SECRET SEVEN MYSTERY by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 1 SOMETHING INTERESTING

Peter and Janet were having breakfast with their father and mother one lovely spring morning. Scamper, their golden spaniel, was lying as usual under the table.

'Dad,' began Peter, but his mother frowned at him.

'Your father is reading the paper,' she said. 'Don't bother him just now!'

His father put down the paper and smiled. 'Do the Secret Seven want to make themselves really useful?' he asked. 'Because I've just read something in my paper that may be right up their street!'

' Oh, Dad - what?' cried Peter, and Janet put down her egg-spoon and looked at him expectantly.

'It's about a girl who's run away from home,' said their father, looking at his paper. 'She stole some money from the desk of her form-mistress, but when the police went to see her aunt about it, she ran away.'

'But - what can the Secret Seven do about it?' asked Peter, surprised.

'Listen - I'll read you the piece,' said his father, and propped the paper up in front of him again. 'Elizabeth Mary Wilhemina Sonning, after being accused of stealing money from the desk of her form-mistress, was found to be missing from her aunt's home. She took nothing with her but the clothes she was wearing, and is in school uniform and school hat. It is stated that her parents are abroad, and that she has a brother who is at present away in France.'

Peter's father looked up from the paper. 'Now comes the bit that might interest you? he said. 'Elizabeth was seen on the evening of that day in Belling Village, and it is thought that she might be going to her grandmother, who lives not far off.'

'Belling Village! Why that's the next village to ours,' said Janet. 'Oh - you think that the Secret Seven could keep a look-out for Elizabeth, Daddy! Yes - we could! What's she like?'

'There's a photograph here,' said her father, and passed the paper across. 'Not a very good one - but in her school uniform, which is a help.'

Peter and Janet stared at the picture in the paper. They saw the photograph of a merry, laughing girl a little older than themselves, with a mass of fluffy hair round her face. They thought she looked rather nice.

"Though she can't be really, if she stole money and then ran away,' thought Janet. She turned to her father. 'Whereabouts in Belling Village does her granny live?'

'It doesn't say, does it?' said her father, reaching for his paper again. 'You'll have to read this evening's paper and see if there are any more details. If the child goes to her granny's she'll be found at once, of course. But if she hides somewhere around the place, you might be able to spot her.'

'Yes. We might,' said Peter. 'The Secret Seven haven't had anything interesting to do lately. We'll call a meeting to-morrow. Good thing it's Saturday!'

That evening, Janet sat down to write notices to each of the Secret Seven to call them to a meeting the next day. Each notice said the same things.

Dear S. S. Member,

A meeting will be held to-morrow morning, Saturday, at ten sharp, in the shed. Wear your badges and remember the password.

Peter signed each one, and then he and Janet fetched their bicycles and rode off to deliver the notices, Scamper trotting beside them. They felt pleasantly excited. This new affair might not come to anything - but at least it was something to talk about and to make plans for.

'We'd better buy an evening paper on our way back and see if there's anything else in it about Elizabeth Mary Wilhemina Sonning,' said Peter.

So they stopped at the little newsagent's shop and bought one. They stood outside the shop, eagerly looking through the pages for any mention of the runaway girl. At last they found a small paragraph, headed 'MISSING GIRL'.

'Here it is,' said Peter, thrilled. 'Look, Janet, it says, "Elizabeth Sonning is still missing, and her grandmother states that she has not seen her. Anyone seeing a child whose appearance tallies with the following description is asked to get in touch with the police." Then, see, Janet, there's a good description of her. That's fine - we can read it out to the Seven to-morrow.'

'Good!' said Janet. 'Come on, Scamper - we'll have to bike home pretty fast, so you'll have to run at top speed!'

Scamper puffed and panted after them, his long silky ears flopping up and down as he ran. He wasn't a member of the Secret Seven, but he certainly belonged! No meeting was complete without him.

'What's the password, Peter?' asked Janet, as they put their bicycles away. 'It's ages since we had a meeting.'

'It's a jolly good thing / never forget it,' said Peter. 'I shan't tell it to you - but I'll give you a hint. Think of lamb - that ought to remind you!'

'Lamb?' said Janet, puzzled. 'Well - it reminds me of sheep, Peter - or Mary had a little lamb - or lamb chops. Which is it?'

'None of them!' said Peter, grinning. 'Have another shot, Janet - and tell me at the meeting tomorrow!'