"There must be a note somewhere," said Julian, and looked round the room. He saw a letter stuck into the rim of the big mirror there, addressed to George. He gave it to her. It was from George's father. , "Read it, quickly," said Anne. "Oh dear-this is really a horrid beginning to our holidays here!"

Chapter Four.

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 d.i.c.k, 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.

Mrs. Stick dropped her eyes first. "I'll get your tea," she said, "but if I've any nonsense from you I'll get you no other meals."

"And if I have any nonsense from you I shall go to the police," said Julian, unexpectedly. He hadn't meant to say that. It came out quite suddenly, but it had a surprising effect on Mrs. Stick. She looked startled and alarmed.

"Now, there's no call to be nasty," she said in a much more polite voice. "We've all had a bit of a shock, and we're upset, like-I'll get you your tea right now."

Julian went out. He wondered why his sudden threat of going to the police had made Mrs. Stick so much more polite. Perhaps she was afraid the police would get on to his Uncle Quentin and "he would come tearing back. Uncle Quentin wouldn't care for a hundred Mrs. Sticks!

He went back to "the others. "Tea's coming," he said. "So cheer up, everyone!"

It wasn't a very cheerful company that sat down to the tea Mrs. Stick brought in. George was now feeling ashamed of her tears. Anne was still upset. d.i.c.k tried to make a few silly jokes to cheer everyone up, but they fell so flat that he soon gave it up. Julian was grave and helpful, suddenly very grown-up.

Timothy sat close beside George, his head on her knee. "I do wish I had a dog who loved me like that," thought Anne. Timmy kept gazing up at George out of big brown devoted eyes. He had no eyes or ears for anyone but his little mistress now she was sad.

n.o.body noticed what they had for tea, but all the same it did them goodIand they felt better after it. They didn't like to go out to the beach afterwards in case the telephone bell rang, and there was news of George's mother. So they sat about in the garden, keeping an ear open for the telephone.

From the kitchen came a song.

"Georgie-porgie, pudding and pie, Sat herself down and had a good cry, Georgie-porgie ..."

Julian got up. He went to the kitchen window and looked in. Edgar was there alone.

"Come on out here, Edgar!" said Julian, in a grim voice. I'll teach you to sing another song. Come along!"

Edgar didn't stir. "Can't I sing if I want to?" he said.

"Oh yes," said Julian, "but not that song. I'll teach you another. Come along out!"

"No fear," said Edgar. "You want to fight me."

"Yes, I do," said Julian. "I think a little bit of good honest fighting would be better for you than sitting singing nasty little songs about a girl who is miserable. Are you coming out? Or shall I come in and fetch you?"

"Ma!" called Edgar, suddenly feeling panicky. "Ma! Where are you?"

Julian suddenly reached a long arm in at the window, caught hold of Edgar's over-long nose, and pulled it so hard that Edgar yelled in pain.

"Led go! Led go! You're hurding me! Led go by dose!"

Mrs. Stick came hurrying into the kitchen. She gave a scream when she saw what Julian was doing. She flew at him. Julian withdrew his arm, and stood outside the window.

"How dare you!" yelled Mrs. Stick. "First that girl slaps Edgar, and then you pull his nose! What's the matter with you all?"

"Nothing," said Julian, pleasantly; "but there's an awful lot wrong with Edgar, Mrs. Stick. We feel we just must put it right. It should be your job, of course, but you don't seem to have done it."

"You're downright insolent," said Mrs. Stick, outraged and furious.

"Yes, I dare say I am," said Julian. "It's just the effect Edgar has on me. Stinker has the same effect."

"Stinker!" cried Mrs. Stick, getting angrier still. "That's not my dog's name, and well you know it."

"Well, it really ought to be," said Julian, strolling off. "Give him a bath, and maybe we'll call him Tinker instead."

Leaving Mrs. Stick muttering in fury, he went back to the others. They stared at him curiously. He somehow seemed a different Julian-a grim and determined Julian, a very grown-up Julian, a rather frightening Julian.

"I'm afraid the fat's in the fire now," said Julian, sitting down on the gra.s.s. "I pulled old Edgar's nose nearly off his fat face, and Ma saw me doing it. I guess it's open warfare now! We shan't have a very merry time from now on. I doubt if we'll get any meals."

"We'll get them ourselves then," said George. "I hate Mrs. Stick. I wish Joanna would come back. I hate that horrid Edgar too, and that awful Stinker."

"Look-there is Stinker!" suddenly said d.i.c.k, putting out his hand to catch Timothy, who had risen with a growl. But Timmy shook off his hand and leapt across the gra.s.s at once. Stinker gave a woeful howl and tried to escape. But Timothy had him by the neck and was shaking him like a rat.

Mrs. Stick appeared with a stick and lashed out, not seeming to mind which dog she hit. Julian rushed for the hose again. Edgar skipped indoors at once, remembering what had happened to him before.

The water gushed out, and Timothy gave a gasp and let go the howling mongrel he held in his teeth. Stinker at once hurled himself on Mrs. Stick, and tried to hide in her skirts trembling with terror.

"I'll poison that dog of yours!" said Mrs. Stick, furiously, to George. "Always setting on to mine. You look out or I'll poison him."

She disappeared indoors, and the four children went and sat down again. George looked really alarmed. "Do you suppose she really might try to poison Timmy?" she asked Julian, in a scared voice.

"She's a nasty bit of work," said Julian, in a low tone. "I think it would be just as well to keep old Timmy close by us, day and night, and only to feed him ourselves, from our own plates."

George pulled Timothy to her, horrified at the thought that anyone might want to poison him. But Mrs. Stick really was awful-she might do anything like that, George thought. How she wished her father and mother were back! It was horrid to be on their own, like this.

The telephone bell suddenly shrilled out and made everyone jump. They all leapt to their feet, and Timmy growled. George flew indoors and lifted the receiver. She heard her father's voice, and her heart began to beat fast.

"Is that you, George?" said her father. "Are you all right? I hadn't time to stay and tell you everything."

"Father-what about Mother? Tell me quick-how is she?" said George.

"We shan't know till the day after next," said her father. "I'll telephone tomorrow morning and then the. next morning too. I shan't come back till I know she's better."

"Oh Father-it's awful without you and Mother," said poor George. "Mrs. Stick is so horrid."

"Now, George," said her father, rather impatiently, "surely you children can see to yourselves and make do with Mrs. Stick till I get back! Don't worry me about such things now. I've enough worry as it is."

"When will you be back, do you think?" said George. "Can I come and see Mother?"

"No," said her father. "Not for at least two weeks, they say. I'll be back as soon as I can. But I'm not going to leave your Mother now. She needs me. Good-bye and be good, all of you."

George put back the receiver. She turned to face the others. "Shan't know about Mother till the day after next," she said. "And we've got to put up with Mrs. Stick till Father comes back-and goodness knows when that will be! It's awful, isn't it?"

Chapter Five.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

MRS. STICK was in such a bad temper that evening that there was no supper at all. Julian went to ask about some, but he found the kitchen door locked.

He went back to the others with a gloomy face, for they were all hungry. "She's locked the door," he said. "She really is a dreadful creature. I don't believe we'll get any supper tonight." "

"We'll have to wait till she goes to bed," said George. "We'll go down and hunt in the larder then, and see what we can find."

They went to bed hungry. Julian listened for Mrs. Stick and Edgar to go to bed, too. When he heard them going upstairs, and was sure their doors had shut, he slipped down into the kitchen. It was dark there, and Julian was just about to put on the light when he heard the sound of someone breathing heavily. He wondered who it could be. Was it Stinker? No-it couldn't be the dog. It sounded like a human being.

Julian stood there, his hand over the light switch, puzzled and a little scared. It couldn't be a burglar, because burglars don't go to sleep in the house they have come to rob. It couldn't be Mrs. Stick or Edgar. Then who was it?

He snapped on the light. The kitchen was flooded with radiance, and Julian's eyes fastened on the figure of a small man lying on the sofa. He was fast asleep, his mouth wide open.

He was not a very pleasant sight. He had not shaved for some days, and his cheeks and chin were bluish-black. He didn't seem to have washed for even longer than that, for his hands were black, and so were his finger-nails. He had untidy hair and a nose exactly like Edgar's.

"Must be dear Edgar's father," thought Julian to himself. "What a sight! Well, poor Edgar hadn't much chance to be decent with a father and mother like his."

The man snored. Julian wondered what to do. He badly wanted to go to the larder, but on the other hand he didn't particularly want to wake up the man and have a row. He didn't see how he could turn him out-for all he knew his aunt and uncle might have agreed to Mrs. Stick's husband coming there now and again, though he hardly thought so.

Julian was very hungry. The thought of the good things in the larder made him snap off the light again and creep towards the larder door in the dark. He opened the door. He felt along the shelves. Good!-that felt like a pie of some sort. He lifted it up and sniffed. It smelt of meat. A meat-pie-good!

He felt along the shelf again and came to a plate on which were what he thought must be jam-tarts, for they were round and flat, and had something sticky in the middle. Well, a meat-pie and jam-tarts ought to be all right for four hungry children!

Julian picked up the meat-pie and the dish of tarts, and made his way carefully out of the larder. He pushed the door to with his foot. Then he turned to go out of the room.

But in the dark he went the wrong way, and by bad luck walked straight into the sofa! The dish of tarts got a sudden jerk and one of them fell off. It landed on the open mouth of the sleeping man, and woke him up with a start.

"Blow!" said Julian to himself, and began to back away quietly, hoping that the man would turn over and go to sleep again. But the sticky jam-tart sliding down his chin had startled the man, and he sat up with a jerk.

"Who's there? That you, Edgar? What you doing down here?"

Julian said nothing but sidled towards what he hoped was the door. The man leapt up and lurched over to where he thought the light switch was. He found it and switched it on. He stared in the greatest astonishment at Julian.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.