old man shook his head more vigorously than ever.
“You get the police!” he said. “I want the police! Two hundred pounds, that’s what’s gone all my savings. The police will get it back for me. You get the police.”
Fatty didn’t in the least want to go and find Mr. Goon. Goon would turn them all out and not let them help at all. He would be bossy and domineering and a perfect nuisance.
“When did you miss the money?” he asked the old man.
“Just now,” he said. “About ten minutes ago. I looked for it and it was gone! Oh, I’m a poor old man and people have robbed me! Get the police.”
“We will,” said Fatty, comfortingly. “Just tell us when you last saw the money. Do you remember?”
“Course I remember,” said the old fellow, pulling his night-cap straight. “But I didn’t see it. I’m nearly blind. I felt it. It was there all right.”
“When was that?” asked Fatty, patiently.
“Last night,” said the old man. “About midnight, I reckon. I was in bed, and I couldn’t sleep, and I sat up and worried about my money. You see, I’m all alone here since my daughter’s gone away. Well, I got out of bed and I came in here. And I felt for my money. It was there all right.”
“I see,” said Fatty. “So somebody must have taken it between then and now. Has anyone been to see you this morning?”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” he said. “But I’m muddled now. I misremember who came except my granddaughter, of course she comes every day and cleans round. She’s a good girl. And the grocer came. But I misremember. You get the police. They’ll find my money for me!”
A big tear fell from one eye and rolled down his cheek. Bets felt very sorry for him. Poor old man all alone, and worried about his money. Where could it be? Had it really been stolen or had he just forgotten where he had put it? If only he would tell them!
“We’ll have to tell Goon,” said Fatty to the others. “It’s a pity. We might have been able to clear this up ourselves if we’d had a chance.”
The five children suddenly heard footsteps coming up the path. Who was it? There was a loud knock at the door, then the handle turned, and a man walked in. He stared in surprise at the children. Buster barked loudly.
“Hallo!” said the man. He was young and smartly dressed. “Who are you? Are you visiting my great-uncle! Hallo, Uncle! How are you?”
“Oh, Wilfrid is it you?” said the old man, putting out a hand as if to find out where Wilfrid was. “Wilfrid, my money’s gone!”
“What! Gone? What do you mean?” asked Wilfrid. “Didn’t I tell you somebody would rob you if you didn’t let me put it into the bank for you?”
“It’s gone, it’s gone,” said his uncle, rocking himself to and fro.
“Where did you keep it?” asked Wilfrid, looking all round. “I bet it’s not gone, Uncle! You’ve forgotten where you hid it! Maybe up the chimney or under a floorboard?”
“I’m not telling anyone,” said the old man. “I want the police! I’m tired. I want my money and I want the police!”
“We’ll go and telephone for the police, if you like,” Fatty offered. “I see there are telephone wires leading next door. I expect they’d let me use the phone.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?” said Wilfrid, suddenly.
“Nothing. We just heard the old man calling,” said Fatty, thinking it better not to say that Larry had gone to find the leather he had left behind in the bushes, and had heard the old man shouting as he passed the bungalow. “Anyway, we’ll go and telephone now. The police will be up in a few minutes, I’m sure.”
“Good-bye,” said Bets to the old man, but he didn’t hear her. He was moaning softly to himself. “My money! Now what shall I do? All gone, all gone!”
The five of them went out with Buster. They went down the path and walked beside the fence till they came to Green-Trees. They went up the path to the blue front
“You get the police!” he said. “I want the police! Two hundred pounds, that’s what’s gone all my savings. The police will get it back for me. You get the police.”
Fatty didn’t in the least want to go and find Mr. Goon. Goon would turn them all out and not let them help at all. He would be bossy and domineering and a perfect nuisance.
“When did you miss the money?” he asked the old man.
“Just now,” he said. “About ten minutes ago. I looked for it and it was gone! Oh, I’m a poor old man and people have robbed me! Get the police.”
“We will,” said Fatty, comfortingly. “Just tell us when you last saw the money. Do you remember?”
“Course I remember,” said the old fellow, pulling his night-cap straight. “But I didn’t see it. I’m nearly blind. I felt it. It was there all right.”
“When was that?” asked Fatty, patiently.
“Last night,” said the old man. “About midnight, I reckon. I was in bed, and I couldn’t sleep, and I sat up and worried about my money. You see, I’m all alone here since my daughter’s gone away. Well, I got out of bed and I came in here. And I felt for my money. It was there all right.”
“I see,” said Fatty. “So somebody must have taken it between then and now. Has anyone been to see you this morning?”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” he said. “But I’m muddled now. I misremember who came except my granddaughter, of course she comes every day and cleans round. She’s a good girl. And the grocer came. But I misremember. You get the police. They’ll find my money for me!”
A big tear fell from one eye and rolled down his cheek. Bets felt very sorry for him. Poor old man all alone, and worried about his money. Where could it be? Had it really been stolen or had he just forgotten where he had put it? If only he would tell them!
“We’ll have to tell Goon,” said Fatty to the others. “It’s a pity. We might have been able to clear this up ourselves if we’d had a chance.”
The five children suddenly heard footsteps coming up the path. Who was it? There was a loud knock at the door, then the handle turned, and a man walked in. He stared in surprise at the children. Buster barked loudly.
“Hallo!” said the man. He was young and smartly dressed. “Who are you? Are you visiting my great-uncle! Hallo, Uncle! How are you?”
“Oh, Wilfrid is it you?” said the old man, putting out a hand as if to find out where Wilfrid was. “Wilfrid, my money’s gone!”
“What! Gone? What do you mean?” asked Wilfrid. “Didn’t I tell you somebody would rob you if you didn’t let me put it into the bank for you?”
“It’s gone, it’s gone,” said his uncle, rocking himself to and fro.
“Where did you keep it?” asked Wilfrid, looking all round. “I bet it’s not gone, Uncle! You’ve forgotten where you hid it! Maybe up the chimney or under a floorboard?”
“I’m not telling anyone,” said the old man. “I want the police! I’m tired. I want my money and I want the police!”
“We’ll go and telephone for the police, if you like,” Fatty offered. “I see there are telephone wires leading next door. I expect they’d let me use the phone.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?” said Wilfrid, suddenly.
“Nothing. We just heard the old man calling,” said Fatty, thinking it better not to say that Larry had gone to find the leather he had left behind in the bushes, and had heard the old man shouting as he passed the bungalow. “Anyway, we’ll go and telephone now. The police will be up in a few minutes, I’m sure.”
“Good-bye,” said Bets to the old man, but he didn’t hear her. He was moaning softly to himself. “My money! Now what shall I do? All gone, all gone!”
The five of them went out with Buster. They went down the path and walked beside the fence till they came to Green-Trees. They went up the path to the blue front
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