Murder In Flat Number Seven

Mrs. Riley was a woman of courage. Her husband had been killed in the first World War, and one of her sons in the second. For many years she had to work to support hefself and her one remaining son, George. She had been able to give him the necessities of life, but nothing more.

When he grew oder, he understood all that she had done for him. He managed to get reasonably good work, and could then give her some help in the battle of life.

After these years of trouble and anxiety , neither of them expected any unusually good fortune; but a piece of good luck came to them. Mrs. Riley's sister, who had beeen living in Australia for many years suddenly died; and the sister had been a rich woman.

One morning Mrs. Riley received a letter from a London lawyer which explained this fact; it added that the Australian sister had left MRs. Riley a large amount of money in her will. "It will certainly not be less than fifty thousand pounds," said the letter , "and maybe a great deal more. I have therefore much pleasure in sending you now a cheque for fifty thousand pounds, and hope
".to write again in the near future

When George returned from the office that evening, he found his mother in a state of shock. She did her best to explain to him that she now had fifty thousand pounds in the bank , a state of affairs that had seemed impossible the day before. She quickly got better : fifty thousand pounds can bring a lot of comfor into a woman's life.

She bought hefself a new house in teh country, and she bought George a new flat in the town near his work. She could now give him all the things that he had never had before. She enjoyed hefself in the shops. She bought him some new clothes , some good furniture for his flat, a fine radio set, two electirc fires, and so on. She even bought him one or two valuable paintings to hang on the walls. She had the telephone put into his flat and into her own house. She found it very convenient herself for ordering food from the shops, and for ringing up George , who now lived some distance away.

When George had most of things that he wanted, she spent some more money on hefself. Then her bank manager mentioned that it might be a good plan not to spend all the money, but to keep some. "You never know what will happen in the future Mrs. Riley," he explained.

She agreed , and stopped spending . Several more weeks passed, and then , one friday evening , her telephone rang. It was the London Lawyer . " I've got a bit of good news for you , Mrs.Riley" he said . " You remember that I said you migh get a little more money. Well, your sister's affairs ".are now settled, andI'm glad to say that I have to pay you just over seven thousand pounds
Do you mean seven thousand pounds more than I've received already?" shre cried"
"
Yes , Mrs. Riley . Seven thousand, two hundred and six pounds more, to be exact. I've posted a "cheque to you this evning

"?You have posted it"
"Yes,"
he said with a gentle laugh. " I have posted it. There's no doubt about it! You'll receive the cheque tomorrow morning. I'm very glad for your sake; and now, if you'll pardon me, I have one ".or two other things to do

That night Mrs. Riley had an idea. She could now spend a little more money, and even her bank manager couldn't object. She could buy George a new car. His own car was really old: it might be called ancient. He thought to have somethng better.
She rang him up after lunch.
"George"
she said "I want you to go to the Motor show and choose another car: a new one. I've got some "more money
"A new care, Mother "
"he cried " I don't need a new car. I've got a car. You are spending too much for me

"I can't do too much for you George"
she said
"...You can spend about a thousand pounds. so do go and"

At this moemnt she heard on the telephone a loud knocking in George's flat.
"Just a minute, Mother"
he said
"There's someone at the door. Wait! I'll be back in a minute or two"
Mrs Riley heard him put the telephone down on the table with that strange sound that all telephones make when they are put down on tables. She waited, listening. She thought she could hear distant voices. Yes , there certainly were some voices somewhere: they were growing louder and louder. They were angry voices. She listened anxiously.
"?George!" She called into the telephone. "George! what's happening? Are you all right"

George did not reply. Instead , the noise increased and she heard a terrible sound, like the sound of breaking furniture. She heard something __ prob ___ ably a table ___ falling over, and there seemed to be a fight. She could hear low cires and th esound of blows on men's bodies
"Someone's hitting George" , She thought angrily, " and breaking all his new furniture."
Then there was some shouting snf sgyrt yhsy s loud cry of pain.
George! George!" she called into the telephone"
What's happening, George?" Suddenly she heard the sound of a shot, followed by a terrible silence"
George!" she shouted into the telephone with a sick feeling in her throat"

No voice replied to her cry. Instead, she thought she could hear someone walking about without any shoes on . Who could that be? why was someone walking about the flat softly like a thief? She could hear the sound of heavy breathing.

IT was enough. Suddenly Mrs. Riley became very active indeed. She had learnt many lessons during her hard life, and she was determined to do everything possible to help her one remaining son; but it might already be too late. Was he lying there on the floor in his own blood? OT would be too cruel if he lost his life just when it was looking brighter

She put down the telephone and immediately rang up the police. Her explanation was clear. , and in a few moments a helpful voice was asking some shar questions. then it stopped. Then it started again. "We'll do everything we can , Madam" the voice said " A car is already on its way "to your son's flat. We'll ring you up when we have some news for you

Five minutes after this conversation, an officer and two policemen were running up the great stairs of building in which George lived> " This itme" the officer said " we maybe in time to catch the murderer before he escapes. It was lucky that our car was so near when we got the "message

The door of the flat was locked when they reached it. " Open up!" the officer shouted, knocking heavily on the door. " Police" he could hear voices inside the flat , and continued his heavy knocking.

Suddenly the door was thrown open, and a young man looked out with a very surprised face . " What's the matter?" he began ; but the officer pushed him away from the door and rushed into the sitting-room " What do you want?" shouted the young man angrily , following the officer
?"from the door. " Do you often push your way into a man's flat without permission

The officer looked round the room for signs of blood, but he could see no blood . All the furniture seemed to be in its place, and a big radio set was turned on. The voices that he had heard outside were coming from it there was no one else in the room. He went into the bedroom , but it was
?"empty too " Turn off the radio" he said " and then we can think. Are you Mr.George Riley

I am " said the young man , turning off the radio"
Will you kindly explain" he asked in a tired voice "
"?Why you've come here like this , and what you want"
Where's the body?" the officer asked"
"?What body? What are you talking about"
"
Your mother, Mrs. Riley , rang up the police because she heard a fight in your flat she was "telephoning to you, but you left her to go to the front door. Then she heard blows and a shot

George Riley was laughing loudly by this time. " What are you laughing at?" the officer asked angrily

"My mother rang me up when I was listening to a play on the radio"
he said. " then the milkman came to the door, and I went to get the milk and to pay him. I always pay him on Saturdays for the whole week. I left the radio turned on, and my mother "probably heard it. The fight that she heard was in the radio play. It wasn't here

"?the officer sat down. Then he said in a gentle voice " What sort of play was it? what was its title
Oh, it was a very good play, and you've interrupted it . It's called 'Murder in Flat Number "Seven'. If they do it again you ought to listen to it. It's really excellent
He turned the radio set on again. " If you don't mind," he said, "I'll just listen to the rest of it. "Good afternoon
"Befre you settle down again to your afternoon's evertainment"
"the officer suggested, " ring up your poor mother. She still thinks you maybe dead
"Ofcourse!" said George. "I'll do that . I ought to have remembered her feelings"

The Winter's Snow

For Several days snow fell heavliy in the south of England. It lay many inches thick on the ground. The roofs of houses were white , waling through the streets was difficult; running was dangerous. But the streets of London were warmer than those in the country, and there was no snow in London

Thomas Carrington worked in a London office, but his home was forty miles away to the south, at Hill Park in Sussex. Every morning Carrington walked to Hill Park station and cought the eight o'clock train. He reached London at about nine, and was in his office half an hour later. Every evening he returned to Hill Park by train and walked home from the station

Carrington was always careful of his appearance. He dressed well. His dark London suit and grey hat were always spotless; his thin black shoes were always bright and clean. The railway men at Hill Park station were always glad to see Carrington, and he had a smile for each. One of them , ".Fred , sometimes said about Carrington, "He's a proper gentleman: one of the best

The first fall of snow came suddenly , and he was very heavy. On that day Carrington had to walk to the station through deep snow , and his shoes got dirty and wet. When he reached London , there was no snow in the streets , and the shoes of the people who lived there were as clean as usual. Some of them noticed Carrington's dirty shoes, and he felt slightly ashamed of them

No snow fell during the day in London; but more was falling in Hill Park when he reached home that night. The streets near his house were deep in snow on the following morning, and Carrington decided that he must do something to improve his appearnce.

He always carried a bag to and from the office. It contained business papers and books which he sometimes had to read at home. The bag was not often full, and it was quite possible to put something else in it; so on that morning Carrington placed his beautiful clean black shoes in it. Then he put on some heavy old shoes that he sometimes wore in the garden; and in those heavy shoes he walked through the snow to Hill Park station.

At the station he went straight to the waiting-room with his bag and sat down. He took his clean shoes out of the bag and took off the dirt garden shoes. Then he put his clean shoes on and called Fred.

He left the old shoes with Fred, and explained what he had done. " I'll want those heavy shoes when I come back this evening, please Fred, " he said . " I'll change again , and walk home in those ".through the snow

Fred thought the idea an excellent one, and admired Carrington more than ever. "That'll be all right, sir," he said. " They'll be ready for you." he looked down with a smile at Carrington's shining black shoes.

In the train that morning many surprised eyes were turned towards Carrington's beautiful shoes; other shoes in the carriage were wet and dirty objects. Carrington's day in London passed pleasantly, and his heart was light.

When he got back to Hill Park again that evening, he collected the dirty old shoes from Fred and put them on in the waiting-room. He then walked home through the snow carrying the clean London shoes in his bag.

That evening, as he sat by the fire smoking a pipe , he considered his new plan with satisfaction. It was snowing again outside, but he did not care now. He slept better than usual that night.

On the next day he followed the same plan. Fred kept the old shoes until Carrington returned, and the London shoes were bright and clean all day.

Carrington had an invitation to dinner that evening and he spent several pleasant hours with his old freinds. He went to bed late

In the morning he awoke late, and had to dress in a hurry; but he put on his heavy old shoes again and ate a quick breakfast. As he rushed off to the station with his bag, he noticed that the snow was even deeper than before. It was difficult to hurry, but he had to catch the train. He heard it coming just as he reached the top of the station steps. He ran quickly down the steps. When he reached the bottom, the train was already in the station, and he opened a carriage door and jumped in. There was no time to go to the waiting-room ; but he could not possibly walk about London, or sit at his office desk , in his heavy old garden shoes. He looked out of the window and was delighted to see the faithful Fred standing by the door of the carriage. " The shoes, Mr. Carrington!" Fred Called . "The shoes , sir! Be quick!"

Carrington acted at once. He sat down and pulled off one shoes as the train started. He threw it out to Fred, who cought it cleverly. Then Carrington got the other off, and dropped it out of the window. The train was moving quite quickly now, but Carrington saw Fred running towards the shoe. Then Fred picked it up, and took it away with him, waving one hand at the moving train.

"Thank heaven" Carrington said aloud. "Good old Fred!"

Carrington sat down on the sead and opened his bag. His London shoes were not in it. In his hurry he had forgetten to put them in

ForeWord

Hiya my friends ^___^

Ok time to make this blog to get lively after leaving it for a year I guess

I'll try to put some stories here from an old book I found it in our house

and it belongs to my mom when she was in the college

IT's one of that type of books which called " Books in Easy English" and I wanted to share it with you

the book's name is " A Traveller's Cheque and other Stories" which means

it has a lot of "short stories" I guess and they're interesting I read some and I liked them so much

IT has about 12 stories that I'm gonna type them here one by one for you so don't miss them :)

Here are now the book's foreword

The books of this series are intended for those who have left the age of fairy tales behind them, but require some reading material in easy english.

In stage 4 the vocabulary is limited to about 1,500 of the commonest words in english, and their derivatives are freely used. All the normal structures are admitted , including the subjunctive and simple inversions. But involved sentences, and the omission of if by inversion , are avoided.

ok see you in the first story so wait for me everyone :)