FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

04 A FEW LITTLE UPSETS

GEORGE read the letter out loud. It was not very long, and had evidently been written in a great hurry.

DEAR GEORGE,

Your mother has been taken very ill. I am going with her to the hospital. I shall not leave her till she is getting better. That may be in a few days" time, or in a week's time. I will telephone to you each day at nine o'clock in the morning to tell you how she is. Mrs. Stick will look after you all. Try to manage all right till I come back.

Your loving. FATHER.

"Oh dear!" said Anne, knowing how dreadful George must feel. George loved her mother dearly, and for once in a way the girl had tears in her eyes. George never cried... but it was terrible to come home and find her mother gone like this. And Father too! No one there but Mrs. Stick and Edgar.

"I can't bear Mother going like this," sobbed George suddenly, and buried her head in a cushion. "She... she might never come back."

"Don't be silly, George," said Julian, sitting down and putting his arm round her. "Of course she will. Why shouldn't she? Didn't your father say he was staying with her till she was getting better... and that would be probably in a few days" time, Cheer up, George! It isn't like you to give way like this."

"But I didn't say good-bye," sobbed poor George. "And I made her ask Mrs. Stick for the sandwiches, instead of me. I want to go and find Mother and see how she is myself."

"You don't know where they've taken her, and if you did, they wouldn't let you in," said Dick, gently. "Let's have some tea. We shall all feel better after that."

"I couldn't eat anything," said George, fiercely. Timothy pushed his nose into her hands, and tried to lick them. They were under her buried face. The dog whined a little.

"Poor Timmy! He can't understand," said Anne. "He's awfully upset because you are unhappy, George."

That made George sit up. She rubbed her hands over her eyes, and let Timmy lick the wet tears off them. He looked surprised at the salty taste. He tried to get on to George's knee.

"Silly Timmy!" said George, in a more ordinary voice. "Don't be upset. I just got a shock, that's all! I'm better now, Timmy. Don't whine like that, silly! I'm all right. I'm not hurt."

But Timothy felt certain George was really hurt or injured in some way to cry like that, and he kept whining, and pawing at George, and trying to get on to her knee.

Julian opened the door. "I'm going to tell Mrs. Stick we want our tea," he said, and went out. The others thought he was rather brave to face Mrs. Stick.

Julian went to the kitchen door and opened it. Edgar was sitting there, one side of his face scarlet, where George had slapped it. Mrs. Stick was there, looking grim,

"If that girl slaps my Edgar again I'll be after her," she said, threateningly.

"Edgar deserved what he got," said Julian, "Can we have some tea, please?"

"I've a good mind to get you none," said Mrs. Stick. Her dog started up from its corner and growled at Julian. "That's right, Tinker! You growl at folks that slap Edgar,I said Mrs. Stick.

Julian was not in the least afraid of Tinker. "If you are not going to get us any tea, I'll get it myself," said the boy. "Where is the bread, and where are the cakes?"

Mrs. Stick stared at Julian, and the boy looked back al her steadfastly. He thought she was a most unpleasant woman, and he certainly was not going to allow her to get the better of him. He wished he could tell her to go... but he had a feeling that she wouldn't, so it would be a waste of his breath.