The Mystery of the Secret Room

A Few Plans

Pip made his way back to Fatty's house, where the others were waiting forhim 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 cosybasket 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 if any one was about, because he was not anxious to bumpinto the maid or Mrs. Trotteville in his present disguise.He heard nothing, and made his way up the stairs. The others were playinga 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 hehad 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 closeto the fire as he could. "And what's more, Find-Outers—I believe I've got ourthird 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'vegot a new one. Pip can take mine, then if Clear-Orf goes round asking ourparents 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 gotsuch a fright to see the fierce eyebrows, red face, and awful teeth just round thecorner—and roared when Pip described what a dance he had led Mr. Goon inthe fog."Fancy him not looking up into the trees," said Fatty. "He'll never make adetective! But you haven't come to the mystery yet, Pip—what is it?""Well," said Pip importantly, "as you all know, Milton House is empty—has been empty for ages, hasn't it?"The others nodded. They all knew the house quite well."All right," said Pip, "well listen to this. One of the rooms at the very top ofthe house is fully furnished!"Every one stared in amazement."Fully furnished!" said Fatty. "How very extraordinary! Does some onelive there after all, then—and if so, why does he live at the top of the house?Pip, this is certainly very queer.""It is, isn't it," said Pip, pleased at the interest he had caused. "Don't youthink it's going to be our third mystery? I'm sure there's something queerabout it.""Well, it certainly sounds jolly strange," said Fatty. "Yes, it's a mystery allright.""Hurrah!" said Bets. "We've got one for these hols, after all! How shall wesolve it?""Well—it's not our usual sort of mystery," said Fatty thoughtfully. "I mean—in the ones before we have had Clues and Suspects to work on—this time allwe've got is a fully furnished room at the top of an empty house. We don'teven know if there's anything wrong about it. But it's certainly queer andunusual enough for us to try and find out what's behind it.""Ooooh, how lovely!" said Bets joyfully. "I did so want a mystery thesehols. Especially as we've got so many good detective tricks.""Well, Pip, you certainly had a good afternoon," said Larry. "Do take offthat awful disguise now. I can't bear to look at you. It's the teeth that makeyou look so revolting.""I know," said Pip, taking them out and going to a basin to rinse them anddry them. "They're marvellous. Old Clear-Orf nearly had a fit when he sawthem flashing at him again, after seeing them in the French boy's mouth!"The others laughed at the thought of Mr. Goon's surprise. Fatty suddenlylooked thoughtful."I only hope old Clear-Orf won't go snooping round after us," he said. "Iknow it was fun to make him think we were in the middle of a new mystery heknew nothing about—but now that we really have stumbled on to one, it willbe sickening if he follows us around. It will cramp our style terribly.""Blow!" said Larry. "We shan't be able to keep this mystery to ourselves ifClear-Orf sniffs it out. I must say it sounds a first-class one—I find myselfasking all kinds of questions! Who uses the room? Why in an empty house?Does the owner know about it? When does the one who uses it come and go?""Yes—there are all sort of questions to answer," said Fatty. "It's going tobe interesting—but difficult! I vote we try and get into the room.""Oh no!" said every one at once."We daren't do that," said Larry. "We can't break into houses—evenempty ones. You know we can't.""We don't need to break in," said Fatty, in a dignified manner. "There's noreason why we shouldn't go to the house-agent's and ask for the key to lookover the house, is there?"No one had thought of that. Daisy stared doubtfully at Fatty. "Theywouldn't give the key to children, silly," she said."They might give it to me," said Fatty, who thought he could do anything."Anyway I can but try. Did you happen to notice the name on the House forSale board, Pip—I mean the name of the house-agent?""No. I don't remember seeing a board," said Pip. "But it was so foggy. Wecould go and find out sometime.""Let's go now," said Bets eagerly. But the others shook their heads."Too foggy, Bets," said Larry. "You can't see a thing now. It's a goodthing we all know our way home so well or we'd get lost!"The fog was indeed very thick. It wasn't any good doing anything that day.The Find-Outers felt a little impatient. They wanted to get on with this newmystery!"We shall have to be jolly careful we don't let Clear-Orf know what we'redoing," said Larry. "We'd better try and put him on the wrong track, if wethink he is snooping after us.""Oh yes!" said Bets. "Let's do that. That would be fun. We could make upa mystery for him, couldn't we?—a big robbery or something.""That's not a bad idea," said Larry. "If we could get Clear-Orf on to thetrack of a false mystery, he wouldn't spend any time or attention on our realone. So, if we do find he's snooping around, following us, or making inquiries,we'll present him with a first-class mystery—that we'll make up for himourselves!"This seemed a fine idea. It didn't occur to any of the children to take Mr.Goon into their confidence and let him work with them. He disliked them somuch, and was such a blunderer, that if any one was to be told, they preferredto tell their friend, Inspector Jenks—the "very high-up policeman" as Betscalled him. He would listen to them with attention and interest, and wouldcertainly not take any credit that was due to them. Clear-Orf, they knew, wouldpooh-pooh anything they did, and pretend that he had done all the brainwork.But he was a suspicious fellow, and if he thought they really were at workon some mystery again, he would certainly try to interfere. The children feltterribly excited when they thought of this new mystery. They had so muchenjoyed their first two mysteries—now here was another—and a very peculiarone too."Let's see," said Fatty, considering. "I think the first thing to do is to findout who the house-agent is, as I've said, and try to get the keys. Then we couldexplore that room and find out if possible what it's for and why it's fullyfurnished.""Right," said Larry. "You can tackle the house-agent tomorrow, then.You're good at that sort of thing. But if you manage to get the keys out of him,I'll be surprised!""You wait and see," said Fatty, who now had such a high opinion ofhimself that he thought nothing was impossible. He could already see himselfat the head of all the British Police, the most famous solver of mysteries theworld had ever known.Nobody seemed to want to play a game. The thought of the new mysterymade them feel unsettled and excited."Do you think it will be a dangerous mystery?" asked Bets ratheranxiously. "The other two we did weren't dangerous. I don't think I'd like adangerous mystery.""Well, if it is dangerous, we three boys will tackle it," said Fatty ratherpompously. "And you two girls must keep out of it.""I certainly shan't!" said Daisy indignantly. "Bets can do as she likes—butI'm sharing this mystery from the beginning to the end, Fatty. I'm as good asyou boys any day.""All right, all right," said Fatty. "Keep your hair on. Good!—there's thebell for tea. I'm frightfully hungry.""You always are," said Daisy, still feeling cross.But at the sight of the fine tea Mrs. Trotteville had provided, not one ofthem had any feelings but pleasure. A good tea—and a first-class mysterywaiting to be solved. What could be nicer?