Mar
tin goes to his grandparents once or twice every month, and he decided to go round to see them when he had a free evening the week before th ey went away.
“Come in Martin” his grand father said. “I’m glad you’ve come round. Take your coat off and sit down near the fire for a minute. Let’s just see the end of this programme on the television. Your grandmother and I watch it every week at this time of night. “So Martin sat in a comfortable chair, quietly waiting for the television detective to find out who the thief was.
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Finally, his grandmother got up and switched the television off. Then, carefully putting on a hat she brought in from the hall, she said, “I’m sorry, Martin, but I must go and see a friend for a few minutes. I’ll come back soon. But while I’m out, perhaps you’ll help your grandfather to bring down the big blue case from the attic. We want it for the holiday and I don’t really think he wants to get it down.”
They watched her going by through the window. “She went into London three times last week,” grandfather said, “to buy that hat. Now she’s practicing wearing it, ready for Italy. Let’s go round to the pub for a drink.”
“That’s a good idea,” martin answered, “but let me give you a hand with a case. Tell me where it is and I’ll get it out for you. It’s in the attic, isn’t it?”
Grandfather pulled down the corners of his mouth. “That’s the trouble. It’s not here. You can go up and look, if you like, but I you won’t find it. I’m sure I haven’t given it away and you don’t throw away good cases like that, do you? I think, perhaps, I’ve lent it to somebody, but I can’t remember. Your grandmother doesn’t know, but she’ll find out this week that we’ve lost our best case.”
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Martin laughed. “Don’t worry. You can use mine. If I go home now I can bring it back in the car in half an hour. No, please, grandfather. You must let me lend you mine. It’s the least I can do to help.” And he went out quickly before the old man could say no.
When he got home, his father called, “What are you looking for, Martin? You’re throwing your things about, aren’t you? “And he came into Martin’s room. But when Martin explained why he was lending his case to grandfather, his father suddenly looked guilty.
“Oh dear, I’m the one who borrowed his case. He lent it to me the year before last. I’ve been wanting to give him it back, but the longer I had it the harder it was. But, Martin, please take it back for me instead of yours and tell grandfather I’m very sorry.”
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When Martin walked into his grandparents’ house with their lost case, grandfather laughed. “Of course,” he said, “your father borrowed it; I remember now. But, let’s not tell your grandmother I lent him it. Put it against the wall there.”
Martin’s grandmother came back from her friend’s at that moment. “You two are looking guilty,” she said, carefully taking off her new hat.
“But don’t tell me. You didn’t find the case, did you? You’ve given it away, or something, haven’t you? I know you have. That’s why you didn’t want to go up to the attic when I asked you to bring it down. And that’s why I asked you to go and get it out.”
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Grandfather smiled and pointed to the case standing against the wall. “You asked us to to get it out,” he said, “and there it is.” Then he turned round and said, “come on, young man, take me round to the pub and I’ll buy you a drink.”
They had not got to the pub before grandmother picked the case up and found a label that had on it Martin’s father’s name and address. She was still laughing when the two men came home.
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