The Magnificent Lizzie Brown and the Mysterious Phantom Read Online Free PDF Page B

bedbugs.”
    The caravan creaked as Pa settled himself on the steps and carried on reading his newspaper.
    Lizzie lay back in the grass and closed her eyes. She’d be warm tonight and surrounded by new friends. Smiling, she listened to the sounds of the circus. Horses whinnied, Akula trumpeted, and somewhere there was a snarling noise.
    Lizzie sat up with a jerk. “Lion!”
    â€œWhat’s the matter, Lizzie?” Erin asked, leaping down past Pa.
    Nora leaned close. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” she said.
    â€œThe lion!” Lizzie jumped to her feet and stared around, heart racing. Was that a flash of golden mane behind the feed wagon? “The escaped lion!”
    â€œWhat escaped lion?” Nora was staring at her as though she were mad.
    â€œLeo! His cage was empty! Malachy said he’d escaped!”
    â€œEscaped?” Pa slapped his thigh, laughing. “Oh, Leo’s too old to escape, and even if he did he’s got no teeth, nor sense enough to harm a lamb. Malachy’s been pulling your leg —”
    Pa Sullivan broke off suddenly, his attention fixed on his paper. “Lord preserve us!” He jabbed the paper with his finger. “He’s held a candle to the devil this time.”
    â€œWho has?” Erin raced to his side.
    â€œThe Phantom,” Pa said.
    The Phantom? Lizzie forgot the lion at once.
    â€œDid you say the Phantom?” Patrick appeared at the caravan door, eyes bright. “Has he cracked another safe?” he asked, grinning.
    â€œPatrick Sullivan!” Erin said, frowning at her brother. “Safe-cracking is not a sport, y’know! The Phantom’s a wicked burglar, and he’s going straight to jail when they catch him.”
    â€œLet’s hope they catch him soon,” Pa Sullivan said grimly.
    â€œWhy?” Erin peered at her father’s paper. “What’s he done this time?”
    â€œHe’s turned nasty, that’s what,” Pa growled. “Some poor fella in Spitalfields went blundering in on him while he was robbing a house. Got bashed over the head for his trouble and left for dead.”
    Erin grasped Pa’s arm. “Did the Phantom kill him?”
    â€œClose enough,” Pa muttered.
    Nora squeezed closer to Lizzie. “Why do folks say he’s a ghost, Pa?” Her blue eyes were wide with fear.
    â€œâ€™Cos they’re daft,” Lizzie said, hooking her arm around Nora. “There’s no such thing as ghosts. He’s flesh and blood like anyone else.” She’d never believed in superstitious nonsense, and she wasn’t about to start now.

CHAPTER 4
    â€œYou’ve settled in, then?”
    Mr. Fitzgerald’s voice made Lizzie jump. She scrambled to her feet. “They’ve been heavenly kind, Mr. Fitzgerald.”
    â€œCall me Fitzy. Everyone else does.” Mr. Fitzgerald lifted his top hat to Mr. Sullivan. “Thanks for feeding an extra mouth, Rory.”
    Mr. Sullivan shook out his paper. “One more makes no difference.”
    â€œShe’s gonna stay with us,” Nora chimed in. “There’s room in our bunk.”
    â€œGlad to hear it.” Mr. Fitzgerald reached into his jacket pocket and drew out a roll of papers. “Now, Lizzie, I want you to go and paste up some bills around town.”
    Nora clapped her hands. “Can we help?”
    â€œI’ve got flour paste in the bellybox!” Erin dove beneath the wagon and wriggled out a moment later holding a jam jar and a paintbrush. “Leftovers from sticking last week’s clippings in the scrapbook.”
    â€œIf there’s three of you, sell some tickets while you’re out.” Mr. Fitzgerald pulled a roll of tickets from his pocket and gave them to Lizzie. “Threepence a ticket . . .”
    â€œ. . . five for a shilling,” Lizzie chanted.
    Mr. Fitzgerald winked. “Exactly.”
    Pa Sullivan wagged a finger