On Mother Brown's Doorstep Read Online Free PDF

lodger in a house farther down the Place. An eccentric, he was fifty years old, his lean body clad in a black frock coat, black drainpipe trousers, and a grey waistcoat. He also wore a bowler hat, a red bow tie and elastic-sided boots. And he carried a rolled umbrella. At first glance he seemed a dapper man, but a closer inspection revealed crumbs on his waistcoat, wrinkles in his bow tie and a dent in his bowler. And his boots were dusty. On the other hand, his smooth unlined face had a very neat look, as if nature had taken pains to put each feature tidily in place. Sometimes his expression was querulous, and sometimes that of a kind and gentle man. He could often be heard talking to himself. ‘Dear me, dear me, what a day, what a day.’ That sort of thing.
    Up he came in dainty pigeon-toed fashion and looked down at Mr Higgins.
    ‘Mr Higgins? Dear me, what’s this all about?’ His voice had a piping lilt.
    ‘I ain’t sittin’ ’ere of me own accord, yer know,’ grumbled Mr Higgins.
    ‘No, of course not, of course not,’ said Mr Ponsonby.
    ‘’E fell over,’ said Sally.
    ‘Ah, who is this I see?’ enquired Mr Ponsonby, and peered at Sally. He smiled. ‘Ah, yes, a young lady.’
    ‘She ain’t a young lady, she’s me sister,’ said Freddy.
    ‘Now now, Freddy,’ said Mrs Higgins, ‘course she’s a young lady, anyone can see that. My, ain’t yer growin’ up nice, Sally? Yer goin’ to rival Susie in a year or two. What’re you doin’?’ she demanded of her husband.
    ‘I was thinkin’ of gettin’ up,’ said Mr Higgins.
    ‘I’ll knock yer block off,’ said Mrs Higgins, ‘I ain’t finished with you yet.’
    ‘Come now, Mrs Higgins, have a peppermint drop,’ said Mr Ponsonby, and produced a paper bag from his pocket. He always had peppermint drops somewhere on his person, and offered them generously to all and sundry. The street kids knew this, and sometimes ran after him, asking for one, and he always obliged. He sucked them regularly himself, and breathed peppermint fumes.
    ‘Don’t mind if I do, I need something,’ said Mrs Higgins. As she helped herself from the bag, Mr Higgins came to his feet and disappeared indoors. It didn’t fool Mrs Higgins.
    ‘Gotcher!’ she cried. ‘I’ll learn yer!’ And she went bouncing in after him.
    ‘Tck, tck,’ said Mr Ponsonby and peered at Sally again. ‘Ah, yes, Sally, our pretty young lady. Have a peppermint drop.’
    ‘Oh, thanks,’ said Sally, and took one. In return, she gave Mr Ponsonby a happy little smile. Life was doing her proud at the moment. Not only was she going to be a bridesmaid in three weeks time, she had also started to grow again after a gloomy year of thinking she was going to end up as a real tich of a girl. She was positive she could actually feel her legs getting longer every week. Not every day, of course. Every week. With fashions so short, and flappers showing their knees, no girl who had just had her fourteenth birthday wanted to have legs that hardly went anywhere. It was bliss that she’d shot up inches in just a few months. Mind, she still had to wear dreary old black lisle stockings for school, but Susie had recently bought her imitation silk ones for Sundays. They made her lengthening legs feel ever so posh. Susie, her sister, though, wore real silk nearly all the time. Well, she had ever such a good job, of course, as personal assistant to her fiancé, Sammy Adams, who was boss of Adams Fashions and other enterprises. Sally could hardly believe he was going to be her brother-in-law. When she left school at the end of the present term, perhaps she could get a job in one of his shops.
    Mr Ponsonby blinked in the sunshine of her smile.
    ‘Charming, charming,’ he said. ‘Well, good afternoon, good afternoon, I must get to my lodgings.’ He put the bag of peppermints away, then turned and began to retrace his steps. Freddy and Sally went after him.
    ‘Excuse me, Mr Ponsonby,’ said Sally, ‘you’re