The Mystery of Sinister Scarecrow - M. V. Carey [30]
“Letitia! Don’t!” begged Woolley.
“My ants — my research! Please!”
Letitia Radford looked at Woolley
with great scorn. Then she began to
slosh liquid from the can onto the porch
and the front walls of the guest house.
Jupe smelled gasoline.
Letitia Radford hurled the can
through the open door onto the ants
that swarmed and pulsed in the living
room of the little house. Then she took
something out of her sweater pocket.
“Letitia! No!” Woolley leaped forward.
She struck a match and tossed it.
There was a sound like a giant puff.
The front porch of the cottage was suddenly in flames. They spread, leaping, to the living room.
“There!” she cried. “That will fix them. I’ve had enough. I can’t stand anymore!”
And she turned and marched up the hill.
Chapte
t r 16
A Scare in the Night
“IF ON
O LY I’D
D GOT
O TE
T N the
h li
l c
i ense
s numbe
b r of
o
f tha
h t truc
u k,”
, moa
o ned Pete
t .
. “It was
s
dumb
b not
o
t to
t
o get the
h
e li
l c
i e
c nse
s nu
n mbe
b r!”
!
It
I
t wa
w s
a
s th
t e
h
e mo
m r
o n
r i
n n
i g
n
g af
a t
f e
t r
e
r
th
t e
h
e fi
f r
i e
r
e at
a
t th
t e
h
e Ra
R d
a f
d o
f r
o d
r
d es
e t
s a
t t
a e
t .
e
.
Th
T e
h
e Th
T r
h e
r e
e
e In
I v
n e
v s
e t
s i
t g
i a
g t
a o
t r
o s
r
s we
w r
e e
r
e
in
i
n
th
t e
h i
e r
i
r
of
o f
f i
f c
i e
in
He
H a
e d
a q
d u
q a
u r
a t
r e
t r
e s
r ,
s
, ta
t l
a k
l i
k n
i g
n
g ov
o e
v r
e
th
t e
h
e e
v
e e
v n
e t
n s
t
s o
f
o
f t
h
t e
h
e d
a
d y
a
y b
e
b f
e o
f r
o e
r .
e
“A
“
A
po
p o
o l
o
l
ma
m i
a n
i t
n e
t n
e a
n n
a c
n e
c
e
ma
m n
a ,
n ”
,
” sa
s i
a d
i
d Bo
B b
o .
b
. “N
“ o
N w
o
w th
t a
h t
a
t
we
w
e kn
k o
n w
o
w wh
w a
h t
a
t he
h
e do
d e
o s
e ,
s
, it
i
mi
m g
i h
g t
h
t no
n t
o
t be
b
e th
t a
h t
a
t ha
h r
a d
r
d to
t
o
lo
l c
o a
c t
a e
t
e h
i
h m
i .
m ”
.
“W
“
e
W
e ma
m y
a
y no
n t
o
t ne
n e
e d
e
d to
t ,
o ”
,
sa
s i
a d
i
d Ju
J p
u e
p .
e
. “P
“ e
P t
e e
t ,
e
, yo
y u
o
u sa
s i
a d
i
d
yo
y u
o
u we
w r
e e
r
e kn
k o
n c
o k
c e
k d
e
d ou
o t
u
t fo
f r
o
r
on
o l
n y
l
y a
a fe
f w
e seconds,
s and
whe
h n you
o
u ca
c me to,
o
, the
h
e man w
as
s ru
r nnin
i g
g dow
o n the
h
e roa
o d
a aft
f er
r hi
h s
i
s tr
t uck.”
.
Pete nod
o d
d e
d d.
. “He cau
a ght
h it
i whe
h n it
i ran in
i to
o the
h dit
i c
t h
h and st
s op
o p
p e
p d.
. The
h n he
h
cli
l m
i be
b d in
i a
nd d
rov
o e aw
a ay qu
q ic
i k,
, b
r
b akes
s or
o no
n
o br
b akes.
s ”
.
“The
h n the
h
e myst
s erio
i u
o s
s po
p o
o l
o man is
s not
o the
h sca
c r
a e
r c
e r
c o
r w
o ,
w ”
,
” sa
s i
a d
i
d Ju
J p
u i
p t
i e
t r
e .
r
. “B
“ e
B c
e a
c u
a s
u e
s
e at
a
t
the
h mom
o ent he
h was
s cha
h si
s n
i g hi
h s
i
s truck dow
o n
w the
h roa
o d,
d
, the
h sc
s arecrow
o was
s tr
t yin
i g to
br
b eak in
i to
o D
r.
. Woo
o l
o l
l e
l y’s
’
s la
l bo
b r
o ator
o y.”
.
“The
h n who
h
o is
i
s the
h sc
s are
r c
e row
o ?” ask
s ed Pet
e e.
“The
h Burro
r u
o ghs
h
s cou
o pl
p e
l are in
i the
h cle
l ar,”
, Jupe
p su
s mmariz
i e
z d.
. “I saw them in the
Radfo
f r
o d ho
h u
o se
s just
s mom
o ents
s be
b fo
f r
o e I sa
s w the
h sc
s arecrow
o .
. Dr.
. Wool
o l
l ey is
i
s unacco
c u
o nted
d
fo
f r
o at tha
h t tim
i e,
, bu
b t he
h was
s wit
i h
h us
s whe
h n we sa
s w the
h sc
s arecrow
o the
h ot
o he
h r nig
i ht
h .
. Tha
h t
le
l aves
s Gerha
h rt Malz
l ,
z
, wh
w o
h
o se
s ems
s a m
os
o t
s unli
l k
i el
e y
l su
s sp
s e
p ct.”
.
Jupe
p le
l an