Mystery of Holly Lane Read Online Free PDF Page B

— you have brothers — how many? It is difficult to see in your hand.”
    “I’ve got six,” said Mum, helpfully. “Perhaps they’re hidden under that bit of dirt there. I’d have washed me hands if I’d known you were coming.”
    “I see illnesses here,” went on Fatty, “and children — and cups and cups of tea — and…”
    “That’s right!” broke in Mum, quite excited. “I’ve bin ill many a time — and I’ve got five children — Bert there is the youngest — and the cups of tea I’ve had — well, I must have had thousands in me life!”
    “Millions,” said Fatty, still bent over her hand.
    “Fancy you even seeing them cups of tea there,” said Mum. She raised her voice. “Bert! This lady’s a real wonder at reading hands. You come and listen.”
    Bert was already listening just outside the door. He came right in when his mother called. He looked at Fatty disbelievingly.
    “Where do you see them cups of tea?” he asked. “How do you know they’re not cups of coffee?”
    Fatty decided that he didn’t much like Bert. He thought it would be very nice indeed to read Bert’s band and see a great many spankings there. But Bert didn’t ask to have his hand read. He kept them both firmly behind his back as if afraid that Fatty would start reading them at once. Young Bert already had quite a lot of things in his life that he didn’t want any one to know about!
    Someone rode up to the front gate and got off a bicycle. “Coo — here’s Mr. Goon back already and I haven’t got the kettle on for his coffee!” said Mum, and disappeared at once. Mr. Goon opened the front door and came heavily into the hall. Mum called out to him.
    “Mr. Goon, sir! There’s a lady wanting to see you. I’ve put her in the office.”
    Mr. Goon went into the kitchen. “Who is she?” Fatty heard him say. “What’s she come for?”
    “I didn’t make so bold as to ask her that,” said Mum, putting a kettle on the stove. “She’s a foreigner by the sound of her — funny-looking, you know, and speaks queer.”
    “She read Mum’s hand,” said Bert, slyly.
    “You hold your tongue, young Bert,” said Mum, sharply. “She read it like a book, sir — knew me name and everything. One of these clever ones. You ready for your cup of coffee, sir?”
    “Yes. I could do with one,” said Goon. “I’ve been attacked by a dog this morning.”
    “You don’t say!” said Mum. “Did he bite you?”
    Mr. Goon liked sympathy. He enlarged quite a bit on Buster’s light-hearted game with him.
    “It’s a wonder my trousers aren’t torn to bits,” he said. “The dog came at me time and again. If I wasn’t pretty nippy, I’d have been bitten more than I was. Good thing I had my thickest trousers on.”
    “Well, there now! What a thing to happen to you, Mr. Goon!” said Mum. Bert stared down at Mr. Goon’s trousers to see if they were torn. They didn’t appear to be.
    “You going to report the dog?” asked Bert.
    “I caught it chasing sheep,” said Goon, taking off his helmet. “Very serious crime, that, for a dog. I tried to catch it, but I couldn’t. I’d give anything to have that dog here under lock and key. I’d teach it a few things!”
    “What would you give me if I got it for you?” asked Bert Goon stared at him. Mum was taking no notice; she was busy at the cupboard with a cake-tin. Goon nodded his head towards the hall, and Bert followed him there.
    Fatty had heard every word. He wondered whose dog this was that Goon was talking about He knew that the farmer had been worried by sheep-chasing dogs. It never occurred to him that Goon was actually talking about Buster.
    A whispered conversation followed. Fatty only caught a few words, but he guessed the rest Goon was arranging with young Bert to catch the dog and bring it to him. The sum of half a crown was mentioned. Fatty frowned. How wrong of Goon to do a thing like that! He wished he knew whose dog it was — he would certainly warn the