Read Online Mystery of the Strange Messages by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online
Authors: Enid Blyton
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square envelope, then saw Mrs. Hicks
staring open-mouthed, and stamped back into his office. The note was in
message-form again, made with cut-out letters as before. Goon read it. It was
even more puzzling that the others.
"When you see Smith, say secrets to him. Then watch him show his heels."
"Gah!" said Mr. Goon, in disgust. "What's it all
mean? Secrets, now! What secrets? All right, I'll say 'secrets' to this
Mr. Smith at Haylings Nursery when I see him! I'm getting tired of this. That
boy Ern! Sitting upstairs like that and letting the fellow who writes these
notes come and put one on the window-sill under his very nose—and I paid him
five shillings!"
He was just going out again to get his bicycle when he stopped.
Hadn't he better telephone to that fat boy and say another note had arrived—and
tell him how badly Ern had behaved? Right down dishonest of Ern
it was, to take his five shillings, and then not do his job. And
most ungrateful too.
So Goon telephoned to a rather surprised Fatty and told him about
the new letter, and what it contained. Fatty noted it down at once "When
you see Smith, say secrets to
him. Then watch him show his heels."
Goon went on to tell about Ern, and how he had failed to spot
anyone coming into the garden with the note. "Reading his comics, that's
what he was doing, instead of paying attention to his job, as he was paid to
do," grumbled Goon. "Can't let Ern get away with behaviour like that,
you know—taking money for what he doesn't do. You'd better let me have that
five bob back."
"Sorry, Mr. Goon, but you paid Era for what he'd already done,
not for what he was going to do," said Fatty. "That five
shillings is Ern's. What are you going to do now? Go to see Smith and
Harris?"
"Yes," said Goon. "But about that five bob. If
Ernie comes up to you, you tell him I want half-a-crown back, see?"
Fatty put down the receiver, cutting off any more remarks from the
angry Goon. He felt sorry that Ern had failed to see anyone coming into the
garden with another note—in full daylight too. The messenger certainly had a
nerve to do a thing like that!
He heard the sound of a bicycle bell outside in the drive and
looked out of the window. It was Ern, panting with his exertions to reach
Fatty's house at the first possible moment.
"Hallo, Ern," said Fatty. "Your uncle's just been
on the phone. I hear there's another anonymous note—put on the window-sill
under everyone's nose, apparently. How on earth was it that you didn't spot
whoever brought it? Apparently it happened while you were supposed to be
watching."
"I was watching," said Ern, indignantly.
"You told me to do my job honestly, and I did. I tell you, Fatty, as
soon as Uncle sent me upstairs to watch, I sat at my window and
glued my eyes on the yard. I did. really. I saw some bread dropping into the
yard, and I guessed it was Mrs. Hicks throwing some out to the birds. She says
the note wasn't on the window-sill when she threw out the bread."
"And after she threw it out, you still kept your eyes glued
on the yard below?" asked Fatty, doubtfully. "Didn't Mrs. Hicks see
anyone either?"
"No. No one. Well, if she had, I'd have seen him too. wouldn't
I?" said Ern, half-angry. "She was sitting opposite the window—she could
almost have reached out and touched it! Well, if she didn't see anyone,
how could I ? I just don't understand it, Fatty. The note must have
been there when Mrs. Hicks threw out the bread—and she didn't see it—that's the
only explanation."
"I suppose it is," said Fatty. "There's something
really queer about it though, I can't just put my finger on it. Well, I expect
your uncle will cool down again, Ern. You can stay here for tea though, if you
like. I shouldn't think there's much point in your going back to do any more
watching—there isn't likely to be another note today!"
"Oh thanks, Fatty. I'd like to stay here." said Ern.
"Can I help you with anything?"
"Yes. I'm going to pack up some of the jumble to take
staring open-mouthed, and stamped back into his office. The note was in
message-form again, made with cut-out letters as before. Goon read it. It was
even more puzzling that the others.
"When you see Smith, say secrets to him. Then watch him show his heels."
"Gah!" said Mr. Goon, in disgust. "What's it all
mean? Secrets, now! What secrets? All right, I'll say 'secrets' to this
Mr. Smith at Haylings Nursery when I see him! I'm getting tired of this. That
boy Ern! Sitting upstairs like that and letting the fellow who writes these
notes come and put one on the window-sill under his very nose—and I paid him
five shillings!"
He was just going out again to get his bicycle when he stopped.
Hadn't he better telephone to that fat boy and say another note had arrived—and
tell him how badly Ern had behaved? Right down dishonest of Ern
it was, to take his five shillings, and then not do his job. And
most ungrateful too.
So Goon telephoned to a rather surprised Fatty and told him about
the new letter, and what it contained. Fatty noted it down at once "When
you see Smith, say secrets to
him. Then watch him show his heels."
Goon went on to tell about Ern, and how he had failed to spot
anyone coming into the garden with the note. "Reading his comics, that's
what he was doing, instead of paying attention to his job, as he was paid to
do," grumbled Goon. "Can't let Ern get away with behaviour like that,
you know—taking money for what he doesn't do. You'd better let me have that
five bob back."
"Sorry, Mr. Goon, but you paid Era for what he'd already done,
not for what he was going to do," said Fatty. "That five
shillings is Ern's. What are you going to do now? Go to see Smith and
Harris?"
"Yes," said Goon. "But about that five bob. If
Ernie comes up to you, you tell him I want half-a-crown back, see?"
Fatty put down the receiver, cutting off any more remarks from the
angry Goon. He felt sorry that Ern had failed to see anyone coming into the
garden with another note—in full daylight too. The messenger certainly had a
nerve to do a thing like that!
He heard the sound of a bicycle bell outside in the drive and
looked out of the window. It was Ern, panting with his exertions to reach
Fatty's house at the first possible moment.
"Hallo, Ern," said Fatty. "Your uncle's just been
on the phone. I hear there's another anonymous note—put on the window-sill
under everyone's nose, apparently. How on earth was it that you didn't spot
whoever brought it? Apparently it happened while you were supposed to be
watching."
"I was watching," said Ern, indignantly.
"You told me to do my job honestly, and I did. I tell you, Fatty, as
soon as Uncle sent me upstairs to watch, I sat at my window and
glued my eyes on the yard. I did. really. I saw some bread dropping into the
yard, and I guessed it was Mrs. Hicks throwing some out to the birds. She says
the note wasn't on the window-sill when she threw out the bread."
"And after she threw it out, you still kept your eyes glued
on the yard below?" asked Fatty, doubtfully. "Didn't Mrs. Hicks see
anyone either?"
"No. No one. Well, if she had, I'd have seen him too. wouldn't
I?" said Ern, half-angry. "She was sitting opposite the window—she could
almost have reached out and touched it! Well, if she didn't see anyone,
how could I ? I just don't understand it, Fatty. The note must have
been there when Mrs. Hicks threw out the bread—and she didn't see it—that's the
only explanation."
"I suppose it is," said Fatty. "There's something
really queer about it though, I can't just put my finger on it. Well, I expect
your uncle will cool down again, Ern. You can stay here for tea though, if you
like. I shouldn't think there's much point in your going back to do any more
watching—there isn't likely to be another note today!"
"Oh thanks, Fatty. I'd like to stay here." said Ern.
"Can I help you with anything?"
"Yes. I'm going to pack up some of the jumble to take
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