Read Online Tennis Shoes by Noel Streatfeild - Free Book Online Page B

too?’
    â€˜No, I buys them. Got a bit of a shop about a mile from here. I deals in old clothes.’
    â€˜Do you mean you buy them?’ said Nicky, surprised, for the clothes did not look worth buying.
    â€˜Yes. Now this pair of shoes’—he picked up a disgraceful old pair with holes in the soles—‘I give twopence for ’em. When I have done with them they’ll be worth eightpence anywhere.’
    â€˜Will they!’ Nicky looked at the shoes with more respect. After all, eightpence is eightpence. She broke off a piece of her macaroon. ‘Would you like a bit?’
    The man shook his head. ‘Kind of you, miss, I’m sure. But I can’t touch nothing sweet on account of a hole in me tooth.’
    â€˜Why don’t you have it stopped?’ Nicky asked, eating the piece of macaroon, feeling glad he had not wanted it.
    â€˜Stopped!’ The man sounded shocked. ‘Teeth will fall out when they’re not wanted. I don’t hold with all this messin’ abaht.’ He was going to move on, and then he changed his mind. ‘I suppose, missy, your pa and ma wouldn’t have anything put away they didn’t want, what they’d like to sell?’
    â€˜What sort of things?’
    â€˜Well, mostly anything. Boots, shoes, gents’ suits, a nice coat, mackintosh, or an umbrella. Wonderful what I can do with an umbrella.’
    Nicky looked at the sky. It would not rain for ages. It was much too hot. Nobody would want an umbrella. Perhaps nobody ever would again. Umbrellas were never used much anyhow, because of the car. At that moment her splendid idea came. In the hall was a stand of umbrellas.
    â€˜How many umbrellas would you want for one and a penny?’ she asked.
    â€˜One and a penny!’ The man said it in the sad voice of somebody who had never seen so much money. ‘Well, not less than four.’
    â€˜Four.’ Nicky thought of those in the hall. There was one of her father’s, her mother’s, and two frightful old ones that might have belonged to anybody. ‘You wait here,’ she said breathlessly.
    It only took a few minutes to get back to the house. She opened the front door carefully. She seemed to have been gone ages, but David was still singing. She could hear him:
    â€˜So Binkie’s the same as the First Friend was, And I am the Man in the Cave.’
    She picked up the four umbrellas and went back to the man.
    The man took the four umbrellas and turned them over. His nose screwed up as though they smelt nasty. Then he nodded.
    â€˜Seein’ it’s you, one and a penny. Though, mind you, they aren’t worth it.’
    Nicky thought he was the nicest man she had ever known.
    â€˜Thank you so much. It’s very kind of you.’
    The four umbrellas were put among the old clothes. Then the man fumbled in his trouser pockets. Nicky was just beginning to be afraid he had not got one and a penny when he found it. Two sixpences and two half-pennies. He laid them on the palm of her hand. Then he untied a red balloon and gave it her as well.
    She was so pleased that she got quite pink. The man did not seem to want to be thanked. He picked up his barrow and pushed it quickly up the street.
    Nicky, knowing how easy it is to spend money when you have it about, went at once to put it in the tennis house. She was just moving the chimney to push it in when she thought of something. The others were a very disbelieving sort. Would they believe her if she just said she had put it in? It was quite certain they would not. She must have a witness. She went to the kitchen.
    Annie was making a cake. She nodded at Nicky.
    â€˜You know I wouldn’t wonder if something could be done with David. “Little David, the Singin’ Wonder,” or something like that.’
    â€˜I think it’s a horrible noise,’ Nicky objected. ‘Could you leave your cake a minute? I want you to see me put some