the night. She wiped her eyes with her apron.
„I said we must lock the doors and the windows, I said we must tel the police - and then Miss George has to go down all by herself into the garden!" she said. „If only she hadn"t had the poodle with her! No wonder they thought she was Berta, with Sal y in her arms."
„Listen, Joan," said Julian. „There are a lot of things to do. First we must tell the police. Then somehow we must contact Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin - it"s so like them not to give us an address! Then we must most certainly decide about Berta. She must be wel hidden away somewhere."
„Yes. That"s certain," said Joan, wiping her eyes again. She sat and thought for a minute, and then her face lightened.
„I know where we could hide her!" she said. „You remember Jo - the little gypsy girl you"ve had one or two adventures with?"
„Yes," said Julian. „She lives with your cousin now, doesn"t she?"
„She does," said Joan. „And my cousin would have Berta straightaway if she knew about this. She lives in a quiet little vil age where nothing ever happens, and nobody would think anything of my cousin having a child to stay with Jo. She often does."
„It real y seems an idea," said Dick. „Doesn"t it, Julian? We"ve simply got to get Berta away at once. We could trust Jo to look after her, too - Jo"s as sharp as a packet of needles!"
„The police would know, too," said Julian, „and would keep an eye on her as wel . Joan, can you ring up and get a taxi and take Berta now, this very minute?"
„It"l be a surprise for my cousin, my arriving this time of the morning," said Joan, standing up and taking off her apron, „but she"s quick on the uptake, and she"ll do it, I know.
Master Lesley, get a few things together - nothing posh, mind, like your silver hairbrush."
Berta looked extremely scared by now, and was inclined to refuse to go. Julian put his arm round her.
„Look," he said, „I bet George is holding her tongue so that we can get you away in safety before the men tumble to the fact that they"ve got the wrong boy - so you can play up, too, can"t you, and be brave?"
„Yes," said Berta, looking up at Julian"s kind, serious face. „I"l do what you say - but what"s this Jo like? Joan said she was a little gypsy girl. I don"t like gypsies."
„You"l like this one al right," said Julian. „She"s a pickle and a scamp and a scal ywag -
but her heart"s in the right place - isn"t it, Joan?"
Joan nodded. She had always been fond of the reckless, cheeky little Jo, and it was she who had found a home for her when Jo"s father had had to go to prison. „Come on, Master Lesley," she said. „We must hurry. Master Julian, is she to go as a girl or a boy now -
we"ve got to decide that too."
„A girl, please - please, please, a girl!" said Berta, at once.
Julian considered. „Yes, I think you"re right," he said. „You"d better be a girl now - but for goodness" sake don"t cal yourself Berta yet."
„She can be Jane," said Joan, firmly. „That"s a nice name, but quite ordinary enough for nobody to notice. Berta is too noticeable a name. Come along, now - we"ll have to pick out your simplest clothes!"
„Now I"l ring up the police," said Julian, „and also ring for a taxi."
„No, don"t get a taxi for us," said Joan. „I don"t want to arrive at my cousin"s little cottage in a taxi, and make everyone stare! Jane and I wil catch the market bus and people wil think I"m going off to market. We can get another bus there, that wil take us almost al the way to my cousin"s. We"ve only to walk down the lane then."
„Good idea," said Julian, and went to the telephone. He got hold of the police sergeant, and told his tale. The man showed not the least excitement, but took down quickly all that Julian told him. „I"l be up in ten minutes," he said. „Wait in til I come."
Julian put down the receiver. Dick and Anne were watching him with troubled eyes. What was happening to George? Was she
„I said we must lock the doors and the windows, I said we must tel the police - and then Miss George has to go down all by herself into the garden!" she said. „If only she hadn"t had the poodle with her! No wonder they thought she was Berta, with Sal y in her arms."
„Listen, Joan," said Julian. „There are a lot of things to do. First we must tell the police. Then somehow we must contact Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin - it"s so like them not to give us an address! Then we must most certainly decide about Berta. She must be wel hidden away somewhere."
„Yes. That"s certain," said Joan, wiping her eyes again. She sat and thought for a minute, and then her face lightened.
„I know where we could hide her!" she said. „You remember Jo - the little gypsy girl you"ve had one or two adventures with?"
„Yes," said Julian. „She lives with your cousin now, doesn"t she?"
„She does," said Joan. „And my cousin would have Berta straightaway if she knew about this. She lives in a quiet little vil age where nothing ever happens, and nobody would think anything of my cousin having a child to stay with Jo. She often does."
„It real y seems an idea," said Dick. „Doesn"t it, Julian? We"ve simply got to get Berta away at once. We could trust Jo to look after her, too - Jo"s as sharp as a packet of needles!"
„The police would know, too," said Julian, „and would keep an eye on her as wel . Joan, can you ring up and get a taxi and take Berta now, this very minute?"
„It"l be a surprise for my cousin, my arriving this time of the morning," said Joan, standing up and taking off her apron, „but she"s quick on the uptake, and she"ll do it, I know.
Master Lesley, get a few things together - nothing posh, mind, like your silver hairbrush."
Berta looked extremely scared by now, and was inclined to refuse to go. Julian put his arm round her.
„Look," he said, „I bet George is holding her tongue so that we can get you away in safety before the men tumble to the fact that they"ve got the wrong boy - so you can play up, too, can"t you, and be brave?"
„Yes," said Berta, looking up at Julian"s kind, serious face. „I"l do what you say - but what"s this Jo like? Joan said she was a little gypsy girl. I don"t like gypsies."
„You"l like this one al right," said Julian. „She"s a pickle and a scamp and a scal ywag -
but her heart"s in the right place - isn"t it, Joan?"
Joan nodded. She had always been fond of the reckless, cheeky little Jo, and it was she who had found a home for her when Jo"s father had had to go to prison. „Come on, Master Lesley," she said. „We must hurry. Master Julian, is she to go as a girl or a boy now -
we"ve got to decide that too."
„A girl, please - please, please, a girl!" said Berta, at once.
Julian considered. „Yes, I think you"re right," he said. „You"d better be a girl now - but for goodness" sake don"t cal yourself Berta yet."
„She can be Jane," said Joan, firmly. „That"s a nice name, but quite ordinary enough for nobody to notice. Berta is too noticeable a name. Come along, now - we"ll have to pick out your simplest clothes!"
„Now I"l ring up the police," said Julian, „and also ring for a taxi."
„No, don"t get a taxi for us," said Joan. „I don"t want to arrive at my cousin"s little cottage in a taxi, and make everyone stare! Jane and I wil catch the market bus and people wil think I"m going off to market. We can get another bus there, that wil take us almost al the way to my cousin"s. We"ve only to walk down the lane then."
„Good idea," said Julian, and went to the telephone. He got hold of the police sergeant, and told his tale. The man showed not the least excitement, but took down quickly all that Julian told him. „I"l be up in ten minutes," he said. „Wait in til I come."
Julian put down the receiver. Dick and Anne were watching him with troubled eyes. What was happening to George? Was she
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