Free Mike's Mystery by Gertrude Warner Page A

door.
    “Yes, Watch, you can come,” said Henry to the dog. “Can Lady come too, Aunt Jane?”
    “No,” said Aunt Jane. “Lady always stays with me.”
    Watch was delighted to go with the four children, so he barked and barked. He ran along barking. On they went, past the hen houses. These were all mended and painted. They went through a field to the street. It was very strange to see a city street in the middle of the old field.
    “There’s a five and ten,” said Benny, “and a big super-market! We won’t need to hoe any vegetables if we don’t want to.”
    “What a beautiful dress shop!” said Jessie. Then she almost bumped into a boy about Benny’s age. He was walking with his hands in his pockets and he was whistling.
    When he saw the children he stopped and stared at them. Then he said, “Hi, Ben! Don’t you know me?”
    Benny took one look. “Mike! Mike Wood!” he yelled. “It’s Mike, Henry! Remember he came to the picnic on Surprise Island?”
    “Well, I’d never forget that,” said Henry. “It is Mike, sure enough! You came over to our picnic and your dog had a race with Watch.”
    “Yep,” said Mike. “That was my dog Spotty. He’s out with my brother Pat now. I remember how he beat your dog in the race.”
    “Oh, no! ” cried Benny. “He never did! Watch was the one that beat Spotty! Don’t you remember?”
    “No, I don’t,” said Mike. “I know Spot beat Watch.”
    “He didn’t either!” shouted Benny. “Spot was a stranger. He didn’t even know which way to run!”
    “Stop, you boys,” cried Henry. “Don’t fight the minute you meet.”
    “Well, Mike started it,” shouted Benny.
    “I did not! You started it,” shouted Mike.
    “Boys!” said Henry. “Stop this minute. Aren’t you friends?”
    “We’re friends,” said Benny, “unless Mike tells lies about Watch. Watch won that race and I won’t give in for anybody.”
    “Well,” said Mike, “maybe he did. But it wasn’t a fair race, because Spotty didn’t even know the way.”
    “O.K.,” said Benny. “That’s all I care. If you say Spotty didn’t beat.”
    “Well, maybe he didn’t beat,” said Mike, “but how could he beat when he didn’t know where to run?”
    “Well, he couldn’t,” said Benny. “That’s what I said. He couldn’t and he didn’t. I never said it was a fair race.”
    “Mike,” said Jessie pleasantly, “how did you happen to come out here? You’re so far from where we saw you last.”
    “I know,” said Mike. “But we like it here. My Uncle Bob invited us to live here when my father died. Uncle Bob said he could give Pat a job. Remember Pat? My big brother?”
    “Oh, yes,” said Henry. “He was the one who almost got drowned at the picnic.”
    “Well, Pat works at the mine for my Uncle Bob. Not in the mine, but outside. I do all sorts of work for the mine, too. We all work. Mother washes the miners’ clothes.”

    “Where’s your house?” asked Henry.
    “Over there,” said Mike, pointing. “That pink one. The houses are all alike, only different colors. Each house has a yard around it, but the grass is dry and brown. My house has an electric stove and a washing machine. It’s different from our old house back home. Come and see my mother.”
    “All right,” said Henry. “We’d like to.”
    “Pat isn’t home, but my mother is,” said Mike. “She is making a pie, maybe, and we could have some to eat.”
    They reached the door of the pink house. “Ma, look who’s here!” said Mike.
    Mrs. Wood was indeed making pies. She was taking the third pie out of the oven. When she looked up and saw Benny, she laughed out loud.
    “Hello, Benny Alden!” she cried.
    “You have never seen the rest of us,” said Jessie, laughing. “But you have seen plenty of Benny, when he went to school with Mike back in the East.”
    “I’ve heard lots about you,” said Mrs. Wood. “Benny is a great talker. He’s a fine boy. It does Mike good to play with