Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage Read Online Free PDF Page B

thinking the same thing. “It looks as if Peeks burnt the cottage! We must find Peeks and see what he was doing that evening!”
    There came a roar from a window overhead. “Thomas! Is that car done yet? What are you jabbering about down there? Do I pay you for jabbering? No, I do not.”
    “That’s the master,” said Thomas, in a low tone. “You’d better clear out. Thanks for your help.”
    The boys looked up at the window. Mr. Hick stood there, a cup of tea or cocoa in his hand, looking down furious—
    ly.
    “Mr. Hick and cup,” said Larry, with a giggle. “Dear old good-tempered Hiccup!”
    Fatty exploded into a laugh. “We’ll call him Hiccup,” he said. “I say - we’ve got some news this morning, haven’t we! I bet it was Peeks, Larry. I bet it was!”
    “I wonder how Daisy and Pip are getting on,” said Larry, as they went down the drive. “I believe I can hear them chattering away somewhere. I guess they won’t have such exciting news as we have!”
    Mrs. Minns does a lot of Talking.
    Daisy and Pip were getting on very well indeed. As they had stood outside Mr. Hick’s garden, debating what excuse they could make for going to the kitchen door, they had heard a little mew.
    Daisy looked to see where the sound came from. “Did you hear that?” she asked Pip. The mew came again. Both children looked up into a tree, and there, unable to get down or up, was a small black and white kitten.
    “It’s got stuck,” said Daisy. “Pip, can you climb up and get it?”
    Pip could and did. Soon he was handing down the little creature to Daisy, and she cuddled it against her.
    “Where does it belong ? ” she wondered.
    “Probably to Mrs. Minns, the cook,” said Pip promptly. “Anyway, it will make a marvellous excuse for going to the kitchen door, and asking!”
    “Yes, it will,” said Daisy, pleased. So the two of them set off down the drive, and went to the kitchen entrance, which was on the opposite side of the house to the garage.
    A girl of about sixteen was sweeping the yard, and from the kitchen nearby there came a never-ending voice.
    “And don’t you leave any bits of paper flying around my yard, either, Lily. Last time you swept that yard you left a broken bottle there, and half a newspaper and goodness knows what else! Why your mother didn’t teach you how to sweep and dust and bake, I don’t know! Women nowadays just leave their daughters to be taught by such as me, that’s got all their work cut out looking after a particular gentleman like Mr. Hick, without having to keep an eye on a lazy girl like you!”
    This was all said without a single pause. The girl did not seem to be paying any attention at all, but went on
    sweeping slowly round the yard, the dust flying before her.
    “Hallo,” said Pip. “Does this kitten belong here?”
    “Mrs. Minns!” shouted the girl. “Here’s some children with the kitten.”
    Mrs. Minns appeared at the door. She was a round, fat woman, short and panting, with sleeves rolled up above her podgy elbows.
    “Is this your kitten?” asked Pip again, and Daisy held it out to show the cook.
    “Now where did it get to this time?” said Mrs. Minns, taking it, and squeezing it against her. “Sweetie! Sweetie! Here’s your kitten again! Why don’t you look after it better?”
    A large black and white cat strolled out of the kitchen, and looked inquiringly at the kitten. The kitten mewed and tried to jump down.
    “Take your kitten, Sweetie,” said Mrs. Minns. She put it down and it ran to its mother.
    “Isn’t it exactly like its mother?” said Daisy.
    “She’s got two more,” said Mrs. Minns. “You come in and see them. Dear little sweets! Dogs I can’t bear, but give me a cat and kittens and I’m happy.”
    The two children went into the kitchen. The big black and white cat had got into a basket, and the children saw three black and white kittens there too, all exactly alike.
    “Oh, can I stay and play with them a bit?” asked