Mystery Of The Missing Necklace Read Online Free PDF

exasperated.
    "Oh dear!" gasped Bets. "Oh dear — I'm sorry. But I can't help it. It's all so f-M-funny!"
    "What's funny?" shouted Pip. And then he stared — for the old Balloon-woman, pulling her skirts above her knees, and showing sand-shoes and bare legs, was doing a lively jig in front of him and round him, making peculiar noises all the time.
    "Don't, Fatty, don't! I shall die of laughter!" said Bets, holding her aching sides.
    The others stared as if their eyes were about to fall out. "What — it's Fatty!" said Pip. " Fatty ! It isn't. I can't believe it !”
    But it was, of course. As soon as Fatty "unscrewed" his face, as Bets called it, and got rid of his lines and wrinkles, every one could see quite well it was Fatty.
    Larry and Daisy were speechless. So Fatty hadn't been the Hoopla-man, or the Roundabout-man either. He was the old Balloon-woman instead. Trust Fatty to think out a disguise that nobody would guess!
    Or had little Bets guessed it? The others looked at her smiling face. Larry dragged the Balloon-woman to a wayside seat, and they all sat down.
    "Is it really you, Fatty?" said Larry. The old woman nodded.
    "Of course! Golly, this disguise must be super if I could take you all in as well as that !”
    "Did Bets guess? " demanded Pip.
    "She did," said Fatty. "She suddenly guessed when she was buying her balloon, and you had all gone off without her."
    "But how did she guess?" said Pip, annoyed.
    "Goodness knows !” said Fatty. "How did you guess, young Bets?"
    "Oh, Fatty — it was such a silly thing— I don't really like to tell you," said Bets. "I'm sure you'll think it was a silly way to guess."
    "Go on — tell me," said Fatty, wit h much interest.
    "Well, Fatty — you see, you had very dirty hands, like all the rest of the Fair people," said Bets. "But I couldn't help seeing that you had nice, clean nails — and it did seem to me a bit funny that somebody with dirty hands should bother to keep their nails so clean."
    "Well, I'm blessed!" said Fatty, looking down at his dirty hands, and examining the well-kept nails. "Who would have thought of any one noticing that? Very very careless of me not to get some dirt into my nails when I made my hands filthy. I never thought of it. Bets, you are very clever. Most intelligent."
    "Oh, Fatty — not really," said Bets, glowing all over her face at such generous praise.
    "Well, I must say I think it was jolly cute of young Bets to notice a thing like that," said Larry. "I really do. We all had a chance of noticing, because we all stood in front of you. But it was Bets who spotted it. Jolly good, Bets!"
    "She wins my second-best propelling-pencil," said Fatty. "I'll give it to you when I get home, Bets. In fact
    I'm not sure that I oughtn't to give you my best one. That was a really smart bit of work. Bright enough for a first-class detective !”
    Daisy praised Bets too, but Pip was rather sulky. He was afraid his little sister would get swollen-headed. "If you say much more, Bets will want to be head of the Find-Outers," he said.
    "Oh no, I shan't," said Bets happily. "I know it was only a bit of luck, really, Pip. You see, I actually put the pennies into Fatty's hands, and that's how I noticed the clean nails. Pip, I’ll lend you the propelling-pencil whenever you want it. See?"
    That was so like Bets. Not even a cross elder brother like Pip could sulk for long with Bets. He grinned at her.
    "Thanks, Bets. You're a good Find-Outer, and a good little sport too!"
    "I say— look out — here's Goon !” suddenly said Larry, in a low voice. "Better pretend we're not with Fatty, or Goon will wonder why we are hob nobbing with an old Fair woman!"
    So they all got up, and left Fatty behind on the seat, with his string of balloons bobbing over his head. Mr. Goon was on his bicycle as usual. He pretended not to notice the children at all. He always seemed busy and important these days!
    But he got off his bicycle when he saw the old woman. Fatty was drooping