“No, but he could have used a ladder,” returned Mary Louise.
The girls slipped coats over their pajamas and put on their shoes. With Silky close at their heels, they went downstairs and out the front door, around to the side of the house.
The first thing that they spied was a ladder, lying on the ground perpendicular to the wall.
“That’s William’s ladder,” announced Elsie. “He often leaves it around. It seems to me he had it out yesterday, nailing up a board on the porch roof.”
“If only we could find some footprints,” said Mary Louise, flashing her light on the ground.
But she could see no marks. If the intruder had made off that way, he had been wise enough to walk over the rounds of the ladder. And everywhere cedar needles covered the ground, making footprints almost impossible.
“Wait till Aunt Mattie hears about this!” sobbed Elsie. “It’ll be the end of me.”
“We won’t tell her till she gets better,” decided Mary Louise. “Maybe by that time we’ll discover a clue that will help us solve the mystery.”
“Oh, I hope so!” breathed the young girl fervently.
All this time, however, Jane said nothing. But she was watching Elsie closely, as if she was beginning to believe that she might be guilty.