Mystery of the Secret Room by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

better look inside.
    There was no doubt about it at all. The room had plenty of furniture in it - a couch that was big enough for a bed, an arm-chair, two smaller chairs, a table, a book case with books in, a carpet on the floor. It was all most extraordinary.
    “There’s an electric fire there too,” said Pip to himself. “But there’s no one there - and judging by the dust everywhere, there hasn’t been any one for some time. I wonder who the house belongs to.”
    He looked at the bars on the window. No one could possibly get in or out of the window, that was certain. The bars were as close together as most nursery-window bars are - not even a child could slip between them.
    Pip climbed cautiously down the tree, keeping a sharp look-out in case Mr. Goon was lurking somewhere. But that puzzled man had gone back to the village, comforting himself with the thought that though he had lost the boy with the teeth and eyebrows, he had at least got his mackintosh! Wait till he saw if there was a name inside!
    Pip felt cold without his mackintosh. He thought ruefully of how he could explain its loss to his mother. Perhaps she wouldn’t notice it was gone. On the other hand, mothers invariably noticed anything like that almost immediately.
    The fog was now getting very thick. Pip would have liked to stay and snoop round a bit, but he was afraid of getting lost if the fog grew much thicker. So he contented himself with making quite sure that the house was indeed the empty one he knew.
    It was. There was no doubt about it - and the rooms on the ground floor were perfectly empty. On the gate was the name Pip had seen before - Milton House.
    “It’s a mystery!” said Pip, as he plodded back in the fog. “A real mystery.” Then he stopped suddenly and hugged himself. “This might be our third mystery! We shall have to solve it somehow. There’s something very queer going on in that old empty house!”
     

A Few Plans
     
    Pip made his way back to Fatty’s house, where the others were waiting for him to report on anything that had happened. Fatty had what he called a “den” - a small crowded room, full of books, games, sports things, and a cosy basket for Buster. The fog clung round Pip and made him feel damp and cold.
    He was shivering when at last he went in at the side-door of Fatty’s house. He listened to see it any one was about, because he was not anxious to bump into the maid or Mrs. Trotteville in his present disguise.
    He heard nothing, and made his way up the stairs. The others were playing a card-game on the floor. They looked up when Pip came in.
    “Oh - here’s Pip!” said Bets, pleased, and Buster went to greet him as if he had not seen him for weeks. “Did you do anything exciting, Pip?”
    “I should jolly well think I did!” said Pip, his eyes shining. He got as close to the fire as he could. “And what’s more, Find-Outers - I believe I’ve got our third mystery for you!”
    They all stared at him in delight and surprise. Bets jumped up. “Tell us, quick! What do you mean? What is the mystery?”
    “I’ll tell you it all from the beginning,” said Pip. “Golly, I’m cold!”
    “Where’s your coat?” said Daisy, seeing how cold Pip was.
    “Old Clear-Orf has got it!” said Pip. “Sickening, isn’t it?”
    “Clear-Orf! But how did he get it?” said Fatty. “Was your name in it?”
    “Do you remember if it was, Bets?” asked Pip, turning to his little sister.
    “No, it wasn’t,” said Bets. “So Clear-Orf won’t know whose it was - unless he goes round asking our parents if one of us has lost a mack!”
    “Don’t worry,” said Fatty. “My old mack is almost exactly like Pip’s. I’ve got a new one. Pip can take mine, then if Clear-Orf goes round asking our parents if we’ve lost one, Pip can produce mine.”
    “Thanks, Fatty,” said Pip relieved. “You always come to the rescue. Well - let me tell my story.”
    He began, and the children giggled to hear how poor old Miss Frost got such a fright to see the fierce eyebrows, red face,