Everyone was glad when at last the two dogs trotted along together.
    The store was a big one. There were all sorts of things in it. There were tables and chairs and stoves and dishes of all kinds. Mrs. Wood looked around. She was delighted to pick out a huge stove. It had large ovens. The refrigerator was big too.
    “It will have to be big for all those pies,” said Benny. “What color do you want, Mrs. Wood?”
    “Well, I don’t care at all,” said Mike’s mother.
    “The girls like blue,” said Benny.
    “Let’s get all blue things, then,” said Mrs. Wood. “Just look at that beautiful blue sink!”
    The man said, “We will put them all in for you. Where do they go?”
    “In that big empty building at the mine office,” said Henry. “My grandfather said to pay you when they were all in.”
    “That’s O.K.,” said the man with a smile.
    “Mr. Carter says insurance will pay for our loss from the fire,” said Mrs. Wood. “I hope so, because we lost almost everything.”
    “Oh, Mrs. Wood, let’s buy dishes!” cried Violet.
    Everyone looked at Violet in surprise. Violet was usually so quiet.

    Jessie put her arm around her sister. “You dear,” she said. “We will certainly buy dishes. Is that all right with you, Mrs. Wood?”
    “Yes, I love to have you help me,” said Mrs. Wood. “You have such good ideas.”
    “Where will you put the dishes?” asked the storekeeper. “You’re not going to live up at the mine, are you?”
    “Live there? Oh, no,” said Mrs. Wood. “But we can put the dishes up there for now.”
    “Why couldn’t you live there?” asked Benny, suddenly. “You’ve got to live somewhere .”
    “And it will take a long time to build the pink house again,” added Henry.
    “Yes, I don’t like to stay too long with Mrs. Smith,” said Mrs. Wood. “I shall have to live somewhere. I wonder if there is anyone at the mine all night?”
    “There are four watchmen,” said Henry. “I found that out. Then Mr. Carter lives in the green house. That’s the nearest house.”
    “I shall talk with Mr. Carter,” said Mrs. Wood. “But we must pick out the