Miss Lily Swange curtly nodded at her gardener
and picked up the newspaper. Life had been one of routine since her husband had
passed away a decade ago. She had had three grandsons and five grand daughters.
Every year she visited all of them. Laboriously she sent them gifts and cards.
She remembered everyone’s birthday. But still the spirit had gone out of her
life. She was eagerly waiting for the day when she would be relieved of all
these duties and could be happy and carefree. Her only joy was her great nephew
George who visited her every week. His parents had been killed in the airplane
crash in Sweden. His parents hadn’t left him much to survive on but enough to
help him study till the university. But George, young, in his early teenage was
carefree. His persuaded his caretaker to leave him, took up lodgings with some
friends of his and led an enjoyable life. Aunt Lily, as he called her,
persuaded him ‘n’ number of times to come and live with him but it fell on deaf
ears. George wouldn’t hear of it, he just visited her every week and livened
her up.
Aunt Lily sighed
as she picked up the newspaper and went inside. Her maid Marie, a nice plump
French girl, was preparing toast and coffee. She had been with her for more
than 10 years. Aunt Lily opened the newspaper, at the same time taking a toast.
The first article called up for an exclamation from her. She called out to Marie,
“Marie, Ask the baker to deliver the meat in advance. Its price is going to
shoot up this week.” Marie, who was going out nodded. Aunt Lily turned to the
next page. She gasped and the newspaper slipped from her hands. She called out
to Marie but Marie had already left. Aunt Lily rallied herself and picked up
the newspaper again. She went through the article again intently.
Turnselmouth: Yesterday,
the police busted the French gang of Art Thieves who have been active in
Britain for the preceding three years. The gang had stolen many of the
reputable pictures and sold them off to the rich Arabs. They would usually
target the museums and the auction warehouses. What’s more surprising is that
a minor, a teenager boy was caught with them. It seems that the boy had been
helping them collect information about antique pictures in the neighbourhood.
It is unfortunate that a boy should be thieving at such a young age. The boy,
George Earlow had lost his parents and so had sought his friends for help.
The friends had roped him in their gang.
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