Read The Strange Message in the Parchment for Free Online Page B

he thought the girls should try to find out what DB stood for. “It might be the initials of the artist, or an art school, or a museum, or even a dealer’s initials.”
    “One thing is sure,” Nancy said, “Milano is Milano, Italy, so that’s as good a place to start as any, but I guess we can’t go there.”
    Junie’s father said, “Leaving the mystery for a moment, Nancy, I have a little favor to ask of you. In your spare moments, try your hand at creating an attractive symbol for Triple Creek Farm. I don’t like the one I’ve been using.”
    “I’ll be glad to try,” Nancy replied.
    As soon as he left the room, she went to the hall table, where the telephone was, and picked up several sheets of paper and a pencil. Junie watched intently as Nancy made sketch after sketch. The girls laughed at some of them.
    “This one looks like a three-legged monkey,” Junie remarked. “No offense meant.”
    “And this one like a broken harp with all the strings missing,” Nancy added. “Junie, let’s do something else. By the time we come back, maybe my imagination will return. Right now I’ve run out of ideas for a Triple Creek symbol.”
    “What would you like to do?” Junie asked.
    The girl detective thought they should call on Eezy as soon as Junie finished her chores, with Nancy’s help. “Maybe he’ll be willing to tell us more about those two men who knocked him out, and also what he knows about Mr. Rocco.”
    Junie agreed. After two hours of work with the newborn sheep, the girls changed clothes and were ready to set off for the shepherd’s cabin.
    As before, they drove part of the way, then climbed up the hillside among the sheep. Eezy was there, sitting on a log in front of his little cottage and casting an eye over the hundreds of healthy-looking sheep in his flock.
    “Howdy, girls!” he greeted them. “I had a feelin’ maybe you’d run up here today. Glad to see you.”
    When Nancy said, “I hope we’re not interrupting your work,” the shepherd chuckled and immediately answered. “As it says in the book of Hebrews, ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ ” 2
    The two girls smiled at the compliment, then Junie said, “I’m not an angel, but I do like to help people. Nancy does too. That’s why we’re here.”
    “Eezy,” Nancy said, “did the two men who attacked you ever return?”
    “No.”
    She asked him if he was still unwilling to talk about what his attackers wanted him to do for them.
    “I’m afraid I am,” the shepherd replied. “Sorry, but it might get some innocent people into trouble.”
    Nancy now asked Eezy to tell them all he knew about Mr. Rocco. The herdsman repeated the story Mr. Flockhart had told, then added, “I don’t know anythin’ else about the Italian, because he’s a man without a civil tongue.
    “Not one of his workers can speak English, and somebody told me he pushes them very, very hard in the fields. He overworks his men on the produce farm. Besides, he is often cruel. I understand that sometimes he beats that little boy who lives with him. Rocco says he’s his uncle, but I don’t believe him. He sure doesn’t look like the boy or have his disposition.”
    “Mr. Rocco beats the boy? How dreadful!” Nancy remarked. “Don’t the authorities get after him?”
    “Guess not,” Eezy replied. “But there’s a proverb in the Bible that says, ‘The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own body.”’ 3
    The girls thought about this and decided the proverb was indeed true. They wondered what punishment might come to Rocco for his cruel and unwarranted actions to others.
    At this moment a cute and friendly little lamb came up to the girls and stood patiently waiting for their affection. Both of them leaned down and hugged the young animal.
    “You’re a cutie all right,” said Junie. “I’m going to call you ‘Cheerio.’ ”
    “Oh, I hope it