Midnight Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

best dog keeper, too. Watch probably had steak for dinner.”
    The children hopped out of the car. They were eager to meet Isabel Putter and her dogs.
    “Meet Ruff and Tumble,” Isabel said. “Ruff is the noisy one. Tumble got his name because he often tumbled off his dog bed when he was a puppy.”
    Violet giggled as one of the hounds sniffed at her feet. “They must smell our dog, Watch, on me, Ms. Putter. He slept on my sneakers last night.”
    “Careful,” Isabel warned. “Their favorite treats are shoelaces. Be sure to put your sneakers in the closet at night.” Isabel smoothed her white hair, then buttoned her woolly sweater over her bathrobe. “Please excuse my nightclothes. I wasn’t sure when you’d be arriving. I’m certainly glad to meet you children. You weren’t even born yet when your parents visited a long time ago.”
    The children were quiet for a few seconds. They would always miss their parents. Thank goodness for Grandfather. After their parents had died, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, plus Watch, had lived by themselves in a boxcar in the woods. Grandfather had searched all over until he’d found them. Now they lived in Grandfather’s big comfy house in Greenfield. And they still had their boxcar, which Grandfather had placed in his backyard for the children to use as a playhouse.
    “Whoa!” Benny cried as Ruff and Tumble ran after a raccoon in the nearby garden. “Who’s that standing in your garden? I mean, what’s that?”
    Everyone turned to look. Smack in the middle of the garden, next to several tomato plants, stood the tall, wiry shape of a man.
    Isabel Putter laughed. “That, Benny, was Grandma Alice’s idea of a scarecrow! I’m sure your grandfather told you that my grandmother was a sculptor and an inventor. Many of her sculptures are beautiful and useful. When there’s a breeze, that big metal scarecrow spins around and scares the birds and animals from the garden.”
    “Good thing Ruff and Tumble can’t run very fast on their stubby legs,” Jessie said as she watched the two dogs trying to catch up to the raccoon. “The Greenfield raccoons know better than to visit Grandfather’s house if Watch is around.”
    Isabel led the Aldens up the steps of the house. She pushed open one of the low doors. “You can go in this one, Benny. Grandma Alice designed doors for grownups and doors for children.”
    “And doors for dogs.” Benny lowered his head and entered through the Benny-sized doorway behind Ruff and Tumble, who had given up chasing the raccoon.
    When the children stepped into the large entryway they were startled to see a huge round face staring back at them.
    “Whoa!” Henry said. “That’s the biggest grandfather clock I’ve ever seen. Does it work?”
    Isabel smiled at the children. “You’ll hear it strike midnight soon. Grandma Alice became famous for the clocks she designed and built. Each one is different. Grandma Alice loved anything mechanical — music boxes, jewelry boxes, but especially clocks.”
    Violet stepped in front of the clock and stared up. “The face is the man in the moon. It’s hand-painted with stars and blue sky. I’ve never seen such a beautiful clock.”
    Isabel came over and stood next to Violet. “I’m glad you like it. Your grandfather told me you’re an artist, too. I have to warn you that Grandma Alice had quite a sense of humor. This clock and all the others in the house make a terrible racket at midnight and at noon. I promise you won’t sleep through it.”
    “Who would want to?” Jessie asked as she admired the unusual clock.
    “Most people who stay here more than one night!” Isabel answered. “Now, we’d better get you upstairs where you’ll be staying.”
    “Yeow.”
    Everyone looked up. Two green eyes shone from between the stair railings.
    “Yeow,” the green-eyed creature cried again.
    Isabel laughed. “Oh, Midnight, there you are. Well, you’d better go hide under one of the beds. Ruff and