Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage Read Online Free PDF

miserable. Fatty was sorry for her. “We shan’t want Buster with us,” he said. “Do you think you could take him for a walk over the fields? He just loves a good rabbitty walk.”
    “Oh yes, I could do that,” said Bets, brightening up at once. “I should like that. And, you never know, I might find a glue on the way.”
    Everyone laughed. Bets simply could not remember the way to pronounce that word. “Yes - you go and find a really important glue,” said Larry. So Bets set off with Buster at her heels. She went down the lane towards the fields, and the others heard her telling Buster that he could look for rabbits and she would look for glues.
    “Now then, to work!” said Larry, getting up. “Daisy, you and Pip go down to Mrs. Minns.” “What excuse shall we give for going to see her?” asked Daisy.
    “Oh, you must think of something yourself,” said Larry. “Use your brains. That’s what detectives do. Pip will think of something, if you can’t.”
    “Better not all go down the lane together,” said Pip. “You and Fatty go first, and see if you can find the chauffeur at work, and Daisy and I will come a bit later.” Larry and Fatty went off. They walked down the lane and came to Mr. Hick’s house, which stood a good way back in its own drive. The garage was at the side of the
    house. A loud whistling came from that direction., and the sound of water.
    “He’s washing the car,” said Larry, in a low voice. “Come on. We’ll pretend we want to see someone who doesn’t live here, and then ask if he’d like us to help him.”
    The boys went down the drive together. They soon came in sight of the garage, and Larry went up to the young man who was hosing the car.
    “Morning,” he said. “Does Mrs. Thompson live here?”
    “No,” said the young man. “This is Mr. Hick’s house.”
    “Oh,” said Larry, in a vexed tone. Then he stared at the car.
    “That’s a fine car, isn’t it?” he said.
    “Yes, it’s a Rolls Royce,” said the chauffeur. “Fine to drive. She’s very dirty today, though. I’ve got all my work cut out to get her clean before the master wants her this morning!”
    “We’ll help you,” said Larry eagerly. “I’ll hose her for you. I often do it for my father.”
    In less than a minute the two boys were at work helping the young chauffeur, and the talk turned on to the fire.
    “Funny business that fire,” said the chauffeur, rubbing the bonnet of the car with a polishing cloth. “The master was properly upset about losing those valuable papers of his. And now they say it was a put-up job - some one did it on purpose! Well - Peeks did say that it was a wonder no one had given Mr. Hick a slap in the face for the way he treats everybody!”
    “Who’s Peeks?” said Larry, pricking up his ears.
    “Peeks was his manservant - sort of valet and secretary mixed,” said the chauffeur. “He’s gone now - went off the day of the fire.”
    “Why did he go?” asked Fatty innocently.
    “Got kicked out!” said the chauffeur. “Mr. Hick gave him his money, and he went! My word, there was a fine old quarrel between them, too!”
    “Whatever about?” said Larry.
    “Well, it seehis that Mr. Hick found out that Peeks sometimes wore his clothes,” said the chauffeur. “You see, he and the master were much of a size, and Peeks used to fancy hihiself a bit - I’ve seen him prance out in Mr. Hick’s dark blue suit, and his blue tie with the red spots, and his gold-topped stick too!”
    “Oh,” said Fatty. “And I suppose when Mr. Hick found that out he was angry and told Peeks to go. Was Peeks very upset?”
    “You bet he was!” said the chauffeur. “He came out to me, and the things he said about the master would make anybody’s ears burn. Then off he went about eleven o’clock. His old mother lives in the next village, and I guess she was surprised to see Horace Peeks marching in, baggage and all, at that time of the morning!”
    The two boys were each