“WHAT do you suppose she wants?” whispered Veve. “Let’s go over and see,” replied Connie, who also had seen Eva’s strange motions. The two girls sauntered over to the entranceway of the tent where the circus rider stood. “Hello,” Connie greeted her politely. “Hello, yourself,” answered Eva Leitsall. “Why are you talking with the detective?” Connie and Veve told her how the pickpocket had stolen Miss Gordon’s billfold and the organization’s money. Her curiosity satisfied, Eva lost interest immediately. “Oh, that happens lots of times,” she said with a shrug. “It’s nothing at all.” “I guess you would think it something if you lost “I thought you said it was Miss Gordon’s money,” Eva shot back. “It belonged to all of us,” explained Connie. “The Brownies sold circus tickets to earn enough money to go on a camping trip. Now we may have to stay home.” “That is bad luck,” Eva agreed. “Who are the Brownies?” “It’s an organization,” Veve told her. “We have secret passwords and loads of fun! Last winter we spent a week at Snow Valley.” “I wish I could belong to a club,” Eva said wistfully. “This old circus always travels, and I never have a chance to join anything.” “We liked your riding act,” said Connie shyly. “Is it hard to turn somersaults?” “’Course it is,” promptly answered the circus girl. “Not many grown-up riders can do it.” “Aren’t you ever afraid?” questioned Veve. Eva Leitsall hesitated before she replied. Now in truth, she often was afraid of the somersault from one horse to another. Once in practice, she had fallen and hurt her shoulder. But, being proud, she “I’m not afraid of anything,” she said boastfully. “I guess you’d be afraid to walk a tightrope,” retorted Veve. “I would not,” Eva denied. “Anyway, riding a horse and somersaulting is much harder than any tightrope act.” Veve and the circus girl acted as if they might argue, so Connie said quickly: “Guess what we found under the stands?” “What?” asked the circus girl, all interest. “Money.” “How much?” “Fifty cents. Veve spent most of it for peanuts and pop.” “Fifty cents isn’t much,” said the circus child. “Once I found a five dollar bill.” Connie, who usually was very even tempered, “What did you do with the money you found?” she inquired, attempting to be polite. “Savings bank,” replied Eva briefly. Eva laughed in a superior sort of way. “I make that much money every week,” she said. Now the Brownies did not like the circus girl’s boastful manner. But they were rather impressed. “You make that much money just riding a horse?” asked Veve. “And I only have to be in two performances daily,” added Eva, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from her costume. “You don’t go to school either, do you?” questioned Connie. “Do you see any schoolhouse around here?” asked Eva. She was careful not to say that she never had to study. During winter months, she and the other circus children were sent away to boarding schools in the East. And each night when she traveled with the circus, her parents made her study in her tent or sleeping car. “I wish I could be in the circus,” sighed Veve. “What could you do?” demanded Eva discouragingly. Veve thought she might learn to do a tightrope act or perhaps help Mr. Carsdale. “Who wants to be in your circus?” retorted Veve crossly. “I would be in a better one.” “Our circus is the best on the road,” Eva said, scowling as she turned away. “But I can’t waste any more time talking to you. I have to go now and get my dinner before the next performance.” She disappeared into the big tent. “Miss Know-It-All,” muttered Veve. “That old Stuck-Up makes me sick!” “Don’t you mind,” Connie comforted her friend. “I didn’t like her very well myself.” By this time Miss Gordon had finished talking to the circus detective. She called to Veve and Connie, who quickly rejoined the group. “Well, I see you met Eva Leitsall,” remarked Miss Gordon as she and the Brownies left the circus lot. Connie and Veve repeated the conversation, adding that they had not liked the little circus girl because of her boastful manner. The leader of the Brownie Scout troop only laughed. “You shouldn’t have taken her remarks so seriously,” she advised. “No doubt Eva only was trying “All the same, I wish I might try it,” declared Veve. “I’d ride the big elephant all day long.” “And I’d eat popcorn until I couldn’t hold any more,” laughed Sunny. “I’d ask for a job selling balloons,” announced Jane, her gaze on a roadside stand where a circus man was vending all sorts of novelties. During the long walk to their homes, the Brownies chatted gaily about everything they had seen. Miss Gordon, however, seemed unusually quiet. Although she did not say so, the girls knew the teacher was very discouraged about losing her wrist watch and the Brownie camping money. During the next few days, the girls gradually forgot the circus, for examinations occupied their attention. Then came the class picnic at Elk’s Grove. After that, report cards were handed out, and school was over until fall. At the regular Brownie Scout meeting held in Belinda Matthews’ home, Miss Gordon was quite cheerful about the lost camping money. Taking the blame entirely upon herself, she told the girls again that she would make up the loss. “Will we have enough money?” Connie asked anxiously. “None of the girls have paid their five dollar individual fee yet.” “I brought mine today,” announced Eileen, waving a five dollar bill. “I’ll have my money by tomorrow,” added Rosemary. “I guess I’ve wiped a million dishes to earn it!” All the other troop members except Veve, said they would have their fee within two days. The Brownies were careful not to look directly at her. Veve, they knew, had tried to earn money, but had failed. Except for the idea of putting on a home circus, she had not thought up a single way to earn her fee. And now it was so late she would have no further opportunity. “Shall we start for the camping equipment store?” Miss Gordon proposed quickly. “Girls, you may go on ahead. Veve and I will catch up.” The Brownies thought it rather strange that the troop leader should remain behind with Veve. However, Left alone with Veve, Miss Gordon came directly to the point. “Veve,” she said kindly, “I believe you haven’t been able to earn your camp fee.” Veve gazed down at the rug and shifted from one foot to another. “I’m not going with the girls,” she said, trying to look unconcerned. “It doesn’t matter.” “Oh, but it does,” insisted the Brownie leader. “The girls all want you, and so do I.” “I can’t earn any money, Miss Gordon. Last week I offered to run errands for Mr. Vargo, who lives down the street. He said I could do it if I wanted to, but he couldn’t pay me.” “That is discouraging, Veve. But I think I have an idea.” “You have, Miss Gordon?” “Yes, I’ll advance your five dollar fee. Then you may have until fall to earn the money and repay me.” Veve’s face brightened momentarily, only to collapse. “But if I can’t earn the money by then, Miss Gordon?” “I’m sure you’ll think of a way,” the troop leader encouraged her. “If not, well perhaps I’ll have a suggestion or two. Now shall we hurry and catch up with the Brownies?” “Oh, yes,” Veve declared happily. “I’m really going to camp?” “Of course,” Miss Gordon assured her, slipping an arm about the girl’s slim waist, “and this little talk will be our own secret. You needn’t tell anyone that I am putting in your five dollars.” “I’ll earn it before fall,” Veve announced firmly as they went down the street together. “I’ll think of some way!” Now when the couple joined the Brownies at the bus stop, neither told of their conversation. However, Veve was so cheerful, the other girls guessed that Miss Gordon had said something very pleasant to her. And at the camping equipment store, Veve unintentionally let the secret out. “I’m going camping after all,” she announced to Connie as the girls rode up the elevator to the fourth floor. “Oh, I’ll have it,” Veve announced confidently. “I know a way now.” “So that’s why Miss Gordon kept you! She’s paying your fee!” “I didn’t say so,” Veve answered quickly. The elevator had reached the fourth floor. Veve left it hurriedly, and refused to say anything more about the camping trip. However, all the girls had heard her remarks and were quite certain Miss Gordon had offered to pay Veve’s way. “I’m glad she’s going with us,” Jane whispered to Connie as the troop walked toward the camping equipment department. “All the same, it’s hardly fair for Miss Gordon to have to pay for everything.” “I know,” Connie agreed. “I know Veve would much rather pay her own way. But what could she do?” For the next half hour, the Brownies had a thoroughly enjoyable time looking over camping equipment. They tested beds, darted in and out of umbrella tents, and examined nested cooking pans. One of the tents had not been set up very well. The support suddenly gave way, and down came the canvas upon their heads. Clawing wildly, the girls fought their way out from beneath the folds. “Oh, see what you’ve done!” Jane exclaimed indignantly. “The salesman will think Brownies have no manners. Just look at that tent!” “It wasn’t our fault,” Veve insisted. “The old pole slipped!” “That’s right,” agreed Eileen. “We didn’t do a thing!” The tent salesman was very nice about the accident. He told Miss Gordon and the Brownies that because the canvas could not be staked down, all of the support came from the center pole. “Not a bit of harm has been done,” he assured Veve and Eileen. After much debate, Miss Gordon finally selected a tent which was just large enough for seven Brownies and one adult “sleeping end to end.” “We’ll have no room for beds,” the teacher said regretfully. “Each girl will have to make her own of balsam boughs.” Miss Gordon paid for the tent and bought other For the next two days the Brownies were so busy gathering together everything they would need, that they barely had time to see one another. Connie and her mother made repeated trips downtown for shorts, a heavy jacket, a new bathing suit and a dozen and one odds and ends. When towels, blankets, camera, a heavy bathrobe and Brownie uniforms were added to the mounting pile of clothing on the little girl’s bed, she wondered where it would be packed. “If all the Brownies take as much, you’ll need another tent just to hold your luggage,” laughed Connie’s mother. According to plan, the Brownies were to leave for Shady Hollow Saturday afternoon, there to spend a week in camp. Miss Gordon would take her coupe loaded with equipment. Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Davidson also had promised to drive their cars. However, the two mothers expected to return home that same night after the Brownies were settled. On the day scheduled for the departure, the girls “Dear me, where will we put everything?” Miss Gordon asked in despair. Her car was packed first so that she might drive on ahead with the tent. The leader expected to have it set up by the time the Brownies arrived in the other cars. After Miss Gordon finally pulled away, it took a long while to pack Mrs. Davidson’s sedan. Eileen, Sunny, Belinda and Jane were to ride with her. But when they climbed in, the luggage was stacked so high on the floor, they had little space for their feet. Presently the Davidson car drove away, and only Mrs. Williams, Connie, Veve and Rosemary remained. So eager were they to be off that they fairly threw suitcases and bedrolls into the car. “Oh, Mother, we’re terribly late,” Connie fretted as Mrs. Williams carried one thing after another from the house. “Now, do relax,” her mother soothed. “We’ll reach Shady Hollow in ample time. Is everyone ready?” “I believe were ready to start,” declared Mrs. Williams. “Now let me see—my car keys.” A baffled expression came over her face as she searched, first in one pocket and then another. The keys were nowhere to be found. “Oh, now I remember,” she said, as the Brownies watched her anxiously. “They’re in my purse, lying on the kitchen table.” Intending to fetch the purse for her mother, Connie ran to the side door. She found it locked. Her mother also had snapped the night latch on the other doors. “Mother, I can’t get in anywhere,” she called. Mrs. Williams knew this to be true. Unwittingly, she had locked her purse into the house, and with it both the car keys and those of the dwelling. “Oh, Mother, what can we do?” Connie asked miserably. “All the other Brownies have gone on without us! Without the car keys, we can’t drive to Shady Hollow!” |