THE CASE OF THE HAPPY NEPHEW 39 He sat quietly beside his father in the police car on the drive to the house where John Abbot lived with his sister and her family. 'Staying in the car won't be so bad," Ency- clopedia decided. "The car will be a lot closer to the case than our dining room. On the west side of town his father stopped the car. the house. Encyclopedia saw a small white house in need of paint. An 01d yellow car stood in the shaded driveway. "There's John," said Chief Brown. A tall young man had come out of the house. He was carrying a barefoot boy abouta year and a half 01d. Chief Brown reminded Encyclopedia to S1t quietly in the car. Then he got out and walked toward John Abbot. "Put the child down, John," Chief Brown called. "And keep your hands where I can see them. John Abbot started to lower the barefoot baby

THE CASE OF THE HAPPY N PH 見、 43 "AII right," said Chief Brown. "l'll have to question the eyewitness whO says he saw you. Maybe it will turn out that he isn't sure. Chief Brown put the baby in John Abbot's arms and walked back to the police car. "I heard and saw everything, Dad," said En- cyclopedia. "How come you didn't arrest him? ” "Because he says he was driving from Sundale Shores when the robbery took place," answered Chief Brown. "He got here just five minutes be- fore we came. I can't prove he is lymg. At least not yet. He slipped into the seat beside Encyclopedia, and started the car. "Listen tO me, Leroy,' ' he said. eyewlt- ness may have made a mistake. He may have seen a man who only looked like John Abbot. A good pohce offcer doesn t put people in jail without mo 代 proof than that. believe the witness, said Encyclopedia. John Abbot didn'tjust drive in from Sundale

THE CASE OF THE BANK ROBBER of his offcers leaped out of the car and ran after the robber. 'We caught him,' ' said Chief Brown at dinner that night. "He led us a merry chase, but we got him. The trouble we can't charge hrm with the robbery. "But why not? " M . Brown demanded. "Yes, Dad, why not?" Encycloped1a asked. 'Wasn't the money he stole in that yellow paper bag he was carrymg? ' ' Chief Brown laid down his fork. "Do you know what we found in that yellow bag of his? Money? No. A loaf of white bread! He resisted police offcers, but I don't know how long we can keep hrm in jail. ' "Are you sure you caught the right man, Dad? " EncycIopedia said. said "We'II have a hard time proving lt, Chief Brown. "No one can identify him. And nobody saw the robber's face. He wore 2 hand- kerchief over his nose and mouth and his hat was pulled down over his forehead and eyes. This

30 ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN tional Bank on Beech Street. As they stepped out of the bus, they heard the sound of shooting ・ At first Encyclopedia thought the bus had backfired. A moment later he saw a man in the doorway of the bank. The man wore a hat. A handkerchief covered the lower part of his face. ln one hand he held a yellow paper bag. With the other he waved a Somebody shouted, "Holdup ! Holdup! " Then, all at once, everybody was runmng, try- ing to get out of the robber's way. The man with the gun turned and fled. ln his haste he did not seem tO 100 where he was gomg. He ran into a beggar wearing dark glasses and carrylng a white cane and tin cup. The beggar s cane and cup flew into the street. The robber and the beggar fellto the sidewalk. They rolled about together for 2 few seconds be- fo 氏 the robber broke away and got to his feet. He raced down the street )ust as a police car drew up before the bank. Chief Brown and one

ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN "The knife," said Encyclopedia, "was used an attempt tO rob Mr. Patch's store. 'The knife. said Buster. ' said Corky. . of us, ” said Frank. . tO any . ' said John. . doesn't belong up your club if they find one of you a thief. ' To the Lions he said, "The police will break pered back. watermelon, Just as it . Don't touch it,' ' he whis- Encyclopedia nodded. "Leave the knife in the to wipe the handle of the knife. ' Mr. Patch in a whisper. "None of them has tried 'lt's not worklng the way you planned," said But that was all. looked serious. serlOus. The only bOY detectlve in the state The Lions looked serious. Mr. Patch looked the police not to be too hard on h . Ⅱ boy steps forward now, Mr. Patch will ask your fingerprints," said Encyclopedia. "lf the 'Maybe not. But the police will probably take

2 ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN Just last Sunday, after church, Mrs. Conway, the butcher's wife, had asked him : "What is a three-letter word for a SWiSS river beginmng with A? ” "Aar," Encyclopedia answered after a mo- ment. He always waited a moment. He wanted tO be helpful. But he was afraid that people might not like him if he answered therr questions tOO quickly and sounded 0 smart. His father asked him more questrons than any- one else. Mr. Brown was the chief of police of ldaville. The town had four banks, three movie thea- ters, and a Little League. lt had the usual number Of gasoline StatIOns, churches, SChOOlS, stores, and comfortable houses on shady streets. lt even had a mansron or tWO, and some dingy sectlons. And it had the average number Of crimes for a com- mumty Of its S1ze. ldaville, however, only ル 0 々記 like the usual American town. lt was, really, most unusual.

3 2 ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN man we picked up wearrng 2 brown sult, and the teller at the bank says the robber 、 vo a sult the same color. And, of course, there the yel- low bag. But where's the money? ' ' "Does the man you picked up have any dis- trnguushing features? ' ' EncycIopedia wanted [ 0 know. 'WeII, he has a pug nose and a scar runmng down one cheek. But remember, no one saw the robber's face, ” said Chief Brown. "I can hold him in jail overnight for resisting 2 police offcer. That's about all. ' "I never saw 2 beggar in ldaville before to- day," said Encyclopedia thoughtfully. "Oh, the blind man, ” said Chief Brown. "He seems like a nice old fellow. He calls lumself 'Blind Tom. ' I hated to tell him it's against the law to beg here. ' "The poor man," said M . Brown. "Won't the Salvation Army help hlm? ' ' "Yes," replied Chief Brown. "But he said he likes being on his own. He promrsed to 1e2V0 town tomorrow.

44 ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN Shores in that 01d yellow car. I can prove he WHAT WAS THE PROOF? ( T 町第地 20g0 を 4 fo ′舫 $0 んの地 Tbe C of H 叩Ⅳ印 2. )

SOLUTIONS had slipped Blind Tom the bag holding the money. Encyclopedia used a telephone in the store on the corner to call his father. Chief Brown hurried to the hotel. He found the money, still in the yellow paper bag, hidden under the mattress of Blind Tom's bed. BIind Tom and the man the police were holding in jail confessed they had robbed the bank.

16 ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN ' ' Of course not, said Encyclopedia. simply gorng to tell you whatl'll tellthe police. '' Encyclopedia spoke quietly into the older boy's right ear. Bugs listened. His face grew red, and then redder. Suddenly he called, "Come on, Tigers! Let's get back to the clubhouse. lt's no fun here. When the Tigers had left, Clarence said to Encyclopedia, "Gosh, what did you say to Bugs? " Encyclopedia smiled. "I pointed out why you couldn't have stolen the tent from the Tigers clubhouse. "l'm HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW THIS? (Tum 地 2 鰓 e 7 タ fo ′舫 0 0 れ地 T み 0 C30 可 tbe S04 な e ″イ C 市 . )