Read Dawn and the Impossible Three for Free Online

the stairs. I turned and saw an absolutely gorgeous young woman rushing toward us. She looked like a model. Honest. She was wearing a silk blouse, a sleek linen suit, brown heels, and gold jewelry — not too much, but enough so you noticed it. Her hair fell away from her facein chestnut curls and she smelled of a heavenly perfume.
    â€œDawn?” she asked breathlessly.
    â€œYes. Hi, Mrs. Barrett.”
    â€œThank you for coming.” She flashed me a warm smile, then quickly kissed Marnie, Suzi, and Buddy in turn.
    â€œSo long, darlings. Be good for Dawn.” She rushed to the front door.
    â€œWait!” I called. “Where are you going to be?”
    â€œOn a job interview. And I’m late. Buddy, be a sweetheart and let Pow in the back door. I can hear him whining.” Mrs. Barrett was halfway down the walk.
    â€œHey, what am I supposed to do this afternoon?” Where were the special instructions? Snack time at four o’clock or help with homework, or
some
thing.
    Mrs. Barrett paused. For a moment her beautiful face looked confused. “Just … sit,” she said.
    â€œWhat if — what if there’s an emergency?” I asked. “How do I reach you?”
    â€œI’ll be at Mason and Company. It’s on Spring Street. Or call the Pikes, okay?”
    â€œWell …” (Mrs. Barrett’s car zoomed backward down the driveway.) “… all right,” Ifinished, as she waved to us from the window and sped away.
    I looked at the Barrett kids. They looked at me.
    â€œYou guys ever see
Mary Poppins
?” I asked.
    They shook their heads.
    Darn. I’d thought I could get them to tidy up the living room by pretending we were Mary Poppins and Jane and Michael Banks, cleaning up the nursery.
    â€œWell, how’d you like to surprise your mother?”
    â€œOkay!” said Buddy. I could tell he’d do anything for her.
    â€œWe’re going to surprise her with a clean house.”
    â€œWe are?” asked Buddy suspiciously.
    â€œYup. First go let Pow in, then I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
    â€œAll right.”
    Buddy disappeared. While he was gone, I buttoned Suzi’s jumper and rolled up the cuffs of Marnie’s overalls. Then I pulled a brush out of my purse and ran it through Marnie’s curls. “We’ll do your hair later,” I told Suzi. “We’ll have to take the braids out first.”
    Suzi nodded.
    Buddy returned, followed by a sleepy-looking basset hound. “This is Pow,” he announced. “The meanest dog that ever lived.”
    Pow’s eyelids drooped. He rolled over on his side. “Are you sure?” I asked.
    â€œYup,” replied Buddy.
    â€œThis must be an off day,” I said as Pow fell asleep. “Okay, you guys, are you ready for a game? I’m going to time us to see how fast we can clean up the living room. Take anything that doesn’t belong in there and put it where it does belong. Tidy everything else up. But be careful. Don’t work so fast you break something. We’ll have to add time to our score if we break anything.” I looked at my watch. The second hand was approaching the twelve.
    â€œTake your marks.” Suzi and Buddy and I crowded into the entryway to the living room. Buddy removed the swimming flippers. (Marnie didn’t know what was going on.)
    â€œGet set.”
    We crouched down.
    â€œGO!”
    We ran into the living room and a flurry of activity began. Buddy found three plates and ran them into the kitchen.
    â€œBring the sponge back with you!” I yelled.
    Buddy returned and threw me the sponge. I wiped up the coffee table while Suzi collected newspapers.
    â€œDoes your mom save the papers?” I asked.
    Suzi shook her head.
    â€œThen stack them up,” I told her. “We’ll make a bundle for the recycling collector.” Suzi stacked, I straightened cushions, Buddy rounded up