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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d69b5ef --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51744 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51744) diff --git a/old/51744-0.txt b/old/51744-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 35aeb59..0000000 --- a/old/51744-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6017 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, by Mildred A. Wirt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley - -Author: Mildred A. Wirt - -Release Date: April 12, 2016 [EBook #51744] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SNOW VALLEY *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: She held a golden locket on a chain. - - “Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley” (_See page 188_)] - - - - -The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley - - by - Mildred A. Wirt - - Illustrated - - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - Publishers New York - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1949, BY - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - - _All Rights Reserved_ - - THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SNOW VALLEY - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - - _To_ - MRS. ELEANOR T. GIBSON - - _Executive Director of the Toledo Girl Scouts - in appreciation of her helpfulness and cooperation._ - - - - -Contents - - - 1 A Runaway Sled 1 - - 2 In Search of Veve 19 - - 3 Safety Rules and Kitten Tails 27 - - 4 Miss Gordon’s Surprise 41 - - 5 A Substitute Brownie 61 - - 6 Snowland 75 - - 7 Santa Claus Jeffert 91 - - 8 Three Little Stones 107 - - 9 Tale of the Brownies 117 - - 10 A Stolen Evergreen 137 - - 11 Into the Storm 151 - - 12 A Pair of Mittens 163 - - 13 Lost in the Blizzard 173 - - 14 Snowbound 181 - - 15 Grandmother Gordon’s Locket 189 - - - - -CHAPTER 1 - -A Runaway Sled - - -Six little Brownie Scouts, busily pasting scrapbooks in Connie -Williams’ living room, perked up their ears to listen. - -“Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!” - -Again came that firm, quick tapping on the window pane. - -Through the cold, frosted glass, a little girl in scarlet snowsuit -peered in at the Brownies, seated cross-legged in a semi-circle on the -rug. - -Her freckled pug nose made a tiny smudge as she pressed it hard against -the pane, trying to see what went on in the room. - -“Why, it’s Veve McGuire!” said Connie, scrambling to her feet. - -“Let’s not pay any attention to her.” This advice came from Jane -Tuttle, another member of the Rosedale Brownie Troop. With a toss of -her long, yellow pigtails, she went on snipping papers. “Veve’s just -trying to act silly because she isn’t a Brownie.” - -Veve McGuire lived next door to Connie. That fall when Miss Jean -Gordon, the fourth grade teacher at Rosedale School, had organized the -Brownies, the little girl had been invited to join. - -But Veve had tossed her dark curls and said she didn’t think she wanted -to be a Brownie. - -“Who wants to belong to any old troop?” she had scoffed. “What do -Brownies do anyway, except have meetings?” - -“Brownies have loads of fun,” the other girls had told her. “They go to -camp, they help at home, they plan entertainments--” - -Veve hadn’t listened. Even when the six girls bought their new uniforms -of pinchecked brown gingham, each with a cocky felt beanie cap, she had -pretended she wasn’t a bit interested. But now that the Brownies were -so busy with their work and plans, she really missed her playmates. - -Connie, who very much wanted Veve to be a Brownie Scout, knew all this. -So while the other girls paid no heed to Veve, she went to the window. - -“Come on out and play!” Veve shouted. “I’m going to make a big snowman. -I’ll let you all help me!” - -Now it had snowed nearly all day, the first real storm of December. -Little feathery drifts had blown against the Williams’ white shingle -house. - -During the last hour, the wind had died. Water dripped steadily from -the roof, for the weather had turned warmer. The snow, though melting -fast, was just soft enough to roll. - -“Come on out!” Veve shouted again, waving a red mitten. - -Connie shook her head. She had to turn her back on Veve’s disappointed -face, for just then Miss Gordon, the troop leader, came into the living -room from the kitchen. - -“Well, girls,” she said, “shall we pick up our scrap papers and call it -an afternoon? I think we’ve made wonderful progress.” - -The six Brownies, Connie, Jane, Rosemary Fritche, Eileen Webber, -Belinda Matthews and “Sunny” Davidson, had been pasting scrapbooks for -patients at Rosedale Hospital. Three of the books already were finished. - -Forgetting about Veve, the girls cleaned up the scraps from the rug. -When the room was tidy, they sang their Brownie song: - -“_We’re the Brownies, here’s our aim: Lend a hand and play the game!_” - -Then as the girls started to leave, they told Connie how very much they -had enjoyed themselves at her home. - -“The chocolate and cookies were awfully good,” said Jane, wriggling -into her heavy snowsuit. “Will you all meet at my house next week?” - -Before anyone could answer, Miss Gordon spoke. - -“Oh, girls,” she said, “I nearly forgot! Let’s not plan our next -meeting just yet.” - -“Not plan another meeting?” Connie echoed, a puzzled look in her deep -blue eyes. - -“I may have a surprise for you,” Miss Gordon hinted mysteriously. “No, -don’t ask me about it just yet. I can’t tell you any more now.” - -She broke off and laughed in her delightful way, which made the -Brownies more curious than ever. The hall buzzed with excited talk as -the girls put on their galoshes and woolen mittens. What could Miss -Gordon’s “surprise” be? - -“Give us a tiny hint,” they pleaded. - -“Can’t,” laughed their leader. “Not until after I’ve talked to your -parents. You may hear all about it at our next meeting.” - -“And when will that be?” Jane inquired anxiously, for she had asked to -be the next hostess. - -“I’ll telephone you in plenty of time,” Miss Gordon promised. - -Out in the Williams’ front yard, Veve had started to roll a huge -snowball. She hadn’t known it was the regular time for the Brownie -meeting to break up, and thought the girls meant to play with her. - -“Come and help me push!” she shouted. “I want to make this snowball as -big as a mountain!” - -Belinda Matthews and Rosemary Fritche only smiled at her as they ambled -down the walk arm-in-arm. Next, Eileen Webber and Jane Tuttle came out -of the house, and they barely noticed Veve or her snowball. - -Connie, who stood in the doorway saying goodbye to Sunny and Miss -Gordon, saw that Veve was very disappointed. The little girl looked as -if she might cry. Miss Gordon noticed it too. - -“What wonderful snow for rolling!” the Brownie Scout leader remarked. - -“Let’s help Veve!” proposed Connie. Usually known as “sober face,” she -was now very gay as she dived into the cloak closet for her snowsuit -and galoshes. “Can you stay awhile and play, Sunny?” - -“I’ll call my mother,” Sunny offered. - -Reached by telephone, Mrs. Davidson said that her daughter might remain -until five o’clock. Sunny struggled into her zippered white woolen -snowsuit and the two girls went outdoors together. - -Veve tried not to show how glad she was to see them. “Let’s push this -snowball down the driveway,” she urged. - -The big ball went “crunch, crunch,” as the three girls rolled it over -and over. From the driveway it picked up bits of gravel and rock. - -“Isn’t it large enough now for a snowman?” asked Sunny as she became -breathless from pushing. - -Veve walked around the huge ball to see how large it had grown. - -“Yes, it will do,” she decided. “This ball is for the snowman’s feet. -We will make the next one larger. That will be for his stomach.” - -The three girls stood the snowball on its flat end in the front yard. -Then they started another which grew and grew as it rolled over the -ground. - -“Veve,” Connie asked suddenly, “why don’t you join our Brownie troop?” - -In the act of lifting up a hard-packed snowball, Veve nearly let it -tumble through her mittens. - -“Oh, Brownies!” she teased. “They stay all afternoon in the house and -make scrapbooks! I’d rather play outdoors!” - -“Brownies don’t stay inside all the time!” Sunny said hotly. “You have -it all wrong. Our troop is wonderful!” - -Veve tried to change the subject. “Our snowman needs a face. I’ll get -some coal for his eyes and nose.” - -On the driveway of the McGuire home next door stood a red coal delivery -truck. A strong looking man with a very dirty face was shoveling coal -into the basement. - -“Hello, mister,” said Veve, who never was afraid of strangers. “May I -have some little pieces of coal for my snowman?” - -“Help yourself, Sister,” replied the man. He kept right on unloading -the coal. - -“My name isn’t Sister,” said Veve politely. “It is Veve McGuire. This -is our coal too.” - -The little girl picked up several small pieces which had tumbled from -the rear of the truck. However, they were not the size she needed. Veve -saw better pieces over by the chute, but was afraid to try to get them. -The coalman was shoveling so fast she knew she might be struck. - -“Please, can’t you wait a minute?” she asked. - -“All right,” agreed the coalman, resting on his shovel. “Pick up what -you want.” - -Veve darted in and gathered up several pieces. As soon as she had -jumped out of the way, the coalman went on with his work again. - -Veve stood watching him a moment. - -“My, but you are a strong man,” she said admiringly. “Do you know what -I would do if I had large muscles like yours?” - -“No,” replied the man. “I suppose you would be a coalwoman.” - -Veve laughed because she knew the man was teasing her. “I wouldn’t like -to get as dirty as you are,” she said. - -“I don’t like coal dust either,” returned the man, “but it can’t be -helped. Well, what would you do?” - -“If I were strong, I would make the largest snowman in the whole world!” - -The coalman laughed as he went on with his shoveling. - -“I am too busy to make snowmen,” he said. “I have a wife and four -children to feed and clothe.” - -Veve very much would have liked to talk longer with the coalman, but -she knew the girls were waiting for her. - -So, taking the pieces of coal, she ran back to the Williams’ yard. - -“Why, Veve, you’re all covered with dirt!” exclaimed Connie, noticing a -streak on the little girl’s face. - -“I don’t care,” laughed Veve. “You should see the coalman. He’s a lot -worse than I am!” - -The girls used the pieces of coal to mark the snowman’s eyes, nose and -mouth. Connie made a long row of black buttons down the front of the -fat figure. - -“That’s his coat,” she declared. “Now he’s finished!” - -“Not yet,” insisted Veve. “He should have a hat and a pipe. Then he’ll -look like a real man.” - -“Where can we get them?” asked Sunny, stepping back to admire the -snowman. - -Connie knew that her father had a tall black silk hat which he never -used, and she remembered a green plastic bubble pipe in the kitchen -drawer. - -“I’ll ask mother if we may use them,” she offered, and ran into the -house. - -Mrs. Williams gave her the bubble pipe, but hesitated when Connie asked -if she might also have the black silk hat. - -“Your father hasn’t used that hat in years, so I suppose he won’t -mind,” she said, after thinking the matter over for a moment. “You’ll -find it in the attic.” - -Connie climbed the stairs to the cobwebby room under the roof. The -place was cluttered with trunks, boxes, and old pieces of furniture. -Everything was very dusty. - -Opening one trunk after another, Connie finally found the tall black -silk hat which had been wrapped in tissue paper. With the bubble pipe, -she carried it to the yard. - -“Just what we need!” cried Veve in delight. - -She thrust the hat jauntily on the snowman’s head and the pipestem deep -into his mouth. The girls laughed aloud, for the figure now looked very -funny. - -“Doesn’t he look grand!” exclaimed Connie. “Almost like Daddy!” - -Unable to think of another way to improve the snowman, the girls sat -down on the porch steps. Connie and Sunny began to talk about the -Brownie meeting and to speculate on Miss Gordon’s promised “surprise.” - -Again Veve deliberately changed the subject. - -“It’s getting warmer,” she said. “Our snowman won’t last very long, I’m -afraid.” - -“He’s wilting already,” agreed Sunny. “Oh, don’t you wish the snow -would never melt?” - -“It always goes away real fast here,” sighed Connie. “We never have -half enough ice skating or coasting.” - -“Say, why don’t we go coasting right now?” Veve proposed eagerly. -“Klingman’s Hill!” - -“All right, let’s ask our mothers,” Connie agreed, falling in with the -plan. - -“It’s nearly five o’clock,” Sunny said regretfully. “I’ll have to run -along. Remember, Connie, until our next Brownie meeting--DYB.” - -She winked at Connie as she spoke the mysterious letters. - -“What does DYB mean?” Veve demanded. - -“Oh, it’s a Brownie secret,” laughed Sunny as she started off down the -street. “Our troop has lots and lots of them!” - -Now Klingman’s Hill was three blocks from the Williams’ home. The -road had been roped off to keep automobiles from using it. Usually a -policeman was on hand to see that the children did not get hurt. - -After Connie obtained permission from her mother, the two girls started -for the hill. - -“Tell me what DYB means,” Veve coaxed. - -“Can’t, Veve. It’s a Brownie secret, and Brownies never tell. Now if -you were a member--” - -“But I’m not,” said Veve a trifle crossly. - -By this time the girls were quite close to Klingman’s Hill. They could -see that the coasting place was nearly deserted. Much of the snow had -melted, leaving ugly bare spots on the hill. Only a few boys and girls -stood around looking very gloomy. - -“Oh, Veve, no one is coasting!” cried Connie in disappointment. “We -won’t be able to slide after all.” - -“The snow always melts before we have a chance to coast,” grumbled -Veve. “I’m getting sick of it.” - -“So am I, Veve. But Miss Gordon says Brownies must learn to take -disappointments.” - -Veve frowned, for she disliked the advice. “All I ask is a little cold -winter weather,” she mumbled. - -Dragging their sleds, the two girls walked to the brow of the hill. -Everywhere they could see patches of bare earth on the slope. Water -trickled in the roadside ditches. - -“Can’t coast here,” said a boy who stood near. “But there’s snow left -on Kelly’s Hill. Most of the kids have gone there. That’s where I’m -heading.” He started away with his sled. - -Veve seized Connie’s hand. “Come on,” she urged. “Let’s go too.” - -“But Kelly’s Hill isn’t roped off. Only the older boys coast there.” - -“Who’s afraid?” scoffed Veve. “I want to use my sled at least once this -winter.” - -“Do you think the hill is safe?” Connie was troubled. While her mother -had not forbidden her to go to the other coasting area, she wondered if -she should. A Brownie, Miss Gordon had said, always was trustworthy -and responsible. - -“We can be careful,” Veve said. She started away. - -“Wait!” called Connie. - -Veve was a year younger than she, and inclined to act hastily. She -could not let her friend go alone. - -Now Kelly’s Hill was several blocks farther on at the south edge of -Rosedale. The slope was very steep, with railroad tracks crossing it -near the bottom. - -A dirt road wound over the hill too. Automobiles passed now and then, -so for that reason the coasting place was considered unsafe. - -However, when Connie and Veve reached the steep hill they found plenty -of snow. The run looked very fast. Many boys and a few girls were -coasting. - -Connie, who was worried because of the railroad tracks, said quietly: -“Veve, I don’t think we should coast here.” - -“So Brownies are afraid!” jeered her friend. “Well, I’m not.” - -All the same, she did not start down the hill right away. Instead, she -removed her mittens and blew breath on her fingers. - -“It’s cold here,” she said, stamping one foot and then another. - -Connie laughed, for the air was not in the least chilly. She knew Veve -was afraid of the hill. But she did not say so, for she hoped her -friend would decide not to coast. - -Just then, a group of older boys came along with their sleds. One of -them knew Veve and tried to tease her. - -“This hill isn’t for girls! Too steep!” - -The remark annoyed Veve. Forgetting to be afraid, she climbed on her -sled and took the rope in her hands. - -Before she was ready to start, the older boy gave her a hard push. Down -the hill shot the sled, moving faster and faster. - -Wind whizzed in Veve’s face. She couldn’t see. The sled went so fast it -was hard to steer. - -“Oh! Oh!” she squealed. - -Another sled loomed up. Veve pushed hard on the steering lever with her -foot. The sled skidded sharply to the right and she couldn’t straighten -it out. The next moment she was lying in a ditch with the sled on top -of her. - -Slowly she picked herself up and brushed wet snow from her suit. Connie -ran down the hill to ask anxiously: - -“Are you hurt, Veve?” - -“Of course not! But look at my clothes. They’re all wet. I don’t like -this hill.” - -“Let’s go home.” - -“All right,” Veve agreed. “It’s not as much fun here as I thought it -would be.” - -As the girls trudged slowly up the slope, a car overtook them. Several -of the older boys ran after it, hooking the ropes of their sleds over -the rear bumpers. They rode to the top of the hill and then jumped off. - -“Say, that’s an easy way to get up without walking,” laughed Veve. - -“I shouldn’t try it,” cautioned Connie. “Those boys might get hurt.” - -She knew they were being most unwise to risk hooking their sleds onto -the car bumpers. If the automobile should speed up, they easily might -be carried away. - -Midway up the hill, Veve suddenly halted. - -“See what’s coming!” she shouted. “A runaway sled!” - -“Jeepers!” Connie exclaimed. “It looks like mine!” Before starting down -the hill she had tied her sled to a tree. Now she saw that someone had -untied it for a joke. - -The two girls tried to stop the sled, but were not quick enough. It -glided past them into a ditch far down the hill. Of course they had to -go after it. - -“What a mean trick!” exclaimed Veve. “I’m ready to go home! Only I hate -to climb all the way up this old mountain.” - -Nearby stood a parked automobile. The driver sat behind the steering -wheel with the engine running. However, he appeared to be waiting for -someone and did not act as if he intended to start up the hill. - -“Connie, I’ll show you how the boys hook onto the car bumpers,” Veve -offered. - -Before her friend could stop her, she darted to the parked car. The -driver did not see her, for he was gazing in another direction. - -“Just slip the rope over the bumper like this,” explained Veve. “It’s -easy, Connie.” - -Now Veve had no intention of riding up the hill. She only liked to -think she could do anything the older boys did. Never once did it occur -to her that the automobile might start suddenly forward. - -Therefore, she was startled when, without warning, the motor speeded -up. Smoke poured from the exhaust pipe at the rear. The car began to -move slowly ahead. - -“Oh, he’s driving off with your sled!” Connie cried in alarm. - -“Hey, wait!” shouted Veve, running after the car. - -The driver did not hear. - -Connie and Veve soon caught up, for the car climbed the hill slowly. -But instead of unhooking the rope, Veve threw herself flat on the sled. - -“Jump on!” she invited Connie. - -Connie raced alongside, urging Veve to unhook the sled. - -“Not yet,” the other girl laughed. “I’m riding to the top.” - -The car began to move faster, although it was still climbing. Connie -fell behind. She was very worried for her friend. - -“Get off now, Veve!” she shouted. - -The car reached the hilltop and went so fast Veve could not unfasten -the sled rope. - -Connie saw that her playmate might be carried away by the automobile. -In a moment it would start downhill, and then Veve never could jump off -without being hurt. - -“Roll off!” she urged. “Roll off, quick!” - -Veve did not want to lose her sled. She kept clinging to it, hoping the -car would slow down. Instead, it picked up speed. - -“Stop!” she shouted to the driver. “Stop the car!” - -The man could not hear because the chains on the wheels were making a -loud clanking noise. - -“Help! Help!” screamed Veve, now thoroughly frightened. - -The car whirled around a corner, with the girl clinging desperately to -her sled. - - - - -CHAPTER 2 - -In Search of Veve - - -By the time Connie reached the bend, Veve and the car were out of -sight. For a minute she was so frightened she couldn’t think what to do. - -Miss Gordon once had told the Brownies that whenever anything went -wrong, the important thing was to remain very calm. - -Connie felt anything but calm now. She was so excited she trembled all -over. But she knew she had to think clearly or Veve might never be -saved. - -“I’ll call the police,” she thought. - -At the next to last Brownie meeting, Miss Gordon had shown the girls -how to dial police and fire department numbers in an emergency. Only -Connie had no nickel and the nearest telephone was at the drugstore a -block away. - -Well, she had to do something quickly. Even if Veve were lucky enough -not to be thrown from her sled, the driver was almost certain to take -her far away without knowing it. - -Dragging her sled, Connie ran all the way to the drugstore. The -druggist was there, waiting on a customer who wanted a box of cough -tablets. - -“Please,” said Connie breathlessly, “will you lend me a nickel?” - -The druggist looked so surprised she realized that the request must -seem an odd one. So she added quickly: - -“Veve was carried away on her sled by an automobile! I must call the -police station.” - -“The police station!” exclaimed the druggist. - -He didn’t understand what Connie meant about Veve and the sled, but he -could see from her worried look that something was wrong. - -He gave her a nickel and showed her where the telephone booth was -located. - -“Can you dial the numbers yourself?” he asked. - -Connie nodded. The telephone directory hung on a hook, and on the front -cover in large print were the instructions: - -“In case of Emergency Dial Police--Adams 1234.” The number was an easy -one to remember. - -A light flashed on as Connie stepped into the booth. She dropped the -nickel into the coin box and waited for the clear dial tone. When she -heard it, she carefully whirled the numbers. - -Almost at once a gruff voice barked in her ear: - -“Police station!” - -Connie was a trifle nervous, for she never before had talked to anyone -at the police station. However, she forced herself to speak slowly and -relate exactly what had happened. - -“Please come as fast as you can,” she urged. “Veve McGuire and I -were coasting at Kelly’s Hill. She hooked a ride with her sled on an -automobile--and was carried away.” - -The police sergeant seemed to grasp the situation instantly. He barked: -“Did you get the car license number?” - -“No-o,” Connie admitted, trying hard to remember. “The first two -letters were EB--the same as Edith Bailey’s initials. But I can’t -remember the numbers. It was a large gray sedan.” - -“Going what direction?” - -“West.” Of this Connie was certain. “It was headed up the hill and went -on toward the country.” - -“Highway 20,” said the police sergeant, making notes on his pad. “The -girl’s name is Veve McGuire. Address?” - -“2179 Kingston Drive.” - -“Right-o. And your name?” - -Connie gave that too and then asked the sergeant if he thought Veve -could be found. The officer promised to do his very best. He told her -the information would be broadcast over the police shortwave radio -system and picked up by all cruising police cars. - -Connie hung up the telephone receiver and thanked the druggist for the -nickel. - -“I’ll pay it back tomorrow,” she promised. “Brownie Scout’s honor.” - -“Don’t give it another thought,” he replied. “I only hope you find your -little friend.” - -Both he and the lady customer asked many questions about how Veve had -been carried away on the sled. - -Connie answered them all as fast as she could and then hurried away -home to tell her mother and Mrs. McGuire what had occurred. - -She was quite breathless by the time she burst into the kitchen where -her mother was getting the evening meal. - -“Why, Connie,” said Mrs. Williams in surprise. “Is anything wrong?” - -“Veve’s been carried away in a car, Mother!” - -Again Connie told about the coasting mishap. - -“Oh, Connie!” exclaimed Mrs. Gordon in a frightened voice. “Does Mrs. -McGuire know?” - -“Not yet, Mother. I haven’t had time to tell her.” - -“We must, at once. Though I’m afraid she still may be at work. Oh, -dear!” - -Veve’s father was dead, and the little girl’s mother worked part-time -in a downtown office. During the afternoon Veve’s grandmother usually -came in to stay with her, but on this Saturday no one had been at the -McGuire home. - -Connie had never seen her mother look more worried. She hastened to the -telephone and, after making several calls, reached Mrs. McGuire. Next -she called Connie’s father, asking him to pick up Mrs. McGuire at her -office and bring her home. - -“Will Veve be hurt, do you think?” Connie asked anxiously. - -Mrs. Williams did not answer. She was in the front hallway putting on -her hat and coat. - -Ten minutes later Connie’s father drove up in the car. He had made a -very fast trip home. - -With him in the car was Mrs. McGuire, her hat at a rakish angle. She -asked Connie to tell her exactly what had happened at the hill. - -“Veve is so reckless,” she said when she heard the story. “Oh, I’m -afraid she may be badly hurt.” - -“Now don’t worry, Mrs. McGuire,” said Connie’s mother kindly. “Connie -telephoned the police and already they are searching for the car. -We’ll start out too.” - -Connie could tell by the tone of her mother’s voice that she was proud -of her for having called the police station so promptly. - -“We’ll want you to go with us, Connie, because you may be able to -recognize the car,” said her mother, motioning for her to get into the -Williams’ automobile. - -Connie rode in the front seat beside her father. At Kelly’s Hill she -pointed out the bend in the road where she last had seen the gray sedan. - -Driving quite slowly, Mr. Williams watched both sides of the road. He -was afraid Veve might have been thrown from her sled into a snowy ditch. - -For nearly an hour, the car went up one street and down another. Mr. -Williams drove far out on Highway 20, stopping at two filling stations -to ask the attendants if they had seen a little girl in a red snowsuit -being pulled on her sled by a gray car. No one had. - -Connie sat with her face pressed against the car window, watching and -hoping. Twice she thought she saw the gray car. But always it proved to -be a different automobile. - -Soon it was so dark she scarcely could see the road. Lights winked on -inside the houses. Mr. Williams had to turn on the car headlights. - -“We may as well return home,” he said at last. - -“By this time, the police may have found Veve,” said Connie’s mother. -She spoke as cheerfully as she could because Mrs. McGuire looked as if -she were about to cry. - -“Let’s go back as quickly as we can,” agreed Mrs. McGuire. - -Soon the car turned down the familiar, winding street, but Connie saw -that the McGuire house was dark. Veve’s grandmother had not returned. -Veve couldn’t be home either, or the lights would have been turned on. - -When Mrs. McGuire looked at the dark windows, she began to cry. She -couldn’t help it because she was so very worried. Connie’s mother held -her arm as she helped her from the car. - -“Now we’ll soon find Veve,” she reassured her. “Do come in while I -telephone the police station. They may have news for us.” - -Mrs. McGuire started with Mrs. Williams into the house. Connie intended -to go with them, but as she cut across the yard past the half-melted -snowman, she noticed a car coming slowly down the street. - -At first she couldn’t even guess at its color because of the darkness. - -However, the automobile looked very much like the one that had carried -Veve away. - -“Oh, Mother!” she cried. “See that car! I think it may be the one!” - -Now Connie had made that very remark several times during the search -for the gray sedan. Upon each occasion, she had been mistaken. - -So, although her mother and Mrs. McGuire turned quickly to gaze down -the street, they held little hope that she could be right. - -Nearer and nearer came the automobile, passing directly under a bright -street light. - -“Oh, it _is_ a gray sedan!” shouted Connie, fairly beside herself with -excitement. - -She tried to read the license number but could not make it out. The -driver seemed to be alone in the car. He kept peering at the house -numerals along the street. - -“Mother,” cried Connie, “the car is slowing down!” - -Even as she spoke, it stopped directly in front of the McGuire house. - -“It’s the same car!” shouted Connie. “But where is Veve?” - - - - -CHAPTER 3 - -Safety Rules and Kitten Tails - - -The door of the gray car swung open and out stepped the driver. As -Connie, her parents, and Mrs. McGuire hurried up, he was peering at the -numbers marked on the curb in front of the McGuire house. - -“Aren’t you the man who carried away a little girl on her sled?” asked -Connie before he could speak. - -“That’s right,” admitted the driver. Politely, he tipped his hat to -Connie’s mother and Mrs. McGuire. - -“Tell me quickly,” urged Mrs. McGuire. “Has my daughter been injured?” - -Just then, the rear door of the sedan swung wide. Veve, her face -streaked with tears, had been asleep on the back seat. She stumbled out -looking drowsy-eyed, but very much alive and ashamed. - -“Hello, Mother,” she said. “Here I am!” - -Mrs. McGuire ran down the sidewalk to clasp Veve in her arms. She was -so happy to see her that she did not say a word about all the trouble -that had been caused. - -The car driver told Mr. Williams his name was Fred Clayhorn and that he -was a drug salesman. - -“Hope you haven’t worried too much about this little scamp,” he said, -smiling at Veve. “I didn’t discover she had hitched her sled to my car -until I was miles out in the country.” - -“A filling-station man saw me and yelled for Mr. Clayhorn to stop,” -explained Veve. - -“Fortunately, I am a slow driver,” added Mr. Clayhorn. “Otherwise, I -am afraid the little girl might have been thrown from her sled and -seriously injured.” - -Although Veve had not been hurt, she looked rather the worse for her -adventure. The fast sled ride had not been any fun. - -Ice had slashed into her face and her snowsuit was caked with mud -and slush. She was all worn out too, from clinging so tightly to the -bouncing sled. - -“Thanks for bringing me home, Mr. Clayhorn,” she told him gratefully. -“I never, never want to take another ride like that one.” - -“I hope you never do,” he replied. “Next time you might not be so -lucky.” - -While the grownups talked, Connie helped Veve remove her sled from -the luggage compartment of the gray sedan. One of the runners was bent -where it had struck a stone in the road. - -She was showing the place to Connie when her mother called: “Come, -Veve! You must have a hot bath and climb right into bed. We’ll talk -about this escapade later!” - -“That means I’ll catch it!” Veve whispered to Connie. She was so tired, -though, that she didn’t mind being put to bed. - -After Mr. Clayhorn had driven away, Connie and her parents went into -their own home. - -The instant they opened the door, they knew something was wrong. Heavy -black smoke filled the rooms. - -“Oh, Mother!” cried Connie. “Is the house on fire?” - -Mrs. Williams ran directly to the kitchen. She jerked a double-boiler -from the stove. The bottom pan was black on the inside and smoke -billowed from it in a great cloud. - -“The chocolate pudding!” gasped Connie’s mother. “I went off and left -the gas turned low. All the water boiled away.” - -Connie helped her open windows to clear out the smoke. After a while it -was not so heavy. - -“I can’t recall ever having done such a careless thing before,” sighed -Mrs. Williams. “I guess I was so worried about Veve I didn’t think what -I was doing. The pan is ruined.” - -“Was it a good one, Mother?” - -“Yes, dear, but it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that Veve is -home safely.” - -Now that the excitement was over, Mrs. Williams sat down by the kitchen -table and drew a deep breath. After she had rested a moment, she told -Connie how proud she was of her for not having hitched a ride on the -gray car, and also for having called help so quickly. - -“Each day you are becoming more dependable,” she praised. “I do believe -your Brownie Scout training has helped.” - -“I wish Veve would join the troop, Mother. Why do you suppose she makes -fun of the Brownies?” - -“Veve is very young and likes to try to be different,” answered Mrs. -Williams. “Be patient, Connie. One of these days, she may ask to join -the organization.” - -Now that the chocolate pudding was ruined, it was necessary to send -someone to the corner store for a cake. Connie offered to go. However, -it was dark so her father said he would make the purchase. - -“And may we have ice cream too?” Connie requested. - -“On a winter day like this?” her father asked in surprise. - -“Oh, I could eat ice cream every day in the year,” laughed Connie. Her -blue eyes twinkled as she added: “Especially on my birthday.” - -Now Connie’s birthday came on the twelfth day of December. The date was -very near, and she was a tiny bit afraid her mother and father might -forget about it. So she thought she would mention it just to be sure. - -“Will I have ice cream and cake on my birthday?” she asked. - -“We’ll see,” returned her mother. She smiled in a most mysterious way. - -The next day, Mrs. Williams did not say anything more about the -approaching birthday. She acted as if she had entirely forgotten it. - -At school, although all of the Brownies were there, Veve’s desk -remained vacant. - -Connie learned from Sunny and Jane that Veve had been kept home because -she had a very severe cold. - -“Serves her right,” said Jane, who had heard about the coasting mishap. -“If she had used good common sense, she wouldn’t have been carried -away on the sled!” - -“Veve didn’t mean to get into trouble,” Connie defended her friend. -“She’s just careless.” - -Veve’s cold kept her indoors throughout the entire week. But on -Saturday, the first day she was allowed outside, she came running over -to play with Connie. - -But Connie was on her way to Jane’s house to attend the regular weekly -Brownie meeting and could not stop even to talk. - -“I wish I could play with you, Veve,” she said. “You know how it is. We -aren’t supposed to be late for meetings.” - -“I know how it is, all right,” grumbled Veve. “I never see you any -more--that’s what. Since you joined those stupid old Brownies, you’re -no fun at all!” - -“I’m having more fun than I ever did,” Connie called over her shoulder -as she skipped off down the street. - -At Jane’s house, the Brownies again were working on scrapbooks for the -hospital. - -Miss Gordon, however, had varied the program with another of her -frequent “surprises.” - -Captain Frank Bentley of the Rosedale Police Station had been invited -in to explain rules of safety to the Brownies. - -Now, although the police officer was very much at ease when directing -traffic or guarding school crossings, he seemed rather embarrassed as -he faced the sober-eyed little girls. - -He told them never to cross a street without first pausing to look -carefully in both directions. And he warned them about the danger of -dodging in behind parked cars or running when they crossed a street. - -“Another thing” he added. “In case you ever witness an accident, always -notify an adult person, or call the police station.” - -“That’s exactly what Connie did,” spoke up Eileen proudly. “When Veve -was carried away on her sled, she telephoned the police, and then she -went home and reported the accident to her mother.” - -“Brownies are very smart little girls,” said the police officer. “This -talk probably isn’t in the least necessary.” - -“Oh, but we’ve enjoyed it, and we’ve learned a lot!” declared Connie -quickly. - -“We’ll all be more careful in the future, I’m sure,” added Rosemary. - -“That Veve McGuire is the one who should be here,” declared Jane, -fingering the dancing elf design on her Brownie pin. “She’s worse than -anyone I know when she dashes for school. Once she was nearly struck by -a car.” - -“Oh, Veve isn’t as careless as she was,” Connie said, standing up -for her friend. “Since her accident with the sled, she has been very -careful.” - -“Careful!” snorted Jane. “That’s because she’s had to stay in the house -most of the time. If there’s one person in the world who should learn -something about safety, it’s Veve McGuire!” - -Now Miss Gordon did not like to hear the girls discuss Veve so frankly -when the little girl was not present. But instead of scolding Jane for -being so outspoken, she changed the subject by asking: - -“By the way, girls, has anyone learned if Veve plans to join our -Brownie troop in the next few weeks?” - -The leader of the Rosedale troop looked directly at Connie, who was -much better acquainted with Veve than any of the other girls. - -Now Connie did not wish to tell Miss Gordon all the unkind things that -Veve had said about the Brownie organization. - -So she replied quite truthfully that she had not discussed the subject -with her for a long while. - -“You might speak to her about it sometime,” urged the leader. “We -really want Veve.” - -“Not if she keeps on saying things about the Brownies,” whispered Jane, -who always was outspoken. - -Rosemary gave her a warning nudge and she became quiet. - -Following Captain Bentley’s talk, the Brownies served fruit juice and -cookies. Usually they had refreshments at the end of the meeting. This -time they served early so the police officer would not need to wait. - -Captain Bentley drank a cup of juice, ate three cookies and admired the -fine scrapbooks. Then he said good-bye to the girls, reminding them -again not to forget the safety rules. - -“Whenever you come to a street intersection, always stop, look and -listen,” he advised as he started to leave. “That way, you’ll avoid -accidents.” - -Bowing to Miss Gordon, Captain Bentley backed out the door squarely -onto the tail of Jane’s kitten, Blackie, who drowsed in the sunshine. - -With a squawk, the kitten scampered through the startled officer’s -legs. His foot slipped on a patch of ice. Arms and legs flailed and -thrashed the air as he sought vainly to keep his balance. - -Then, with a thud, his two hundred and ten pounds came down on the -cement porch. - -Captain Bentley wasn’t hurt, only jarred. But he grinned with -embarrassment as he picked himself up. All the Brownies shouted with -laughter. - -“Always remember the safety rules,” the officer chuckled. “And I might -add, they apply to kitten tails as well as street crossings!” - -After the captain had gone, the girls worked hard on their scrapbooks. -They talked about the approaching Christmas holidays and what they -would do during school vacation. No one had made any special plans. - -“We can’t go coasting or ice skating, that’s certain,” sighed Rosemary, -listening to the steady drip of melting snow on the roof. - -Since the last Brownie meeting, the weather gradually had turned -warmer. Only a little snow and a few icicles remained to remind the -girls of the recent storm. - -“I don’t even want new skates for Christmas,” declared Jane, carefully -wiping up a blob of paste which had dropped on the rug. “Just once, I -wish we could have a giant-size snowstorm here!” - -“Out West where my Grandfather and Grandmother Williams live, they have -wonderful snowstorms,” Connie said wistfully. “Once they were snowed -in their house nearly a week.” - -“You mean they couldn’t get out at all?” asked Sunny in awe. - -“Not until a big snowplow came along and opened up the roads. They -didn’t starve though, because they had plenty of food in the house.” - -“In Minnesota, where my grandparents live, the snows are very heavy -too,” said Miss Gordon. She smiled at the recollection. “Christmas at -Snow Valley--I count it as one of my happiest memories.” - -“Snow Valley,” repeated Connie. “What a beautiful name!” - -“Are the snows really deep?” asked Eileen. - -“I’ve seen drifts so high they nearly touched the roof. And the -coasting! Out of this world!” - -Miss Gordon told the girls more about the farm home of her Grandfather -and Grandmother Gordon. The living room fireplace was so large that -quarter logs were burned in it instead of chopped wood. - -“I wish a flying carpet would come along and take me there right now!” -exclaimed Connie, her eyes bright. - -“Perhaps I’ll return to Minnesota for the holidays,” revealed Miss -Gordon. “And that brings me to an important question. You remember the -‘surprise’ of which I spoke?” - -Immediately the room buzzed with excited conversation. - -Miss Gordon had to raise her hand in the Brownie sign for silence. -Connie followed suit, becoming as still as a mouse. Next Sunny raised -her hand, and last of all, Jane, who was chattering like a magpie. - -When one could have heard a pin drop, Miss Gordon said: - -“Girls, I’ve talked to your parents, but I can’t reveal the secret just -yet. However, I have an important question to ask. Think well before -you answer.” - -“What is the question, Miss Gordon?” Sunny was squirming with -impatience. - -“Merely this. How many would be willing to give up part of their school -vacation for a Brownie outing?” - -“A hike?” demanded Jane. - -Miss Gordon smiled and shook her head. - -“A trip?” asked Connie, who was a much better guesser. - -“Now don’t ask me to reveal the secret too soon,” laughed the leader -of the Brownies. “Christmas holidays are precious days. Even if your -parents were willing, would you really want to go away from Rosedale?” - -“You mean for several days?” Jane asked, her breath quite taken away. -“Over Christmas?” - -“It might mean being gone on Christmas Day,” Miss Gordon admitted -soberly. “So far, the plan is not definite.” - -“Then if we were gone, we wouldn’t get any Christmas presents,” said -Sunny, losing her happy smile. - -“That part would be taken care of, I assure you,” Miss Gordon declared. -“Naturally, I can’t expect you to say whether you would be willing to -leave Rosedale, when I haven’t told you where the troop would go.” - -The Brownies looked somewhat relieved and waited anxiously for their -leader to continue. - -Miss Gordon, however, realized that she had said almost too much. - -“I can’t tell you any more about the plan until we meet again,” she -said. “Until then, I’ll merely ask you all to think very seriously of -the question I have raised. If the answer should be ‘yes’--well, who -knows?” - - - - -CHAPTER 4 - -Miss Gordon’s Surprise - - -Connie’s birthday came on Thursday. The little girl rolled out of bed -and went down to breakfast feeling rather blue. - -“Happy birthday, dear,” said her mother, giving her a kiss. - -“Why, Mother,” laughed Connie, suddenly feeling quite cheerful, “I -thought you had forgotten. And Daddy too!” - -“Look beside your plate if you think that,” teased her father. - -Connie ran into the breakfast room. Beside her plate was a small -package wrapped in tissue paper. - -“It’s a birthday present, isn’t it?” she said, untying the pink ribbon. -Of course she knew it was. - -“A gift for the nicest little girl in the world,” declared her mother, -smiling. - -Connie couldn’t guess what her parents had given her. She pulled away -the tissue paper and a ring popped out. On it was a design of a dancing -Brownie, and her own initials. - -“Oh, a Brownie ring!” cried Connie, doing a dance of her own on the -carpet. “Just what I wanted!” - -Connie was very proud of her new birthday ring. She showed it to the -mailman when he brought the morning letters, and to the Brownies at -school. - -Only one thing bothered Connie. She had received no package from her -Grandmother and Grandfather Williams. When she returned home at three -o’clock, she asked her mother if a gift had arrived. - -“Not yet, Connie.” - -“Do you suppose they forgot my birthday, Mother?” - -Mrs. Williams replied she was quite certain they hadn’t. She thought -the package possibly had been delayed in the mail and might arrive the -next day. - -“But tomorrow won’t be my birthday,” said Connie. “I would so much -rather have the present today.” - -“Tell me, has Veve seen your new Brownie ring?” asked her mother -quickly. - -“Not yet,” Connie replied, wondering why her mother had asked the -question. - -“You may go over for a while,” suggested Mrs. Williams. “But don’t stay -longer than half an hour.” - -At the McGuire home, Veve acted almost as if she had expected Connie. -She wore a bright new pink gingham dress, and her dark curls had been -brushed until they shone. However, she still had a trace of her cold. - -“Why are you so dressed up, Veve?” Connie asked curiously. Usually Veve -paid little attention to her clothes and liked to wear jeans with an -old sweater. - -“You’ll find out later,” laughed Veve. “Maybe I’m going somewhere.” - -Connie showed Veve the new Brownie ring. Veve tried it on her own -finger and then said she would rather have a bracelet for her birthday. - -“What else did you get?” she asked. - -“That’s all,” Connie admitted. “My Grandfather and Grandmother Williams -forgot.” - -“Maybe you’ll get something more later on,” hinted Veve. - -For half an hour the two girls played together. Connie kept talking -about the Brownies and their good times. She didn’t intend to annoy -Veve, but she scarcely could keep from thinking about Miss Gordon’s -“surprise.” - -“Now what do you suppose she meant?” she asked aloud. “Wouldn’t it be -grand if all the Brownies could go on a trip?” - -“It’s four o’clock,” said Veve quickly. She had been watching the -clock. “Let’s go over to your house.” - -Arm in arm, the girls crossed the yard. Connie started toward the -kitchen door, only to have Veve catch her hand and pull her toward the -front porch. - -Even then Connie didn’t suspect a thing. She opened the door and stood -still. The living room fairly overflowed with her schoolmates. - -All the Brownies were there, Jane, Rosemary, Eileen, Belinda and Sunny, -whose smile stretched from ear to ear. Several other classmates also -had been invited to the party. Miss Gordon was in the kitchen, helping -Mrs. Williams make fancy sandwiches. - -“Happy birthday, Connie!” everyone shouted. “Surprise! Surprise!” - -Connie really was surprised. For a moment she couldn’t say a word. - -“I knew about it all the time,” declared Veve, “but I didn’t dare tell. -And here’s something for you.” - -Although it wasn’t time to offer gifts or unwrap packages, she thrust a -tissue-wrapped box into Connie’s hand. All the other girls had presents -for her too. - -“You see, we didn’t forget,” laughed Veve. “We were only waiting for -the party to start.” - -The girls played games which Miss Gordon directed. Connie’s mother -brought in a huge paper pie with strings attached. Each girl pulled out -her fortune. - -“Mine says I’m going on a long trip!” announced Eileen, reading her -slip. “Oh, Miss Gordon, does that mean just me, or all the Brownies?” - -“Tell us the surprise,” the other Brownies chorused. - -But Miss Gordon only smiled and said not a word. - -When the party was nearly over Mrs. Williams served sandwiches, ice -cream and cake. Each little girl received a paper hat and a horn that -made a loud toot. - -Then it came time for Connie to open her presents. Jane had given her a -nylon hairbrush. Belinda’s gift was a pair of Brownie woolen sox while -both Sunny and Eileen gave handkerchiefs with the same Brownie design. -Rosemary had shopped a long while to find a pretty mirror. - -Veve’s present was a bright red hair ribbon. The other girls gave an -assortment of books, pins and games. - -“Such wonderful gifts,” declared Connie, opening them one at a time. -She thanked everyone. “I’ve never had a nicer birthday!” - -“Our Brownie troop soon will have a birthday,” Miss Gordon reminded the -girls. “Then we must celebrate again.” - -Connie liked best of all the gifts with Brownie emblems, but she was -too polite to say so. She did not show that any present pleased her -more than another. - -At five o’clock the party was over. One by one the girls went home, -until only Veve and the Brownies were left. They offered to help Miss -Gordon and Mrs. Williams straighten up and carry the dirty plates to -the kitchen. - -“Did you have a nice time, Connie?” asked her mother. - -“Oh, yes, Mother! This has been my very nicest party--only--” - -Connie started to mention again that her Grandmother and Grandfather -Williams had forgotten to send even a birthday card. - -Before she could speak, her father’s car rolled onto the driveway -with a loud crunch of gravel. A moment later he came into the house, -carrying a large package. - -“Special delivery for Miss Constance Williams,” he called in a loud -voice. “Anyone here by that name?” - -Connie laughed aloud, for although her name really was Constance, no -one ever thought to call her by it. - -The package was long, narrow, and very large. - -“Is it from my Grandmother Williams?” Connie asked eagerly. - -She tried to untie the cords on the package but they were very firm. -Her father finally had to cut them with his pocket knife. - -While the Brownies and Veve gathered around, Connie unwrapped two -layers of heavy brown paper. Next she removed a covering of tissue -paper. - -Two long, narrow boards with leather straps clattered to the floor. - -“Why, what are they?” asked Connie. She could not hide her -disappointment. - -“Skis,” announced Veve. “But how can you use them when there isn’t any -snow?” - -“I’m afraid Grandmother forgot about our mild weather,” admitted Mrs. -Williams. Then to cheer Connie, she added: “Before spring, we’ll surely -have another snow.” - -Connie gazed out into the muddy yard and couldn’t say a word. The other -Brownies knew just how discouraged she felt. - -The room was very quiet. Then, unexpectedly, Miss Gordon took a letter -from her pocket. - -“Girls,” she said, “I know this isn’t a Brownie meeting, so perhaps I -should wait. But I do have important news.” - -“Tell us,” chorused the Brownies. - -“You remember the question I asked you to think over?” - -“Oh, yes,” agreed the Brownies. The skis now were forgotten and -everyone listened hard. - -Veve was the only one who acted as if she did not care to hear the -news. She pretended to be looking at Connie’s presents on the table. - -“Girls,” said Miss Gordon, coming directly to the point, “how would you -like to spend a week at Snow Valley in Minnesota?” - -For a second, the room was absolutely still. Then the girls began to -chatter excitedly. Miss Gordon had to hold up her hand in the Brownie -signal for silence. - -“Before anyone answers, I’ll explain the entire plan,” declared the -troop leader. “I haven’t told you about it before, because I was -uncertain how matters would work out.” - -“Please, Miss Gordon, tell us now,” pleaded Sunny. - -“As you may know, my Grandmother and Grandfather Gordon have a farm at -Snow Valley,” the teacher explained. “The house is large and there are -beautiful snow-covered hills for coasting and skiing.” - -“And we’re all invited to spend a week there?” Connie asked, her eyes -shining. - -“Yes, Grandmother wrote today saying she has room for six little -Brownies. I’ve already talked to your parents, who have given their -consent providing you care to go.” - -“Oh, we do! We do!” cried Jane, capering across the floor. - -“Will it mean being away from home on Christmas?” asked Eileen soberly. -“I don’t think I would like that.” - -“This is the plan,” explained Miss Gordon. “If we make the trip we will -go by train, leaving the day school vacation starts. Grandfather Gordon -will meet us at the station with his big bobsled. We’ll stay at the -farm a week and be joined by your parents for Christmas.” - -“You mean everyone will be there?” repeated Connie, looking relieved. -“Oh, I’d like that! May I go, Mother?” - -“I’ve already given my consent,” said her mother. - -“We’ll have a wonderful week of winter sports, climaxed by a grand -Christmas reunion,” declared the leader of the Brownies. “However, I -realize some of you never have been away from home for an entire week. -So, I’ll not ask anyone to decide now.” - -“I’d never be homesick!” insisted Sunny. “If Mother has said ‘yes’, I -want to go!” - -“So do I!” cried Rosemary. - -“Me too,” chimed in Eileen, though she looked a trifle troubled. She -never had been away from home longer than two days at a time and -wondered if she might be homesick. - -“I’ll be there with bells when that old conductor yells: ‘Snow -Valley!’” laughed Belinda. - -Connie strapped on her new skis and skated across the living room rug. - -“I’ll take these with me!” she cried. “Oh, we’ll have a wonderful time -in Minnesota!” - -Eagerly, the girls plied Miss Gordon with questions. They wanted to -know how deep the snows were at the valley, how far the Gordon farm was -from the station, and what luggage they should take. - -Everyone was so interested in hearing about Snow Valley that for a -while no one gave a thought to Veve. - -She hadn’t said a word, because, of course, she wasn’t a member of the -Brownie troop. - -Finally, when the other girls had quieted down, she edged toward the -door. - -“I--I guess I’ll go home,” she said in a limp little voice. - -“It’s been nice having you at the party,” declared Connie’s mother, for -she saw Veve was about to cry. - -“Oh, Veve!” cried Connie. “I wish you were a Brownie so you could go -with us to Snow Valley!” - -Veve started to reply and choked on the words. She ran out the door, -letting it close hard behind her. - -Miss Gordon then was sorry that she had mentioned the trip in the -little girl’s presence. - -“It was thoughtless of me,” she apologized, “because naturally Veve -would like to go with us. I only wish she were a member of the troop.” - -“Perhaps she’ll join before the Christmas holidays,” said Connie -hopefully. “I’ll ask her.” - -Miss Gordon smiled and shook her head. - -“We want Veve to belong to the troop for its own sake and not because -we are planning an outing. Besides, even if she should join now, I’m -afraid we couldn’t take her along without making special arrangements.” - -“Why is that, Miss Gordon?” Connie inquired. - -“Grandmother Gordon has accommodations for only six Brownies.” - -“Then Veve can’t go?” - -“I don’t see how she can,” Miss Gordon replied regretfully. - -No one said any more about the matter until the Brownies were putting -on their wraps in the hallway. - -Then Jane, tucking yellow braids under the hood of her snowsuit, -remarked: - -“It serves Veve right! She should have joined the Brownies long ago.” - -“That’s true,” declared Belinda, and the others agreed. - -All, that is, except Connie, who knew Veve would be very lonesome if -her friends went away during the Christmas holidays. - -The next few days at Rosedale passed quickly. Connie and the other -Brownies dashed to and from school with open coats flapping in the -December breeze, for the weather had turned quite warm. - -“How cold will it be in Minnesota?” Belinda asked Miss Gordon. - -“So cold you may turn into a big icicle,” laughed the teacher. “But -if you do, Grandmother Gordon will know how to thaw you out at the -kitchen woodstove.” - -Belinda never before had made a train trip longer than twenty miles. -She was excited and a little worried. Another matter troubled her too. - -“Are you sure we’ll get our presents and see our parents on Christmas -Day?” she asked the Brownie leader. - -“According to the plan, your parents expect to arrive at Grandfather -Gordon’s farm no later than the twenty-fourth,” replied the teacher. -“Of course, something could go wrong.” - -All the Brownies were so thrilled at the thought of going to Snow -Valley, they could talk of little else. They were kept busy too, -preparing for the journey. - -Buttons needed to be sewed on and suitcases brought down from attics. -Nearly every day after school Connie went downtown with her mother to -buy little things she would need on the trip. - -So busy were all the Brownie Scouts that they scarcely had time to talk -to Veve. However, Connie noticed that her playmate looked very unhappy. - -And then, on the final day before school was to be dismissed for the -holidays, she came upon Veve sobbing in the cloakroom. - -“Why, Veve!” she said in surprise. “Is anything wrong?” She thought -perhaps the teacher had sent the little girl to the cloakroom as a -punishment. - -“Nothing’s wrong,” Veve replied, dabbing at her eyes. - -“Yes, there is too,” Connie insisted. She slipped an arm about the -other girl’s waist. “Tell me!” - -Veve shook her head. Pulling away, she ran down the hall. - -Miss Gordon entered the cloakroom just as the child darted through the -doorway. She asked Connie why Veve was so upset. - -“She wouldn’t say,” replied Connie, picking up a coat Veve carelessly -had brushed to the floor. “I think though, she’s disappointed because -she can’t go to Snow Valley with the Brownies.” - -Now Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams already had guessed that Veve longed -to go with the troop, and had discussed the matter with Mrs. McGuire. - -So, with scarcely any hesitation, Miss Gordon was able to say: “I think -it can be arranged.” - -Connie wondered if she had heard correctly. Had the Brownie leader -actually said Veve might go to Snow Valley? - -“Only this afternoon I learned that Belinda will be unable to make the -trip,” Miss Gordon explained. “Grandmother Gordon is expecting six -little girls, so perhaps we can include Veve.” - -Now this was astonishing news for Connie. Though she had noticed that -Belinda’s desk had been vacant all day, she hadn’t known why she was -absent from school. - -“Belinda has a severe cold,” Miss Gordon explained. “It’s nothing -serious, but her mother feels she should remain at home.” - -Connie was sorry to learn that Belinda would be unable to go with the -troop to Snow Valley. On the other hand, she was pleased that Veve -might be able to take her place. “Of course, Veve isn’t a Brownie,” -Miss Gordon remarked, thinking aloud. “She might not care to go with -the troop. Or she might not have a good time.” - -“Oh, I’m sure she would have a wonderful holiday!” cried Connie. “When -will you invite her?” - -“I’ll talk with her mother again tonight,” Miss Gordon promised. “Yes, -I am hopeful everything can be arranged.” - -Early the next morning, Connie knew the Brownie leader had talked to -Mrs. McGuire, for Veve came flying over to the Williams’ home. She -squeezed through the bars of the back yard gate and banged hard on the -kitchen door. - -Connie, who was finishing her breakfast, ran to let her in. - -“Oh, Connie, guess what?” she cried, stomping into the kitchen. In her -excitement, she hadn’t bothered to put on her coat or a cap. “I’m going -to be a substitute Brownie!” - -“And go to Snow Valley?” - -“That’s right! How did you know?” - -“Miss Gordon told me. Oh, Veve, I’m so glad!” Connie gave her an -affectionate hug. “We’ll have a grand time, and maybe--” - -Connie started to say that perhaps before the girls returned to -Rosedale, Veve would decide to join the troop. Veve was so excited, -however, she cut her short. - -“Can’t stop to talk now,” she declared, whirling around to open the -door. “My suitcase isn’t packed!” - -“Miss Gordon says not to take too much luggage,” Connie advised her -friend. “I’m packing two Brownie uniforms and a pair of sweaters and -skirts. And one dress for nice in case we have a party.” - -“Not your new skis?” - -“Oh, yes,” laughed Connie, “but I’ll wear them on my feet, not my back!” - -“Do you suppose I could take my sled along?” - -“Not unless you check it in the baggage car, Veve. Anyway, Miss Gordon -said there will be sleds at the farm. She told the Brownies that -Grandfather Gordon made a bobsled that would carry six persons at one -time!” - -“Connie, is the kitchen door open?” Mrs. Williams called from the -breakfast room. She could feel a cold blast of air. - -“I’m going now,” said Veve. “Good-bye, Connie. See you later after I’m -packed!” - -She ran off home, allowing the door to bang hard behind her. - -“Dear me,” remarked Mrs. Williams as Connie came to the breakfast -table. “Veve is so high-spirited, I wonder if Miss Gordon won’t be kept -busy looking after six Brownies.” - -“Five Brownies and a substitute,” corrected Connie, reaching for a tall -glass of orange juice. “Veve may make more trouble than all the others, -but she’s lots of fun.” - -Early the next morning, all the Brownies except Belinda were taken to -the railroad station by their parents. The luggage was checked straight -through to Deerford, the nearest town to Snow Valley. Miss Gordon took -charge of the tickets, but allowed each girl to keep her own baggage -check. - -“Here comes the train!” shouted Veve suddenly. - -Connie began to feel shivery inside. For just a minute she wasn’t -certain she cared to leave her parents and travel to Minnesota. - -“Have a good time, dear,” said her mother, stooping to kiss her. “It -will only be a few days until we come for you.” - -Other parents were saying good-bye to Rosemary, Jane, Eileen, Veve, and -Sunny. Then the train rumbled into the station. - -“Hurry or we’ll be left,” urged Veve as passengers began to alight. - -“We have plenty of time,” replied Miss Gordon. “Please, girls, don’t -shove.” - -Although the Brownie leader said “girls,” she really meant Veve, who -was trying to bore a hole through the crowd. - -After all the passengers were off the train, Miss Gordon went aboard -with her six charges. Mr. Williams helped her find seats for everyone. - -“I think you will be quite comfortable,” said Mr. Williams. “Your train -is due to arrive in Deerford at seven tonight.” - -“Oh, Daddy, hurry and get off before the train starts,” Connie said -anxiously. “You might be taken along.” - -“I have plenty of time,” he replied. “But I’ll say goodbye now.” - -He kissed Connie and left the car. - -Connie and Veve, who shared a seat, pressed their faces against the car -window. Their mothers were standing near the train, watching. - -“Goodbye!” the girls called out together. - -They waved from inside the window. Their mothers waved in return and -blew kisses. Then the train began to move. - -Connie and Veve and the Brownies were on their way to Minnesota. - - - - -CHAPTER 5 - -A Substitute Brownie - - -“I’m going to miss my mother a lot,” Veve sighed as she sank back on -the seat. - -Connie didn’t say anything. But from the way she looked, Veve knew she -would miss her parents too. They both felt a bit homesick even though -they weren’t a mile out of Rosedale. - -Soon the train was traveling at full speed. Fields and houses rolled by -just as if they were moving instead of the train. - -“I know what let’s do,” proposed Veve. “Let’s count telegraph poles.” - -For a little while this was great fun. Eileen and Jane, who sat in the -seat across from Connie and Veve, tried it too. - -At three hundred and four Veve lost count and didn’t want to play the -game any more. - -“What shall we do now?” she asked restlessly. - -“Let’s just ride awhile,” Connie proposed. - -Presently a cold draft of wind blew through the car. The conductor, who -was fat and jolly, came down the aisle. He collected the tickets from -Miss Gordon, and talked with the Brownies. - -“You’ll need to shake your furs out of moth balls when you get to -Deerford,” he joked. “Snow’s six feet deep there. I nearly had my ears -nipped off when we went through on the run yesterday.” - -The Brownies settled down to enjoy the long ride ahead. Eileen and Jane -played a card game. - -Rosemary, who sat with Miss Gordon, helped her turn the seat so that -the four faced each other. Sunny, who didn’t want to sit alone, -squeezed in beside them. - -After a while, when the girls were tired of playing cards and talking, -Sunny began to hum the Brownie “Smile” song. - -Soon, to the enjoyment of the passengers, all the girls except Veve -were singing it. Veve tried to join in, but not being a Brownie, she -didn’t know the words. - - “I’ve something in my pocket; - It belongs across my face, - And I keep it very close at hand, - In a most convenient place. - - “I’m sure you couldn’t guess it - If you guessed a long, long while, - So I’ll take it out and put it on-- - It’s a great big Brownie smile.” - -As the Brownies sang the song, they grinned from ear to ear. Soon all -the passengers in the car were smiling too. - -“Is it almost time for lunch?” Veve asked after a while. “I’m starving!” - -“So am I!” declared Rosemary. “I could eat a fried elephant!” - -Miss Gordon looked at her watch. “It is only five minutes after -eleven,” she told the girls. “The diner won’t be open for at least -twenty-five minutes.” - -“Then where can I get a drink of water, please?” asked Veve. She was -more restless than thirsty. - -Connie had noticed a water cooler at the end of the aisle. She offered -to show Veve. - -Beside the tank was a metal container which held paper cups nested -together. Veve took out one for herself and one for Connie. They drank -the ice water slowly. It was so cold it made their teeth ache. - -Veve, who liked to remove the paper cups from the machine, decided to -take a drink to Miss Gordon. - -Down the aisle she started, balancing the filled cup carefully. - -Just then the train gave a sudden lurch as it slackened speed for a -curve. Veve stumbled sideways. - -The cup slipped from her hand, and a little water splashed on a man who -sat along the aisle. - -“Oh, I am terribly sorry,” Veve said politely. - -When Veve finally reached Miss Gordon’s seat, not much water was left -in the cup. The teacher drank what little there was and thanked Veve. - -Sunny offered to get her another cup, and soon all the Brownies needed -a drink. Miss Gordon had to ask them to remain in their seats because -she was afraid they might disturb the other passengers. - -“Let’s play jacks,” suggested Veve, who wanted to do something every -minute. - -“What with?” inquired Connie, not very much interested. - -“Oh, I brought some with me,” Veve said, taking them from her pocket. -“We can play on the seat.” - -The girls crossed their legs and sat at either end of the car cushion. -This left a small place between them where they could play. - -“You start first, Veve,” Connie suggested politely. “Let’s see if you -can get past your ‘ones.’” - -“Oh, I’ll go up to my ‘fours’ at least,” Veve boasted. “Just watch!” - -The little girl threw one jack on the cushion. She tossed another into -the air, scooped up the one on the cushion and caught the other before -it fell. Then she threw two down and continued until she had reached -her “fours.” - -“Didn’t I tell you, Connie?” - -“Yes, but it’s going to be hard now,” said Connie. “There are three -jacks together and one off at the side.” - -“I can do it. Just watch!” - -Veve caught up three of the jacks. But when she tried to get the -fourth, all flew from her hand and went helter-skelter over the car -floor. Several rolled into the aisle. - -Before Connie or Veve could pick them up, the same elderly man who had -been doused with water ambled down the aisle. - -He failed to see the jacks lying on the car floor. Veve tried to warn -him, but she spoke too late. - -The man stepped squarely on one of the jacks and the points cut through -his soft-soled slipper. - -“Ouch!” he exclaimed. “My goodness!” - -The other Brownies, Miss Gordon and many of the passengers, turned to -see why the man was making such a fuss. - -“Mister, you are standing on one of my jacks,” said Veve. - -Although she spoke politely, it seemed to be exactly the wrong thing to -say. - -“_Your_ jacks?” demanded the man. “You might have crippled me for life!” - -“Veve didn’t mean to do it,” said Connie quickly. “The jacks just -slipped from her hand.” - -She stooped down and gathered up four jacks which she gave to Veve. - -“One is missing,” said Veve, gazing directly at the elderly man. “I -think you are standing on it.” - -“This is an outrage!” declared the man irritably. “Children should not -be allowed to play games on trains. Where are your parents?” - -Connie and Veve did not reply. They were relieved when Miss Gordon left -her seat and spoke to the man. - -She explained to him that Veve had dropped the jack quite by accident. -The man accepted the apology, but he remained rather cross. - -“It was an accident too when she spilled water on me,” he said. “I hope -it doesn’t happen again.” - -The man went on down the aisle and Veve picked up her jack. - -“Now shall I try my ‘fours’ again?” she asked. - -“Oh, no,” Connie replied, shaking her blond tangled curls. “Let’s not -play any more. Everyone is looking at us.” - -“Then what shall we do until lunch time?” - -“Let’s just ride awhile,” sighed Connie. “I think everyone needs a -rest.” - -Veve, she knew, was causing considerable annoyance to Miss Gordon and -the other train passengers, although her playmate never intentionally -made trouble. - -“Look! It’s snowing!” cried Jane suddenly from across the aisle. - -Everyone turned to gaze out the windows. Big feathery flakes were -fluttering down, banking up on the double glass. - -“What beautiful patterns!” cried Eileen. “Miss Gordon, are any two -snowflakes ever alike?” - -Now the leader of the Brownie troop was very glad that the question had -been asked. It gave her an opportunity to call all the girls together -and keep them from annoying other passengers. - -“Shall I tell you a few things about snow?” she asked, without -immediately answering Eileen’s question. - -“Oh, yes! Please do!” pleaded the Brownies. - -Connie and Veve perched on the chair arms as Miss Gordon gathered the -girls in the double seats. - -“Now first, I’ll answer Eileen’s question,” the teacher declared. “No -two snowflakes ever are exactly alike.” - -“How can one be sure?” inquired Jane. - -“Scientists have photographed them. A study of more than five thousand -flakes revealed no two quite alike.” - -“Some of the snowflakes are like stars,” Connie said softly, watching -them pelt against the window. - -“The hexagonal shape is fairly common,” Miss Gordon explained. -“Three-sided flakes are considered rare.” - -Immediately the Brownies began to watch for a triangular snowflake. -They did not see a single one. - -“The flakes are like tiny white parachutes floating down,” Connie -declared. “Why are they white when they’re made of water?” - -“Another excellent question. Snow is white because it reflects and -refracts light. If you should examine it under a microscope you would -see that the edges are like a prism, breaking the light into rainbow -colors.” - -“What makes the flakes large or small?” questioned Sunny. - -“Temperature, I believe, determines the size. At low thermometer -readings, flakes tend to be smaller.” - -“I think the flakes are getting smaller now,” announced Veve. “Does -that mean it’s getting colder outside?” - -“We’re traveling north, so it may be getting colder,” replied Miss -Gordon. “However, I meant that large flakes are likely to fall when the -temperature high in the clouds is at freezing or slightly below.” - -“I don’t see any small flakes,” Jane insisted. “They’re still coming -down as large as ever.” - -“I wish we could save the flakes instead of having them melt,” said -Connie quickly. She was afraid Veve might argue with Jane about the -size of the crystals. - -“There is a way, you know,” informed Miss Gordon. - -“A way to preserve snowflakes?” Connie echoed, and all the other girls -looked surprised. - -“One needs a solution of plastic resin. A drop of it is placed on a -glass side, then a captured snowflake, and another drop of the resin.” - -“A snowflake sandwich!” laughed Connie. - -“Were you ever out in a heavy snowstorm?” Rosemary next asked the -Brownie leader. “I mean a real blizzard?” - -“Once when I was a girl in Minnesota. I remember how the wind howled -and dashed snow in my face. I was walking home from school at the time -and I feared I never could make it.” - -“What was it like?” Jane asked, eager for additional details. - -“If ever you are in a blizzard, you never will forget the experience. -The snow coats your face and even freezes on your eyelids. One can’t -see very far ahead and the wind catches your breath. Some folks have -lost their way in such storms.” - -“Do they have blizzards in Minnesota--I mean at Snow Valley?” Veve -corrected herself. - -“Oh, yes, but a true blizzard is rather rare. I doubt we’ll see other -than heavy snow while we are there.” - -Just then the conductor came through the car calling: - -“Albion Junction! Albion Junction! Twenty-five minutes stop!” - -“May we get off and walk around?” Rosemary asked Miss Gordon. She was -very tired of sitting for so long a period. - -The Brownie leader said that perhaps the entire group could have -luncheon at the Junction instead of going into the dining car where -meals would cost a great deal more. - -Accordingly, she talked with the conductor a moment and returned to -report that Albion Junction had a lunchroom in the depot. - -“Will we have time enough?” asked Sunny anxiously. She was afraid the -train might leave without them. - -“Yes, providing we go directly to the lunchroom and order promptly,” -Miss Gordon said. - -She instructed the girls to pair off and to remain together. As soon -as the train stopped at Albion Junction, they alighted and walked in -orderly file to the lunchroom. - -All of the Brownies ordered the plate luncheon. Veve, who wanted to be -different, asked the waitress to bring her a sandwich and a cherry ice -cream soda. - -It took a long while for the sandwich to be made, so the other girls -were nearly finished before she started to eat. Miss Gordon kept -glancing anxiously at the lunchroom clock. - -“We have five minutes,” she warned the girls when finally Veve had -taken a last sip of her cherry soda. “Everyone ready?” - -The girls paired off, Veve walking with Eileen. - -Already the other passengers were getting on the train. - -“All aboard!” called the brakeman. - -As the girls reached their car, Veve stopped short. - -“My pocketbook!” she exclaimed in a frightened voice. “I left it on the -lunch counter.” - -Before Miss Gordon could stop her, Veve whirled and ran back toward the -lunchroom. - -“Oh, she’ll miss the train!” wailed Sunny. “It’s ready to start now.” - -Miss Gordon was very worried. Directing the other Brownies to climb -aboard and take their seats, she hurried off to the lunchroom in -pursuit of Veve. - -Now Veve, in reaching the cafeteria, saw her red purse lying on the -counter where she had left it. - -Snatching it up, she darted out the side door instead of the one she -had entered. Therefore, when Miss Gordon came in a moment later, Veve -was nowhere to be seen. - -“Did you see a little girl in here just now?” she asked the waitress. - -“Yes, she ran out the side door,” the other responded. - -Miss Gordon hastened back to the train. She looked up and down the -platform. Veve was nowhere to be seen. - -Had the little girl boarded the train? Or had she gone elsewhere? -Anxiously, Miss Gordon asked the brakeman if he had helped the child -onto the car. - -“Haven’t seen her,” he replied. - -“How long have we here?” - -“Two more minutes,” said the brakeman, looking at his big yellow gold -watch. “Can’t hold the train either. We’re already fifteen minutes -behind time.” - -Miss Gordon was nearly beside herself with worry. She didn’t know what -to do. She couldn’t allow the Brownies to travel on alone to Snow -Valley, nor dared she leave Veve behind. - -A few passengers who had alighted at Albion Junction remained on the -platform. Miss Gordon asked them if they had seen Veve anywhere. No one -had paid particular heed to the little girl. - -The engine began to puff steam. In a moment it would start. - -“All aboard!” called the brakeman again. - -The last of the straggling passengers hastily entered the car. Only -Miss Gordon remained. - -“Sorry,” said the brakeman. “I’d like to hold the train, but we can’t. -All aboard!” - -He reached down to pick up the step-stool. Slowly the train began to -move. - - - - -CHAPTER 6 - -Snowland - - -Aboard the train, all the Brownies wondered what had delayed Veve and -Miss Gordon. - -“I wish they’d hurry and come!” Connie said, squirming nervously in her -seat. - -“So do I,” added Sunny. “The train’s due to start any minute.” - -“Veve never should have forgotten her pocketbook,” Jane offered her -opinion. “And then she ran back without even asking Miss Gordon!” - -“Veve never stops to think,” Connie said, trying to defend her friend. - -She was even more worried than the other Brownies, for she knew Veve’s -careless ways. If the little girl failed to find her purse, well, one -couldn’t guess what she might do. - -“The train’s ready to start!” Sunny said anxiously. “See, everyone is -getting on!” - -“Everyone except Veve and Miss Gordon,” corrected Jane. “Oh, I could -wring her neck! Veve’s, I mean.” - -Connie scrambled across the aisle to a window which had not been -frosted over. She saw Miss Gordon standing alone on the platform. Veve -was nowhere to be seen. - -Almost at the same instant, the Brownie leader noticed Connie. She ran -over to the car window. - -“Is Veve aboard?” she called. - -Connie shook her head. - -Miss Gordon was nearly frantic with worry. The train had started to -move. - -“Miss, are you getting on, or staying?” called the brakeman. - -Before the Brownie leader could decide, Connie began to make strange -motions. All the Brownies crowded to the car windows, beckoning for -Miss Gordon to board the train. - -The teacher thought they were only afraid that she would be left -behind and they would have to go on alone to Snow Valley. Then she was -startled to see Veve’s face pressed against the car window. - -Miss Gordon didn’t hesitate an instant. She swung aboard the train a -moment before the compartment doors were closed. - -Feeling weak and trembly, she walked back to the Brownies. - -“Oh, Connie,” she murmured. “I thought you said Veve wasn’t aboard. It -gave me such a fright!” - -“But Veve wasn’t in the car when you asked me,” Connie explained -soberly. “She came in as you were calling through the window.” - -“That’s right,” agreed Veve. “I found my pocketbook. I was afraid the -train might start up, so I got on the first car I came to and walked -back. The train’s a long one--that’s why it took me so long to find -this car.” - -“Oh, Veve,” murmured Miss Gordon. “You might have missed the train.” - -“I knew I was on it all the time.” - -“But we didn’t know it, and neither did Miss Gordon,” said Jane -severely. “Veve, you should be more careful.” - -“I will next time,” Veve mumbled, looking ashamed. “Could I help it -because I lost my pocketbook?” - -“You might have checked to see if you had it before you left the -lunchroom,” lectured Jane. “A Brownie always is responsible.” - -“I’m not a Brownie, and I did try!” Veve replied, nearly in tears. - -“Veve has learned her lesson and will be more careful in the future, -I’m sure,” declared Miss Gordon. She slipped an arm about the girl’s -shaking shoulders. “Now shall we forget about it?” - -Veve sat down beside Connie and became very subdued. After a while, to -make certain none of her money had been lost, she glanced in her purse. - -Not a penny was missing. But her heart gave a skip and jump and tried -to leap into her throat. - -The luggage check! What had become of it? - -Distinctly, Veve remembered having placed the bit of cardboard in her -purse when Miss Gordon had given it to her at Rosedale station. She -recalled too, having seen the check when she bought her lunch at Albion -Junction. - -Frantically, she dug down beneath the coins. The check was not there, -or anywhere in the purse. Nor could she find it on the floor beneath -the car seat. - -“Looking for something?” asked Connie. - -“My luggage check,” Veve whispered. “Oh, Connie, whatever shall I do? I -think I dropped it in the station when I bought my lunch.” - -“Oh, Veve!” - -“Don’t tell Miss Gordon or the other Brownies,” Veve pleaded in a -whisper. - -“But they’ll have to know. How will you get your luggage without the -check?” - -“I--I’ll go without any clothes.” - -“That’s silly. You’ll have to have your suitcase.” - -“Maybe I’ll find the check, Connie. Please don’t tell the others--at -least not yet. They think I’m so stupid for almost missing the train. -Oh, Connie, please--” - -“Say, what are you two whispering about?” demanded Jane from across the -aisle. “Let us into the secret too.” - -“We were just talking,” Connie replied. She decided not to tell the -Brownies just then about Veve’s latest difficulty. - -When the other girls weren’t looking, she helped Veve search for the -luggage check. It was not in her coat pocket or anywhere on or under -the seat. - -“We’ll have to tell Miss Gordon,” Connie said. “Maybe she’ll know what -to do.” - -“I’ll tell her when we reach Deerford,” Veve decided unhappily. “Until -then, let’s not say a word. I want her to forget first about almost -missing the train.” - -During the remainder of the trip, Veve did not make any trouble. She -sat very quietly in her seat and wondered what she would do if she were -unable to claim her luggage. - -The Brownies watched the snow pelt on the train windows. Now and then -they glimpsed a frozen lake in the distance. As the miles clicked away -beneath the shining steel rails, the snows deepened. - -“Another hour or two and we should reach Snow Valley,” Miss Gordon -declared, looking at her watch. “Once we reach Deerford station, it -wont take long to drive to the farm.” - -“The coasting should be wonderful,” said Rosemary, pressing her face -close to the car window. By now it was so dark she scarcely could see -the white-coated trees and rooftops. - -“I wish this old train would go faster,” Jane declared impatiently. “I -can hardly wait to get to Deerford.” - -Everyone except Veve shared her eagerness to reach the Gordon farm. -The leader of the Brownies noticed the little girl’s downcast face and -assumed that she still was troubled about nearly missing the train at -Albion Junction. - -“Cheer up, Veve,” she said. “Think of the delicious dinner Grandma -Gordon will have waiting for us when we arrive!” - -Veve tried to smile but succeeded only in making a grimace. She kept -wondering what Miss Gordon and the Brownies would say when she told -them about the lost luggage check. - -Thinking about it made her rather tired and discouraged. She really -had tried to act properly and never cause annoyance. Nothing seemed to -go right. - -“Except for Connie, the Brownies don’t like me very well,” she thought, -feeling very sorry for herself. “Oh, dear, I almost wish I were back -home.” - -A tear trickled down Veve’s cheek. She was afraid to wipe it away for -fear Connie or the other girls would see that she had been crying. So -she closed both eyes tightly and counted the click of the rails. - -The sound lulled Veve into drowsiness and slumber. Then she had a dream. - -She thought she had arrived in a strange town. Grandfather Gordon could -be seen motioning to her from the top of a spruce tree. Next he seemed -to be floating along in front of her only a few feet from the ground. -But no matter how fast she ran, she never could reach him. - -The dream ended abruptly, as someone shook her arm. - -“Wake up!” said Miss Gordon in her ear. “Another five minutes and we -will be in Deerford Station.” - -For an instant Veve couldn’t think where she was. Then it all came back -to her, and she remembered the missing luggage check. - -“Miss Gordon--” she began, but already the Brownie leader had turned -aside to help Sunny lift a package down from the overhead luggage rack. - -The brakeman came through the train, calling: “Deerford is the next -station. Deerford! Deerford!” - -He paused beside Veve’s seat and smiled at her. “Don’t forget to get -off the train, little girl. And be sure to take your packages.” - -Now to make certain that nothing would be left behind, Miss Gordon made -a last-minute check herself. The girls had brought very little hand -luggage. Nearly everything had been sent to the baggage car. - -“How will we get our bags?” Eileen asked, dusting off a fleck of soot -from her coat. - -“They’ll be waiting for us at the station,” Miss Gordon said. “Just -have your claim checks ready, girls.” - -In a short while the air brakes began to make a whistling sound. The -train slowed down a little at a time. - -Then it came to a sudden stop and the brakeman called again: “All out -for Deerford! All out!” - -Connie led the way while Miss Gordon brought up the rear to make -certain no one was left behind. - -When the Brownies reached the vestibule, a chill blast of air struck -their faces. Hastily, they buttoned their coats. - -Outside the train, it was quite dark. Connie, who was the first to -alight, looked up and down the platform. - -“Where’s Grandfather Gordon?” she asked. “Isn’t he here?” - -No one was in sight except the depot agent and a boy who was hauling -luggage from the baggage car ahead. - -Then Connie saw a man in a heavy overcoat and cap walking toward her. -His face was covered with a warm muffler. - -“Well, well!” he exclaimed, grasping her firmly by the waist and -swinging her off the platform. “If it isn’t Sunny Davidson!” - -“No, I’m Connie Williams,” the little girl laughed. “Sunny’s just -getting off the train now.” - -“I’m Jane Tuttle,” announced Jane, who had followed close behind Connie. - -Grandfather Gordon gave her long golden braids a friendly tweak, and -turned to say hello to Rosemary, Sunny and Eileen. - -“And who is sober-face?” he asked, gazing at Veve as she stepped down -from the train just ahead of Miss Gordon. - -“I’m Veve McGuire,” she told him, not even trying to smile. She was -thinking about the luggage check. - -Grandfather Gordon gave Miss Gordon a hearty kiss and hug, and then -herded the Brownies ahead of him down the platform. - -“Can’t stand here getting cold,” he rumbled. “Come on over to the -bobsled. I’ll tuck you all under the bearskin robe.” - -“What about our luggage?” asked Eileen. - -The question brought Veve up short, and made her feel a little sick in -the pit of her stomach. - -“Oh, yes, the luggage checks, girls,” said Miss Gordon. “Just give them -to Grandfather. He’ll take care of everything.” - -Everyone except Veve had her luggage check ready. All the girls were so -excited about climbing into the big bobsled that they did not notice, -and only Connie knew Veve did not have it. - -“Five checks,” said Grandfather Gordon, starting toward the baggage -room of the depot. “I’ll have the suitcases in a jiffy.” - -Connie fell into step with him. “I’ll go along and help,” she offered. - -Grandfather Gordon took such long steps that she had to trot to keep up -with him. The air was tingling cold. - -“Please, Mr. Gordon,” said Connie, and her breath came out in puffs of -white vapor, “there should be six suitcases.” - -“Six?” - -“You have only five checks, because Veve lost hers. Oh, Veve’s had a -dreadful time! She didn’t want the other Brownies to know.” - -Connie poured out the entire story of how her friend had nearly missed -the train at Albion Junction, and then had lost the luggage check. - -Grandfather Gordon gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. “Now don’t you -worry your pretty little head,” he chuckled. “We’ll get that bag and no -one will be the wiser.” - -“You mean you can get it without having a check?” - -“Harry Hopkins, the station agent, is an old friend of mine. Come along -and point out the bag.” - -All the luggage had been piled up on the station platform, Veve’s bag -with the others. - -Grandfather Gordon presented the five claim checks and explained about -the one that was lost. - -“I’m not supposed to turn over a bag without a check,” said the station -agent. “But under the circumstances, take it along.” - -Grandfather Gordon carried all of the luggage to the bobsled. - -Veve caught sight of her bag with the others and nearly let out a war -whoop. Grandfather Gordon didn’t say a word. He lifted Connie into the -sled and then unhitched the horses. - -Snuggling beneath the bearskin robe, Veve whispered in her friend’s ear: - -“Connie, how did you do it?” - -“Easy,” she whispered in return. “Grandfather Gordon just asked for the -bag and the station agent gave it to him.” - -Jane Tuttle stirred restlessly. “What are you two whispering about this -time?” she demanded. - -“Nothing,” laughed Veve. She felt quite cheerful again. - -Grandfather Gordon leaped into the bobsled and clucked to the horses. -Away they started at a fast clip down the snowy road. - -“We’re off for Snow Valley!” shouted Eileen. “Hurrah!” - -“Listen!” cried Veve. - -Distinctly the girls could hear the merry jingle of sleighbells. A -moment later, the sleigh itself appeared, drawn by a pure white horse. - -When the tinkle of the bells had died away, the Brownies heard only the -soft swish of the sled runners through the hard-packed snow. - -On either side of the curving road rose huge drifts, which the girls -glimpsed briefly whenever they passed a lighted house. - -Connie noticed a high hill, frosted over like a beautiful white cake. -Overhead, a few lonesome stars twinkled their eyes. - -“A magic mountain!” she exclaimed. “Right out of a story book!” - -“Hammer Hill,” said Grandfather Gordon, waving his mitten toward the -mound of snow in the distance. “Snow Valley is hidden behind it.” - -“Will we be there soon?” asked Sunny, ducking her head to elude the -biting wind. “I’m hungry as a wolf.” - -“As fast as old Maude and Ginger will take us,” promised Grandfather -Gordon. “Have to make one stop though.” He tapped three large sacks of -groceries stowed in the front of the sled. “I promised to drop these -off at John Jeffert’s place.” - -“We’re coming to it now,” added Miss Gordon. She pointed ahead to a -forest of evergreen trees. The Brownies could not see the house. - -“It’s hidden deep in the woods,” the teacher explained. “Mr. Jeffert is -quite a character. He lives alone, and seldom goes into town.” - -“How does he earn his living?” inquired Jane curiously. - -“Why, he raises evergreens for the market,” Miss Gordon revealed. “He -has hundreds of Christmas trees on his land.” - -At the entrance to the lane which wound in through the evergreens, Mr. -Gordon drew rein. A track had not yet been broken through the deep -snows ahead. - -“I’ll leave the sled and horses here,” he announced. “Be back as soon -as I’ve delivered the groceries.” - -Grandfather Gordon tied Maude and Ginger to a tree and unloaded the -three sacks from the sled. - -“Let me go with you and help carry them,” offered Connie quickly. - -“I’ll carry a sack too,” offered Jane. - -“The snow is deep,” Grandfather Gordon warned. “Think you can make it?” - -Connie and Jane were certain they could. They buckled up their galoshes -and leaped out of the sled, eager to help. - -Grandfather Gordon handed each of the girls a light sack of groceries. -He carried the heavy one himself and went ahead to break a trail. - -Connie and Jane hadn’t realized before how difficult it was to walk in -deep snow. Their galoshes cracked through the crusty surface and down -they sank almost to their knees. Soon they were puffing and gasping -and wondering how they could keep up. - -“It isn’t much farther,” said Grandfather Gordon. - -“We’ll climb through the rail fence here and take a short cut.” - -The night had darkened so that the two Brownies scarcely could see a -foot ahead of them. They were glad Grandfather Gordon seemed so sure of -the way. - -“Over you go!” he laughed, helping first Connie and then Jane across -the top rail of the fence. “Now follow me.” - -He set off, walking rather rapidly through the big drifts. - -Hard pressed to keep up, the girls lowered their heads and plowed -doggedly on. - -Suddenly, in the darkness ahead, Grandfather Gordon stopped short. -A shadowy figure had appeared from behind one of the snow-covered -evergreens. - -“Stop!” commanded a gruff voice. “Who is trespassing on my land?” - - - - -CHAPTER 7 - -Santa Claus Jeffert - - -Connie and Jane were very frightened. Huddling behind Grandfather -Gordon, they didn’t say a word. - -“Speak up, or I’ll put a bullet through you!” commanded the gruff voice -again. - -“Is that you, John Jeffert?” called Grandfather Gordon, recovering his -power of speech. “Don’t shoot!” - -For an instant, Connie and Jane were blinded as a flashbeam played -directly in their eyes. Then it was turned off, and a tall, heavy-set -man with snow-white beard, stepped out in front of them. - -“Henry Gordon!” he exclaimed. “I couldn’t see who it was. Hope I didn’t -give you a bad scare.” - -“Well, you did,” admitted Grandfather Gordon. “Not to mention these -youngsters I have in tow.” - -“I sure am sorry,” Mr. Jeffert apologized again. “In the dark, I -couldn’t tell who was coming through the woods.” - -“So you thought you’d shoot on general principles?” Grandfather Gordon -was a trifle annoyed to think that the girls might have been injured -through Mr. Jeffert’s carelessness. - -The other man had put aside his shotgun. “I wouldn’t have fired,” he -said. “That was only bluff.” - -“Then why are you carrying a gun?” - -“It’s like this,” explained Mr. Jeffert. “Lately, a number of my best -evergreens have been stolen--cut down at night. The same thing happened -last year, and the year before that.” - -“You never reported it to the sheriff?” asked Grandfather Gordon, for -this was the first he had heard of the matter. - -“No, because I have no idea who is taking the trees. Not many have been -stolen, but enough so I lose most of my profit. I’m tired of it.” - -“Can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same,” admitted Grandfather Gordon. - -“This year, I’m keeping watch,” Mr. Jeffert continued. “Always before, -my trees have been chopped down just before Christmas. If I can catch -the thief, I’ll turn him over to the sheriff.” - -The man moved nearer, peering curiously at Jane and Connie. Now that -they no longer were afraid of him, he looked quite friendly and nice. -He was inclined to be fat and wore an odd red woolen cap. The long, -white whiskers fell nearly to his middle. - -“Why, you look like Santa Claus!” gasped Connie. - -“I may look like the kindly old fellow, but I haven’t his benevolent -disposition,” he chuckled. “At any rate, I don’t propose to give away -any more of my evergreens to sneak thieves!” - -Mr. Jeffert thanked Grandfather Gordon for bringing the groceries. It -was unnecessary for the Brownies to help carry the sacks on to the -house. - -“I’ll take ’em when I go,” Mr. Jeffert said. “Right now I want to -remain here and keep watch.” - -He walked with Grandfather Gordon and the two girls to the rail fence. - -“Come and see me again,” he called as they bade him good-bye and waded -off down the snowy lane. - -Safely back in the bobsled with the other Brownies, Connie and Jane -related their adventure with Santa Claus Jeffert. - -“He’s really quite nice and he does look like Santa Claus!” Connie -declared. “I should like to meet him again.” - -The frosty air had made everyone hungry. Thinking of the warm meal -awaiting them, the Brownies were glad when the team presently turned in -at the Gordon farm. - -Against a back-drop of tall trees, they beheld the twinkling lights of -the big white shingle house. - -Mrs. Gordon, in blue-checked apron, came running to the door. She was a -tiny woman for sixty-eight years, with snow-white hair. - -One by one, she gave the Brownies and Veve a welcoming hug. - -“You must be starved after that long train ride,” she declared, showing -the girls where to hang their coats. “As soon as you’re washed up, -we’ll have supper.” - -From the kitchen came the most tantalizing odors of baked chicken, -pumpkin pie and hot chocolate. - -Mrs. Gordon bustled about, showing the girls to their rooms and making -certain that they had towels and soap. - -Connie, Veve, Sunny and Eileen shared one room with two beds. In the -one adjoining, Rosemary and Jane were to sleep. - -Neither of the rooms had running water, only a pitcher and a bowl. -However, the water had been heated in the kitchen, so the girls were -able to scrub themselves thoroughly. - -In a twinkling they were downstairs again, exploring the living room -and the big kitchen where Fluff, the cat, had curled up by the wood -stove. - -A fragrant pine knot blazed on the hearth of the dining room fireplace. -It made the room very cozy and friendly. - -When all the Brownies were downstairs, Grandmother Gordon called them -to the dining room table. She had decorated it prettily with pink -chrysanthemums, but the girls saw only the food. - -A huge blue platter was piled high with crusty brown chicken. Beside it -was a dish of cranberry sauce and another of whipped potatoes with a -deep lake of melted butter. - -For vegetables, the Brownies had their choice of carrots, spinach or -string beans. Dessert was the best of all-pumpkin pie with whipped -cream. However, by that time, the girls were so filled, they could not -eat it all. - -When finally the meal was ended, they said good night to Grandfather -and Grandmother Gordon and stumbled off to their beds. - -Next morning, Connie was the first Brownie to dress and come down to -the warm kitchen. She asked Mrs. Gordon if she might help. - -“Yes, dear, you may carry in the plates,” Mrs. Gordon smiled. -“Breakfast soon will be ready.” - -Eileen and Jane arrived next, and they helped put on the water -glasses and arrange the chairs. There were only six of the regular -straight-back ones, but two of the Brownies used the piano bench. Miss -Gordon brought in a kitchen chair for herself. - -The Brownies hadn’t dreamed they could be so hungry. Mrs. Gordon had -fried tiny sausages and made a giant stack of wheatcakes. - -Connie ate three of the cakes, and after that lost count. She never had -tasted such wonderful food. - -When breakfast was over, Jane and Sunny elected to help with the -dishes. Connie, Veve and Eileen volunteered to make all the beds. -Rosemary cleared the table, and afterwards gave Fluff her saucer of -milk. - -“All work and no play will make Brownies very bored people,” -Grandmother Gordon declared. “I suggest you take advantage of the snow -while it lasts.” - -“Let’s go skiing,” cried Connie, who wished to try out her birthday -present. - -“And coasting,” added Jane. “But what will we use for sleds?” - -“You’ll find several in the barn,” suggested Miss Gordon. “While -they’re not new, I imagine they’ll serve.” - -Eagerly the Brownies donned mittens, snowsuits and galoshes. A path -had been shoveled from the house to the barn. - -“Where will we coast?” Connie asked. - -Miss Gordon, who looked very young in her black and scarlet ski suit, -pointed to Hammer Hill. - -“A trail has been broken by the other children,” she said. “So the -coasting should be good despite the heavy snow.” - -“Do other children live near here?” Sunny asked in surprise. - -“Oh, yes, indeed. The Stones are our nearest neighbors. I believe the -family has three or four children. We may meet them on the hill.” - -In the barn, the Brownies found three small sleds, the big bobsled Mr. -Gordon had made, and Skip. - -Skip was a large, friendly shepherd dog, who barked when the Brownies -called him by name. He sat up and begged to be taken along to the hill. - -“May we?” Connie asked Miss Gordon. - -“Yes, Skip loves the snow,” the Brownie leader consented. - -The horses, Ginger and Maude, were crunching corn in their stalls. They -barely lifted their heads as the Brownies dragged out the sleds. - -At the hill, the girls found at least a dozen other children their own -age. The Brownies took turns using the small sleds, and riding the big -bob which Miss Gordon steered. - -Once at the bottom of the hill, the sled overturned, and everyone was -dumped into the snow. The Brownies howled with laughter and did not -mind in the least. - -After a while, Connie, who had brought along her skis, tried to slide -down hill on them. Before she had gone six feet she fell. Both of the -skis flew off. - -“These skis aren’t much good,” she said in a discouraged voice. She -hurled them away. - -“Why, Connie,” said Miss Gordon, laughing at her. “Have you forgotten -the Brownie verse?” - -“What verse?” asked Connie, digging snow from her collar. - - “‘Now, little Brownie, - Strap on your skis; - Crouch low, little girl, - And bend your knees,’” - -“You mean, I’m supposed to bend my knees?” - -“That’s the general idea, Connie, if you hope to stay on your feet.” - -“I guess I’ll try it again.” Ashamed that she had given up so easily, -Connie recovered the skis and strapped them on once more. - -Following Miss Gordon’s instructions, she bent her knees and was able -to slide far down the slope before they again sailed out from under her. - -This time, however, she only laughed as she picked herself up. She -tried twice more to ski down the hill and finally made it without -falling. Because the other girls were eager to try their luck, she then -turned the runners over to Jane. - -Connie noticed that several new children had arrived at the hill. There -were two girls only a little younger than herself, and a small boy. -The three newcomers were not as warmly dressed as the Brownies and -shivered in the wind. They were using large dishpans instead of sleds -for coasting. - -“How funny!” she exclaimed. - -The other Brownies began to take notice too, for it really was amusing -to see the children try to slide down hill in dishpans. Sometimes they -turned around and the pans ended up in a snowbank. - -“Why don’t you get a sled?” Jane called to the youngsters. - -“Sh!” warned Miss Gordon. “Those are the Stone children, Bennie, -Barbara and Betty.” - -“The three B’s!” chuckled Jane, who could not guess why the Brownie -leader was signaling her to remain quiet. - -“The Stone family is very poor,” Miss Gordon explained in an undertone. -“Don’t make fun of their dishpans. Their parents can’t afford to buy -them sleds.” - -“Oh!” murmured Jane, very much ashamed that she had spoken so hastily. -“I’m sorry!” - -Connie had been watching the Stone children and could see that they -were very envious of the Brownie troop’s sleds and her shiny new skis. -She couldn’t blame them a bit for feeling that way. - -An idea came to her. - -“Oh, Miss Gordon,” she said earnestly, “can’t we _heeley, eeley leedy -pie_?” - -Now the Stone children were climbing the hill with their dishpans. -Connie had used the Brownie secret language so that the youngsters, -even if they heard, would not know they were being discussed. - -All the Brownies understood that Connie really had said: “Can’t we -help?” The game was one the troop members frequently played. Each -nonsensical word made use of each letter of the word that actually was -meant. - -Of course, Veve, not being a Brownie, was as deeply mystified as the -Stone children. She thought Connie was talking a foreign language. - -“Your idea is an excellent one, Connie,” approved the Brownie leader. -“Come along, all of you, and we’ll meet the Stone children.” - -Bennie, Barbara and Betty were rather shy when Miss Gordon introduced -so many girls at one time. They could think of nothing to say. - -“Won’t you try my skis?” Connie politely invited Barbara. “I think I’ll -rest for a while.” - -“Oh, Jimminy Crickets!” Barbara’s large dark eyes kindled with -pleasure. “I’ve always wanted to try out a pair!” - -The other Brownies took their cue from Connie. Sunny gave the sled she -had been using to Betty, while Eileen and Rosemary took turns pulling -six-year-old Benny. - -Now the girls could not fail to notice that the little fellow’s mittens -were nearly worn out, though they had been mended many times. Barbara, -the elder of the three Stones, wore a misfitting coat made from a -garment of her father’s. Betty had on a threadbare snowsuit much too -small for her. - -“I wish I’d get a new sled for Christmas,” remarked Betty wistfully. -“But I won’t. Pop said that this year times are harder than ever, and -we can’t expect very much.” - -“Take another slide on mine,” urged Sunny. - -For half an hour the Brownies and the Stone children had a great deal -of fun on the hill. Then everyone became acutely aware of the cold. -Fingers began to tingle and toes to ache. - -The Stone children said good-bye to their new friends and, with their -dishpans, started home. - -“I’m freezing too!” announced Eileen, stamping her feet. - -“So am I,” declared Rosemary, slapping her mittens together. - -“It soon will be lunch time,” declared Miss Gordon, squinting up at the -sun which had climbed high overhead. “All those in favor of a nice warm -fire, vote ‘aye.’” - -“Aye!” shouted all of the Brownies. - -Dragging the sleds, they took a short cut through a field and across a -tiny lake to the Gordon farm. - -“Did you hear what Betty said to me about not expecting a sled for -Christmas?” Sunny remarked as they turned in at the lane. - -“I did,” replied Connie. “And I think it’s a shame!” - -“The Stone children never have had many toys,” informed Miss Gordon. -“Their father is hard pressed to buy food and clothing for the family.” - -“I wish we could help,” said Connie slowly. She was silent a moment -as she reflected that her mother had given her two dollars to spend -as she wished during the visit at Snow Valley. “How much does a sled -cost?” she asked. - -“That depends upon the type,” Miss Gordon answered. “A fairly good one -can be bought for four dollars.” - -“I’ll give my two dollars spending money,” offered Connie, suddenly -making up her mind. “But that won’t be enough.” - -“I have a dollar I’ll contribute,” volunteered Sunny. “I want the Stone -children to have a sled for Christmas!” - -“So do I,” chimed in Eileen. “But I can only give fifty cents.” - -All of the Brownies voted to make a donation, and with a little money -Miss Gordon added to the fund, it was more than enough to buy a good -sled. - -Of the entire group, only Veve could not offer to give anything. She -had not brought any spending money along. - -“Miss Gordon, will you buy the sled?” Connie asked the teacher. - -“I’ll be glad to shop for it.” Miss Gordon noticed Veve’s downcast face -and added: “That is, if Veve will help me make the selection. Will you, -Veve?” - -“Oh, I’d love to, Miss Gordon!” Veve perked up, thinking that the troop -leader needed her help. - -Reaching the Gordon farm, the girls swept off their snowsuits and left -their galoshes on the porch. Then they stomped in to toast themselves -by the kitchen stove and the fireplace where a big log crackled. - -“Lunch will be ready directly,” announced Mrs. Gordon, bustling to and -fro. “Hot vegetable soup and all the hamburgers you can eat!” - -“Miss Gordon, tell Grandma about our wonderful plan!” Jane urged the -teacher. - -“To be sure. I’m very proud of my Brownies for wishing to help others.” - -Mrs. Gordon began dishing soup from the big blue tureen. “So the -Brownies have found themselves a project?” she inquired. “What is it, -may I ask?” - -“We’ve decided to give the Stone children a Christmas present,” -declared Connie, before Miss Gordon could answer. “We voted to use our -spending money to buy them a new sled.” - -Now Grandmother Gordon truly was surprised. The soup ladle clattered -from her hand against the rim of the tureen. - -She gazed quickly at Miss Gordon, almost as if she were displeased. - -“The Stone children?” she repeated. “But are you certain--that is--” - -She did not finish what she had started to say. Instead, with a worried -shake of her head, she went on dipping up the hot soup. - - - - -CHAPTER 8 - -Three Little Stones - - -“Lunch is served,” announced Grandmother Gordon quickly. - -As she shooed the Brownies to their places at the long table, she was -hopeful that they would forget her unfinished remark about the Stone -children. - -However, everyone wondered what she had intended to say. - -Before anyone could ask, Grandfather Gordon came in and began -questioning the Brownies about the fun they had had on Hammer Hill. - -“The skating is good on the lake too,” he told them. “Better try out -those skates soon, because if a heavy snow should come along, the -skating might be ruined.” - -“Will it snow again, do you think?” Sunny asked anxiously, peering out -at the deep drifts. - -“Can’t tell. It might,” replied Grandfather Gordon. “Haven’t seen the -weather prediction, but my bones tell me there’s more snow in the air.” - -The coasting expedition had made the Brownies as hungry as polar bears. -After the soup had warmed them, they devoted themselves to the huge -platter of hamburgers. But no matter how many they ate, Grandmother -Gordon always brought in more from the kitchen. - -“Let’s tell Grandfather Gordon about our plan to help the Stones!” -suggested Eileen. - -Connie shot her a warning glance, but she did not understand its -meaning. Instead, she went on and told again of the plan to buy a -Christmas sled for the three children. - -“Well, well, that is a kindly thought,” commented Mr. Gordon. - -However, as he spoke, he glanced at his wife. Grandmother Gordon’s thin -lips were drawn into a tight line. She couldn’t hide the fact that she -didn’t approve of the plan at all. - -“Don’t you like the idea of the Brownies using their spending money to -help others?” Miss Gordon asked her. - -“Why, yes, of course. I heartily approve of charity if the object is -worthy.” - -“And you believe that the Stone children are deserving?” Miss Gordon -asked, deliberately pinning her down. - -Grandmother Gordon hastily began to gather up the dishes. She would -have liked to avoid answering by escaping to the kitchen. - -Miss Gordon smiled and took the dishes from her hands. - -“Must I answer?” Grandmother Gordon asked uncomfortably. - -“Indeed, you must, for you’ve raised a question in our minds.” - -“Well,” said Grandmother Gordon facing the Brownies and choosing -her words carefully, “I honestly must say, I hardly know the Stone -children. Never once have they been in my home. For all I know, they -are deserving enough.” - -“And yet for some undisclosed reason, you don’t entirely approve of the -Brownie plan. Come, out with it! Don’t try to hoodwink us!” - -From the far end of the table, Grandfather Gordon chuckled at his -wife’s discomfiture. - -“You may as well fess up,” he teased her. “Tell ’em the truth about why -you don’t like the Stone family.” - -“Oh, dear!” Grandmother Gordon sank back in her chair. She did not -enjoy being cornered. “I suppose I must, or I’ll never hear the last of -it!” - -“Tell the girls about the necklace,” urged Grandfather Gordon. - -“Necklace?” Sunny repeated in astonishment. She could not imagine what -a necklace might have to do with the Stone children. - -“It wasn’t a necklace, but a gold locket,” corrected Grandmother -Gordon. She sighed and added: “My dislike of the Stones simmers down to -this--I’m not convinced they’re honest.” - -“The children steal?” gasped Connie. - -“Oh, no!” hastily corrected Grandmother Gordon. “I’ll start at the -beginning--then you’ll understand. Three years ago, Mrs. Stone worked -for me at threshing time. She helped out in the kitchen and with the -housework for nearly a month.” - -“Mrs. Stone works by the day,” explained Miss Gordon. “Her husband has -a job in the village, but is ill much of the time.” - -“I always liked Mrs. Stone, and I’ll give her credit for being a good -worker,” Grandmother Gordon continued. “The poor woman probably was -tempted. Otherwise, I’m sure she wouldn’t have taken anything.” - -“You say she stole a gold locket?” asked Connie. - -“It was my wedding locket which I set great store by. I foolishly -showed it to Mrs. Stone and she greatly admired it. After that, I never -could find it, though I scoured the house high and low.” - -“You’re certain Mrs. Stone took the locket?” inquired Miss Gordon, -deeply troubled. - -“I can’t be certain except in my own mind.” - -“You didn’t accuse her?” - -“No, but I never asked her to work for me again.” - -Grandfather Gordon, who had listened to his wife’s story, now said with -a chuckle: - -“Suppose I tell you my version of what happened?” - -“Yes, do!” urged the Brownies. - -“In my opinion, the locket never was stolen. My wife just misplaced it.” - -“No such thing!” insisted Grandmother Gordon. “After I missed the -locket, I searched the house high and low.” - -“You’ll find it someday,” declared Grandfather Gordon. “When you do, -you’ll be sorry you accused poor Mrs. Stone.” - -“I never did accuse her,” corrected Mrs. Gordon. “It was just a feeling -I had. I couldn’t have her working in my home, because I was convinced -beyond a shadow of doubt that she took the locket.” - -“Ah, a shadow of doubt!” teased Grandfather Gordon. “If my memory does -not fail me, you have made slight errors before. Now the time your -glasses were lost--” - -“That was entirely different. To be sure, I have misplaced articles. -But not the locket!” - -“You say you recall showing it to Mrs. Stone?” questioned Miss Gordon -thoughtfully. - -“Distinctly. She had been working for me during threshing time. -Then Grandfather Gordon and I planned a little wedding anniversary -celebration--nothing elaborate--only a few guests. - -“For the occasion, I put on my old lavender silk wedding gown.” - -“And the gold locket?” asked Connie, who was deeply interested in the -story. - -“No, the chain was broken, so I could not wear it. But I recall showing -the locket to Mrs. Stone.” - -“You were in the kitchen at the time,” said Grandfather Gordon, who had -heard the tale so many times he knew it from memory. - -“That’s right. Mrs. Stone admired it and remarked that it was the most -beautiful locket she had ever seen. She took it to the kitchen mirror -and held it to her own neck a moment.” - -“A very natural reaction,” commented Miss Gordon. “But it hardly -proves--” - -“The guests began to arrive then,” Grandmother Gordon interrupted. “I -left the locket lying on the kitchen table and entered the living room. -Not until much later did I give the matter another thought.” - -“You surely asked Mrs. Stone about the locket?” inquired Miss Gordon. - -“Only casually, for at first I thought surely I would find it. And how -could I accuse her without proof?” - -“So you thought you would find it?” teased her husband. “That reveals -to me that deep down in your mind, you knew you might have misplaced it -yourself.” - -“Nothing of the sort! I recall leaving it on the kitchen table. While -I entertained my guests, it disappeared. I’ve never seen it since, and -never will.” - -“Couldn’t anyone except Mrs. Stone have taken it?” asked Jane. “One of -the guests perhaps?” - -“Only Mrs. Stone was in the kitchen.” - -“Maybe the locket was thrown out with the garbage,” speculated Eileen. -“Once my mother lost a silver spoon that way.” - -“I don’t see how such a thing could have occurred,” declared -Grandmother Gordon. “If the locket were lost, Mrs. Stone would be -responsible, because she did all the kitchen work that day.” - -“Your mind is dead set against the woman,” said her husband. “Poor Mrs. -Stone and those children the Brownies want to help!” - -“I feel very sorry for the three children. If they need toys, I see no -harm in the Brownies helping out. I shouldn’t have said a word about -the locket.” - -“On the contrary, it’s well to know the truth about the family,” -returned Miss Gordon. “However, since no one can be certain Mrs. Stone -actually took the locket, I believe in giving her the benefit of the -doubt. How about it, Brownies?” - -“Let’s buy the sled just as we planned,” proposed Connie. - -“I say so too!” cried Veve, forgetting that she was not a Brownie. - -All the members of the troop agreed with Connie and Miss Gordon that -their plan should not be abandoned. - -“I truly am sorry I told you anything about it,” apologized Grandmother -Gordon. “I should regret it deeply if this story ever were repeated -outside the family.” - -“Brownies know how to keep secrets,” Miss Gordon assured her. - -“I wish we could find the locket and prove that Mrs. Stone didn’t take -it,” said Connie soberly. - -“My dear, I wish you could too,” smiled Grandmother Gordon. -“Unfortunately, one can’t alter facts.” - -No more was said about the matter just then. The Brownies cleared the -table and did the dishes. - -After that, some of the girls rode to the village with Grandfather -Gordon. Connie, Veve, and Rosemary remained behind to write letters -home. Later, they played with Fluff and pressed their Brownie uniforms -which had become mussed on the trip. - -“Now what shall we do?” Rosemary asked when the task had been finished. -She liked to keep busy all the time. - -“Have you any work you would like to have us do, Mrs. Gordon?” inquired -Connie politely. - -“Not a thing,” the woman replied. “Just amuse yourselves.” - -“May we do anything we like?” Connie asked, a mischievous twinkle in -her eyes. - -“Well, almost anything, dear.” - -“Then I have a very special request. You wont be annoyed?” - -“Certainly not. What is your request, Connie?” - -“While we’re here, may the Brownies search for the missing locket?” - -“Here in the kitchen?” - -“Yes, and everywhere in the house.” - -Now the request had taken Grandmother Gordon quite by surprise. She -could visualize the Brownies scurrying through the house, opening -bureau drawers and peeping into every nook and cranny of the old -dwelling. - -“We’ll be very careful,” promised Connie eagerly. “We won’t disturb -anything.” - -“Then by all means search for the locket,” Grandmother Gordon -encouraged the girls. She smiled confidently. “You won’t find the -trinket, but you’ll have fun.” - - - - -CHAPTER 9 - -Tale of the Brownies - - -The Brownies had no opportunity to search for the golden locket the -next day, because directly after breakfast, Grandfather Gordon proposed -a trip to the skating pond. - -“Wrap up warmly because the mercury is nosing below zero this morning,” -he warned. “We mustn’t have any little nipped fingers or toes.” - -By the time the Brownies were ready, Grandfather Gordon brought the -sled and horses to the door. Loading everyone in, he tucked the robes -snugly about them. - -“Here comes Skip!” laughed Connie, as the dog came plunging through the -snow. “He wants to go with us!” - -To confirm her words, Skip began to bark and carry on at a great rate. - -“Let’s take him!” pleaded Eileen. “May we?” - -Grandfather Gordon tossed Skip into the sled where he snuggled down -beside Rosemary. - -Then off they went over the hard-packed snow to a large circular pond -which adjoined the icehouse. - -Already many boys and girls were gliding over the smooth ice, laughing -and shouting. - -“The ice is frozen six inches deep and is safe everywhere except near -the icehouse where the men have been cutting ice blocks,” Grandfather -Gordon told the Brownies. “Keep away from there.” - -The Brownies put on their skates and then hobbled over to the edge of -the pond. Connie was the first one to start off. She sailed away so -easily that Veve thought there was nothing to skating. - -“Here I go!” she shouted. - -The little girl took a long stroke, but something went wrong. Her skate -runner struck a rough place in the ice, causing her to lose her balance. - -Frantically, she swung her arms, but she could not save herself. Down -she went, landing with a hard thud which shook the ice. - -All the Brownies burst into laughter, for Veve looked so dazed and -surprised. - -“Spare the ice!” Jane shouted. “We want a chance--” - -Just then her feet flew out from beneath her and down she went beside -Veve! Grandfather Gordon picked up both little girls, making certain -that they were not hurt. - -Then he took each by a hand and, walking between them, helped them to -skate. - -Soon all the Brownies were out on the ice having a wonderful time. -Remembering Grandfather Gordon’s warning, they were careful to remain a -safe distance away from the icehouse. - -However, they noticed that some of the older boys actually were -venturing out onto the area which had been so recently frozen. The ice -there was very smooth, but dangerously thin. - -“Those boys should know better!” said Connie anxiously. - -Skating fairly close, she called to warn them of their danger. - -“Oh, go on!” one of the boys retorted. “The ice is thick enough here. -We skate where we please.” - -Connie said no more. She stood a moment watching the boys cut figure -eights on the clear ice. As they glided past, she could see the thin -surface weave beneath their weight. - -Not knowing what else to do, Connie skated back to the other Brownies. -Thinking that someone should impress upon the boys that they were in -danger, she looked about for Grandfather Gordon. - -He was some distance away, building a log fire at the edge of the pond. -His back was turned so that he had not noticed the skaters near the -icehouse. - -“Oh, Grandfather Gordon!” Connie said, stroking over to where he stood. -“Those boys are skating on the thin ice!” - -Mr. Gordon turned quickly. Then dropping a stick of wood, he started -toward the icehouse. - -Before he could cover half the distance, a frightened shout came from -the group of skaters. - -“Someone has fallen through the ice!” Grandfather Gordon exclaimed, -starting to run. - -Connie now was close enough to see the frightened faces of the skaters -who had backed away from the thin area. In its center, she saw a jagged -hole, and a boy clinging desperately to the brittle crust. - -“Hold on! Hold on!” shouted Grandfather Gordon encouragingly. - -Ordering Connie to keep back, he ran as close as he dared to the broken -ice. Then, flinging himself flat, he pulled himself inch by inch toward -the shivering boy. - -Connie was very frightened, not only for the skater, but for Mr. Gordon -as well. She could see the ice bending beneath his weight, and was -afraid it might break at any instant and plunge him into the freezing -water. - -When Grandfather Gordon was within a foot of the boy, he stretched out -his arms. - -“Hold fast!” he commanded. - -Inch by inch, he pulled the boy to ice which was thick enough to -withstand their combined weights without breaking. Then he helped the -lad to his feet, and wrapped his own coat about him. - -“You’re the Gainsworth boy, aren’t you?” he said, recognizing him. “And -a long ways from home too. I’ll take you there in my sled.” - -“Th-thanks,” the boy said, his teeth chattering on the words. - -Connie quickly rounded up all the Brownies, who removed their skates, -and scrambled into the sled. Although the girls were sorry to have -their fun end so abruptly, they were proud of Mr. Gordon for having -saved the Gainsworth boy. - -“You were lucky you didn’t drown,” Grandfather Gordon scolded the lad -as he let him out at his own home twenty minutes later. “If you had -used good common sense, you never would have risked your life skating -on the thin ice.” - -“I’ve sure learned my lesson,” the lad replied. “Thanks, Mr. Gordon.” - -Back at the Gordon farm once more, the Brownies enjoyed another of -Grandmother Gordon’s hearty lunches. Afterwards, they wrote letters -home and sat reading by the fireside. - -“I’m as sleepy as a cat,” Connie said, yawning drowsily. “That skating -trip certainly made me tired.” - -Since arriving at the Gordon farm, all of the Brownies had slept very -soundly at night. In fact, their cozy feather beds were so comfortable -they found it no easy matter to get up early in the morning. - -On the day following the skating party, Connie and Veve were downstairs -before any of the other Brownies. - -Entering the kitchen, they discovered Grandmother Gordon there ahead of -them. A roaring fire had been started in the wood stove. - -The long table with blue and white checkered tablecloth already had -been set. On the stove a thick mixture of mush boiled noisily in a big -iron kettle, while bacon sizzled in an iron skillet. - -“My, how delicious everything smells!” Veve declared, sniffing the air. -“I scarcely can wait until breakfast.” - -The girls looked about for work to do. Connie stirred the mush, taking -care not to burn herself. - -Then Veve noticed that the woodbox was nearly empty. - -“May we bring in more wood, Mrs. Gordon?” she suggested. - -“Why, yes, if you care to,” replied Grandmother Gordon. “Grandpa -usually keeps the box filled, but this time he failed me.” - -Veve and Connie put on their snowsuits, mittens and galoshes and went -outside. - -On the porch they paused for a moment to look at the frozen lake, the -white-clad hills, and the ghostlike evergreens. All the world seemed -white with snow. - -Following the shoveled path, the girls came to the woodpile near the -barn. A brown squirrel, disturbed by their approach, scampered off -leaving a trail of dainty tracks. - -Veve and Connie filled their arms with chopped wood and carried it back -to the house. After they had made a second trip, the woodbox was filled -to overflowing. - -By this time, all of the Brownies except Jane were up and dressed. -Veve and Connie helped pull her out of bed, and then it was time for -breakfast. - -“Girls,” said Miss Gordon, when the dishes had been done and morning -work was out of the way, “how would you like to take a hike into the -woods?” - -“Now?” asked Eileen eagerly. She always liked hikes and nature study. - -“It’s quite cold so early in the day. Suppose we start at ten o’clock -after the sun is higher.” - -To this, the Brownies enthusiastically agreed. They straightened their -rooms, made the beds, and then found time on their hands. - -“I know what let’s do,” proposed Connie. “Let’s hunt for Grandma -Gordon’s gold locket!” - -“Where shall we start?” asked Rosemary. - -“The kitchen!” proposed Eileen. “That’s the most likely place.” - -Mrs. Gordon said she did not mind if the girls looked through all the -cupboards. Connie brought in a stepladder from the barn and climbed -up to the uppermost shelf. The dishes there were quite dusty, for the -shelf was too high for convenient use. - -“Dear me, I haven’t cleaned up there for goodness knows how long,” Mrs. -Gordon laughed. “Anything may come to light.” - -While Connie handed down the dishes, the other girls washed them. She -found a milk-white glass plate, which Miss Gordon said was an antique -and should be kept where it could be seen and appreciated. - -There was an interesting Toby jug, a cracked pink glass pitcher and a -little glass boat which bore the words: “Remember the Maine.” - -“Why, I lost that little boat years ago!” Mrs. Gordon exclaimed when -Connie handed it down to be washed. “I never did remember what was done -with it.” - -“Maybe we’ll find the locket too!” laughed Rosemary. - -However, the Brownies cleaned the entire shelf and did not come upon -the lost trinket. Nor was it anywhere in the cupboards. One shelf -contained a solid row of jelly in rainbow colors of red, orange, and -mint green. On another was a vast array of canned fruit, and on a lower -shelf in easy reach, a large collection of herbs and spices. - -“We must make Christmas cakes and cookies soon,” said Miss Gordon when -she saw the spices. “Oh, dear, our time here is so short and we have so -many wonderful things to do.” - -“It’s time for our hike now,” Jane reminded her. - -The Brownies decided to abandon the search for the gold locket, at -least for the time being. Only Connie had faith it would be found -somewhere in the house. She made up her mind she would look for it -whenever she had a spare moment. - -“Tomorrow may we search in the attic?” she asked Grandmother Gordon. - -“The attic?” repeated Mrs. Gordon, rather puzzled. “How could the -locket be there?” - -Connie explained that she merely thought the attic would be an -interesting place to explore. - -“So it is,” agreed Mrs. Gordon. “Filled to overflowing with old -furniture, trunks, cast-off clothing, not to mention cobwebs. Rummage -there as much as you like.” - -Now Connie was not the only member of the Brownie troop to have -original ideas. Jane and Rosemary also had made special plans. After -talking the matter over with Miss Gordon, they had decided to have a -Christmas tree for the birds. - -The night before they had made careful preparations, so that the tree -itself might be selected on the morning hike. - -The girls had filled small cardboard boxes with seeds, had pressed -peanut butter into pine cones and had fixed tiny baskets of suet and -bread crumbs ready for tying onto the evergreen limbs. - -When everyone was ready, the Brownies set off on their hike, Miss -Gordon leading the way. - -The snow was very deep, which made walking quite hard. However, the -Brownies soon emerged on a firmly-packed road, which wound on toward -Mr. Jeffert’s farm. - -Coming to a rustic bridge, Miss Gordon paused a moment so that the -Brownies might catch their breath. - -“May we hike through the woods?” Jane requested. “The trees are so -pretty beyond the log fence. I am sure we could find one there that -would be just right for the birds’ Christmas tree.” - -“Mr. Jeffert doesn’t mind if we go on his land,” the Brownie leader -replied. “I telephoned him this morning to inquire.” - -The girls climbed the rail fence and followed Miss Gordon through the -maze of evergreens. Never had they seen such a beautiful forest of -Christmas trees. The needles of the pines and spruces glistened with -ice and flashed like diamonds under the bright morning sun. - -The Brownies walked slowly, studying each tree as a possible feeding -station for the birds. - -Finally Jane came to one which exactly suited her. It was a little -higher than her head, well filled out, and perfectly shaped. - -“This is just the place!” she proposed. - -Rosemary liked the tree and so did the other Brownies. All voted that -it be made into a feeding station for the birds. Jane opened up the box -of knick-knacks and the girls attached them to the limbs. - -“Will the birds find it, do you think?” Rosemary asked when the task -was completed. She saw several sparrows nearby, but they did not come -near the tree. - -“Give them time,” said Miss Gordon. “Within a day or two, I’ll -practically guarantee this will be a popular bird restaurant.” - -The Brownies tramped some distance on into the evergreen forest before -turning back. Near the rail fence by the road, they all sat down on a -log to rest. - -“Tell us a story, Miss Gordon,” urged Connie. “One about the fairies.” - -“No, about Brownies,” pleaded Jane. - -“I might tell you the Brownie Story by Juliana Horatia Ewing, which -suggests the ideals and objectives of our Brownie Scout program,” said -Miss Gordon. “Some of you already have heard it.” - -“I haven’t,” said Veve, eager to hear the tale. Gathering the girls -about her, the Brownie leader began in a low, clear voice: - -“Once upon a time, a little girl named Mary and her brother Tommy, -lived in England with their grandmother and father, who was a tailor. - -“Now, although the family was very poor and there was much work to do, -the children never thought to help. - -“So, was it surprising that the overburdened tailor one day complained -to his mother that children were a grievance? - -“‘No, children are not a burden but a blessing,’ the old woman replied, -and she decided to prove it. - -“One day when Mary asked her about the fairies, she sighed and -repeated: ‘Fairies? Ah, the luck of our house is gone. It went with the -Brownie, I believe.’ - -“‘Tell us about her,’ urged Mary. ‘Did she live with our family?’ - -“‘Yes, for many generations,’ replied the old woman. ‘Each morning -before the family was up, she slipped in to sweep up the hearth, set -out the breakfast and do all the housework. Then she would be off -before anyone could catch her.’ - -“‘Yet they always knew it was a Brownie who came, Grandmother?’ - -“‘Oh, yes, they frequently could hear her laughing and playing about -the house as she worked.’ - -“‘And her wages?’ asked little Mary. - -“‘A Brownie always works for love,’ explained the old woman. ‘Sometimes -though, the family would set a pancheon of clear water for her -overnight, or now and then they would leave a bowl of bread and milk. -Oh, she was a dainty little creature!’ - -“‘And why did she leave the family, Granny?’ - -“‘I fear only the wise old hoot owl who lives in the woods can answer -that,’ sighed the grandmother. - -“‘I wish I could find the owl and learn how to coax the Brownie back -again,’ said little Mary. ‘It would be so nice to have her to tidy the -room, run errands and pick up chips. Oh, if only she had never gone -away!’ - -“Now then and there Mary decided to discover if she could what had -become of the helpful Brownie. So one night when the moon was high, she -started off in search of the wise old owl in the forest. - -“A white mist lay over the moor as she made her way to the forest. - -“‘Hoot! Hoot!’ suddenly said a voice directly behind her. - -“‘Please, can you tell me how to find a Brownie who will come to our -house and help with the work?’ Mary boldly asked the wise old bird. - -“‘Oohoo!’ hooted the owl. ‘I know of two Brownies who live in your -house now, but they will not work because they are so very lazy.’ - -“‘Two Brownies in our house?’ echoed Mary, very much surprised. ‘I wish -you would tell me where to find them. I would show them how to work.’ - -“‘I can tell you how to find one of the Brownies,’ replied the owl. -‘Now listen closely. When the moon is shining, go to the pool in the -woods, and turn yourself about three times as you repeat this charm: - - ‘Twist me, and turn me, and show me the Elf; - I looked in the water, and saw--’ - -“‘And will I see a Brownie?’ asked little Mary. - -“‘If you fail to see one, it will be no use,’ answered the wise old owl. - -“Off went Mary to the pool deep in the woods. Gazing deep into the dark -water which was like a mirror, she slowly repeated the magic words. - -“But though she looked hard for the Brownie, all she saw was her own -sober reflection in the pool. - -“‘I must have done it wrong,’ thought Mary. ‘Anyway, there is no word -to rhyme with “Elf.”’ - -“Disappointed and puzzled, the little girl went back to the old owl to -report that the charm had failed to work. - -“‘Whoooo,’ hooted the owl, winking his sleepy eyes, ‘and what did you -see in the pool?’ - -“‘No one but myself,’ answered little Mary. - -“‘Hoot! Hoot!’ said the owl, and he seemed to be laughing in his -feathers. ‘And what did you expect to see?’ - -“‘A Brownie! You promised me I would!’ - -“Then the owl explained to Mary that she herself was the Brownie and -that she could make herself beloved in the household by helping with -the work. - -“‘I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Brownie,’ said Mary, thinking over -what the owl had said. ‘I would rather have someone else do the work -for me.’ - -“‘Fie!’ the old owl scolded crossly. ‘You would be idle and lazy--one -who eats, yet never helps with the supper!’ - -“‘Say no more,’ sighed Mary. ‘I don’t really want to be like that. I’ll -go home now and tell my brother Tommy what you have said.’ - -“The very next day, the little girl told her brother of her talk with -the owl. Together they worked out a plan whereby they arose each -morning before the old folks were awake. They swept the hearth, tidied -the house and started breakfast. - -“Each day the children found more and more things to do for their -father and their grandmother. The house rang with laughter and -everyone was much happier. - -“Now this went on for many days. Then one morning, the tailor stole -downstairs very early to watch for the Brownies. Instead, he saw Mary -and Tommy doing the work. - -“‘What’s this?’ he demanded. ‘Where are the Brownies?’ - -“‘We are the only ones,’ laughed Mary and Tommy. - -“‘Surely this is a joke,’ declared the astonished tailor. ‘Are there no -real Brownies?’ - -“‘We are the only ones,’ laughed Mary. - -“The old tailor then agreed with his mother that children indeed were a -blessing and not a burden.” - -When Miss Gordon had finished the tale, she added: - -“That is my own version of the Brownie story and a much shortened one. -You all must read the original.” - -“I already have,” declared Connie, who had obtained the tale at the -Rosedale Public Library. - -The Brownies all arose from the log, intending to start on toward the -farmhouse. - -As they were climbing the rail fence, a man in a dark flannel shirt and -leather jacket strode down the road. - -Evidently he had been chopping wood, for an axe was slung over his -shoulder. - -When the man saw the Brownies, he slackened his pace and gazed at them -a trifle suspiciously. The girls began to feel a bit uncomfortable. - -Now Miss Gordon knew the man only slightly. His name was Felix Gossart -and his ten-acre place adjoined Mr. Jeffert’s evergreen farm. He had -never seemed very friendly and less so now. - -“Good morning, Mr. Gossart,” Miss Gordon said politely. - -The man did not reply to the friendly greeting. He merely stared at the -Brownies as they scrambled over the snowy rails of the fence. - -“Trespassing on Mr. Jeffert’s property?” he asked and his voice was not -pleasant. - -“Indeed, we aren’t,” answered Miss Gordon. “Mr. Jeffert said we might -hike through the woods.” - -“Well, I wouldn’t do it again if I were you,” said Mr. Gossart, -shifting the axe to the other shoulder. “Maybe you haven’t heard. -Someone’s been cutting down trees in these parts. Wandering around -careless like, you might run into unpleasant characters.” - -“Thank you, Mr. Gossart. If we come this way again, we’ll be very -careful.” - -Miss Gordon said no more, but gathering the girls together, started off -down the road. - -“Can’t we go to the woods again?” Rosemary asked anxiously when they -were well beyond Mr. Gossart’s hearing. “If we don’t we’ll never learn -whether or not the birds use our feeding station.” - -“When I talked to Mr. Jeffert this morning, he did not advise against -going onto his property,” Miss Gordon said. “If we stay close to the -road, I see no possible danger.” - -“Whoever is cutting down the evergreens wouldn’t do it in the daytime -at any rate,” reasoned Connie. - -“Then why did Mr. Gossart warn us that we might meet unpleasant -characters?” inquired Eileen nervously. - -“He may have intended to be helpful,” said Miss Gordon thoughtfully. -“On the other hand, I wonder--” - -“You wonder what, Miss Gordon?” demanded Connie. - -The Brownie leader, however, did not intend to finish what had been in -her mind. - -“Race you to the bridge!” she challenged. - -Off she darted, with the Brownies in hot pursuit. By the time they -all reached the bridge, everyone was out of breath and Mr. Gossart -completely forgotten. - - - - -CHAPTER 10 - -A Stolen Evergreen - - -The Brownies and Veve were spending the afternoon rummaging in -Grandmother Gordon’s attic. - -Connie had suggested the idea immediately after lunch and everyone had -been enthusiastic. Mrs. Gordon, of course, did not expect the girls -to find her missing locket, but she knew they would have a fine time -poking about among all the old things. - -The attic had only one small window to let in light. Everywhere cobwebs -hung from file walls. Veve ran into one as she started toward an old -spinning wheel which stood near the door. - -“Ugh!” she exclaimed, fighting it off. “This old boy has me by the -throat.” - -“Maybe there are mice in here too,” Rosemary added uneasily. - -“Grandma Gordon is too good a housekeeper to have mice,” declared -Connie. She was alarmed lest the girls decide to leave the attic before -they had explored it. “Anyway, Fluff is here to scare them away.” - -The cat had followed the Brownies upstairs and was rubbing against -Connie’s legs. - -“Fluff is too lazy to catch anything,” laughed Rosemary. - -The attic fairly overflowed with boxes, trunks, suitcases and broken -furniture. Eileen tried out an old rocker which squeaked like an animal -in distress. - -Connie and Eileen began opening the trunks. In one they found old -shoes, ancient hats and woolen goods scented with moth balls. - -One box contained children’s winter clothing, still in good condition -and very little out of style. In another were several old-fashioned -silk dresses with tight waists and long full skirts. - -“What fun to dress up!” exclaimed Eileen. - -“We couldn’t without asking Mrs. Gordon’s permission,” said Connie. -“If we start to dress up now, we’ll have no time to look at the other -things here.” - -“Then let’s do it tomorrow,” Eileen replied, temporarily giving up the -idea. - -Suddenly from the far end of the attic came a resounding crash. - -Veve, who had tried to peep into a box that was higher than her head, -had pulled it over. Barely missing her feet, it spilled its contents -of books over the floor. - -“Oh, Veve! See what you’ve done!” Jane exclaimed impatiently. “If that -box had contained glass, it would have been smashed!” - -“It wasn’t my fault,” Veve mumbled, starting to pick up the books. “The -old box just fell over.” - -“You mean you accidentally pulled it down. Veve, you never stop to -think before you act, and then when it’s your fault, you don’t like to -admit it! Brownies believe in being honest about their mistakes.” - -Although it was quite dark in the attic, Connie saw that tears were -coming into Veve’s eyes. She really thought Jane was being too severe. - -“Oh, why make a fuss about it?” she interposed. “Of course, Veve didn’t -mean to do it.” - -“She never does,” retorted Jane crossly. - -“Well, you’re not being very nice yourself to blame Veve every time she -has an accident,” said Rosemary, siding with Connie. “At lunch today -when you upset your glass of milk, no one said a word.” - -Jane started to say that the milk had spilled only because Sunny had -joggled her elbow, but thought better of it. - -“Sorry,” she muttered. “I wouldn’t have said anything about the box, -only I think we should be careful or Mrs. Gordon won’t want us to play -up here.” - -“We _all_ should be careful,” emphasized Connie. - -She and Sunny helped Veve pick up the books and stack them back in the -box. The task had just been finished, when Rosemary let out a squeal of -excitement. - -“See what I’ve found!” she cried. - -Rosemary had come upon a box of old buttons in a cardboard box tucked -in the drawer of a rusty sewing machine. - -“Say, maybe the golden locket is in there!” exclaimed Veve. - -Hopefully the girls examined the many odd shapes and designs of the -buttons. Some were of brass or silver; others were of glass and tin. - -“Oh, see this button!” declared Jane, selecting one from the -collection. “It has the face of George Washington on it and must be -very rare.” - -“And here’s one in the shape of a little house,” added Rosemary. “One -never sees buttons like these today.” - -“Except in collections,” contributed Connie. “It would be nice if the -Brownies could save buttons, only we have so many other interesting -things to do.” - -The girls spent nearly half an hour studying the assortment. So -fascinating was the pastime, that they forgot their disappointment over -failure to find the missing locket. - -Time passed so swiftly that the girls all were quite startled when Mrs. -Gordon called from the foot of the stairs to ask them to wash up for -supper. - -“Is it supper time already?” gasped Connie. “Oh, dear, and we’ve only -half explored this wonderful place.” - -“Let’s finish up tomorrow if we can,” proposed Sunny as they all -trooped down the stairs. “Maybe we can dress up in the old clothes. -That would be fun.” - -All the Brownies agreed that it would be good sport to put on a style -show. Next morning, however, they had so many other interesting things -to do they had no time to think of the attic. - -In the morning the girls played games in the snow and went coasting -again on Hammer Hill. - -After lunch, Miss Gordon announced that she would drive to the village -in the sleigh. - -“Who wants to ride along and help me select the sled for the Stone -children?” she inquired. - -All of the Brownies were eager to accompany her. However, everyone -could not crowd into one sleigh. So in the end, Veve and Eileen were -chosen to go with the Brownie leader. - -In the village, Miss Gordon attended to several errands. Then she took -the girls to a hardware store where they inspected a number of sleds. -After much debate, Eileen and Veve settled upon a handsome one which -was large enough for two children to ride on at the same time. - -While they were waiting for the sled to be carried out to the sleigh, -Veve wandered to the rear of the store to look at a construction set. - -As she stood there, she chanced to hear the owner of the hardware store -talking to another man who was buying a snow shovel. - -“Too bad about Stone,” the storekeeper remarked. “I’d help him if I -could, but business is slack now and I can’t give him a place here.” - -Hearing Mr. Stone’s name mentioned, Veve listened carefully. - -“Yes, I’ve heard he’s had no regular work for more than a month,” the -customer replied, “Pretty tough on that family of his, especially with -Christmas coming on.” - -When Veve left the hardware store with Eileen and Miss Gordon, she -repeated the snatch of conversation she had overheard. - -“I was afraid the Stone children might face a very meager Christmas, -and this confirms it,” declared Miss Gordon. “I wish we could give them -other things besides just a sled.” - -“They must need food and clothing,” said Eileen as she climbed into the -sleigh. “And I noticed the youngsters’ mittens were ragged.” - -“We’ll have to do something about it,” said Miss Gordon. “However, I -don’t wish to offend Grandma Gordon, so we must plan carefully.” - -After the three had returned to the Gordon home with the new sled, they -reported to the other Brownies what they had learned about Mr. Stone -being out of work. - -“If you want to give the children clothing, I know where there’s some!” -exclaimed Connie, before she stopped to think. “A trunk in the attic is -filled with garments--” - -Then she broke off, seeing from Grandmother Gordon’s set expression, -that the woman did not want to give any of the clothing away. - -“Mr. Stone may be out of work temporarily, but I can’t believe the -family is in actual need,” declared Grandmother Gordon. She lifted a -stove lid to throw a chunk of wood into the fiery red coals. “Besides, -Mr. Stone probably would have a steady job if he weren’t so shiftless.” - -“Mr. Stone isn’t shiftless,” corrected Miss Gordon. “Work is very -scarce just at this time. Besides, I know for a fact that he works very -hard at his trap lines and does any kind of work he can get.” - -“Other men seem able to find means of providing for their families,” -sniffed Grandmother Gordon. “If I thought for a minute that he actually -were deserving, I’d try to help the family.” - -“Isn’t it true you dislike them because you believe Mrs. Stone took -your locket?” - -“I suppose it does enter into my feelings,” Grandmother Gordon admitted. - -“Yet no matter what you believe about Mrs. Stone, you shouldn’t take it -out on those poor children. It bothers me to think they may not have -enough to eat.” - -“Since you’ve talked of it so much, it’s beginning to bother me too,” -admitted Mrs. Gordon. “Why not go there and find out the truth? I know -that’s what you want me to tell you to do!” - -“I’m very glad you suggested it,” laughed Miss Gordon. “It’s quite -possible I may take a delegation of Brownies and go there tomorrow.” - -Nothing more was said about the matter at that time, but secretly, -all the Brownies hoped Miss Gordon would find a way to help the Stone -children. - -Since the girls had arrived at the farm, time had flown very fast -They scarcely could realize that soon their parents would arrive for -Christmas and to take them back to Rosedale. - -Before that day came the Brownies planned to make cookies, cakes and -candies and decorate the entire house with greens. - -“Mr. Jeffert has promised us a Christmas tree,” Miss Gordon told the -girls. “He said we may have any one we select.” - -“One so tall it will touch the ceiling!” cried Rosemary. - -“Please, may we choose it this afternoon?” pleaded Eileen, who was -eager to return to the woods. “While we’re there, we could see if the -birds are using the new feeding station!” - -“How many Brownies feel equal to another hike?” asked Miss Gordon. - -“I do!” shouted Jane. - -All the other girls voted for the trip too and ran to put on their warm -snowsuits. - -A brisk walk through the frosty air brought the Brownies to the edge of -Mr. Jeffert’s land. - -“Our track has completely disappeared!” declared Miss Gordon. “Last -night’s snow was heavier than I thought.” - -The trail to the birds’ feeding station had been completely blotted out -by the light fall of snow. Eileen and Jane, however, knew the way. - -“Follow us!” Eileen directed the girls. - -She and Jane broke track through the snow. Now and then they glimpsed -stretches of the old trail which had not been completely covered, so -they were sure they were going the right way. - -A moment later, Jane sang out: “Here we are. Our tree was right beside -this tall one--but where is it now?” - -She and Eileen, who were ahead, both stopped short. Only an ugly stump -arose from the place where the birds’ Christmas tree had stood the -previous day. - -Someone had chopped down the evergreen during the night! - -“Why, it’s gone! Our lovely tree is gone!” cried Eileen in a shrill -voice. - -The Brownies were so stunned they hardly said a word. They could not -believe a mistake had been made in the tree’s location, for in the snow -nearby were bits of ribbon and string and a pine cone with food still -pressed into it. - -“Oh, how could anyone be so mean?” demanded Connie. - -“Especially when the woods is filled with nice evergreens,” added -Rosemary, stooping to pick up the pine cone. “Why couldn’t Mr. Jeffert -have cut down another tree?” - -“I don’t believe Mr. Jeffert did it,” said Connie soberly. “Our tree -probably was chopped down by that same thief who has been sneaking onto -his property.” - -“And I agree,” commented Miss Gordon. “Mr. Jeffert never would have cut -down our tree.” - -Behind them, the girls heard footfalls in the snow. Whirling around, -they saw Mr. Jeffert himself striding toward them. - -“Who speaks my name?” he called cheerily. - -“Oh, Mr. Jeffert!” cried Connie. “You didn’t take our tree, did you?” - -She pointed to the stump and told the land owner what had happened. Mr. -Jeffert’s round face became as dark as a late afternoon sky. - -“I certainly did not cut that tree!” he exclaimed. “But I have a good -idea who may have chopped it down. Late last night I saw Clem Stone -walking this way. He saw me watching from the woods and went on. I have -a notion he may have sneaked back later.” - -“Then you believe Mr. Stone is the one who has been stealing your -trees?” Miss Gordon asked, looking worried. - -“I’ve no proof. Clem is out of a job though, and he may be trying to -raise money by selling a few of my trees. He didn’t speak last night -when he went past, and he was carrying an axe.” - -“But so was Mr. Gossart,” revealed Connie. - -“Mr. Gossart?” - -“We met him after we fixed the tree for the birds,” Connie explained. -“He was carrying an axe the same as Mr. Stone.” - -“Well, one can’t convict a man for having an axe,” admitted Mr. -Jeffert. “I probably was hasty in saying Mr. Stone could have cut the -tree. It might have been anyone.” - -“Then you don’t think it was Mr. Stone after all?” - -“I honestly don’t know. I’ve watched the woods night after night -without catching the culprit. The fellow, whoever he is, is too smart -for me.” - -Now that the birds’ tree had been taken, the Brownie hike seemed quite -purposeless. After talking with Mr. Jeffert for a while, the girls -selected another evergreen which he promised to cut for their Christmas -at the farm, and then they turned toward home. - -“Let’s take a shortcut through the fields,” proposed Sunny who had -wearied. - -Accordingly, they rolled under a wire fence, and set off through the -deep snow. Although the distance was much shorter than by the road, the -drifts made walking very hard. - -When the snow was firm, the girls could walk along quite easily. But -every few feet the crust would give way, and down they would plunge, -nearly to their waists. However, it was fun and even Miss Gordon did -not mind. - -“Who lives in that little cabin?” Connie asked as they drew near a -lighted dwelling. - -Although it was not yet supper time, shadows were deepening everywhere. -In another half hour it would be very dark. - -“Why, the Stones live there,” said Miss Gordon. - -Smoke curled lazily from the cabin’s chimney. A shaggy dog lounged on -the back doorstep. The Stone children were nowhere to be seen. - -The Brownies trudged on, coming quite close to the cabin. There were no -curtains or blinds at the windows. Without meaning to look the girls -peered directly into the Stones’ kitchen. - -Just inside the window stood a perfectly shaped Christmas tree! -Strings of popcorn and cranberries were its only decoration. - -Jane Tuttle saw the tree and clutched Connie’s arm excitedly. - -“There it is!” she cried. “Our evergreen! Mr. Jeffert was right! Mr. -Stone did chop it down!” - - - - -CHAPTER 11 - -Into the Storm - - -Inside the Stone cabin, oil lamps had been lighted, so the Brownies -could see the Christmas tree quite plainly. It stood at a slight angle -in the window, its branches brushing against the icy panes. - -“Why, it _is_ our tree!” agreed Sunny indignantly. “Of all the nerve!” - -“I don’t think the tree we selected for the birds was that tall,” -protested Connie, after a second glance. - -“Neither do I,” declared Eileen promptly. “Maybe it isn’t the same -evergreen, even though it looks a little like it.” - -The Brownies trudged on, deliberately breaking trail so that they would -pass close to the Stone cabin. - -“I still think it’s our tree,” insisted Jane when they were quite near -the window. - -“And I say it isn’t,” Eileen argued. - -“Wait here!” Jane directed the Brownies. “I’ll find out for sure!” - -Before Miss Gordon or the other girls could stop her, she scrambled -over a big snowdrift and crept through the dark to the kitchen window. -Half hidden by an ice-coated bush, Jane was able to look closely at the -evergreen without being seen by anyone in the lighted room. - -At first glance she saw that the tree was not the one which had been -taken from Mr. Jeffert’s land, though it was a beautiful spruce. - -The lower branches were a little scraggly, and viewed at close range, -one side of the tree appeared slightly mis-shapen. - -Satisfied that the evergreen was not the same one, Jane started to turn -away. Then she waited a moment, for she saw the Stone children playing -on the floor of the kitchen. - -Mrs. Stone was setting food on the table for supper. One dish contained -potatoes and another held turnips. Jane did not see anything else. - -“Mom, may we have a new sled for Christmas?” she heard Barbara ask her -mother. - -“No, dear, and I’ve asked you not to keep pestering me about it,” -sighed her mother wearily. “With your father out of work, we can’t -afford toys this year. We’ll be lucky to keep food on the table.” - -“Jane!” called Miss Gordon. She did not consider it proper for the -little girl to peep through a window. - -Jane quickly rejoined the Brownies. She knew she had not been seen by -anyone in the cabin. - -“It wasn’t the same tree,” she announced as the Brownies waited for her -opinion. - -“I thought it wouldn’t be,” declared Connie, while Miss Gordon nodded -agreement. - -“This proves that one shouldn’t leap to hasty conclusions,” added the -leader of the Brownie troop. “How easy it is to misjudge a person.” - -As the Brownies started on at a brisk pace toward the Gordon farm, Jane -was rather quiet. She kept thinking about what she had heard Mrs. Stone -tell Barbara. - -Finally, she said: “Miss Gordon, I wish we could give the Stone family -more than just a sled. They need all sorts of toys and Christmas -food--turkey, cranberries, plum pudding and everything.” - -The remark surprised Miss Gordon. She asked Jane why she thought the -Stones might be in dire need. - -“I heard Mrs. Stone say there would be no money for Christmas toys and -maybe not any for food,” Jane related. “All they were having for supper -was potatoes and turnips.” - -“Oh, surely Mrs. Stone had other food prepared, Jane. Perhaps it was in -the oven, or out of sight.” - -“That’s all I saw at any rate.” - -“What was the kitchen like?” inquired Connie curiously. - -“I didn’t notice anything except the Christmas tree and the supper -table. Miss Gordon called me before I had a chance to really see very -much.” - -Now what Jane had reported deeply troubled Miss Gordon. She promised -the Brownies she would make inquiries before Christmas to learn if the -Stones actually were in need. - -“If they are, we’ll send a big basket of food,” she said. “However, the -Stones have lived in this community many years and I understand, are -quite proud. They might resent charity.” - -“Will they be offended if we give them the sled, and perhaps a few -other toys?” Connie asked anxiously. - -“The children will enjoy the presents--I’m certain of that,” declared -Miss Gordon. - -After the Brownies reached Grandmother Gordon’s farmhouse they talked -over what they could do to help the Stone children. - -“We could stuff stockings and make them into dolls,” proposed Eileen -eagerly. - -“And we could bake things,” suggested Rosemary, who loved to cook. -“That is, if Mrs. Gordon wouldn’t mind having us use her kitchen.” - -“It’s yours for the asking,” laughed Mrs. Gordon. - -The Brownies divided into two groups, one to sew and the other to work -in the kitchen. Veve, Rosemary and Connie elected to cook, while the -other girls sewed stocking dolls. - -“What shall we make?” demanded Veve, after the three girls, wrapped in -huge kitchen aprons, had taken possession of the kitchen. - -“I have a recipe here for brownies,” said Miss Gordon. “You might -start with that. Then if you like, we can make sand tarts and regular -Christmas cookies, decorating them with red and green sugar, citron and -candied cherry.” - -“Are brownies a cookie too?” asked Veve, who never had done much -cooking. - -“A very rich and delicious variety,” declared the troop leader. - -She set out the ingredients and gave the girls Mrs. Gordon’s favorite -brownie recipe. It read: - - 1/3 cup shortening - 1 cup sugar - 2 eggs - 2 squares chocolate - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1/2 cup flour - 1/3 cup chopped nut meats. - -“I’ll chop the nuts!” offered Connie, digging in the kitchen cabinet -drawer for the cracker. - -Rosemary and Veve under Miss Gordon’s direction blended the sugar and -the shortening. - -“Now while you add the two eggs, I’ll step into the living room and see -how our champion sewers are progressing,” Miss Gordon said. - -Left to themselves, Veve and Rosemary scarcely knew how to add the eggs -to the creamy white mixture. - -“You break one and I’ll smash the other,” proposed Veve. “That way, -we’ll both have a turn.” - -Rosemary cracked her egg squarely in the middle and let the yolk and -white drop into the pan. A tiny piece of shell fell in too, but she -fished it out with a spoon. - -“Now it’s my turn,” laughed Veve. Though she never had cracked an egg, -she was sure it would be easy. - -Selecting the largest one in the pan, she tapped it smartly against the -table edge as she had seen Rosemary do. - -Now Veve struck the egg much harder than she had intended. Instead of -cracking, the shell shattered completely, and the egg splattered on the -floor. - -“Oh, Veve! See what you’ve done!” cried Rosemary. - -“It just slipped,” said Veve contritely. “I didn’t mean to do it.” -Then, because she realized she had made that same excuse many times -before, she hung her head. - -“Never mind, Veve,” returned Rosemary kindly. “I almost dropped my egg -too.” - -With Connie helping, the two girls tried to wipe up the egg with a -cloth. It ran them a race on the linoleum. Finally, after washing out -the rag several times, they were successful in cleaning up the mess. - -“Now we’ll have to wash our hands and break another egg,” sighed -Rosemary. - -“It’s your turn again,” said Veve quickly. “I had mine.” - -While Connie and Veve hovered near to offer moral support, Connie broke -the egg and dropped it safely into the cookie mixture. As she was -stirring it in, Miss Gordon returned to the kitchen. - -“How are we coming?” she asked gaily. - -Veve told her about the accident, but the Brownie leader only laughed. - -“Grandmother Gordon has lots of eggs and won’t mind losing one,” she -said. “Now let’s add the melted chocolate.” - -With Miss Gordon there to watch, it was easy to finish up the brownie -mixture. Veve and Rosemary added melted chocolate, salt and vanilla. -Then Connie dumped in all the chopped nuts, after making certain there -were no shells. - -“Yum! Yum! It looks delicious!” she declared. “How long must we wait -for it to bake, Miss Gordon?” - -“About twenty minutes at moderate oven temperature.” - -“What’s a moderate oven?” asked Rosemary, who never had heard the term. - -“Usually that means about 350 degrees heat. Grandmother Gordon’s wood -stove has no temperature control, so we’ll have to test it by guess.” - -Miss Gordon opened the oven door and a blast of heat poured out into -the kitchen. She thrust her hand into the cavern a moment and then -withdrew it, closing the oven door. - -“The temperature is about right now, I think,” she decided. “Grease the -pan, and let’s pop those brownies right in.” - -While the cookies baked, Connie, Veve and Rosemary wandered into the -next room to see how Jane, Eileen and Sunny were progressing with their -stocking dolls. - -The work was nearly finished. Jane had created the funniest figure, -tying the foot of her stuffed stocking into two long rabbit ears. With -needle and red thread, she had stitched on big eyes, a nose, mouth and -a few whiskers. - -“I’m sure the Stone children will love these dolls and the cookies as -well,” declared Miss Gordon. “As for the baskets of Christmas food, -we’ll decide later on, whether or not to send them.” - -Though the Brownie leader did not say so, she had talked the matter -over the night before with Mrs. Gordon. They had been unable to -agree on whether or not the Stones would resent receiving help. And -Grandmother Gordon had argued that she still was unconvinced the Stones -were a deserving family. - -So the matter of sending a turkey and other substantial food, remained -undecided. - -During the next two days, the Brownies were too busy to leave the -Gordon farm. They made decorations for the house, cut spruce boughs for -the windows, and baked more cookies and made fancy candies. - -Now, Mrs. Gordon had noticed that her supplies were beginning to -dwindle. So late one afternoon she reminded Grandfather Gordon that -if they were to have a Christmas feast, he must take the bobsled and -drive to Goshen. - -Grandfather Gordon stretched his long legs toward the crackling log and -yawned. “Why drive all the way to Goshen?” he asked. “That’s nearly -twenty miles. Can’t I get everything you want at Deerford?” - -“The stores there never have what I need,” complained his wife. “This -time I have a special list and it’s a long one.” - -“Goshen it must be then,” sighed Grandfather Gordon. “I may as well -start early in the morning.” - -He telephoned Mr. Jeffert to ask if he might pick up anything for him -at Goshen. - -“I’ll ride along if you’ll stop for me,” Mr. Jeffert said. “Meet you at -eight o’clock.” - -Now the next morning before Grandfather Gordon hitched the horses, he -remarked that the sky looked very dark. - -“Wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in for a heavy snow before nightfall,” -he told Grandmother Gordon. “I’ll get along as fast as I can.” - -Soon after Mr. Gordon had driven away with the bobsled, the flakes -began to flutter down. So fast did they fall that the entire sky seemed -full of moist feathers. - -The Brownies loved the snow. All morning they played out in it, -building a hut near the barn. - -However, by lunch time a sharp wind had sprung up, so that it no longer -was pleasant to be out-of-doors. - -Looking like ghosts in their heavily coated garments, the Brownies -tramped into the house to toast themselves by the fire. The snow kept -falling steadily, driving against the windows and banking up so that -one could not readily see outside. - -“I’ll be glad when Grandfather returns,” said Mrs. Gordon uneasily. -“The storm is getting worse.” - -“And the wind is drifting the snow,” added Miss Gordon. - -Now the Brownies could see very plainly that both Mrs. Gordon and -their leader were worried lest Grandfather Gordon and Mr. Jeffert have -trouble getting home from Goshen. - -Miss Gordon kept walking to the kitchen window to look at the main road. - -“How long will the storm last?” Connie asked anxiously. - -“That’s hard to say, dear,” replied the Brownie leader. “Usually not -very long, but this one may be different. Once we had a blizzard which -kept up three days and nights.” - -“Three days!” gasped Connie. “But that would be until after Christmas!” - -“I didn’t mean this storm will last that long,” said Miss Gordon -quickly. “However, I am afraid it may keep us from taking the sled to -the Stone children unless we do so at once.” - -“Let’s go now,” urged Eileen. - -“I believe that will be wisest,” agreed Miss Gordon. “We must dress -warmly though, for it is steadily getting colder.” - -While Grandmother Gordon wrapped the cookies and the stocking dolls in -heavy paper, the Brownies scrambled into their snowsuits. Miss Gordon -brought out the shiny new sled. - -“Everyone ready?” she asked, her hand on the doorknob. “Now we must -keep close together and walk fast. Brace yourselves!” - -She thrust open the door and a wild flurry of snow whirled into the -faces of the Brownies. - - - - -CHAPTER 12 - -A Pair of Mittens - - -Already the wind had piled up great snowdrifts on the road. At first -the Brownies laughed and shouted as they climbed through them. - -“This is just like scaling a mountain!” shrieked Veve as she plunged -from one huge mound to another. “It takes your breath though.” - -Actually, the wind was at the girls’ backs, bowling them along and -making walking fairly easy. - -“It will be a different matter coming home,” Miss Gordon warned. “Then -we must face the wind. Fortunately, we haven’t far to go.” - -The girls took turns carrying the sled and the packages. They were -surprised how quickly their fingers became numb through their mittens -and gloves. - -“Slap your hands together,” Miss Gordon advised. “That will keep them -warm.” - -Snow fell steadily in large flakes, dusting the girls from head to -foot. Their eyelashes caked over. - -By the time they reached the Stone cabin, Miss Gordon and her Brownies -looked like a troop of walking snowmen. - -As the girls rapped on the door, Mrs. Stone, who had seen them trailing -through the yard, quickly opened it. A tall, thin woman, she wore a -faded blue gingham dress. - -Now the arrival of so many persons at one time astonished her, but -she was too polite to show it. She was under the impression that the -Brownies were on their way to the Gordon farm and had stopped to warm -themselves. - -“Come in! Come in!” she invited cordially. “You must be half frozen.” - -The girls were grateful for the warmth of the stove. However, as they -glanced around, they saw that the kitchen was almost bare of furniture. - -“We’ve brought the children something for Christmas,” said Miss Gordon, -brushing snow from her cap. “It was entirely the Brownies’ idea.” - -“Here’s a new sled,” said Connie, depositing it by the tree. - -Barbara, Betty and Benny, who had been staring at the Brownies, let out -a whoop of joy. They rushed to examine the sled, gleefully dragging it -over the bare kitchen floor. - -“May we try it out on the hill now?” Barbara asked her mother. “It’s -such a dandy sled.” - -“Not right now,” said Mrs. Stone regretfully. “The storm is getting -much worse. I’m afraid it may prove to be a regular blizzard.” - -“Here’s something else we brought,” said Eileen, offering the stocking -dolls. - -“And some cookies we made,” added Rosemary, giving the box to Mrs. -Stone. - -The children’s eyes brightened at sight of the dolls, but the cookies -seemed to please them even more. - -“May we each have one now?” Betty pleaded. “It’s been ages since we’ve -had anything good to eat!” - -Mrs. Stone gave each of the children a chocolate brownie. The cookies -disappeared almost in one bite. When the girls saw how hungry the Stone -youngsters were, they were sorry they had not brought more food. - -“Mrs. Stone, if you have no objection, we’ll bring you a goose or a -turkey for your Christmas dinner,” Miss Gordon offered impulsively. -“Grandmother Gordon has a large flock.” - -At mention of Mrs. Gordon’s name a very queer expression came over Mrs. -Stone’s face. - -“Are--are you sure--” she began, and then finished quickly: “We’ll be -most grateful, Miss Gordon. My husband hasn’t worked for several weeks, -and he’s had bad luck with his traps. Except for your generosity, the -children would have had no Christmas.” - -“We’ll be back,” Miss Gordon assured her. “Now we must run along, for -the snow is coming down faster by the minute.” - -Mrs. Stone did not urge the Brownies to remain, for she too was alarmed -by the increasing intensity of the storm. - -Trooping out of the warm cabin, the girls were met by a blast of -sub-zero wind which nearly swept them from their feet. - -“O-o-oh!” squealed Veve. “This is awful! It’s a lot worse than it was!” - -“The wind has risen a little,” Miss Gordon admitted, “and we must face -it all the way to the farm. Duck your heads into your mufflers and -follow me single file.” - -By going ahead, Miss Gordon broke the wind for the girls, making it -easier for them to walk. However, the trail they had made only a few -minutes before from the roadway to the Stone cabin, already had been -swept away. They had to weave in and out to avoid the larger drifts. - -“Wait!” cried Veve just as the girls reached the road. - -Everyone paused, wondering why she had called out. - -“I’ve lost my mittens!” Veve informed the group. “I--I guess I left -than on the table in Mrs. Stone’s kitchen.” - -“The little kitten has lost its mitten,” mocked Jane. Snow was biting -into her face, making her out of sorts. - -“I--I didn’t notice about the mittens because I had my hands in my -pockets when we left the house,” Veve mumbled. “Now my hands are simply -freezing. I’ll run back and get them.” - -“We’ll freeze solid if we stand here and wait!” grumbled Jane. “Can’t -you go without your old mittens?” - -“No. Veve will need them before we get home,” Miss Gordon said before -the little girl could reply. - -“I’ll go back with her,” Connie offered quickly. “It won’t take long. -The rest of you walk on and we’ll catch up.” - -“I don’t like to separate in this storm,” said Miss Gordon. “But then, -you can’t mistake the way if you keep to the road. We’ll walk slowly -until you catch up.” - -With the wind to their backs again, Connie and Veve made a fast trip -to the Stone cabin. The mittens were on the kitchen table just where -Veve had dropped them. - -On their way once more, it seemed to the two girls, that the storm was -the worst one of their experience. With Miss Gordon and the others not -there to break the wind, it hurled itself full force against them. - -“I can’t see anything!” Connie cried as the snow pelted and stung her -face. - -“Neither can I,” screamed Veve above the howl of the wind. “Where are -the Brownies?” - -The girls could not see anyone ahead--only a slanting, blinding wall of -driven snow. Even the road was blotted from view though they knew where -it was situated. - -“Come on!” gasped Connie. “We’ll catch up if we hurry.” - -Haste however, was impossible. The wind snatched their breath and -tore at their clothing. Once Connie plunged through a large drift up -to her shoulders. Snow went down her neck, making her colder and more -uncomfortable than ever. - -“Where is the road?” she demanded. “Oughtn’t we to have come to it -before this?” - -“I think I see it over there,” said Veve, pointing to the left. - -“But our road was to the right. Or am I mixed up? Oh, dear!” - -“It’s a road,” insisted Veve. - -The girls struggled on, and soon reached the narrow thoroughfare, lined -on either side by an arching wall of frozen bushes. - -“I can’t see the Brownies,” said Connie anxiously. - -“That’s because the snow is coming down so fast, Connie. They can’t be -very far ahead. Let’s run and maybe we’ll catch up.” - -At a dog-trot, the pair started down the winding road. Before they had -gone very far they had to slow down to a walk again. By now their hands -and faces tingled with cold and their ears were beginning to hurt. It -was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. - -“Does it seem to you we’re going the right direction?” Connie asked -after a while. “What if we turned the wrong way when we left the Stone -cabin?” - -Veve had been worried about the same thing, but had not wanted to admit -it. - -“This must be right,” she argued. “Miss Gordon said we couldn’t lose -our way if we followed the road.” - -“But it doesn’t look like the same road. We’re climbing as if we were -starting up a hill!” - -“Didn’t we come down one on our way to the Stone cabin?” Veve asked in -a frightened voice. - -“Not that I remember. This road is so narrow too. The one we followed -was wide enough for cars to pass easily.” - -“Maybe we went the wrong direction after we reached the road, Connie.” - -Connie stopped and reached for Veve’s mittened hand. “It’s worse than -that,” she said. “This isn’t the same road.” - -“But it _has_ to be,” wailed Veve, ducking behind her friend to escape -the harsh wind. - -“There was another road a long ways off from the Stone cottage,” -Connie said, thinking hard. “I remember noticing it that first day we -went past there. It was just a side road and I think led close to Mr. -Jeffert’s evergreen farm.” - -“If we could get there, we could find our way,” Veve said hopefully. -“Or should we start back to the Stone cabin and ask Mrs. Stone how to -get home?” - -“I’m not even sure we could find the cabin now,” Connie admitted. “This -hateful snow hides everything.” - -“Then what shall we do?” - -“Let’s keep on a little ways farther and see if the road leads to Mr. -Jeffert’s farm.” - -On the girls trudged, becoming more discouraged by the minute. - -“Listen!” cried Connie suddenly. - -From up the hill, they heard the muffled roar of a motor. A truck was -bearing toward them. - -“Someone’s coming!” Veve shouted. “Let’s ask for a ride, or at least -find out how to get to the Gordon farm.” - -Stepping to the side of the road, but not so far away that they would -not be seen, the girls waited for the truck to draw near. Soon it -loomed up through the wall of blinding snow. - -The truck was carrying a load of freshly cut evergreens. - -“Yell, or he won’t stop!” Connie directed. - -Both girls moved out into the road, waving their arms, and yelling for -the truck driver to pick them up. He did apply brakes, and peer briefly -at them from the cab. Then he drove past. - -“Oh, how mean!” cried Veve, staring after the disappearing truck. “He -saw us, and deliberately wouldn’t stop!” - -“It was Felix Gossart too,” added Connie, who had seen his face quite -clearly for an instant. “He had a load of evergreens. I wonder--maybe -they were Mr. Jeffert’s trees!” - -“Trees he stole?” - -“Mr. Jeffert went to Goshen with Grandfather Gordon,” said Connie, -thinking aloud. “It would be a good chance for someone to take the -trees. Only of course we don’t know that Mr. Gossart would do such a -thing.” - -“He’s mean or he would have picked us up,” Veve insisted. She shook -snow from her hood and huddled close to her friend. “Oh, Connie, I’m -cold and we’re lost! What are we going to do now?” - - - - -CHAPTER 13 - -Lost in the Blizzard - - -Connie scarcely knew what to do. The storm seemed to be getting worse, -for snow came down faster and the wind was rising. - -“Maybe another car or truck will come along,” she said hopefully. - -“We can’t stand here and freeze,” shivered Veve. “I think this is a -side road. Mr. Gossart’s truck may be the only one to drive past today.” - -Connie knew that Veve depended upon her to make a decision. While they -might keep on walking, she could not be sure the road would lead to Mr. -Jeffert’s farm. - -“Let’s go back,” she decided. - -The wind howled in their ears and seemed to come from every direction. -Snow stung their faces. Never before had the two girls been so -miserable and cold. - -“Why can’t we see the Stone cabin?” Veve whimpered. - -From the road the dwelling was nowhere to be seen. The driving, -swirling curtain of white had blotted out the entire landscape, making -everything appear strange. - -“Are we walking the right direction?” Veve asked after a few minutes. -“It didn’t seem to me we followed the road this far before.” - -“I’m all mixed up,” Connie admitted, turning around so that the wind -would strike her back instead of her face. She was frightened, but did -not want Veve to know. - -The snowflakes were smaller now, hard and sharp as needles. They pelted -the girls from every direction, and the wind seized their breath. - -“I see something ahead!” gasped Connie a moment later. - -She hoped it might be a car, but instead it proved to be a small bridge -which arched over a frozen creek. - -“We never passed this before,” said Veve in despair. “Oh, Connie, we’re -truly lost!” - -“Miss Gordon will be worried about us too!” Connie added. “Oh, dear!” - -When the girls reached the bridge, it seemed to them they could not -walk another foot. - -“Let’s stop under the bridge and rest,” proposed Veve. - -“All right,” agreed Connie. “But we won’t dare stand still very long.” -She had heard that in severe blizzards persons sometimes froze to death. - -Under the bridge, the girls were protected from the wind and snow, but -not the intense cold. Connie’s fingers and toes ached, while Veve was -certain her nose already was frozen. Huddling together for warmth, they -tried to decide what to do. - -Now, although the girls were unaware of it, help already was close at -hand. Clem Stone, who had been out looking at his traps, came tramping -along the frozen creek. He saw the two half-frozen children even before -they heard his approach. - -“Well, what’s this?” he called out in astonishment. - -Just then the girls did not know that the man was Mr. Stone. He wore -a cap with ear muffs and a heavy mackinaw. His feet were protected by -heavy shoes which came nearly to his knees. - -“Oh, mister! Please tell us where we are!” Connie cried as she caught -sight of the trapper. “We think we’re lost.” - -“You’re cold,” observed Mr. Stone, staring at the two girls. “Now tell -me your names and where you live.” - -Connie told him that she and Veve were staying at the Gordon farmhouse -and had become separated from their friends after leaving the Stone -cabin. - -“Why, that’s my place!” exclaimed the trapper. “You’re not far from -there now, or the main road. Just follow me.” - -Connie and Veve no longer were worried because they were confident Mr. -Stone would take care of them. Hustling them along at a brisk pace, he -went ahead to break the wind and snow. Walking was hard work, but much -easier than it had been before. - -Connie asked the trapper what road they were on. - -“Just a little side cut that runs up to Mr. Jeffert’s evergreen farm. -The main road is across the field to the left. We’ll soon be there.” - -Mr. Stone helped the girls over a fence, and aided them whenever they -had to plunge through especially large drifts. - -“This is a real blizzard--no mistake,” he said once. “If it keeps on -until morning, all the roads will be closed.” - -Soon Mr. Stone and the girls reached the main road. - -“Thank you very much,” Connie told him gratefully. “We’ll be all right -now.” - -But Mr. Stone would not permit them to go on alone. - -“Not in this storm,” he said. “I’ll see that you get safely to the -Gordon farm.” - -Mr. Stone walked a trifle too fast for the girls, who had to run a -bit to keep up with him. However, they discovered that the brisk pace -restored their circulation and made them feel much warmer. - -Unexpectedly, the trapper halted to listen. He had heard an unusual -sound. - -“What was that?” he demanded. - -The cry, “Yoo-ho-ho-yoo-ho!” resounded from far down the road. Connie -knew instantly what it was. - -“That’s our Brownie cry!” she shouted. “Miss Gordon must be looking for -us.” - -Connie gave an answering call. Then Mr. Stone and the two girls -hastened on to meet the Brownie troop leader. - -Soon they glimpsed her coming toward them through the slanting sheet of -snow. Covered from hood to toe, she looked like a white ghost. - -“Connie! Veve!” she exclaimed, giving them each a hug. “We’ve been so -worried about you! I was afraid you were lost.” - -“We were afraid we were too,” laughed Connie. “Mr. Stone found us.” - -Miss Gordon thanked the man for guiding the girls to the road, and -assured him she would now have no difficulty in escorting them on to -the Gordon farm. The other Brownies, she explained, already were there, -as a friendly neighbor had overtaken and picked them up in his sleigh. - -“I came back alone to find you girls,” she told Connie and Veve. “Dear -me, I never dreamed the storm would become so severe.” - -Saying good-bye to Mr. Stone, the girls started on down the road with -the Brownie leader. They wanted to tell Miss Gordon about seeing Mr. -Gossart with the load of evergreens, but decided the story must wait. -Walking took all their breath, making it too hard to talk. - -Now at Grandmother Gordon’s home, all the Brownies were very worried -about Connie, Veve and Miss Gordon. When finally, they saw them -stumbling across the yard, they were waiting joyfully at the kitchen -door. - -Grateful for the warmth of the house, the three stomped in to shed -their snow-covered garments. Grandmother Gordon had Veve and Connie sit -in front of the stove with their feet toasting in the oven. - -She served hot broth to everyone. After being out so long in the cold, -it tasted good and made the Brownies feel warm through and through. - -“I’m worried about Grandfather and Mr. Jeffert,” said Miss Gordon. “I -wonder if they will try to drive back from Goshen in this frightful -blizzard?” - -“I hope they decide to remain in town,” Grandmother Gordon replied, -noticing that the kitchen windows were starting to freeze over from the -inside. “But if they do, we may have a difficult time of it here.” - -“The stock must be fed,” nodded Miss Gordon. - -“And our wood supply soon will be low. As for groceries, we have enough -of sorts, but tomorrow is the day before Christmas. I had planned to do -my cooking and baking for the Christmas feast.” - -The Brownies felt rather discouraged when they heard this conversation. -Their parents were due to arrive the following night, and they wondered -if the storm might prevent them from coming. - -“Now children, don’t worry,” said Grandmother Gordon when she noticed -the gloomy faces. “I’m sure Grandpa Gordon will drive home tonight if -it’s at all possible.” - -Even as she spoke the telephone rang. Three long jingles and two short -ones. That was the Gordon’s call. - -Mrs. Gordon went quickly to answer it. She talked a few minutes and -then came back to the kitchen where the Brownies awaited her anxiously. - -“It was Grandfather Gordon,” she revealed. “He telephoned from Goshen.” - -“From Goshen?” repeated Miss Gordon. “Then he isn’t coming home -tonight.” - -“He can’t,” said Grandmother Gordon. “The blizzard is very bad there. -Already the main road is closed, and there’s no telling when a work -crew will have it opened up again.” - - - - -CHAPTER 14 - -Snowbound - - -On the morrow, the Brownies awoke to find the house uncomfortably cold. -Connie put on her slippers and robe and ran to the window to see if -snow still fell. - -The pane was completely frosted over in lacelike patterns. She could -not see outside. - -“I’m staying in bed,” announced Veve, snuggling deeper down into the -covers. - -“You’re getting up,” contradicted her roommate. “Grandfather Gordon -isn’t here, so there’ll be lots and lots of work to do.” - -“Today’s the day before Christmas,” mumbled Veve, still drowsy with -sleep. “If Mother doesn’t come--” - -“Of course she’ll come. All our parents will! Now stop sniveling.” - -“I’m not sniveling,” Veve denied. “And just tell me how you think our -parents can get here when the roads are closed! Grandfather Gordon is -in Goshen, and our folks are due to arrive at Deerford.” - -“They’ll find some way to get here. Wait and see.” Connie spoke -confidently, but at that time she had not seen the wind-swept road. - -A little later, when she and Veve went downstairs, they caught a -glimpse of the highway and yard through a window over the landing. Snow -no longer fell, but a sharp wind had raised mammoth drifts during the -night. - -Not only was the road blocked in places, but similar mounds of snow -isolated the house from the barn and outbuildings. - -When Connie opened the front door onto the porch, an avalanche of snow -tumbled in on the rug. All she could see was a wall of white. - -“We’re desperately short of wood, and I don’t know how to get more,” -said Mrs. Gordon, who was baking pancakes. Only a few sticks were left -in the nearby box. - -“Can’t the Brownies shovel a path to the woodpile?” asked Connie. She -wanted to help. - -“We can try, but the drifts are deep. There’s the stock to feed too. If -only the work crews would clear the roads with the snowplow!” - -The Brownies wore their sweaters at breakfast, for although a fire -still burned in the kitchen and on the living room hearth, cold kept -creeping in. - -Outdoors, the sun was bright but had no warmth. Wind kept howling about -the corners of the old house. - -Before the breakfast dishes were washed, Mrs. Gordon tried to telephone -to Goshen. She learned then that the weight of snow and ice had broken -the wire. - -“Now that our telephone service is gone we’re completely isolated,” she -declared. “Snowbound.” - -Mrs. Gordon and the Brownie troop leader talked quietly together, -deciding what must be done. They knew that in another hour or two, all -the wood would be gone. - -“If necessary, we can burn the furniture,” Mrs. Gordon decided. “I -would hate to do it, though.” - -Miss Gordon and the Brownies thought they might be able to shovel a -path to the woodpile. All they had to work with was a coal shovel, for -the regular snow shovel had been left at the barn. - -Taking turns, they dug and dug. It was hard, slow work. After an hour -of shoveling, they had not cleared a path even a third of the way. - -“We’ll never be done at this rate,” said Miss Gordon. - -Just then, she and the Brownies heard a shrill whistle. Miss Gordon -lifted Connie up on her shoulders, so she could see above the top of -the drift to the barn. - -“Why, it’s Mr. Stone!” she shouted. - -The man had snowshoed across the fields and now was shoveling away a -drift which blocked the barn door. - -“Hi, there!” he called. “Need help here?” - -“Yes, we do!” Connie shouted in return. “Grandfather Gordon is gone, -and we’re almost out of wood.” - -“I’ll feed the stock, and then shovel a path to meet yours,” Mr. Stone -called. “Cheerio!” - -Just to know that help was near greatly relieved the minds of Miss -Gordon and the Brownies. They shoveled faster, making the snow fly. -Some of it tumbled back into the path, but they laughed and shouted and -did not mind. - -Within another hour, the Brownies’ path joined the one Mr. Stone had -made. - -“Hi! Ho!” he greeted the girls. “I’ve fed the stock, and now I’ll make -a side path to the woodpile. You run back to the house and warm your -toes.” - -“How are the roads?” Miss Gordon inquired anxiously. - -“Still blocked. The snowplows can’t do much until the snow stops -drifting.” - -“And how is everyone at your place?” - -Mr. Stone hesitated a moment and then said with forced cheerfulness: -“Oh, fine! We have plenty of wood to keep the cabin warm.” - -“And food?” - -“We’re somewhat short,” Mr. Stone admitted briefly. As if afraid Miss -Gordon would ask him other questions, he picked up his shovel and -hastened off down the cleared path toward the barn. - -Returning to the house to warm themselves, Miss Gordon talked matters -over with the Brownies and Mrs. Gordon. Although supplies were short, -they knew that the Stone family had even less to eat. - -“We can’t let the children go hungry,” declared Connie earnestly. - -“That’s the way I feel about it,” said Miss Gordon. “On the other hand, -the roads may be closed several days. If we share our supplies with -the Stones, it means a sacrifice. We’ll have a very drab Christmas Day -dinner.” - -“Who cares?” demanded Sunny. - -“Not I,” sang out Eileen. - -“I vote that we share our food with the Stones,” added Rosemary, and -Jane nodded agreement. - -Veve did not say anything, for as she was not a Brownie, she felt she -had no right to vote. - -“I’ll prepare a basket immediately,” Grandmother Gordon said. “I must -check my supplies to see what we have left.” - -By the time Mr. Stone came to the house with an armload of wood, the -basket of food was ready. At first, he did not want to accept it, -because he thought Mrs. Gordon would not have enough left for her brood -of Brownies. - -“Now don’t you worry about that, Mr. Stone,” she reassured him. “We’ll -manage.” - -Although Mrs. Gordon felt grateful to the man for feeding the stock and -shoveling so much snow, she had not changed her mind one whit about -Mrs. Stone. However, she could not bear to think of the family going -hungry. - -After Mr. Stone had gone, the Brownies had luncheon. Though the meal -was a rather skimpy one, no one complained. Nevertheless, the Brownies -felt increasingly blue, knowing that with the roads blocked they were -unlikely to see their parents on Christmas. - -“Do you suppose they’ll come to Deerford and just wait there?” Connie -speculated. “Or will they decide not to leave Rosedale?” - -Miss Gordon had no satisfactory answer for either of the questions. -With the telephone still out of service, it was impossible to call the -Deerford station or Mr. Gordon, who had remained at Goshen. - -After the luncheon dishes were washed and put away, the Brownies, for -the first time since they had arrived at the farm, did not know how to -occupy their time. - -It was too cold to play outside. In any case, the only place they could -go was through the long trench of snow to the barn and the woodpile. - -“If the attic isn’t too chilly, why not explore there again?” suggested -Miss Gordon. - -“Oh, yes, let’s!” cried Eileen. “May we dress up in the old clothes?” - -“Use anything you like,” replied Grandmother Gordon. - -The unheated attic was too cold for comfortable play. However, the -girls made their selection of clothes and carried them down to the -living room by the hearth. - -Veve chose a short red skirt, a lace blouse and high button shoes. -Eileen found a tight fitting black velvet gown and a tiny feathered -hat which gave her the appearance of having stepped out of a very old -picture book. - -Connie put on Mrs. Gordon’s lavender silk wedding gown. The full, -ruffled skirt swished delightfully as she paraded up and down the -carpet. - -“How that dress brings back memories,” remarked Mrs. Gordon, thoroughly -enjoying the show the girls were putting on. “The silk has held up all -these years. One can’t buy such material these days.” - -“Let’s have a style show,” proposed Connie. “I’ll lead off.” - -“And I’ll provide the orchestra,” laughed Miss Gordon, seating herself -at the old organ. - -Connie pranced across the living room in her best imitation of a -department store model. All the Brownies clapped and laughed. - -“Now it’s Jane’s turn,” declared Connie. Just then her nose tickled, -and without thinking she reached into the pocket of Grandma Gordon’s -wedding dress for a handkerchief. - -Of course, there was no handkerchief in the pocket, but she did feel -something small and round and hard. - -“Why, what is this?” she said, pulling it out. - -In her hand she held a golden locket on a chain. - -Mrs. Gordon saw the trinket and uttered a startled cry. “My locket!” -she exclaimed. “It’s the one I lost!” - - - - -CHAPTER 15 - -Grandmother Gordon’s Locket - - -All the Brownies and Veve clustered about Connie to see the locket -which she had found in the pocket of the silk wedding dress. Inside -were the pictures of Grandmother and Grandfather Gordon, taken on the -day of their marriage. - -“So this is the locket you were certain Mrs. Stone took?” Miss Gordon -asked teasingly. “It seems Grandfather was right after all.” - -“Oh, dear, I’m heartily ashamed of myself,” Grandmother Gordon -apologized. “I never should have blamed Mrs. Stone. I realize now what -must have happened.” - -“After you showed her the locket that day in the kitchen, you dropped -it into your pocket and forgot the matter entirely.” - -“Yes, that must have been what happened,” agreed Mrs. Gordon. “After -the wedding anniversary celebration, I packed the gown into the attic -trunk and never looked at it again.” - -“And all these long years, you misjudged poor Mrs. Stone.” - -“Yes, I’m afraid I did,” Mrs. Gordon sighed. “But you may be sure I’ll -make it up to her. I’ll ask her to work for me again, and I’ll see that -the children have more things. Oh, I’m ashamed of myself! Had it not -been for Connie and the Brownies, I might never have learned the truth.” - -Now Connie felt very happy to think that she had been credited with -clearing up the misunderstanding between Grandmother Gordon and Mrs. -Stone. She knew too, that recovery of the gold locket meant a great -deal to her. - -Throughout the day, with plenty of firewood available, the house was -kept quite comfortable. The girls made repeated trips to the attic, -sorting out clothing which could be sent to the Stone children. - -Wind rattled the windows and cold crept in at the cracks. After a quick -foray in the attic, the Brownies were grateful for the warmth of the -downstairs fire. - -“I hope our wood holds out,” Grandmother Gordon said anxiously. “And -our food.” - -Although the Brownies were glad to share their meager supplies with the -Stones, they knew that the stock of provisions rapidly was running -lower and lower. - -However, everyone was hopeful that somehow Grandfather Gordon would get -home with the bobsled. - -“The sun is shining,” Connie observed cheerfully as the day wore on. - -“And the wind is dying,” added Jane, scraping a patch of frost from the -window pane so that she could look outdoors. - -By late afternoon everyone was encouraged to see that the snow no -longer drifted. Nevertheless, huge mountains of it remained piled up -near the porches and in the yard. Slowly the thermometer began to climb. - -“The big plow should come through soon and open up the main roads,” -declared Mrs. Gordon. “I do believe luck will be with us for Christmas -after all.” - -Her words brought good cheer to the Brownies. Gathering in the living -room, they drove the blues away with several rousing songs. - -“Here comes the snowplow!” Veve suddenly shouted. - -All the Brownies rushed to the window to see the welcome sight. The -plow swept past on the main road, throwing up tall ridges of powdery -snow on either side. - -“Grandfather Gordon and Mr. Jeffert should be able to get through now,” -declared Miss Gordon in relief. - -Her prediction proved entirely right. Almost on the heels of the big -plow came the two men, their sled loaded with groceries and Christmas -packages. - -Stomping into the kitchen, Mr. Jeffert and Grandfather Gordon brushed -snow from their overcoats. Then they related astonishing news. - -“What do you know!” declared Mr. Jeffert, rocking back on his heels as -he warmed himself by the kitchen stove. “After trying for two years to -learn who has been stealing evergreens from my farm, I’ve caught the -fellow!” - -“You’ve caught the thief!” Connie exclaimed in astonishment. - -“Rather, the storm did,” Mr. Jeffert corrected. - -“Who is the man, and where did you take him?” demanded Jane, all ears -for the story. - -“I should have said I know his name,” Mr. Jeffert amended. “Police are -looking for him now, so it’s only a matter of hours until they place -him under arrest.” - -“Who is the man?” asked Connie. “Not Mr. Stone?” - -“No, I know now that he had nothing to do with it.” - -“Do tell us his name,” pleaded Sunny impatiently. - -“Felix Gossart.” - -“The man who has the farm next to yours!” exclaimed Connie. - -“Yes, it’s strange that I never once suspected him. He would much -rather earn his money dishonestly than by hard work.” - -Now Veve and Connie were startled to hear that Mr. Gossart was the -guilty party, for they recalled that he was the same man who had -refused to give them a ride during the blizzard. - -“How did you find out it was Mr. Gossart?” asked Connie curiously. - -“His truck loaded with evergreens stalled in a big snowdrift about four -miles from here,” Mr. Jeffert revealed. “When he failed to get through, -he abandoned the load and set off afoot.” - -“Mr. Jeffert was able to identify the trees as his, so he swore out a -warrant for Gossart’s arrest,” added Grandfather Gordon. - -As soon as they were warm, the men brought in all the boxes of -groceries from the bobsled, and unhitched the horses. With ample -supplies now on hand, Grandmother Gordon began at once to make plans -for Christmas. - -“We’ll invite the entire Stone family here for a holiday feast,” she -declared. “Grandfather, as soon as you can, you must take some things -to their cabin, and extend the invitation.” - -“And what about our parents?” Eileen asked anxiously. “Will they get -here for Christmas Day?” - -Now that was the question which no one could answer. - -“We should know quite soon,” said Grandfather Gordon. “The telephone -lines still are down, so I can’t call the Deerford station.” - -“How are the trains running?” inquired Grandmother Gordon. - -“Probably about two hours behind schedule,” replied Mr. Gordon. “I’ll -drive to town and find out.” - -“Let’s finish decorating the house and make our plans exactly as if we -were certain everyone will get here,” proposed Miss Gordon. - -The Brownies went to work with a will. They helped Grandmother Gordon -clean the entire house, polish the silver and put extra boards in the -dining room table. - -Although they could not be certain their parents ever would arrive to -see the beautiful decorations, they hung gold stars in the windows. - -A large holly wreath was tacked on the front door. Candles were placed -in every room, ready for instant lighting. - -Late in the afternoon, a sleigh with gay bells jingling drove up to -the door. Out stepped a white-bearded man. Behind him he dragged a -Christmas tree, cut evergreen branches, and an array of packages. - -“Santa Claus has arrived!” shouted Veve from the window. - -“It’s Mr. Jeffert,” laughed Connie, “He’s bringing our Christmas tree.” - -Mr. Jeffert could not stay long, but he helped the Brownies set up the -tree in the living room. Its tall tip nearly brushed the ceiling. - -“What are all these packages?” Eileen asked curiously, as Mr. Jeffert -dropped them at the base of the tree. - -“Oh, just a few doo-dads for the Brownies,” laughed Mr. Jeffert. “I -bought them while I was in Goshen. No fair peeking until tomorrow -though.” - -After the owner of the evergreen farm had driven away in his sleigh, -the girls trimmed the tree with shiny colored balls, tinsel and -artificial snowballs. - -On the mantel above the fireplace and along the window sills they -arranged spruce and balsam boughs. Finally they could not think of -another thing to do. - -“Now we’re all ready for Christmas,” declared Rosemary. “But if our -parents don’t come, it won’t be much fun.” - -The day wore on and no word was received from Deerford. Lamps were -lighted and still Grandfather Gordon failed to return. - -“It’s hours past train time,” declared Mrs. Gordon uneasily. “Either -the train is very late or Grandfather has had trouble on the road.” - -Connie had gone to the window to peer out again. She could not see the -road, but she thought she could hear the soft thud of horses hoofs in -the snow. - -“Listen!” she cried. - -The other Brownies rushed to the windows. Jane was the first to see the -sled. - -“Grandfather Gordon is coming!” she shouted. - -The Brownies strained their eyes to pierce the shadows. Was Mr. Gordon -alone, or had he brought their parents from the station? - -“They’re here! They’re here!” cried Connie. - -The sled had pulled up near the shoveled path, and the grownups began -to alight. Seeing her mother and father, Rosemary forgot how cold -it was outside, and dashed out to fling herself into the arms of her -parents. - -Close behind, came all the other Brownies, laughing and shouting from -sheer happiness. All the parents had come, including Veve’s mother. - -“Let’s get inside before the Brownies freeze,” urged Miss Gordon. “We -were so afraid you might not arrive in time for Christmas.” - -Connie’s mother explained that the train had been nearly four hours -late due to the blizzard. However, all the parents had decided to make -the journey, knowing that their daughters would be disappointed if they -failed to arrive for Christmas Day. - -“It will be a wonderful Christmas now!” declared Connie, and all the -Brownies agreed. - -Now the parents had brought with them many mysterious-looking packages -of all shapes and sizes. These they whisked out of sight to their -rooms, but the Brownies knew well enough they were to see those same -packages on the morrow. - -“This is the very nicest holiday I ever had,” declared Eileen dreamily. -“But I hate to think it soon will be over.” - -According to plan, the Brownies, their parents, and Stone family, were -to enjoy a big Christmas dinner at the Gordon home. Then, after the -day had ended, the Brownies and their folks would take a night train -back to Rosedale. - -“Tonight will be our last one here,” said Connie, stooping to pick up a -silver paper which had fallen from the Christmas tree. “I wish it never -would end.” - -“We’ll have a grand time tomorrow,” Miss Gordon promised. “And don’t -forget the plans we Brownies will make after we’re home! Summer is -coming, you know, and we might decide on a camping expedition!” - -“The Brownies are going to camp next summer?” Sunny demanded -breathlessly. “Oh, that would be fun!” - -“We mustn’t count on it too far ahead,” the troop leader warned. -“However, you girls have proved to my satisfaction that you’re highly -responsible and dependable. So, who knows?” - -Even a hint of what lay in store, thrilled the girls and made them glad -they were Brownies. Now, as it developed, the troop did go to camp the -following summer, a story which is related in the second volume of this -series, entitled: “The Brownie Scouts in the Circus.” - -And for boys, also interested in camp life and the out-of-doors, there -is a book called: “Dan Carter, Cub Scout.” - -However, with snows banked deep about the Gordon farm, the Brownies -were thinking more about Christmas than of what they would do the -following summer. - -Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time now that the parents had -arrived--everyone, that is, except Veve. - -Miss Gordon noticed that the little girl did not join in the singing -and that she looked quite downcast. - -“Why, Veve,” she said, “is anything wrong?” - -Veve shook her head and tried to smile, but instead only managed to -twist up the corners of her mouth. - -“You’re not sad because we’re leaving the farm?” - -“I’ve had a fine time here,” said Veve, looking down at her hands and -avoiding Miss Gordon’s direct gaze. “It’s just--just that the other -girls--” - -“Yes, Veve?” - -“They’ve been awfully nice to me. Only--only--I don’t belong.” - -“You’re not a Brownie, you mean?” - -Veve nodded miserably and a tear trickled down her left cheek. Angrily, -she brushed it away. - -“I never do things right like the other girls,” she mumbled. “I try and -try, but I keep on making stupid mistakes.” - -“We all do, Veve.” - -“Not the Brownies. They’re dependable and reliable--and they’re going -camping next summer!” - -“Why, Veve, I didn’t know you wanted to be a Brownie. I thought you -considered the organization rather silly.” - -“I didn’t know anything about the Brownies then. But now the girls -wouldn’t have me. I’ve made so many mistakes, like losing my luggage -check and forgetting my mittens.” - -“The girls like you very much, Veve,” said Miss Gordon kindly. She was -pleased that the little girl finally had decided she would like to be a -member of the scout organization. - -The troop leader said no more about the matter just then. However, a -little later she called the Brownies together for a quiet talk. All of -the girls said they would like to have Veve join the organization. - -“Then let’s have the investiture ceremony tonight,” proposed Miss -Gordon. “Your parents will enjoy watching it, and Veve will have the -fun of becoming a Brownie before we leave Snow Valley.” - -Without telling Veve what they were doing, the girls prepared -Grandmother Gordon’s parlor for the initiation. - -In the center of the room, by use of a circular mirror, they -constructed a fairy pool. When everything was in readiness, the girls -seated themselves in a horseshoe pattern around it. - -Then Miss Gordon sought Veve and asked her if she would like to join -the Brownie Scouts and be initiated that very night. - -“Oh, yes!” cried Veve, her eyes sparkling like stars. - -“Then knock on the door of the parlor,” Miss Gordon directed. - -Veve went to the closed door and tapped twice. - -“Who comes to the fairy wood?” called Connie from within. - -Veve answered with her name. - -“What do you want?” inquired Connie. “Would you like to be a Brownie?” - -“Oh, yes, please!” - -“Why do you want to be a Brownie?” - -“Because Brownies are so dependable,” answered Veve soberly. “Because -more than anything in the world, I want to be a Brownie.” - -Connie turned to the other girls who were waiting in the -candle-lighted room. “Shall we let Veve in?” she asked. - -“Yes!” chorused the Brownies. - -Veve was bidden to enter. - -“Close your eyes,” instructed Connie, leading her to the fairy pool. -Placing a cap with a dancing Brownie emblem on Veve’s head, she turned -her twice around so that she stood in front of the mirror. - -Next she told her to bend down and to repeat the verse which began: - - ‘Twist me and turn me and show me the Elf, - I looked into the pool--’ - -Veve spoke the words slowly and as she gazed down into the mirror -beheld a Brownie peering up at her. - -“‘And saw _myself_!’” she finished the rhyme. - -All the Brownies gathered around and repeated the Promise: - -“‘_I promise to do my best to love God and my country, to help other -people every day, especially those at home._’” - -“Now you’re a full-fledged Brownie, Veve,” declared Miss Gordon. “You -must remember always to be courteous, kind, helpful and fair.” - -“Oh, I will, I will!” promised Veve. - -“Veve is our Christmas Brownie,” laughed Connie, happy that her friend -at last was a member of the organization. - -“Now that I’m a Brownie, am I entitled to know all the secrets?” asked -Veve. - -“Of course!” Sunny told her. - -“Then what does DYB mean?” - -“DYB?” repeated Jane, laughing. “Why, ‘Do Your Best,’ of course.” - -“We use the first letter of each word,” explained Eileen. “For -instance, LAH means ‘Lend A Hand.’” - -“And that’s exactly what I will do,” declared Veve earnestly. “I’ve had -a wonderful time at Snow Valley and the very best part is that I’m a -real Brownie!” - -“We’ll have grand times at Rosedale too,” promised Miss Gordon. - -In the dimly lighted parlor, the girls now heard a strange, scratching -sound. Wondering what it might be, they turned to gaze toward the fairy -pool. - -Fluff, the cat, had padded through the open door into the room and now -was dragging her paws across the circular mirror. - -“Why, Fluff wants to be a Brownie too!” laughed Connie. “All in favor -of admitting her to membership, say ‘Aye.’” - -“Aye!” sang out the six Brownies. - -Connie swept off her own brown cap and placed it on Fluff’s head. The -cat was so surprised she could not shake it off for a minute. - -“Now the Brownie salute!” directed Connie. - -They gave it smartly, right hand raised to the temple, with the first -two fingers straight and the little one held down by the thumb. - -“To Fluff and Veve,” said Connie, her face glowing in the soft -candlelight. “And to all the Brownies everywhere!” - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: - -Punctuation has been standardised. Changes to the original publication -have been made as follows: - - Page 30 - that the cholocate pudding _changed to_ - that the chocolate pudding - - Page 46 - delivery for Miss Constance Gordon _changed to_ - delivery for Miss Constance Williams - - Page 66 - I hope it doen’t happen _changed to_ - I hope it doesn’t happen - - Page 82 - up rear to make certain _changed to_ - up the rear to make certain - - Page 94 - twinking lights of the big _changed to_ - twinkling lights of the big - - Page 124 - The kichen _changed to_ - The kitchen - - Page 142 - To bad about Stone _changed to_ - Too bad about Stone - - Page 185 - knew that the stone family _changed to_ - knew that the Stone family - - Page 186 - Veve did ont say _changed to_ - Veve did not say - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, by -Mildred A. 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Wirt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley - -Author: Mildred A. Wirt - -Release Date: April 12, 2016 [EBook #51744] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SNOW VALLEY *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="hidehand"> -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<img src="images/cover2.jpg" width="400" height="570" alt="Cover" /> -</div> -</div> - - -<hr class="divider" /> -<h1>The Brownie Scouts<br /> -at Snow Valley</h1> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider2" /> -<a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a> -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="400" height="630" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">She held a golden locket on a chain.<br /> - -“Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley”<br /> -<i>(See page <a href="#front">188</a>)</i> -</div> -</div> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<p class="center p200">The Brownie Scouts<br /> -at Snow Valley</p> - -<p class="center p120 mt3">by<br /> -<span class="p150">Mildred A. Wirt</span></p> - - -<p class="center p120 mt3">Illustrated</p> - -<p class="center mt3"><span class="p130">CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY</span><br /> -<span class="p120"><span class="wordspacing">Publishers New</span> York</span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1949, by</span><br /> -CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY</p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<p class="center"><i>All Rights Reserved</i></p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<p class="center">THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SNOW VALLEY</p> - -<p class="center mt3">Printed in the United States of America</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<div class="acknowledge-container"> -<p class="center"><i>To</i><br /> -MRS. ELEANOR T. GIBSON<br /> -<br /> -<i>Executive Director of the Toledo Girl Scouts -in appreciation of her helpfulness and cooperation.</i> -</p> -</div></div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<h2><a name="Contents" id="Contents"></a>Contents</h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">1</td> -<td class="tdl">A Runaway Sled</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">2</td> -<td class="tdl">In Search of Veve</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_2">19</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">3</td> -<td class="tdl">Safety Rules and Kitten Tails</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_3">27</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">4</td> -<td class="tdl">Miss Gordon’s Surprise</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_4">41</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">5</td> -<td class="tdl">A Substitute Brownie</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_5">61</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">6</td> -<td class="tdl">Snowland</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_6">75</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">7</td> -<td class="tdl">Santa Claus Jeffert</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_7">91</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">8</td> -<td class="tdl">Three Little Stones</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_8">107</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">9</td> -<td class="tdl">Tale of the Brownies</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_9">117</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">10</td> -<td class="tdl">A Stolen Evergreen</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_10">137</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">11</td> -<td class="tdl">Into the Storm</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_11">151</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">12</td> -<td class="tdl">A Pair of Mittens</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_12">163</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">13</td> -<td class="tdl">Lost in the Blizzard</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_13">173</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">14</td> -<td class="tdl">Snowbound</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_14">181</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">15</td> -<td class="tdl">Grandmother Gordon’s Locket</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_15">189</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">1</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_1" id="chapter_1"></a><small>CHAPTER 1</small><br /> -A Runaway Sled</h2> - - -<p class="noi">SIX little Brownie Scouts, busily pasting scrapbooks in Connie -Williams’ living room, perked up their ears to listen.</p> - -<p>“Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!”</p> - -<p>Again came that firm, quick tapping on the window pane.</p> - -<p>Through the cold, frosted glass, a little girl in scarlet snowsuit -peered in at the Brownies, seated cross-legged in a semi-circle on the -rug.</p> - -<p>Her freckled pug nose made a tiny smudge as she pressed it hard against -the pane, trying to see what went on in the room.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s Veve McGuire!” said Connie, scrambling to her feet.</p> - -<p>“Let’s not pay any attention to her.” This advice came from Jane -Tuttle, another member of the Rosedale Brownie Troop. With a toss of -her long, yellow pigtails, she went on snipping papers. “Veve’s just -trying to act silly because she isn’t a Brownie.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">2</a></span> -Veve McGuire lived next door to Connie. That fall when Miss Jean -Gordon, the fourth grade teacher at Rosedale School, had organized the -Brownies, the little girl had been invited to join.</p> - -<p>But Veve had tossed her dark curls and said she didn’t think she wanted -to be a Brownie.</p> - -<p>“Who wants to belong to any old troop?” she had scoffed. “What do -Brownies do anyway, except have meetings?”</p> - -<p>“Brownies have loads of fun,” the other girls had told her. “They go to -camp, they help at home, they plan entertainments—”</p> - -<p>Veve hadn’t listened. Even when the six girls bought their new uniforms -of pinchecked brown gingham, each with a cocky felt beanie cap, she had -pretended she wasn’t a bit interested. But now that the Brownies were -so busy with their work and plans, she really missed her playmates.</p> - -<p>Connie, who very much wanted Veve to be a Brownie Scout, knew all this. -So while the other girls paid no heed to Veve, she went to the window.</p> - -<p>“Come on out and play!” Veve shouted. “I’m going to make a big snowman. -I’ll let you all help me!”</p> - -<p>Now it had snowed nearly all day, the first real storm of December. -Little feathery drifts had blown against the Williams’ white shingle -house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">3</a></span> -During the last hour, the wind had died. Water dripped steadily from -the roof, for the weather had turned warmer. The snow, though melting -fast, was just soft enough to roll.</p> - -<p>“Come on out!” Veve shouted again, waving a red mitten.</p> - -<p>Connie shook her head. She had to turn her back on Veve’s disappointed -face, for just then Miss Gordon, the troop leader, came into the living -room from the kitchen.</p> - -<p>“Well, girls,” she said, “shall we pick up our scrap papers and call it -an afternoon? I think we’ve made wonderful progress.”</p> - -<p>The six Brownies, Connie, Jane, Rosemary Fritche, Eileen Webber, -Belinda Matthews and “Sunny” Davidson, had been pasting scrapbooks for -patients at Rosedale Hospital. Three of the books already were finished.</p> - -<p>Forgetting about Veve, the girls cleaned up the scraps from the rug. -When the room was tidy, they sang their Brownie song:</p> - -<p>“<em>We’re the Brownies, here’s our aim: Lend a hand and play the game!</em>”</p> - -<p>Then as the girls started to leave, they told Connie how very much they -had enjoyed themselves at her home.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">4</a></span> -“The chocolate and cookies were awfully good,” said Jane, wriggling -into her heavy snowsuit. “Will you all meet at my house next week?”</p> - -<p>Before anyone could answer, Miss Gordon spoke.</p> - -<p>“Oh, girls,” she said, “I nearly forgot! Let’s not plan our next -meeting just yet.”</p> - -<p>“Not plan another meeting?” Connie echoed, a puzzled look in her deep -blue eyes.</p> - -<p>“I may have a surprise for you,” Miss Gordon hinted mysteriously. “No, -don’t ask me about it just yet. I can’t tell you any more now.”</p> - -<p>She broke off and laughed in her delightful way, which made the -Brownies more curious than ever. The hall buzzed with excited talk as -the girls put on their galoshes and woolen mittens. What could Miss -Gordon’s “surprise” be?</p> - -<p>“Give us a tiny hint,” they pleaded.</p> - -<p>“Can’t,” laughed their leader. “Not until after I’ve talked to your -parents. You may hear all about it at our next meeting.”</p> - -<p>“And when will that be?” Jane inquired anxiously, for she had asked to -be the next hostess.</p> - -<p>“I’ll telephone you in plenty of time,” Miss Gordon promised.</p> - -<p>Out in the Williams’ front yard, Veve had started to roll a huge -snowball. She hadn’t known it was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">5</a></span> regular time for the Brownie -meeting to break up, and thought the girls meant to play with her.</p> - -<p>“Come and help me push!” she shouted. “I want to make this snowball as -big as a mountain!”</p> - -<p>Belinda Matthews and Rosemary Fritche only smiled at her as they ambled -down the walk arm-in-arm. Next, Eileen Webber and Jane Tuttle came out -of the house, and they barely noticed Veve or her snowball.</p> - -<p>Connie, who stood in the doorway saying goodbye to Sunny and Miss -Gordon, saw that Veve was very disappointed. The little girl looked as -if she might cry. Miss Gordon noticed it too.</p> - -<p>“What wonderful snow for rolling!” the Brownie Scout leader remarked.</p> - -<p>“Let’s help Veve!” proposed Connie. Usually known as “sober face,” she -was now very gay as she dived into the cloak closet for her snowsuit -and galoshes. “Can you stay awhile and play, Sunny?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll call my mother,” Sunny offered.</p> - -<p>Reached by telephone, Mrs. Davidson said that her daughter might remain -until five o’clock. Sunny struggled into her zippered white woolen -snowsuit and the two girls went outdoors together.</p> - -<p>Veve tried not to show how glad she was to see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">6</a></span> them. “Let’s push this -snowball down the driveway,” she urged.</p> - -<p>The big ball went “crunch, crunch,” as the three girls rolled it over -and over. From the driveway it picked up bits of gravel and rock.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it large enough now for a snowman?” asked Sunny as she became -breathless from pushing.</p> - -<p>Veve walked around the huge ball to see how large it had grown.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it will do,” she decided. “This ball is for the snowman’s feet. -We will make the next one larger. That will be for his stomach.”</p> - -<p>The three girls stood the snowball on its flat end in the front yard. -Then they started another which grew and grew as it rolled over the -ground.</p> - -<p>“Veve,” Connie asked suddenly, “why don’t you join our Brownie troop?”</p> - -<p>In the act of lifting up a hard-packed snowball, Veve nearly let it -tumble through her mittens.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Brownies!” she teased. “They stay all afternoon in the house and -make scrapbooks! I’d rather play outdoors!”</p> - -<p>“Brownies don’t stay inside all the time!” Sunny said hotly. “You have -it all wrong. Our troop is wonderful!”</p> - -<p>Veve tried to change the subject. “Our snowman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">7</a></span> needs a face. I’ll get -some coal for his eyes and nose.”</p> - -<p>On the driveway of the McGuire home next door stood a red coal delivery -truck. A strong looking man with a very dirty face was shoveling coal -into the basement.</p> - -<p>“Hello, mister,” said Veve, who never was afraid of strangers. “May I -have some little pieces of coal for my snowman?”</p> - -<p>“Help yourself, Sister,” replied the man. He kept right on unloading -the coal.</p> - -<p>“My name isn’t Sister,” said Veve politely. “It is Veve McGuire. This -is our coal too.”</p> - -<p>The little girl picked up several small pieces which had tumbled from -the rear of the truck. However, they were not the size she needed. Veve -saw better pieces over by the chute, but was afraid to try to get them. -The coalman was shoveling so fast she knew she might be struck.</p> - -<p>“Please, can’t you wait a minute?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“All right,” agreed the coalman, resting on his shovel. “Pick up what -you want.”</p> - -<p>Veve darted in and gathered up several pieces. As soon as she had -jumped out of the way, the coalman went on with his work again.</p> - -<p>Veve stood watching him a moment.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">8</a></span> -“My, but you are a strong man,” she said admiringly. “Do you know what -I would do if I had large muscles like yours?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied the man. “I suppose you would be a coalwoman.”</p> - -<p>Veve laughed because she knew the man was teasing her. “I wouldn’t like -to get as dirty as you are,” she said.</p> - -<p>“I don’t like coal dust either,” returned the man, “but it can’t be -helped. Well, what would you do?”</p> - -<p>“If I were strong, I would make the largest snowman in the whole world!”</p> - -<p>The coalman laughed as he went on with his shoveling.</p> - -<p>“I am too busy to make snowmen,” he said. “I have a wife and four -children to feed and clothe.”</p> - -<p>Veve very much would have liked to talk longer with the coalman, but -she knew the girls were waiting for her.</p> - -<p>So, taking the pieces of coal, she ran back to the Williams’ yard.</p> - -<p>“Why, Veve, you’re all covered with dirt!” exclaimed Connie, noticing a -streak on the little girl’s face.</p> - -<p>“I don’t care,” laughed Veve. “You should see the coalman. He’s a lot -worse than I am!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">9</a></span> -The girls used the pieces of coal to mark the snowman’s eyes, nose and -mouth. Connie made a long row of black buttons down the front of the -fat figure.</p> - -<p>“That’s his coat,” she declared. “Now he’s finished!”</p> - -<p>“Not yet,” insisted Veve. “He should have a hat and a pipe. Then he’ll -look like a real man.”</p> - -<p>“Where can we get them?” asked Sunny, stepping back to admire the -snowman.</p> - -<p>Connie knew that her father had a tall black silk hat which he never -used, and she remembered a green plastic bubble pipe in the kitchen -drawer.</p> - -<p>“I’ll ask mother if we may use them,” she offered, and ran into the -house.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Williams gave her the bubble pipe, but hesitated when Connie asked -if she might also have the black silk hat.</p> - -<p>“Your father hasn’t used that hat in years, so I suppose he won’t -mind,” she said, after thinking the matter over for a moment. “You’ll -find it in the attic.”</p> - -<p>Connie climbed the stairs to the cobwebby room under the roof. The -place was cluttered with trunks, boxes, and old pieces of furniture. -Everything was very dusty.</p> - -<p>Opening one trunk after another, Connie finally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">10</a></span> found the tall black -silk hat which had been wrapped in tissue paper. With the bubble pipe, -she carried it to the yard.</p> - -<p>“Just what we need!” cried Veve in delight.</p> - -<p>She thrust the hat jauntily on the snowman’s head and the pipestem deep -into his mouth. The girls laughed aloud, for the figure now looked very -funny.</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t he look grand!” exclaimed Connie. “Almost like Daddy!”</p> - -<p>Unable to think of another way to improve the snowman, the girls sat -down on the porch steps. Connie and Sunny began to talk about the -Brownie meeting and to speculate on Miss Gordon’s promised “surprise.”</p> - -<p>Again Veve deliberately changed the subject.</p> - -<p>“It’s getting warmer,” she said. “Our snowman won’t last very long, I’m -afraid.”</p> - -<p>“He’s wilting already,” agreed Sunny. “Oh, don’t you wish the snow -would never melt?”</p> - -<p>“It always goes away real fast here,” sighed Connie. “We never have -half enough ice skating or coasting.”</p> - -<p>“Say, why don’t we go coasting right now?” Veve proposed eagerly. -“Klingman’s Hill!”</p> - -<p>“All right, let’s ask our mothers,” Connie agreed, falling in with the -plan.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">11</a></span> -“It’s nearly five o’clock,” Sunny said regretfully. “I’ll have to run -along. Remember, Connie, until our next Brownie meeting—DYB.”</p> - -<p>She winked at Connie as she spoke the mysterious letters.</p> - -<p>“What does DYB mean?” Veve demanded.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s a Brownie secret,” laughed Sunny as she started off down the -street. “Our troop has lots and lots of them!”</p> - -<p>Now Klingman’s Hill was three blocks from the Williams’ home. The -road had been roped off to keep automobiles from using it. Usually a -policeman was on hand to see that the children did not get hurt.</p> - -<p>After Connie obtained permission from her mother, the two girls started -for the hill.</p> - -<p>“Tell me what DYB means,” Veve coaxed.</p> - -<p>“Can’t, Veve. It’s a Brownie secret, and Brownies never tell. Now if -you were a member—”</p> - -<p>“But I’m not,” said Veve a trifle crossly.</p> - -<p>By this time the girls were quite close to Klingman’s Hill. They could -see that the coasting place was nearly deserted. Much of the snow had -melted, leaving ugly bare spots on the hill. Only a few boys and girls -stood around looking very gloomy.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve, no one is coasting!” cried Connie in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">12</a></span> disappointment. “We -won’t be able to slide after all.”</p> - -<p>“The snow always melts before we have a chance to coast,” grumbled -Veve. “I’m getting sick of it.”</p> - -<p>“So am I, Veve. But Miss Gordon says Brownies must learn to take -disappointments.”</p> - -<p>Veve frowned, for she disliked the advice. “All I ask is a little cold -winter weather,” she mumbled.</p> - -<p>Dragging their sleds, the two girls walked to the brow of the hill. -Everywhere they could see patches of bare earth on the slope. Water -trickled in the roadside ditches.</p> - -<p>“Can’t coast here,” said a boy who stood near. “But there’s snow left -on Kelly’s Hill. Most of the kids have gone there. That’s where I’m -heading.” He started away with his sled.</p> - -<p>Veve seized Connie’s hand. “Come on,” she urged. “Let’s go too.”</p> - -<p>“But Kelly’s Hill isn’t roped off. Only the older boys coast there.”</p> - -<p>“Who’s afraid?” scoffed Veve. “I want to use my sled at least once this -winter.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think the hill is safe?” Connie was troubled. While her mother -had not forbidden her to go to the other coasting area, she wondered if -she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">13</a></span> should. A Brownie, Miss Gordon had said, always was trustworthy -and responsible.</p> - -<p>“We can be careful,” Veve said. She started away.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” called Connie.</p> - -<p>Veve was a year younger than she, and inclined to act hastily. She -could not let her friend go alone.</p> - -<p>Now Kelly’s Hill was several blocks farther on at the south edge of -Rosedale. The slope was very steep, with railroad tracks crossing it -near the bottom.</p> - -<p>A dirt road wound over the hill too. Automobiles passed now and then, -so for that reason the coasting place was considered unsafe.</p> - -<p>However, when Connie and Veve reached the steep hill they found plenty -of snow. The run looked very fast. Many boys and a few girls were -coasting.</p> - -<p>Connie, who was worried because of the railroad tracks, said quietly: -“Veve, I don’t think we should coast here.”</p> - -<p>“So Brownies are afraid!” jeered her friend. “Well, I’m not.”</p> - -<p>All the same, she did not start down the hill right away. Instead, she -removed her mittens and blew breath on her fingers.</p> - -<p>“It’s cold here,” she said, stamping one foot and then another.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">14</a></span> -Connie laughed, for the air was not in the least chilly. She knew Veve -was afraid of the hill. But she did not say so, for she hoped her -friend would decide not to coast.</p> - -<p>Just then, a group of older boys came along with their sleds. One of -them knew Veve and tried to tease her.</p> - -<p>“This hill isn’t for girls! Too steep!”</p> - -<p>The remark annoyed Veve. Forgetting to be afraid, she climbed on her -sled and took the rope in her hands.</p> - -<p>Before she was ready to start, the older boy gave her a hard push. Down -the hill shot the sled, moving faster and faster.</p> - -<p>Wind whizzed in Veve’s face. She couldn’t see. The sled went so fast it -was hard to steer.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Oh!” she squealed.</p> - -<p>Another sled loomed up. Veve pushed hard on the steering lever with her -foot. The sled skidded sharply to the right and she couldn’t straighten -it out. The next moment she was lying in a ditch with the sled on top -of her.</p> - -<p>Slowly she picked herself up and brushed wet snow from her suit. Connie -ran down the hill to ask anxiously:</p> - -<p>“Are you hurt, Veve?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">15</a></span> -“Of course not! But look at my clothes. They’re all wet. I don’t like -this hill.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go home.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” Veve agreed. “It’s not as much fun here as I thought it -would be.”</p> - -<p>As the girls trudged slowly up the slope, a car overtook them. Several -of the older boys ran after it, hooking the ropes of their sleds over -the rear bumpers. They rode to the top of the hill and then jumped off.</p> - -<p>“Say, that’s an easy way to get up without walking,” laughed Veve.</p> - -<p>“I shouldn’t try it,” cautioned Connie. “Those boys might get hurt.”</p> - -<p>She knew they were being most unwise to risk hooking their sleds onto -the car bumpers. If the automobile should speed up, they easily might -be carried away.</p> - -<p>Midway up the hill, Veve suddenly halted.</p> - -<p>“See what’s coming!” she shouted. “A runaway sled!”</p> - -<p>“Jeepers!” Connie exclaimed. “It looks like mine!” Before starting down -the hill she had tied her sled to a tree. Now she saw that someone had -untied it for a joke.</p> - -<p>The two girls tried to stop the sled, but were not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">16</a></span> quick enough. It -glided past them into a ditch far down the hill. Of course they had to -go after it.</p> - -<p>“What a mean trick!” exclaimed Veve. “I’m ready to go home! Only I hate -to climb all the way up this old mountain.”</p> - -<p>Nearby stood a parked automobile. The driver sat behind the steering -wheel with the engine running. However, he appeared to be waiting for -someone and did not act as if he intended to start up the hill.</p> - -<p>“Connie, I’ll show you how the boys hook onto the car bumpers,” Veve -offered.</p> - -<p>Before her friend could stop her, she darted to the parked car. The -driver did not see her, for he was gazing in another direction.</p> - -<p>“Just slip the rope over the bumper like this,” explained Veve. “It’s -easy, Connie.”</p> - -<p>Now Veve had no intention of riding up the hill. She only liked to -think she could do anything the older boys did. Never once did it occur -to her that the automobile might start suddenly forward.</p> - -<p>Therefore, she was startled when, without warning, the motor speeded -up. Smoke poured from the exhaust pipe at the rear. The car began to -move slowly ahead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">17</a></span> -“Oh, he’s driving off with your sled!” Connie cried in alarm.</p> - -<p>“Hey, wait!” shouted Veve, running after the car.</p> - -<p>The driver did not hear.</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve soon caught up, for the car climbed the hill slowly. -But instead of unhooking the rope, Veve threw herself flat on the sled.</p> - -<p>“Jump on!” she invited Connie.</p> - -<p>Connie raced alongside, urging Veve to unhook the sled.</p> - -<p>“Not yet,” the other girl laughed. “I’m riding to the top.”</p> - -<p>The car began to move faster, although it was still climbing. Connie -fell behind. She was very worried for her friend.</p> - -<p>“Get off now, Veve!” she shouted.</p> - -<p>The car reached the hilltop and went so fast Veve could not unfasten -the sled rope.</p> - -<p>Connie saw that her playmate might be carried away by the automobile. -In a moment it would start downhill, and then Veve never could jump off -without being hurt.</p> - -<p>“Roll off!” she urged. “Roll off, quick!”</p> - -<p>Veve did not want to lose her sled. She kept clinging to it, hoping the -car would slow down. Instead, it picked up speed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">18</a></span> -“Stop!” she shouted to the driver. “Stop the car!”</p> - -<p>The man could not hear because the chains on the wheels were making a -loud clanking noise.</p> - -<p>“Help! Help!” screamed Veve, now thoroughly frightened.</p> - -<p>The car whirled around a corner, with the girl clinging desperately to -her sled.</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">19</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_2" id="chapter_2"></a><small>CHAPTER 2</small><br /> -In Search of Veve</h2> - -<p class="noi">BY the time Connie reached the bend, Veve and the car were out of -sight. For a minute she was so frightened she couldn’t think what to do.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon once had told the Brownies that whenever anything went -wrong, the important thing was to remain very calm.</p> - -<p>Connie felt anything but calm now. She was so excited she trembled all -over. But she knew she had to think clearly or Veve might never be -saved.</p> - -<p>“I’ll call the police,” she thought.</p> - -<p>At the next to last Brownie meeting, Miss Gordon had shown the girls -how to dial police and fire department numbers in an emergency. Only -Connie had no nickel and the nearest telephone was at the drugstore a -block away.</p> - -<p>Well, she had to do something quickly. Even if Veve were lucky enough -not to be thrown from her sled, the driver was almost certain to take -her far away without knowing it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">20</a></span> -Dragging her sled, Connie ran all the way to the drugstore. The -druggist was there, waiting on a customer who wanted a box of cough -tablets.</p> - -<p>“Please,” said Connie breathlessly, “will you lend me a nickel?”</p> - -<p>The druggist looked so surprised she realized that the request must -seem an odd one. So she added quickly:</p> - -<p>“Veve was carried away on her sled by an automobile! I must call the -police station.”</p> - -<p>“The police station!” exclaimed the druggist.</p> - -<p>He didn’t understand what Connie meant about Veve and the sled, but he -could see from her worried look that something was wrong.</p> - -<p>He gave her a nickel and showed her where the telephone booth was -located.</p> - -<p>“Can you dial the numbers yourself?” he asked.</p> - -<p>Connie nodded. The telephone directory hung on a hook, and on the front -cover in large print were the instructions:</p> - -<p>“In case of Emergency Dial Police—Adams 1234.” The number was an easy -one to remember.</p> - -<p>A light flashed on as Connie stepped into the booth. She dropped the -nickel into the coin box and waited for the clear dial tone. When she -heard it, she carefully whirled the numbers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">21</a></span> -Almost at once a gruff voice barked in her ear:</p> - -<p>“Police station!”</p> - -<p>Connie was a trifle nervous, for she never before had talked to anyone -at the police station. However, she forced herself to speak slowly and -relate exactly what had happened.</p> - -<p>“Please come as fast as you can,” she urged. “Veve McGuire and I -were coasting at Kelly’s Hill. She hooked a ride with her sled on an -automobile—and was carried away.”</p> - -<p>The police sergeant seemed to grasp the situation instantly. He barked: -“Did you get the car license number?”</p> - -<p>“No-o,” Connie admitted, trying hard to remember. “The first two -letters were EB—the same as Edith Bailey’s initials. But I can’t -remember the numbers. It was a large gray sedan.”</p> - -<p>“Going what direction?”</p> - -<p>“West.” Of this Connie was certain. “It was headed up the hill and went -on toward the country.”</p> - -<p>“Highway 20,” said the police sergeant, making notes on his pad. “The -girl’s name is Veve McGuire. Address?”</p> - -<p>“2179 Kingston Drive.”</p> - -<p>“Right-o. And your name?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">22</a></span> -Connie gave that too and then asked the sergeant if he thought Veve -could be found. The officer promised to do his very best. He told her -the information would be broadcast over the police shortwave radio -system and picked up by all cruising police cars.</p> - -<p>Connie hung up the telephone receiver and thanked the druggist for the -nickel.</p> - -<p>“I’ll pay it back tomorrow,” she promised. “Brownie Scout’s honor.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t give it another thought,” he replied. “I only hope you find your -little friend.”</p> - -<p>Both he and the lady customer asked many questions about how Veve had -been carried away on the sled.</p> - -<p>Connie answered them all as fast as she could and then hurried away -home to tell her mother and Mrs. McGuire what had occurred.</p> - -<p>She was quite breathless by the time she burst into the kitchen where -her mother was getting the evening meal.</p> - -<p>“Why, Connie,” said Mrs. Williams in surprise. “Is anything wrong?”</p> - -<p>“Veve’s been carried away in a car, Mother!”</p> - -<p>Again Connie told about the coasting mishap.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Connie!” exclaimed Mrs. Gordon in a frightened voice. “Does Mrs. -McGuire know?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">23</a></span> -“Not yet, Mother. I haven’t had time to tell her.”</p> - -<p>“We must, at once. Though I’m afraid she still may be at work. Oh, -dear!”</p> - -<p>Veve’s father was dead, and the little girl’s mother worked part-time -in a downtown office. During the afternoon Veve’s grandmother usually -came in to stay with her, but on this Saturday no one had been at the -McGuire home.</p> - -<p>Connie had never seen her mother look more worried. She hastened to the -telephone and, after making several calls, reached Mrs. McGuire. Next -she called Connie’s father, asking him to pick up Mrs. McGuire at her -office and bring her home.</p> - -<p>“Will Veve be hurt, do you think?” Connie asked anxiously.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Williams did not answer. She was in the front hallway putting on -her hat and coat.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later Connie’s father drove up in the car. He had made a -very fast trip home.</p> - -<p>With him in the car was Mrs. McGuire, her hat at a rakish angle. She -asked Connie to tell her exactly what had happened at the hill.</p> - -<p>“Veve is so reckless,” she said when she heard the story. “Oh, I’m -afraid she may be badly hurt.”</p> - -<p>“Now don’t worry, Mrs. McGuire,” said Connie’s mother kindly. “Connie -telephoned the police and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">24</a></span> already they are searching for the car. -We’ll start out too.”</p> - -<p>Connie could tell by the tone of her mother’s voice that she was proud -of her for having called the police station so promptly.</p> - -<p>“We’ll want you to go with us, Connie, because you may be able to -recognize the car,” said her mother, motioning for her to get into the -Williams’ automobile.</p> - -<p>Connie rode in the front seat beside her father. At Kelly’s Hill she -pointed out the bend in the road where she last had seen the gray sedan.</p> - -<p>Driving quite slowly, Mr. Williams watched both sides of the road. He -was afraid Veve might have been thrown from her sled into a snowy ditch.</p> - -<p>For nearly an hour, the car went up one street and down another. Mr. -Williams drove far out on Highway 20, stopping at two filling stations -to ask the attendants if they had seen a little girl in a red snowsuit -being pulled on her sled by a gray car. No one had.</p> - -<p>Connie sat with her face pressed against the car window, watching and -hoping. Twice she thought she saw the gray car. But always it proved to -be a different automobile.</p> - -<p>Soon it was so dark she scarcely could see the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">25</a></span> road. Lights winked on -inside the houses. Mr. Williams had to turn on the car headlights.</p> - -<p>“We may as well return home,” he said at last.</p> - -<p>“By this time, the police may have found Veve,” said Connie’s mother. -She spoke as cheerfully as she could because Mrs. McGuire looked as if -she were about to cry.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go back as quickly as we can,” agreed Mrs. McGuire.</p> - -<p>Soon the car turned down the familiar, winding street, but Connie saw -that the McGuire house was dark. Veve’s grandmother had not returned. -Veve couldn’t be home either, or the lights would have been turned on.</p> - -<p>When Mrs. McGuire looked at the dark windows, she began to cry. She -couldn’t help it because she was so very worried. Connie’s mother held -her arm as she helped her from the car.</p> - -<p>“Now we’ll soon find Veve,” she reassured her. “Do come in while I -telephone the police station. They may have news for us.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. McGuire started with Mrs. Williams into the house. Connie intended -to go with them, but as she cut across the yard past the half-melted -snowman, she noticed a car coming slowly down the street.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">26</a></span> -At first she couldn’t even guess at its color because of the darkness.</p> - -<p>However, the automobile looked very much like the one that had carried -Veve away.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Mother!” she cried. “See that car! I think it may be the one!”</p> - -<p>Now Connie had made that very remark several times during the search -for the gray sedan. Upon each occasion, she had been mistaken.</p> - -<p>So, although her mother and Mrs. McGuire turned quickly to gaze down -the street, they held little hope that she could be right.</p> - -<p>Nearer and nearer came the automobile, passing directly under a bright -street light.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it <em>is</em> a gray sedan!” shouted Connie, fairly beside herself with -excitement.</p> - -<p>She tried to read the license number but could not make it out. The -driver seemed to be alone in the car. He kept peering at the house -numerals along the street.</p> - -<p>“Mother,” cried Connie, “the car is slowing down!”</p> - -<p>Even as she spoke, it stopped directly in front of the McGuire house.</p> - -<p>“It’s the same car!” shouted Connie. “But where is Veve?”</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">27</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_3" id="chapter_3"></a><small>CHAPTER 3</small><br /> -Safety Rules and Kitten Tails</h2> - -<p class="noi">THE door of the gray car swung open and out stepped the driver. As -Connie, her parents, and Mrs. McGuire hurried up, he was peering at the -numbers marked on the curb in front of the McGuire house.</p> - -<p>“Aren’t you the man who carried away a little girl on her sled?” asked -Connie before he could speak.</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” admitted the driver. Politely, he tipped his hat to -Connie’s mother and Mrs. McGuire.</p> - -<p>“Tell me quickly,” urged Mrs. McGuire. “Has my daughter been injured?”</p> - -<p>Just then, the rear door of the sedan swung wide. Veve, her face -streaked with tears, had been asleep on the back seat. She stumbled out -looking drowsy-eyed, but very much alive and ashamed.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Mother,” she said. “Here I am!”</p> - -<p>Mrs. McGuire ran down the sidewalk to clasp<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">28</a></span> Veve in her arms. She was -so happy to see her that she did not say a word about all the trouble -that had been caused.</p> - -<p>The car driver told Mr. Williams his name was Fred Clayhorn and that he -was a drug salesman.</p> - -<p>“Hope you haven’t worried too much about this little scamp,” he said, -smiling at Veve. “I didn’t discover she had hitched her sled to my car -until I was miles out in the country.”</p> - -<p>“A filling-station man saw me and yelled for Mr. Clayhorn to stop,” -explained Veve.</p> - -<p>“Fortunately, I am a slow driver,” added Mr. Clayhorn. “Otherwise, I -am afraid the little girl might have been thrown from her sled and -seriously injured.”</p> - -<p>Although Veve had not been hurt, she looked rather the worse for her -adventure. The fast sled ride had not been any fun.</p> - -<p>Ice had slashed into her face and her snowsuit was caked with mud -and slush. She was all worn out too, from clinging so tightly to the -bouncing sled.</p> - -<p>“Thanks for bringing me home, Mr. Clayhorn,” she told him gratefully. -“I never, never want to take another ride like that one.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you never do,” he replied. “Next time you might not be so -lucky.”</p> - -<p>While the grownups talked, Connie helped Veve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">29</a></span> remove her sled from -the luggage compartment of the gray sedan. One of the runners was bent -where it had struck a stone in the road.</p> - -<p>She was showing the place to Connie when her mother called: “Come, -Veve! You must have a hot bath and climb right into bed. We’ll talk -about this escapade later!”</p> - -<p>“That means I’ll catch it!” Veve whispered to Connie. She was so tired, -though, that she didn’t mind being put to bed.</p> - -<p>After Mr. Clayhorn had driven away, Connie and her parents went into -their own home.</p> - -<p>The instant they opened the door, they knew something was wrong. Heavy -black smoke filled the rooms.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Mother!” cried Connie. “Is the house on fire?”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Williams ran directly to the kitchen. She jerked a double-boiler -from the stove. The bottom pan was black on the inside and smoke -billowed from it in a great cloud.</p> - -<p>“The chocolate pudding!” gasped Connie’s mother. “I went off and left -the gas turned low. All the water boiled away.”</p> - -<p>Connie helped her open windows to clear out the smoke. After a while it -was not so heavy.</p> - -<p>“I can’t recall ever having done such a careless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">30</a></span> thing before,” sighed -Mrs. Williams. “I guess I was so worried about Veve I didn’t think what -I was doing. The pan is ruined.”</p> - -<p>“Was it a good one, Mother?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, dear, but it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that Veve is -home safely.”</p> - -<p>Now that the excitement was over, Mrs. Williams sat down by the kitchen -table and drew a deep breath. After she had rested a moment, she told -Connie how proud she was of her for not having hitched a ride on the -gray car, and also for having called help so quickly.</p> - -<p>“Each day you are becoming more dependable,” she praised. “I do believe -your Brownie Scout training has helped.”</p> - -<p>“I wish Veve would join the troop, Mother. Why do you suppose she makes -fun of the Brownies?”</p> - -<p>“Veve is very young and likes to try to be different,” answered Mrs. -Williams. “Be patient, Connie. One of these days, she may ask to join -the organization.”</p> - -<p>Now that the <a name="chocolate" id="chocolate"></a><ins title="Original has cholocate">chocolate</ins> pudding was ruined, it was -necessary to send someone to the corner store for a cake. Connie -offered to go. However, it was dark so her father said he would make -the purchase.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">31</a></span> -“And may we have ice cream too?” Connie requested.</p> - -<p>“On a winter day like this?” her father asked in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I could eat ice cream every day in the year,” laughed Connie. Her -blue eyes twinkled as she added: “Especially on my birthday.”</p> - -<p>Now Connie’s birthday came on the twelfth day of December. The date was -very near, and she was a tiny bit afraid her mother and father might -forget about it. So she thought she would mention it just to be sure.</p> - -<p>“Will I have ice cream and cake on my birthday?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“We’ll see,” returned her mother. She smiled in a most mysterious way.</p> - -<p>The next day, Mrs. Williams did not say anything more about the -approaching birthday. She acted as if she had entirely forgotten it.</p> - -<p>At school, although all of the Brownies were there, Veve’s desk -remained vacant.</p> - -<p>Connie learned from Sunny and Jane that Veve had been kept home because -she had a very severe cold.</p> - -<p>“Serves her right,” said Jane, who had heard about the coasting mishap. -“If she had used good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">32</a></span> common sense, she wouldn’t have been carried -away on the sled!”</p> - -<p>“Veve didn’t mean to get into trouble,” Connie defended her friend. -“She’s just careless.”</p> - -<p>Veve’s cold kept her indoors throughout the entire week. But on -Saturday, the first day she was allowed outside, she came running over -to play with Connie.</p> - -<p>But Connie was on her way to Jane’s house to attend the regular weekly -Brownie meeting and could not stop even to talk.</p> - -<p>“I wish I could play with you, Veve,” she said. “You know how it is. We -aren’t supposed to be late for meetings.”</p> - -<p>“I know how it is, all right,” grumbled Veve. “I never see you any -more—that’s what. Since you joined those stupid old Brownies, you’re -no fun at all!”</p> - -<p>“I’m having more fun than I ever did,” Connie called over her shoulder -as she skipped off down the street.</p> - -<p>At Jane’s house, the Brownies again were working on scrapbooks for the -hospital.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon, however, had varied the program with another of her -frequent “surprises.”</p> - -<p>Captain Frank Bentley of the Rosedale Police<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">33</a></span> Station had been invited -in to explain rules of safety to the Brownies.</p> - -<p>Now, although the police officer was very much at ease when directing -traffic or guarding school crossings, he seemed rather embarrassed as -he faced the sober-eyed little girls.</p> - -<p>He told them never to cross a street without first pausing to look -carefully in both directions. And he warned them about the danger of -dodging in behind parked cars or running when they crossed a street.</p> - -<p>“Another thing” he added. “In case you ever witness an accident, always -notify an adult person, or call the police station.”</p> - -<p>“That’s exactly what Connie did,” spoke up Eileen proudly. “When Veve -was carried away on her sled, she telephoned the police, and then she -went home and reported the accident to her mother.”</p> - -<p>“Brownies are very smart little girls,” said the police officer. “This -talk probably isn’t in the least necessary.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, but we’ve enjoyed it, and we’ve learned a lot!” declared Connie -quickly.</p> - -<p>“We’ll all be more careful in the future, I’m sure,” added Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“That Veve McGuire is the one who should be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">34</a></span> here,” declared Jane, -fingering the dancing elf design on her Brownie pin. “She’s worse than -anyone I know when she dashes for school. Once she was nearly struck by -a car.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve isn’t as careless as she was,” Connie said, standing up -for her friend. “Since her accident with the sled, she has been very -careful.”</p> - -<p>“Careful!” snorted Jane. “That’s because she’s had to stay in the house -most of the time. If there’s one person in the world who should learn -something about safety, it’s Veve McGuire!”</p> - -<p>Now Miss Gordon did not like to hear the girls discuss Veve so frankly -when the little girl was not present. But instead of scolding Jane for -being so outspoken, she changed the subject by asking:</p> - -<p>“By the way, girls, has anyone learned if Veve plans to join our -Brownie troop in the next few weeks?”</p> - -<p>The leader of the Rosedale troop looked directly at Connie, who was -much better acquainted with Veve than any of the other girls.</p> - -<p>Now Connie did not wish to tell Miss Gordon all the unkind things that -Veve had said about the Brownie organization.</p> - -<p>So she replied quite truthfully that she had not discussed the subject -with her for a long while.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">35</a></span> -“You might speak to her about it sometime,” urged the leader. “We -really want Veve.”</p> - -<p>“Not if she keeps on saying things about the Brownies,” whispered Jane, -who always was outspoken.</p> - -<p>Rosemary gave her a warning nudge and she became quiet.</p> - -<p>Following Captain Bentley’s talk, the Brownies served fruit juice and -cookies. Usually they had refreshments at the end of the meeting. This -time they served early so the police officer would not need to wait.</p> - -<p>Captain Bentley drank a cup of juice, ate three cookies and admired the -fine scrapbooks. Then he said good-bye to the girls, reminding them -again not to forget the safety rules.</p> - -<p>“Whenever you come to a street intersection, always stop, look and -listen,” he advised as he started to leave. “That way, you’ll avoid -accidents.”</p> - -<p>Bowing to Miss Gordon, Captain Bentley backed out the door squarely -onto the tail of Jane’s kitten, Blackie, who drowsed in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>With a squawk, the kitten scampered through the startled officer’s -legs. His foot slipped on a patch of ice. Arms and legs flailed and -thrashed the air as he sought vainly to keep his balance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">36</a></span> -Then, with a thud, his two hundred and ten pounds came down on the -cement porch.</p> - -<p>Captain Bentley wasn’t hurt, only jarred. But he grinned with -embarrassment as he picked himself up. All the Brownies shouted with -laughter.</p> - -<p>“Always remember the safety rules,” the officer chuckled. “And I might -add, they apply to kitten tails as well as street crossings!”</p> - -<p>After the captain had gone, the girls worked hard on their scrapbooks. -They talked about the approaching Christmas holidays and what they -would do during school vacation. No one had made any special plans.</p> - -<p>“We can’t go coasting or ice skating, that’s certain,” sighed Rosemary, -listening to the steady drip of melting snow on the roof.</p> - -<p>Since the last Brownie meeting, the weather gradually had turned -warmer. Only a little snow and a few icicles remained to remind the -girls of the recent storm.</p> - -<p>“I don’t even want new skates for Christmas,” declared Jane, carefully -wiping up a blob of paste which had dropped on the rug. “Just once, I -wish we could have a giant-size snowstorm here!”</p> - -<p>“Out West where my Grandfather and Grandmother Williams live, they have -wonderful snowstorms,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">37</a></span> Connie said wistfully. “Once they were snowed -in their house nearly a week.”</p> - -<p>“You mean they couldn’t get out at all?” asked Sunny in awe.</p> - -<p>“Not until a big snowplow came along and opened up the roads. They -didn’t starve though, because they had plenty of food in the house.”</p> - -<p>“In Minnesota, where my grandparents live, the snows are very heavy -too,” said Miss Gordon. She smiled at the recollection. “Christmas at -Snow Valley—I count it as one of my happiest memories.”</p> - -<p>“Snow Valley,” repeated Connie. “What a beautiful name!”</p> - -<p>“Are the snows really deep?” asked Eileen.</p> - -<p>“I’ve seen drifts so high they nearly touched the roof. And the -coasting! Out of this world!”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon told the girls more about the farm home of her Grandfather -and Grandmother Gordon. The living room fireplace was so large that -quarter logs were burned in it instead of chopped wood.</p> - -<p>“I wish a flying carpet would come along and take me there right now!” -exclaimed Connie, her eyes bright.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps I’ll return to Minnesota for the holidays,” revealed Miss -Gordon. “And that brings me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">38</a></span> to an important question. You remember the -‘surprise’ of which I spoke?”</p> - -<p>Immediately the room buzzed with excited conversation.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon had to raise her hand in the Brownie sign for silence. -Connie followed suit, becoming as still as a mouse. Next Sunny raised -her hand, and last of all, Jane, who was chattering like a magpie.</p> - -<p>When one could have heard a pin drop, Miss Gordon said:</p> - -<p>“Girls, I’ve talked to your parents, but I can’t reveal the secret just -yet. However, I have an important question to ask. Think well before -you answer.”</p> - -<p>“What is the question, Miss Gordon?” Sunny was squirming with -impatience.</p> - -<p>“Merely this. How many would be willing to give up part of their school -vacation for a Brownie outing?”</p> - -<p>“A hike?” demanded Jane.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon smiled and shook her head.</p> - -<p>“A trip?” asked Connie, who was a much better guesser.</p> - -<p>“Now don’t ask me to reveal the secret too soon,” laughed the leader -of the Brownies. “Christmas holidays are precious days. Even if your -parents were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">39</a></span> willing, would you really want to go away from Rosedale?”</p> - -<p>“You mean for several days?” Jane asked, her breath quite taken away. -“Over Christmas?”</p> - -<p>“It might mean being gone on Christmas Day,” Miss Gordon admitted -soberly. “So far, the plan is not definite.”</p> - -<p>“Then if we were gone, we wouldn’t get any Christmas presents,” said -Sunny, losing her happy smile.</p> - -<p>“That part would be taken care of, I assure you,” Miss Gordon declared. -“Naturally, I can’t expect you to say whether you would be willing to -leave Rosedale, when I haven’t told you where the troop would go.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies looked somewhat relieved and waited anxiously for their -leader to continue.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon, however, realized that she had said almost too much.</p> - -<p>“I can’t tell you any more about the plan until we meet again,” she -said. “Until then, I’ll merely ask you all to think very seriously of -the question I have raised. If the answer should be ‘yes’—well, who -knows?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">40</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">41</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_4" id="chapter_4"></a><small>CHAPTER 4</small><br /> -Miss Gordon’s Surprise</h2> - -<p class="noi">CONNIE’S birthday came on Thursday. The little girl rolled out of bed -and went down to breakfast feeling rather blue.</p> - -<p>“Happy birthday, dear,” said her mother, giving her a kiss.</p> - -<p>“Why, Mother,” laughed Connie, suddenly feeling quite cheerful, “I -thought you had forgotten. And Daddy too!”</p> - -<p>“Look beside your plate if you think that,” teased her father.</p> - -<p>Connie ran into the breakfast room. Beside her plate was a small -package wrapped in tissue paper.</p> - -<p>“It’s a birthday present, isn’t it?” she said, untying the pink ribbon. -Of course she knew it was.</p> - -<p>“A gift for the nicest little girl in the world,” declared her mother, -smiling.</p> - -<p>Connie couldn’t guess what her parents had given her. She pulled away -the tissue paper and a ring popped out. On it was a design of a dancing -Brownie, and her own initials.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">42</a></span> -“Oh, a Brownie ring!” cried Connie, doing a dance of her own on the -carpet. “Just what I wanted!”</p> - -<p>Connie was very proud of her new birthday ring. She showed it to the -mailman when he brought the morning letters, and to the Brownies at -school.</p> - -<p>Only one thing bothered Connie. She had received no package from her -Grandmother and Grandfather Williams. When she returned home at three -o’clock, she asked her mother if a gift had arrived.</p> - -<p>“Not yet, Connie.”</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose they forgot my birthday, Mother?”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Williams replied she was quite certain they hadn’t. She thought -the package possibly had been delayed in the mail and might arrive the -next day.</p> - -<p>“But tomorrow won’t be my birthday,” said Connie. “I would so much -rather have the present today.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me, has Veve seen your new Brownie ring?” asked her mother -quickly.</p> - -<p>“Not yet,” Connie replied, wondering why her mother had asked the -question.</p> - -<p>“You may go over for a while,” suggested Mrs. Williams. “But don’t stay -longer than half an hour.”</p> - -<p>At the McGuire home, Veve acted almost as if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">43</a></span> she had expected Connie. -She wore a bright new pink gingham dress, and her dark curls had been -brushed until they shone. However, she still had a trace of her cold.</p> - -<p>“Why are you so dressed up, Veve?” Connie asked curiously. Usually Veve -paid little attention to her clothes and liked to wear jeans with an -old sweater.</p> - -<p>“You’ll find out later,” laughed Veve. “Maybe I’m going somewhere.”</p> - -<p>Connie showed Veve the new Brownie ring. Veve tried it on her own -finger and then said she would rather have a bracelet for her birthday.</p> - -<p>“What else did you get?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“That’s all,” Connie admitted. “My Grandfather and Grandmother Williams -forgot.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe you’ll get something more later on,” hinted Veve.</p> - -<p>For half an hour the two girls played together. Connie kept talking -about the Brownies and their good times. She didn’t intend to annoy -Veve, but she scarcely could keep from thinking about Miss Gordon’s -“surprise.”</p> - -<p>“Now what do you suppose she meant?” she asked aloud. “Wouldn’t it be -grand if all the Brownies could go on a trip?”</p> - -<p>“It’s four o’clock,” said Veve quickly. She had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">44</a></span> been watching the -clock. “Let’s go over to your house.”</p> - -<p>Arm in arm, the girls crossed the yard. Connie started toward the -kitchen door, only to have Veve catch her hand and pull her toward the -front porch.</p> - -<p>Even then Connie didn’t suspect a thing. She opened the door and stood -still. The living room fairly overflowed with her schoolmates.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies were there, Jane, Rosemary, Eileen, Belinda and Sunny, -whose smile stretched from ear to ear. Several other classmates also -had been invited to the party. Miss Gordon was in the kitchen, helping -Mrs. Williams make fancy sandwiches.</p> - -<p>“Happy birthday, Connie!” everyone shouted. “Surprise! Surprise!”</p> - -<p>Connie really was surprised. For a moment she couldn’t say a word.</p> - -<p>“I knew about it all the time,” declared Veve, “but I didn’t dare tell. -And here’s something for you.”</p> - -<p>Although it wasn’t time to offer gifts or unwrap packages, she thrust a -tissue-wrapped box into Connie’s hand. All the other girls had presents -for her too.</p> - -<p>“You see, we didn’t forget,” laughed Veve. “We were only waiting for -the party to start.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">45</a></span> -The girls played games which Miss Gordon directed. Connie’s mother -brought in a huge paper pie with strings attached. Each girl pulled out -her fortune.</p> - -<p>“Mine says I’m going on a long trip!” announced Eileen, reading her -slip. “Oh, Miss Gordon, does that mean just me, or all the Brownies?”</p> - -<p>“Tell us the surprise,” the other Brownies chorused.</p> - -<p>But Miss Gordon only smiled and said not a word.</p> - -<p>When the party was nearly over Mrs. Williams served sandwiches, ice -cream and cake. Each little girl received a paper hat and a horn that -made a loud toot.</p> - -<p>Then it came time for Connie to open her presents. Jane had given her a -nylon hairbrush. Belinda’s gift was a pair of Brownie woolen sox while -both Sunny and Eileen gave handkerchiefs with the same Brownie design. -Rosemary had shopped a long while to find a pretty mirror.</p> - -<p>Veve’s present was a bright red hair ribbon. The other girls gave an -assortment of books, pins and games.</p> - -<p>“Such wonderful gifts,” declared Connie, opening them one at a time. -She thanked everyone. “I’ve never had a nicer birthday!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">46</a></span> -“Our Brownie troop soon will have a birthday,” Miss Gordon reminded the -girls. “Then we must celebrate again.”</p> - -<p>Connie liked best of all the gifts with Brownie emblems, but she was -too polite to say so. She did not show that any present pleased her -more than another.</p> - -<p>At five o’clock the party was over. One by one the girls went home, -until only Veve and the Brownies were left. They offered to help Miss -Gordon and Mrs. Williams straighten up and carry the dirty plates to -the kitchen.</p> - -<p>“Did you have a nice time, Connie?” asked her mother.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, Mother! This has been my very nicest party—only—”</p> - -<p>Connie started to mention again that her Grandmother and Grandfather -Williams had forgotten to send even a birthday card.</p> - -<p>Before she could speak, her father’s car rolled onto the driveway -with a loud crunch of gravel. A moment later he came into the house, -carrying a large package.</p> - -<p>“Special delivery for Miss Constance <a name="Williams" id="Williams"></a><ins title="Original has Gordon">Williams</ins>,” he called in -a loud voice. “Anyone here by that name?”</p> - -<p>Connie laughed aloud, for although her name<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">47</a></span> really was Constance, no -one ever thought to call her by it.</p> - -<p>The package was long, narrow, and very large.</p> - -<p>“Is it from my Grandmother Williams?” Connie asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>She tried to untie the cords on the package but they were very firm. -Her father finally had to cut them with his pocket knife.</p> - -<p>While the Brownies and Veve gathered around, Connie unwrapped two -layers of heavy brown paper. Next she removed a covering of tissue -paper.</p> - -<p>Two long, narrow boards with leather straps clattered to the floor.</p> - -<p>“Why, what are they?” asked Connie. She could not hide her -disappointment.</p> - -<p>“Skis,” announced Veve. “But how can you use them when there isn’t any -snow?”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid Grandmother forgot about our mild weather,” admitted Mrs. -Williams. Then to cheer Connie, she added: “Before spring, we’ll surely -have another snow.”</p> - -<p>Connie gazed out into the muddy yard and couldn’t say a word. The other -Brownies knew just how discouraged she felt.</p> - -<p>The room was very quiet. Then, unexpectedly, Miss Gordon took a letter -from her pocket.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">48</a></span> -“Girls,” she said, “I know this isn’t a Brownie meeting, so perhaps I -should wait. But I do have important news.”</p> - -<p>“Tell us,” chorused the Brownies.</p> - -<p>“You remember the question I asked you to think over?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes,” agreed the Brownies. The skis now were forgotten and -everyone listened hard.</p> - -<p>Veve was the only one who acted as if she did not care to hear the -news. She pretended to be looking at Connie’s presents on the table.</p> - -<p>“Girls,” said Miss Gordon, coming directly to the point, “how would you -like to spend a week at Snow Valley in Minnesota?”</p> - -<p>For a second, the room was absolutely still. Then the girls began to -chatter excitedly. Miss Gordon had to hold up her hand in the Brownie -signal for silence.</p> - -<p>“Before anyone answers, I’ll explain the entire plan,” declared the -troop leader. “I haven’t told you about it before, because I was -uncertain how matters would work out.”</p> - -<p>“Please, Miss Gordon, tell us now,” pleaded Sunny.</p> - -<p>“As you may know, my Grandmother and Grandfather Gordon have a farm at -Snow Valley,” the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">49</a></span> teacher explained. “The house is large and there are -beautiful snow-covered hills for coasting and skiing.”</p> - -<p>“And we’re all invited to spend a week there?” Connie asked, her eyes -shining.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Grandmother wrote today saying she has room for six little -Brownies. I’ve already talked to your parents, who have given their -consent providing you care to go.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we do! We do!” cried Jane, capering across the floor.</p> - -<p>“Will it mean being away from home on Christmas?” asked Eileen soberly. -“I don’t think I would like that.”</p> - -<p>“This is the plan,” explained Miss Gordon. “If we make the trip we will -go by train, leaving the day school vacation starts. Grandfather Gordon -will meet us at the station with his big bobsled. We’ll stay at the -farm a week and be joined by your parents for Christmas.”</p> - -<p>“You mean everyone will be there?” repeated Connie, looking relieved. -“Oh, I’d like that! May I go, Mother?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve already given my consent,” said her mother.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have a wonderful week of winter sports, climaxed by a grand -Christmas reunion,” declared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">50</a></span> the leader of the Brownies. “However, I -realize some of you never have been away from home for an entire week. -So, I’ll not ask anyone to decide now.”</p> - -<p>“I’d never be homesick!” insisted Sunny. “If Mother has said ‘yes’, I -want to go!”</p> - -<p>“So do I!” cried Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“Me too,” chimed in Eileen, though she looked a trifle troubled. She -never had been away from home longer than two days at a time and -wondered if she might be homesick.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be there with bells when that old conductor yells: ‘Snow -Valley!’” laughed Belinda.</p> - -<p>Connie strapped on her new skis and skated across the living room rug.</p> - -<p>“I’ll take these with me!” she cried. “Oh, we’ll have a wonderful time -in Minnesota!”</p> - -<p>Eagerly, the girls plied Miss Gordon with questions. They wanted to -know how deep the snows were at the valley, how far the Gordon farm was -from the station, and what luggage they should take.</p> - -<p>Everyone was so interested in hearing about Snow Valley that for a -while no one gave a thought to Veve.</p> - -<p>She hadn’t said a word, because, of course, she wasn’t a member of the -Brownie troop.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">51</a></span> -Finally, when the other girls had quieted down, she edged toward the -door.</p> - -<p>“I—I guess I’ll go home,” she said in a limp little voice.</p> - -<p>“It’s been nice having you at the party,” declared Connie’s mother, for -she saw Veve was about to cry.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve!” cried Connie. “I wish you were a Brownie so you could go -with us to Snow Valley!”</p> - -<p>Veve started to reply and choked on the words. She ran out the door, -letting it close hard behind her.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon then was sorry that she had mentioned the trip in the -little girl’s presence.</p> - -<p>“It was thoughtless of me,” she apologized, “because naturally Veve -would like to go with us. I only wish she were a member of the troop.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps she’ll join before the Christmas holidays,” said Connie -hopefully. “I’ll ask her.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon smiled and shook her head.</p> - -<p>“We want Veve to belong to the troop for its own sake and not because -we are planning an outing. Besides, even if she should join now, I’m -afraid we couldn’t take her along without making special arrangements.”</p> - -<p>“Why is that, Miss Gordon?” Connie inquired.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">52</a></span> -“Grandmother Gordon has accommodations for only six Brownies.”</p> - -<p>“Then Veve can’t go?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see how she can,” Miss Gordon replied regretfully.</p> - -<p>No one said any more about the matter until the Brownies were putting -on their wraps in the hallway.</p> - -<p>Then Jane, tucking yellow braids under the hood of her snowsuit, -remarked:</p> - -<p>“It serves Veve right! She should have joined the Brownies long ago.”</p> - -<p>“That’s true,” declared Belinda, and the others agreed.</p> - -<p>All, that is, except Connie, who knew Veve would be very lonesome if -her friends went away during the Christmas holidays.</p> - -<p>The next few days at Rosedale passed quickly. Connie and the other -Brownies dashed to and from school with open coats flapping in the -December breeze, for the weather had turned quite warm.</p> - -<p>“How cold will it be in Minnesota?” Belinda asked Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“So cold you may turn into a big icicle,” laughed the teacher. “But -if you do, Grandmother Gordon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">53</a></span> will know how to thaw you out at the -kitchen woodstove.”</p> - -<p>Belinda never before had made a train trip longer than twenty miles. -She was excited and a little worried. Another matter troubled her too.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure we’ll get our presents and see our parents on Christmas -Day?” she asked the Brownie leader.</p> - -<p>“According to the plan, your parents expect to arrive at Grandfather -Gordon’s farm no later than the twenty-fourth,” replied the teacher. -“Of course, something could go wrong.”</p> - -<p>All the Brownies were so thrilled at the thought of going to Snow -Valley, they could talk of little else. They were kept busy too, -preparing for the journey.</p> - -<p>Buttons needed to be sewed on and suitcases brought down from attics. -Nearly every day after school Connie went downtown with her mother to -buy little things she would need on the trip.</p> - -<p>So busy were all the Brownie Scouts that they scarcely had time to talk -to Veve. However, Connie noticed that her playmate looked very unhappy.</p> - -<p>And then, on the final day before school was to be dismissed for the -holidays, she came upon Veve sobbing in the cloakroom.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">54</a></span> -“Why, Veve!” she said in surprise. “Is anything wrong?” She thought -perhaps the teacher had sent the little girl to the cloakroom as a -punishment.</p> - -<p>“Nothing’s wrong,” Veve replied, dabbing at her eyes.</p> - -<p>“Yes, there is too,” Connie insisted. She slipped an arm about the -other girl’s waist. “Tell me!”</p> - -<p>Veve shook her head. Pulling away, she ran down the hall.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon entered the cloakroom just as the child darted through the -doorway. She asked Connie why Veve was so upset.</p> - -<p>“She wouldn’t say,” replied Connie, picking up a coat Veve carelessly -had brushed to the floor. “I think though, she’s disappointed because -she can’t go to Snow Valley with the Brownies.”</p> - -<p>Now Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams already had guessed that Veve longed -to go with the troop, and had discussed the matter with Mrs. McGuire.</p> - -<p>So, with scarcely any hesitation, Miss Gordon was able to say: “I think -it can be arranged.”</p> - -<p>Connie wondered if she had heard correctly. Had the Brownie leader -actually said Veve might go to Snow Valley?</p> - -<p>“Only this afternoon I learned that Belinda will be unable to make the -trip,” Miss Gordon explained.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">55</a></span> “Grandmother Gordon is expecting six -little girls, so perhaps we can include Veve.”</p> - -<p>Now this was astonishing news for Connie. Though she had noticed that -Belinda’s desk had been vacant all day, she hadn’t known why she was -absent from school.</p> - -<p>“Belinda has a severe cold,” Miss Gordon explained. “It’s nothing -serious, but her mother feels she should remain at home.”</p> - -<p>Connie was sorry to learn that Belinda would be unable to go with the -troop to Snow Valley. On the other hand, she was pleased that Veve -might be able to take her place. “Of course, Veve isn’t a Brownie,” -Miss Gordon remarked, thinking aloud. “She might not care to go with -the troop. Or she might not have a good time.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’m sure she would have a wonderful holiday!” cried Connie. “When -will you invite her?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll talk with her mother again tonight,” Miss Gordon promised. “Yes, -I am hopeful everything can be arranged.”</p> - -<p>Early the next morning, Connie knew the Brownie leader had talked to -Mrs. McGuire, for Veve came flying over to the Williams’ home. She -squeezed through the bars of the back yard gate and banged hard on the -kitchen door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">56</a></span> -Connie, who was finishing her breakfast, ran to let her in.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Connie, guess what?” she cried, stomping into the kitchen. In her -excitement, she hadn’t bothered to put on her coat or a cap. “I’m going -to be a substitute Brownie!”</p> - -<p>“And go to Snow Valley?”</p> - -<p>“That’s right! How did you know?”</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon told me. Oh, Veve, I’m so glad!” Connie gave her an -affectionate hug. “We’ll have a grand time, and maybe—”</p> - -<p>Connie started to say that perhaps before the girls returned to -Rosedale, Veve would decide to join the troop. Veve was so excited, -however, she cut her short.</p> - -<p>“Can’t stop to talk now,” she declared, whirling around to open the -door. “My suitcase isn’t packed!”</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon says not to take too much luggage,” Connie advised her -friend. “I’m packing two Brownie uniforms and a pair of sweaters and -skirts. And one dress for nice in case we have a party.”</p> - -<p>“Not your new skis?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes,” laughed Connie, “but I’ll wear them on my feet, not my back!”</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose I could take my sled along?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">57</a></span> -“Not unless you check it in the baggage car, Veve. Anyway, Miss Gordon -said there will be sleds at the farm. She told the Brownies that -Grandfather Gordon made a bobsled that would carry six persons at one -time!”</p> - -<p>“Connie, is the kitchen door open?” Mrs. Williams called from the -breakfast room. She could feel a cold blast of air.</p> - -<p>“I’m going now,” said Veve. “Good-bye, Connie. See you later after I’m -packed!”</p> - -<p>She ran off home, allowing the door to bang hard behind her.</p> - -<p>“Dear me,” remarked Mrs. Williams as Connie came to the breakfast -table. “Veve is so high-spirited, I wonder if Miss Gordon won’t be kept -busy looking after six Brownies.”</p> - -<p>“Five Brownies and a substitute,” corrected Connie, reaching for a tall -glass of orange juice. “Veve may make more trouble than all the others, -but she’s lots of fun.”</p> - -<p>Early the next morning, all the Brownies except Belinda were taken to -the railroad station by their parents. The luggage was checked straight -through to Deerford, the nearest town to Snow Valley. Miss Gordon took -charge of the tickets, but allowed each girl to keep her own baggage -check.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">58</a></span> -“Here comes the train!” shouted Veve suddenly.</p> - -<p>Connie began to feel shivery inside. For just a minute she wasn’t -certain she cared to leave her parents and travel to Minnesota.</p> - -<p>“Have a good time, dear,” said her mother, stooping to kiss her. “It -will only be a few days until we come for you.”</p> - -<p>Other parents were saying good-bye to Rosemary, Jane, Eileen, Veve, and -Sunny. Then the train rumbled into the station.</p> - -<p>“Hurry or we’ll be left,” urged Veve as passengers began to alight.</p> - -<p>“We have plenty of time,” replied Miss Gordon. “Please, girls, don’t -shove.”</p> - -<p>Although the Brownie leader said “girls,” she really meant Veve, who -was trying to bore a hole through the crowd.</p> - -<p>After all the passengers were off the train, Miss Gordon went aboard -with her six charges. Mr. Williams helped her find seats for everyone.</p> - -<p>“I think you will be quite comfortable,” said Mr. Williams. “Your train -is due to arrive in Deerford at seven tonight.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Daddy, hurry and get off before the train starts,” Connie said -anxiously. “You might be taken along.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">59</a></span> -“I have plenty of time,” he replied. “But I’ll say goodbye now.”</p> - -<p>He kissed Connie and left the car.</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve, who shared a seat, pressed their faces against the car -window. Their mothers were standing near the train, watching.</p> - -<p>“Goodbye!” the girls called out together.</p> - -<p>They waved from inside the window. Their mothers waved in return and -blew kisses. Then the train began to move.</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve and the Brownies were on their way to Minnesota.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">60</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">61</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_5" id="chapter_5"></a><small>CHAPTER 5</small><br /> -A Substitute Brownie</h2> - -<p class="noi">“I’M going to miss my mother a lot,” Veve sighed as she sank back on -the seat.</p> - -<p>Connie didn’t say anything. But from the way she looked, Veve knew she -would miss her parents too. They both felt a bit homesick even though -they weren’t a mile out of Rosedale.</p> - -<p>Soon the train was traveling at full speed. Fields and houses rolled by -just as if they were moving instead of the train.</p> - -<p>“I know what let’s do,” proposed Veve. “Let’s count telegraph poles.”</p> - -<p>For a little while this was great fun. Eileen and Jane, who sat in the -seat across from Connie and Veve, tried it too.</p> - -<p>At three hundred and four Veve lost count and didn’t want to play the -game any more.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do now?” she asked restlessly.</p> - -<p>“Let’s just ride awhile,” Connie proposed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">62</a></span> -Presently a cold draft of wind blew through the car. The conductor, who -was fat and jolly, came down the aisle. He collected the tickets from -Miss Gordon, and talked with the Brownies.</p> - -<p>“You’ll need to shake your furs out of moth balls when you get to -Deerford,” he joked. “Snow’s six feet deep there. I nearly had my ears -nipped off when we went through on the run yesterday.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies settled down to enjoy the long ride ahead. Eileen and Jane -played a card game.</p> - -<p>Rosemary, who sat with Miss Gordon, helped her turn the seat so that -the four faced each other. Sunny, who didn’t want to sit alone, -squeezed in beside them.</p> - -<p>After a while, when the girls were tired of playing cards and talking, -Sunny began to hum the Brownie “Smile” song.</p> - -<p>Soon, to the enjoyment of the passengers, all the girls except Veve -were singing it. Veve tried to join in, but not being a Brownie, she -didn’t know the words.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse"> -<div class="line outdent">“I’ve something in my pocket;</div> -<div class="line indent">It belongs across my face,</div> -<div class="line">And I keep it very close at hand,</div> -<div class="line indent">In a most convenient place.</div> -</div> -<div class="verse"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">63</a></span> -<div class="line outdent">“I’m sure you couldn’t guess it</div> -<div class="line">If you guessed a long, long while,</div> -<div class="line">So I’ll take it out and put it on—</div> -<div class="line">It’s a great big Brownie smile.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>As the Brownies sang the song, they grinned from ear to ear. Soon all -the passengers in the car were smiling too.</p> - -<p>“Is it almost time for lunch?” Veve asked after a while. “I’m starving!”</p> - -<p>“So am I!” declared Rosemary. “I could eat a fried elephant!”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon looked at her watch. “It is only five minutes after -eleven,” she told the girls. “The diner won’t be open for at least -twenty-five minutes.”</p> - -<p>“Then where can I get a drink of water, please?” asked Veve. She was -more restless than thirsty.</p> - -<p>Connie had noticed a water cooler at the end of the aisle. She offered -to show Veve.</p> - -<p>Beside the tank was a metal container which held paper cups nested -together. Veve took out one for herself and one for Connie. They drank -the ice water slowly. It was so cold it made their teeth ache.</p> - -<p>Veve, who liked to remove the paper cups from the machine, decided to -take a drink to Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">64</a></span> -Down the aisle she started, balancing the filled cup carefully.</p> - -<p>Just then the train gave a sudden lurch as it slackened speed for a -curve. Veve stumbled sideways.</p> - -<p>The cup slipped from her hand, and a little water splashed on a man who -sat along the aisle.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I am terribly sorry,” Veve said politely.</p> - -<p>When Veve finally reached Miss Gordon’s seat, not much water was left -in the cup. The teacher drank what little there was and thanked Veve.</p> - -<p>Sunny offered to get her another cup, and soon all the Brownies needed -a drink. Miss Gordon had to ask them to remain in their seats because -she was afraid they might disturb the other passengers.</p> - -<p>“Let’s play jacks,” suggested Veve, who wanted to do something every -minute.</p> - -<p>“What with?” inquired Connie, not very much interested.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I brought some with me,” Veve said, taking them from her pocket. -“We can play on the seat.”</p> - -<p>The girls crossed their legs and sat at either end of the car cushion. -This left a small place between them where they could play.</p> - -<p>“You start first, Veve,” Connie suggested politely. “Let’s see if you -can get past your ‘ones.’”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’ll go up to my ‘fours’ at least,” Veve boasted. “Just watch!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">65</a></span> -The little girl threw one jack on the cushion. She tossed another into -the air, scooped up the one on the cushion and caught the other before -it fell. Then she threw two down and continued until she had reached -her “fours.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t I tell you, Connie?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but it’s going to be hard now,” said Connie. “There are three -jacks together and one off at the side.”</p> - -<p>“I can do it. Just watch!”</p> - -<p>Veve caught up three of the jacks. But when she tried to get the -fourth, all flew from her hand and went helter-skelter over the car -floor. Several rolled into the aisle.</p> - -<p>Before Connie or Veve could pick them up, the same elderly man who had -been doused with water ambled down the aisle.</p> - -<p>He failed to see the jacks lying on the car floor. Veve tried to warn -him, but she spoke too late.</p> - -<p>The man stepped squarely on one of the jacks and the points cut through -his soft-soled slipper.</p> - -<p>“Ouch!” he exclaimed. “My goodness!”</p> - -<p>The other Brownies, Miss Gordon and many of the passengers, turned to -see why the man was making such a fuss.</p> - -<p>“Mister, you are standing on one of my jacks,” said Veve.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">66</a></span> -Although she spoke politely, it seemed to be exactly the wrong thing to -say.</p> - -<p>“<em>Your</em> jacks?” demanded the man. “You might have crippled me for life!”</p> - -<p>“Veve didn’t mean to do it,” said Connie quickly. “The jacks just -slipped from her hand.”</p> - -<p>She stooped down and gathered up four jacks which she gave to Veve.</p> - -<p>“One is missing,” said Veve, gazing directly at the elderly man. “I -think you are standing on it.”</p> - -<p>“This is an outrage!” declared the man irritably. “Children should not -be allowed to play games on trains. Where are your parents?”</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve did not reply. They were relieved when Miss Gordon left -her seat and spoke to the man.</p> - -<p>She explained to him that Veve had dropped the jack quite by accident. -The man accepted the apology, but he remained rather cross.</p> - -<p>“It was an accident too when she spilled water on me,” he said. “I hope -it <a name="doesnt" id="doesnt"></a><ins title="Original has doen’t">doesn’t</ins> happen again.”</p> - -<p>The man went on down the aisle and Veve picked up her jack.</p> - -<p>“Now shall I try my ‘fours’ again?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” Connie replied, shaking her blond tangled curls. “Let’s not -play any more. Everyone is looking at us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">67</a></span> -“Then what shall we do until lunch time?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s just ride awhile,” sighed Connie. “I think everyone needs a -rest.”</p> - -<p>Veve, she knew, was causing considerable annoyance to Miss Gordon and -the other train passengers, although her playmate never intentionally -made trouble.</p> - -<p>“Look! It’s snowing!” cried Jane suddenly from across the aisle.</p> - -<p>Everyone turned to gaze out the windows. Big feathery flakes were -fluttering down, banking up on the double glass.</p> - -<p>“What beautiful patterns!” cried Eileen. “Miss Gordon, are any two -snowflakes ever alike?”</p> - -<p>Now the leader of the Brownie troop was very glad that the question had -been asked. It gave her an opportunity to call all the girls together -and keep them from annoying other passengers.</p> - -<p>“Shall I tell you a few things about snow?” she asked, without -immediately answering Eileen’s question.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes! Please do!” pleaded the Brownies.</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve perched on the chair arms as Miss Gordon gathered the -girls in the double seats.</p> - -<p>“Now first, I’ll answer Eileen’s question,” the teacher declared. “No -two snowflakes ever are exactly alike.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">68</a></span> -“How can one be sure?” inquired Jane.</p> - -<p>“Scientists have photographed them. A study of more than five thousand -flakes revealed no two quite alike.”</p> - -<p>“Some of the snowflakes are like stars,” Connie said softly, watching -them pelt against the window.</p> - -<p>“The hexagonal shape is fairly common,” Miss Gordon explained. -“Three-sided flakes are considered rare.”</p> - -<p>Immediately the Brownies began to watch for a triangular snowflake. -They did not see a single one.</p> - -<p>“The flakes are like tiny white parachutes floating down,” Connie -declared. “Why are they white when they’re made of water?”</p> - -<p>“Another excellent question. Snow is white because it reflects and -refracts light. If you should examine it under a microscope you would -see that the edges are like a prism, breaking the light into rainbow -colors.”</p> - -<p>“What makes the flakes large or small?” questioned Sunny.</p> - -<p>“Temperature, I believe, determines the size. At low thermometer -readings, flakes tend to be smaller.”</p> - -<p>“I think the flakes are getting smaller now,” announced Veve. “Does -that mean it’s getting colder outside?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">69</a></span> -“We’re traveling north, so it may be getting colder,” replied Miss -Gordon. “However, I meant that large flakes are likely to fall when the -temperature high in the clouds is at freezing or slightly below.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see any small flakes,” Jane insisted. “They’re still coming -down as large as ever.”</p> - -<p>“I wish we could save the flakes instead of having them melt,” said -Connie quickly. She was afraid Veve might argue with Jane about the -size of the crystals.</p> - -<p>“There is a way, you know,” informed Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“A way to preserve snowflakes?” Connie echoed, and all the other girls -looked surprised.</p> - -<p>“One needs a solution of plastic resin. A drop of it is placed on a -glass side, then a captured snowflake, and another drop of the resin.”</p> - -<p>“A snowflake sandwich!” laughed Connie.</p> - -<p>“Were you ever out in a heavy snowstorm?” Rosemary next asked the -Brownie leader. “I mean a real blizzard?”</p> - -<p>“Once when I was a girl in Minnesota. I remember how the wind howled -and dashed snow in my face. I was walking home from school at the time -and I feared I never could make it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">70</a></span> -“What was it like?” Jane asked, eager for additional details.</p> - -<p>“If ever you are in a blizzard, you never will forget the experience. -The snow coats your face and even freezes on your eyelids. One can’t -see very far ahead and the wind catches your breath. Some folks have -lost their way in such storms.”</p> - -<p>“Do they have blizzards in Minnesota—I mean at Snow Valley?” Veve -corrected herself.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, but a true blizzard is rather rare. I doubt we’ll see other -than heavy snow while we are there.”</p> - -<p>Just then the conductor came through the car calling:</p> - -<p>“Albion Junction! Albion Junction! Twenty-five minutes stop!”</p> - -<p>“May we get off and walk around?” Rosemary asked Miss Gordon. She was -very tired of sitting for so long a period.</p> - -<p>The Brownie leader said that perhaps the entire group could have -luncheon at the Junction instead of going into the dining car where -meals would cost a great deal more.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, she talked with the conductor a moment and returned to -report that Albion Junction had a lunchroom in the depot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">71</a></span> -“Will we have time enough?” asked Sunny anxiously. She was afraid the -train might leave without them.</p> - -<p>“Yes, providing we go directly to the lunchroom and order promptly,” -Miss Gordon said.</p> - -<p>She instructed the girls to pair off and to remain together. As soon -as the train stopped at Albion Junction, they alighted and walked in -orderly file to the lunchroom.</p> - -<p>All of the Brownies ordered the plate luncheon. Veve, who wanted to be -different, asked the waitress to bring her a sandwich and a cherry ice -cream soda.</p> - -<p>It took a long while for the sandwich to be made, so the other girls -were nearly finished before she started to eat. Miss Gordon kept -glancing anxiously at the lunchroom clock.</p> - -<p>“We have five minutes,” she warned the girls when finally Veve had -taken a last sip of her cherry soda. “Everyone ready?”</p> - -<p>The girls paired off, Veve walking with Eileen.</p> - -<p>Already the other passengers were getting on the train.</p> - -<p>“All aboard!” called the brakeman.</p> - -<p>As the girls reached their car, Veve stopped short.</p> - -<p>“My pocketbook!” she exclaimed in a frightened voice. “I left it on the -lunch counter.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">72</a></span> -Before Miss Gordon could stop her, Veve whirled and ran back toward the -lunchroom.</p> - -<p>“Oh, she’ll miss the train!” wailed Sunny. “It’s ready to start now.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon was very worried. Directing the other Brownies to climb -aboard and take their seats, she hurried off to the lunchroom in -pursuit of Veve.</p> - -<p>Now Veve, in reaching the cafeteria, saw her red purse lying on the -counter where she had left it.</p> - -<p>Snatching it up, she darted out the side door instead of the one she -had entered. Therefore, when Miss Gordon came in a moment later, Veve -was nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>“Did you see a little girl in here just now?” she asked the waitress.</p> - -<p>“Yes, she ran out the side door,” the other responded.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon hastened back to the train. She looked up and down the -platform. Veve was nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>Had the little girl boarded the train? Or had she gone elsewhere? -Anxiously, Miss Gordon asked the brakeman if he had helped the child -onto the car.</p> - -<p>“Haven’t seen her,” he replied.</p> - -<p>“How long have we here?”</p> - -<p>“Two more minutes,” said the brakeman, looking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">73</a></span> at his big yellow gold -watch. “Can’t hold the train either. We’re already fifteen minutes -behind time.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon was nearly beside herself with worry. She didn’t know what -to do. She couldn’t allow the Brownies to travel on alone to Snow -Valley, nor dared she leave Veve behind.</p> - -<p>A few passengers who had alighted at Albion Junction remained on the -platform. Miss Gordon asked them if they had seen Veve anywhere. No one -had paid particular heed to the little girl.</p> - -<p>The engine began to puff steam. In a moment it would start.</p> - -<p>“All aboard!” called the brakeman again.</p> - -<p>The last of the straggling passengers hastily entered the car. Only -Miss Gordon remained.</p> - -<p>“Sorry,” said the brakeman. “I’d like to hold the train, but we can’t. -All aboard!”</p> - -<p>He reached down to pick up the step-stool. Slowly the train began to -move.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">74</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">75</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_6" id="chapter_6"></a><small>CHAPTER 6</small><br /> -Snowland</h2> - -<p class="noi">ABOARD the train, all the Brownies wondered what had delayed Veve and -Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“I wish they’d hurry and come!” Connie said, squirming nervously in her -seat.</p> - -<p>“So do I,” added Sunny. “The train’s due to start any minute.”</p> - -<p>“Veve never should have forgotten her pocketbook,” Jane offered her -opinion. “And then she ran back without even asking Miss Gordon!”</p> - -<p>“Veve never stops to think,” Connie said, trying to defend her friend.</p> - -<p>She was even more worried than the other Brownies, for she knew Veve’s -careless ways. If the little girl failed to find her purse, well, one -couldn’t guess what she might do.</p> - -<p>“The train’s ready to start!” Sunny said anxiously. “See, everyone is -getting on!”</p> - -<p>“Everyone except Veve and Miss Gordon,” corrected<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">76</a></span> Jane. “Oh, I could -wring her neck! Veve’s, I mean.”</p> - -<p>Connie scrambled across the aisle to a window which had not been -frosted over. She saw Miss Gordon standing alone on the platform. Veve -was nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>Almost at the same instant, the Brownie leader noticed Connie. She ran -over to the car window.</p> - -<p>“Is Veve aboard?” she called.</p> - -<p>Connie shook her head.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon was nearly frantic with worry. The train had started to -move.</p> - -<p>“Miss, are you getting on, or staying?” called the brakeman.</p> - -<p>Before the Brownie leader could decide, Connie began to make strange -motions. All the Brownies crowded to the car windows, beckoning for -Miss Gordon to board the train.</p> - -<p>The teacher thought they were only afraid that she would be left -behind and they would have to go on alone to Snow Valley. Then she was -startled to see Veve’s face pressed against the car window.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon didn’t hesitate an instant. She swung aboard the train a -moment before the compartment doors were closed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">77</a></span> -Feeling weak and trembly, she walked back to the Brownies.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Connie,” she murmured. “I thought you said Veve wasn’t aboard. It -gave me such a fright!”</p> - -<p>“But Veve wasn’t in the car when you asked me,” Connie explained -soberly. “She came in as you were calling through the window.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” agreed Veve. “I found my pocketbook. I was afraid the -train might start up, so I got on the first car I came to and walked -back. The train’s a long one—that’s why it took me so long to find -this car.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve,” murmured Miss Gordon. “You might have missed the train.”</p> - -<p>“I knew I was on it all the time.”</p> - -<p>“But we didn’t know it, and neither did Miss Gordon,” said Jane -severely. “Veve, you should be more careful.”</p> - -<p>“I will next time,” Veve mumbled, looking ashamed. “Could I help it -because I lost my pocketbook?”</p> - -<p>“You might have checked to see if you had it before you left the -lunchroom,” lectured Jane. “A Brownie always is responsible.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not a Brownie, and I did try!” Veve replied, nearly in tears.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">78</a></span> -“Veve has learned her lesson and will be more careful in the future, -I’m sure,” declared Miss Gordon. She slipped an arm about the girl’s -shaking shoulders. “Now shall we forget about it?”</p> - -<p>Veve sat down beside Connie and became very subdued. After a while, to -make certain none of her money had been lost, she glanced in her purse.</p> - -<p>Not a penny was missing. But her heart gave a skip and jump and tried -to leap into her throat.</p> - -<p>The luggage check! What had become of it?</p> - -<p>Distinctly, Veve remembered having placed the bit of cardboard in her -purse when Miss Gordon had given it to her at Rosedale station. She -recalled too, having seen the check when she bought her lunch at Albion -Junction.</p> - -<p>Frantically, she dug down beneath the coins. The check was not there, -or anywhere in the purse. Nor could she find it on the floor beneath -the car seat.</p> - -<p>“Looking for something?” asked Connie.</p> - -<p>“My luggage check,” Veve whispered. “Oh, Connie, whatever shall I do? I -think I dropped it in the station when I bought my lunch.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t tell Miss Gordon or the other Brownies,” Veve pleaded in a -whisper.</p> - -<p>“But they’ll have to know. How will you get your luggage without the -check?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">79</a></span> -“I—I’ll go without any clothes.”</p> - -<p>“That’s silly. You’ll have to have your suitcase.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe I’ll find the check, Connie. Please don’t tell the others—at -least not yet. They think I’m so stupid for almost missing the train. -Oh, Connie, please—”</p> - -<p>“Say, what are you two whispering about?” demanded Jane from across the -aisle. “Let us into the secret too.”</p> - -<p>“We were just talking,” Connie replied. She decided not to tell the -Brownies just then about Veve’s latest difficulty.</p> - -<p>When the other girls weren’t looking, she helped Veve search for the -luggage check. It was not in her coat pocket or anywhere on or under -the seat.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to tell Miss Gordon,” Connie said. “Maybe she’ll know what -to do.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell her when we reach Deerford,” Veve decided unhappily. “Until -then, let’s not say a word. I want her to forget first about almost -missing the train.”</p> - -<p>During the remainder of the trip, Veve did not make any trouble. She -sat very quietly in her seat and wondered what she would do if she were -unable to claim her luggage.</p> - -<p>The Brownies watched the snow pelt on the train windows. Now and then -they glimpsed a frozen lake<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">80</a></span> in the distance. As the miles clicked away -beneath the shining steel rails, the snows deepened.</p> - -<p>“Another hour or two and we should reach Snow Valley,” Miss Gordon -declared, looking at her watch. “Once we reach Deerford station, it -wont take long to drive to the farm.”</p> - -<p>“The coasting should be wonderful,” said Rosemary, pressing her face -close to the car window. By now it was so dark she scarcely could see -the white-coated trees and rooftops.</p> - -<p>“I wish this old train would go faster,” Jane declared impatiently. “I -can hardly wait to get to Deerford.”</p> - -<p>Everyone except Veve shared her eagerness to reach the Gordon farm. -The leader of the Brownies noticed the little girl’s downcast face and -assumed that she still was troubled about nearly missing the train at -Albion Junction.</p> - -<p>“Cheer up, Veve,” she said. “Think of the delicious dinner Grandma -Gordon will have waiting for us when we arrive!”</p> - -<p>Veve tried to smile but succeeded only in making a grimace. She kept -wondering what Miss Gordon and the Brownies would say when she told -them about the lost luggage check.</p> - -<p>Thinking about it made her rather tired and discouraged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">81</a></span> She really -had tried to act properly and never cause annoyance. Nothing seemed to -go right.</p> - -<p>“Except for Connie, the Brownies don’t like me very well,” she thought, -feeling very sorry for herself. “Oh, dear, I almost wish I were back -home.”</p> - -<p>A tear trickled down Veve’s cheek. She was afraid to wipe it away for -fear Connie or the other girls would see that she had been crying. So -she closed both eyes tightly and counted the click of the rails.</p> - -<p>The sound lulled Veve into drowsiness and slumber. Then she had a dream.</p> - -<p>She thought she had arrived in a strange town. Grandfather Gordon could -be seen motioning to her from the top of a spruce tree. Next he seemed -to be floating along in front of her only a few feet from the ground. -But no matter how fast she ran, she never could reach him.</p> - -<p>The dream ended abruptly, as someone shook her arm.</p> - -<p>“Wake up!” said Miss Gordon in her ear. “Another five minutes and we -will be in Deerford Station.”</p> - -<p>For an instant Veve couldn’t think where she was. Then it all came back -to her, and she remembered the missing luggage check.</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon—” she began, but already the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">82</a></span> Brownie leader had turned -aside to help Sunny lift a package down from the overhead luggage rack.</p> - -<p>The brakeman came through the train, calling: “Deerford is the next -station. Deerford! Deerford!”</p> - -<p>He paused beside Veve’s seat and smiled at her. “Don’t forget to get -off the train, little girl. And be sure to take your packages.”</p> - -<p>Now to make certain that nothing would be left behind, Miss Gordon made -a last-minute check herself. The girls had brought very little hand -luggage. Nearly everything had been sent to the baggage car.</p> - -<p>“How will we get our bags?” Eileen asked, dusting off a fleck of soot -from her coat.</p> - -<p>“They’ll be waiting for us at the station,” Miss Gordon said. “Just -have your claim checks ready, girls.”</p> - -<p>In a short while the air brakes began to make a whistling sound. The -train slowed down a little at a time.</p> - -<p>Then it came to a sudden stop and the brakeman called again: “All out -for Deerford! All out!”</p> - -<p>Connie led the way while Miss Gordon brought <a name="the" id="the"></a><ins title="Original has up rear">up the rear</ins> to make -certain no one was left behind.</p> - -<p>When the Brownies reached the vestibule, a chill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">83</a></span> blast of air struck -their faces. Hastily, they buttoned their coats.</p> - -<p>Outside the train, it was quite dark. Connie, who was the first to -alight, looked up and down the platform.</p> - -<p>“Where’s Grandfather Gordon?” she asked. “Isn’t he here?”</p> - -<p>No one was in sight except the depot agent and a boy who was hauling -luggage from the baggage car ahead.</p> - -<p>Then Connie saw a man in a heavy overcoat and cap walking toward her. -His face was covered with a warm muffler.</p> - -<p>“Well, well!” he exclaimed, grasping her firmly by the waist and -swinging her off the platform. “If it isn’t Sunny Davidson!”</p> - -<p>“No, I’m Connie Williams,” the little girl laughed. “Sunny’s just -getting off the train now.”</p> - -<p>“I’m Jane Tuttle,” announced Jane, who had followed close behind Connie.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon gave her long golden braids a friendly tweak, and -turned to say hello to Rosemary, Sunny and Eileen.</p> - -<p>“And who is sober-face?” he asked, gazing at Veve as she stepped down -from the train just ahead of Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">84</a></span> -“I’m Veve McGuire,” she told him, not even trying to smile. She was -thinking about the luggage check.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon gave Miss Gordon a hearty kiss and hug, and then -herded the Brownies ahead of him down the platform.</p> - -<p>“Can’t stand here getting cold,” he rumbled. “Come on over to the -bobsled. I’ll tuck you all under the bearskin robe.”</p> - -<p>“What about our luggage?” asked Eileen.</p> - -<p>The question brought Veve up short, and made her feel a little sick in -the pit of her stomach.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, the luggage checks, girls,” said Miss Gordon. “Just give them -to Grandfather. He’ll take care of everything.”</p> - -<p>Everyone except Veve had her luggage check ready. All the girls were so -excited about climbing into the big bobsled that they did not notice, -and only Connie knew Veve did not have it.</p> - -<p>“Five checks,” said Grandfather Gordon, starting toward the baggage -room of the depot. “I’ll have the suitcases in a jiffy.”</p> - -<p>Connie fell into step with him. “I’ll go along and help,” she offered.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon took such long steps that she had to trot to keep up -with him. The air was tingling cold.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">85</a></span> -“Please, Mr. Gordon,” said Connie, and her breath came out in puffs of -white vapor, “there should be six suitcases.”</p> - -<p>“Six?”</p> - -<p>“You have only five checks, because Veve lost hers. Oh, Veve’s had a -dreadful time! She didn’t want the other Brownies to know.”</p> - -<p>Connie poured out the entire story of how her friend had nearly missed -the train at Albion Junction, and then had lost the luggage check.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. “Now don’t you -worry your pretty little head,” he chuckled. “We’ll get that bag and no -one will be the wiser.”</p> - -<p>“You mean you can get it without having a check?”</p> - -<p>“Harry Hopkins, the station agent, is an old friend of mine. Come along -and point out the bag.”</p> - -<p>All the luggage had been piled up on the station platform, Veve’s bag -with the others.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon presented the five claim checks and explained about -the one that was lost.</p> - -<p>“I’m not supposed to turn over a bag without a check,” said the station -agent. “But under the circumstances, take it along.”</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon carried all of the luggage to the bobsled.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">86</a></span> -Veve caught sight of her bag with the others and nearly let out a war -whoop. Grandfather Gordon didn’t say a word. He lifted Connie into the -sled and then unhitched the horses.</p> - -<p>Snuggling beneath the bearskin robe, Veve whispered in her friend’s ear:</p> - -<p>“Connie, how did you do it?”</p> - -<p>“Easy,” she whispered in return. “Grandfather Gordon just asked for the -bag and the station agent gave it to him.”</p> - -<p>Jane Tuttle stirred restlessly. “What are you two whispering about this -time?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“Nothing,” laughed Veve. She felt quite cheerful again.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon leaped into the bobsled and clucked to the horses. -Away they started at a fast clip down the snowy road.</p> - -<p>“We’re off for Snow Valley!” shouted Eileen. “Hurrah!”</p> - -<p>“Listen!” cried Veve.</p> - -<p>Distinctly the girls could hear the merry jingle of sleighbells. A -moment later, the sleigh itself appeared, drawn by a pure white horse.</p> - -<p>When the tinkle of the bells had died away, the Brownies heard only the -soft swish of the sled runners through the hard-packed snow.</p> - -<p>On either side of the curving road rose huge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">87</a></span> drifts, which the girls -glimpsed briefly whenever they passed a lighted house.</p> - -<p>Connie noticed a high hill, frosted over like a beautiful white cake. -Overhead, a few lonesome stars twinkled their eyes.</p> - -<p>“A magic mountain!” she exclaimed. “Right out of a story book!”</p> - -<p>“Hammer Hill,” said Grandfather Gordon, waving his mitten toward the -mound of snow in the distance. “Snow Valley is hidden behind it.”</p> - -<p>“Will we be there soon?” asked Sunny, ducking her head to elude the -biting wind. “I’m hungry as a wolf.”</p> - -<p>“As fast as old Maude and Ginger will take us,” promised Grandfather -Gordon. “Have to make one stop though.” He tapped three large sacks of -groceries stowed in the front of the sled. “I promised to drop these -off at John Jeffert’s place.”</p> - -<p>“We’re coming to it now,” added Miss Gordon. She pointed ahead to a -forest of evergreen trees. The Brownies could not see the house.</p> - -<p>“It’s hidden deep in the woods,” the teacher explained. “Mr. Jeffert is -quite a character. He lives alone, and seldom goes into town.”</p> - -<p>“How does he earn his living?” inquired Jane curiously.</p> - -<p>“Why, he raises evergreens for the market,” Miss<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">88</a></span> Gordon revealed. “He -has hundreds of Christmas trees on his land.”</p> - -<p>At the entrance to the lane which wound in through the evergreens, Mr. -Gordon drew rein. A track had not yet been broken through the deep -snows ahead.</p> - -<p>“I’ll leave the sled and horses here,” he announced. “Be back as soon -as I’ve delivered the groceries.”</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon tied Maude and Ginger to a tree and unloaded the -three sacks from the sled.</p> - -<p>“Let me go with you and help carry them,” offered Connie quickly.</p> - -<p>“I’ll carry a sack too,” offered Jane.</p> - -<p>“The snow is deep,” Grandfather Gordon warned. “Think you can make it?”</p> - -<p>Connie and Jane were certain they could. They buckled up their galoshes -and leaped out of the sled, eager to help.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon handed each of the girls a light sack of groceries. -He carried the heavy one himself and went ahead to break a trail.</p> - -<p>Connie and Jane hadn’t realized before how difficult it was to walk in -deep snow. Their galoshes cracked through the crusty surface and down -they sank almost to their knees. Soon they were puffing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">89</a></span> and gasping -and wondering how they could keep up.</p> - -<p>“It isn’t much farther,” said Grandfather Gordon.</p> - -<p>“We’ll climb through the rail fence here and take a short cut.”</p> - -<p>The night had darkened so that the two Brownies scarcely could see a -foot ahead of them. They were glad Grandfather Gordon seemed so sure of -the way.</p> - -<p>“Over you go!” he laughed, helping first Connie and then Jane across -the top rail of the fence. “Now follow me.”</p> - -<p>He set off, walking rather rapidly through the big drifts.</p> - -<p>Hard pressed to keep up, the girls lowered their heads and plowed -doggedly on.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, in the darkness ahead, Grandfather Gordon stopped short. -A shadowy figure had appeared from behind one of the snow-covered -evergreens.</p> - -<p>“Stop!” commanded a gruff voice. “Who is trespassing on my land?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">90</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">91</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_7" id="chapter_7"></a><small>CHAPTER 7</small><br /> -Santa Claus Jeffert</h2> - -<p class="noi">CONNIE and Jane were very frightened. Huddling behind Grandfather -Gordon, they didn’t say a word.</p> - -<p>“Speak up, or I’ll put a bullet through you!” commanded the gruff voice -again.</p> - -<p>“Is that you, John Jeffert?” called Grandfather Gordon, recovering his -power of speech. “Don’t shoot!”</p> - -<p>For an instant, Connie and Jane were blinded as a flashbeam played -directly in their eyes. Then it was turned off, and a tall, heavy-set -man with snow-white beard, stepped out in front of them.</p> - -<p>“Henry Gordon!” he exclaimed. “I couldn’t see who it was. Hope I didn’t -give you a bad scare.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you did,” admitted Grandfather Gordon. “Not to mention these -youngsters I have in tow.”</p> - -<p>“I sure am sorry,” Mr. Jeffert apologized again. “In the dark, I -couldn’t tell who was coming through the woods.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">92</a></span> -“So you thought you’d shoot on general principles?” Grandfather Gordon -was a trifle annoyed to think that the girls might have been injured -through Mr. Jeffert’s carelessness.</p> - -<p>The other man had put aside his shotgun. “I wouldn’t have fired,” he -said. “That was only bluff.”</p> - -<p>“Then why are you carrying a gun?”</p> - -<p>“It’s like this,” explained Mr. Jeffert. “Lately, a number of my best -evergreens have been stolen—cut down at night. The same thing happened -last year, and the year before that.”</p> - -<p>“You never reported it to the sheriff?” asked Grandfather Gordon, for -this was the first he had heard of the matter.</p> - -<p>“No, because I have no idea who is taking the trees. Not many have been -stolen, but enough so I lose most of my profit. I’m tired of it.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same,” admitted Grandfather Gordon.</p> - -<p>“This year, I’m keeping watch,” Mr. Jeffert continued. “Always before, -my trees have been chopped down just before Christmas. If I can catch -the thief, I’ll turn him over to the sheriff.”</p> - -<p>The man moved nearer, peering curiously at Jane and Connie. Now that -they no longer were afraid of him, he looked quite friendly and nice. -He was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">93</a></span> inclined to be fat and wore an odd red woolen cap. The long, -white whiskers fell nearly to his middle.</p> - -<p>“Why, you look like Santa Claus!” gasped Connie.</p> - -<p>“I may look like the kindly old fellow, but I haven’t his benevolent -disposition,” he chuckled. “At any rate, I don’t propose to give away -any more of my evergreens to sneak thieves!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Jeffert thanked Grandfather Gordon for bringing the groceries. It -was unnecessary for the Brownies to help carry the sacks on to the -house.</p> - -<p>“I’ll take ’em when I go,” Mr. Jeffert said. “Right now I want to -remain here and keep watch.”</p> - -<p>He walked with Grandfather Gordon and the two girls to the rail fence.</p> - -<p>“Come and see me again,” he called as they bade him good-bye and waded -off down the snowy lane.</p> - -<p>Safely back in the bobsled with the other Brownies, Connie and Jane -related their adventure with Santa Claus Jeffert.</p> - -<p>“He’s really quite nice and he does look like Santa Claus!” Connie -declared. “I should like to meet him again.”</p> - -<p>The frosty air had made everyone hungry. Thinking of the warm meal -awaiting them, the Brownies were glad when the team presently turned in -at the Gordon farm.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">94</a></span> -Against a back-drop of tall trees, they beheld the -<a name="twinkling" id="twinkling"></a><ins title="Original has twinking">twinkling</ins> lights of the big white shingle house.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon, in blue-checked apron, came running to the door. She was a -tiny woman for sixty-eight years, with snow-white hair.</p> - -<p>One by one, she gave the Brownies and Veve a welcoming hug.</p> - -<p>“You must be starved after that long train ride,” she declared, showing -the girls where to hang their coats. “As soon as you’re washed up, -we’ll have supper.”</p> - -<p>From the kitchen came the most tantalizing odors of baked chicken, -pumpkin pie and hot chocolate.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon bustled about, showing the girls to their rooms and making -certain that they had towels and soap.</p> - -<p>Connie, Veve, Sunny and Eileen shared one room with two beds. In the -one adjoining, Rosemary and Jane were to sleep.</p> - -<p>Neither of the rooms had running water, only a pitcher and a bowl. -However, the water had been heated in the kitchen, so the girls were -able to scrub themselves thoroughly.</p> - -<p>In a twinkling they were downstairs again, exploring the living room -and the big kitchen where Fluff, the cat, had curled up by the wood -stove.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">95</a></span> -A fragrant pine knot blazed on the hearth of the dining room fireplace. -It made the room very cozy and friendly.</p> - -<p>When all the Brownies were downstairs, Grandmother Gordon called them -to the dining room table. She had decorated it prettily with pink -chrysanthemums, but the girls saw only the food.</p> - -<p>A huge blue platter was piled high with crusty brown chicken. Beside it -was a dish of cranberry sauce and another of whipped potatoes with a -deep lake of melted butter.</p> - -<p>For vegetables, the Brownies had their choice of carrots, spinach or -string beans. Dessert was the best of all-pumpkin pie with whipped -cream. However, by that time, the girls were so filled, they could not -eat it all.</p> - -<p>When finally the meal was ended, they said good night to Grandfather -and Grandmother Gordon and stumbled off to their beds.</p> - -<p>Next morning, Connie was the first Brownie to dress and come down to -the warm kitchen. She asked Mrs. Gordon if she might help.</p> - -<p>“Yes, dear, you may carry in the plates,” Mrs. Gordon smiled. -“Breakfast soon will be ready.”</p> - -<p>Eileen and Jane arrived next, and they helped put on the water -glasses and arrange the chairs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">96</a></span> There were only six of the regular -straight-back ones, but two of the Brownies used the piano bench. Miss -Gordon brought in a kitchen chair for herself.</p> - -<p>The Brownies hadn’t dreamed they could be so hungry. Mrs. Gordon had -fried tiny sausages and made a giant stack of wheatcakes.</p> - -<p>Connie ate three of the cakes, and after that lost count. She never had -tasted such wonderful food.</p> - -<p>When breakfast was over, Jane and Sunny elected to help with the -dishes. Connie, Veve and Eileen volunteered to make all the beds. -Rosemary cleared the table, and afterwards gave Fluff her saucer of -milk.</p> - -<p>“All work and no play will make Brownies very bored people,” -Grandmother Gordon declared. “I suggest you take advantage of the snow -while it lasts.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go skiing,” cried Connie, who wished to try out her birthday -present.</p> - -<p>“And coasting,” added Jane. “But what will we use for sleds?”</p> - -<p>“You’ll find several in the barn,” suggested Miss Gordon. “While -they’re not new, I imagine they’ll serve.”</p> - -<p>Eagerly the Brownies donned mittens, snowsuits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">97</a></span> and galoshes. A path -had been shoveled from the house to the barn.</p> - -<p>“Where will we coast?” Connie asked.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon, who looked very young in her black and scarlet ski suit, -pointed to Hammer Hill.</p> - -<p>“A trail has been broken by the other children,” she said. “So the -coasting should be good despite the heavy snow.”</p> - -<p>“Do other children live near here?” Sunny asked in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, indeed. The Stones are our nearest neighbors. I believe the -family has three or four children. We may meet them on the hill.”</p> - -<p>In the barn, the Brownies found three small sleds, the big bobsled Mr. -Gordon had made, and Skip.</p> - -<p>Skip was a large, friendly shepherd dog, who barked when the Brownies -called him by name. He sat up and begged to be taken along to the hill.</p> - -<p>“May we?” Connie asked Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Skip loves the snow,” the Brownie leader consented.</p> - -<p>The horses, Ginger and Maude, were crunching corn in their stalls. They -barely lifted their heads as the Brownies dragged out the sleds.</p> - -<p>At the hill, the girls found at least a dozen other children their own -age. The Brownies took turns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">98</a></span> using the small sleds, and riding the big -bob which Miss Gordon steered.</p> - -<p>Once at the bottom of the hill, the sled overturned, and everyone was -dumped into the snow. The Brownies howled with laughter and did not -mind in the least.</p> - -<p>After a while, Connie, who had brought along her skis, tried to slide -down hill on them. Before she had gone six feet she fell. Both of the -skis flew off.</p> - -<p>“These skis aren’t much good,” she said in a discouraged voice. She -hurled them away.</p> - -<p>“Why, Connie,” said Miss Gordon, laughing at her. “Have you forgotten -the Brownie verse?”</p> - -<p>“What verse?” asked Connie, digging snow from her collar.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="verse"> -<div class="line outdent2">“‘Now, little Brownie,</div> -<div class="line">Strap on your skis;</div> -<div class="line">Crouch low, little girl,</div> -<div class="line">And bend your knees,’”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>“You mean, I’m supposed to bend my knees?”</p> - -<p>“That’s the general idea, Connie, if you hope to stay on your feet.”</p> - -<p>“I guess I’ll try it again.” Ashamed that she had given up so easily, -Connie recovered the skis and strapped them on once more.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">99</a></span> -Following Miss Gordon’s instructions, she bent her knees and was able -to slide far down the slope before they again sailed out from under her.</p> - -<p>This time, however, she only laughed as she picked herself up. She -tried twice more to ski down the hill and finally made it without -falling. Because the other girls were eager to try their luck, she then -turned the runners over to Jane.</p> - -<p>Connie noticed that several new children had arrived at the hill. There -were two girls only a little younger than herself, and a small boy. -The three newcomers were not as warmly dressed as the Brownies and -shivered in the wind. They were using large dishpans instead of sleds -for coasting.</p> - -<p>“How funny!” she exclaimed.</p> - -<p>The other Brownies began to take notice too, for it really was amusing -to see the children try to slide down hill in dishpans. Sometimes they -turned around and the pans ended up in a snowbank.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you get a sled?” Jane called to the youngsters.</p> - -<p>“Sh!” warned Miss Gordon. “Those are the Stone children, Bennie, -Barbara and Betty.”</p> - -<p>“The three B’s!” chuckled Jane, who could not guess why the Brownie -leader was signaling her to remain quiet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">100</a></span> -“The Stone family is very poor,” Miss Gordon explained in an undertone. -“Don’t make fun of their dishpans. Their parents can’t afford to buy -them sleds.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” murmured Jane, very much ashamed that she had spoken so hastily. -“I’m sorry!”</p> - -<p>Connie had been watching the Stone children and could see that they -were very envious of the Brownie troop’s sleds and her shiny new skis. -She couldn’t blame them a bit for feeling that way.</p> - -<p>An idea came to her.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Miss Gordon,” she said earnestly, “can’t we <em>heeley, eeley leedy -pie</em>?”</p> - -<p>Now the Stone children were climbing the hill with their dishpans. -Connie had used the Brownie secret language so that the youngsters, -even if they heard, would not know they were being discussed.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies understood that Connie really had said: “Can’t we -help?” The game was one the troop members frequently played. Each -nonsensical word made use of each letter of the word that actually was -meant.</p> - -<p>Of course, Veve, not being a Brownie, was as deeply mystified as the -Stone children. She thought Connie was talking a foreign language.</p> - -<p>“Your idea is an excellent one, Connie,” approved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">101</a></span> the Brownie leader. -“Come along, all of you, and we’ll meet the Stone children.”</p> - -<p>Bennie, Barbara and Betty were rather shy when Miss Gordon introduced -so many girls at one time. They could think of nothing to say.</p> - -<p>“Won’t you try my skis?” Connie politely invited Barbara. “I think I’ll -rest for a while.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Jimminy Crickets!” Barbara’s large dark eyes kindled with -pleasure. “I’ve always wanted to try out a pair!”</p> - -<p>The other Brownies took their cue from Connie. Sunny gave the sled she -had been using to Betty, while Eileen and Rosemary took turns pulling -six-year-old Benny.</p> - -<p>Now the girls could not fail to notice that the little fellow’s mittens -were nearly worn out, though they had been mended many times. Barbara, -the elder of the three Stones, wore a misfitting coat made from a -garment of her father’s. Betty had on a threadbare snowsuit much too -small for her.</p> - -<p>“I wish I’d get a new sled for Christmas,” remarked Betty wistfully. -“But I won’t. Pop said that this year times are harder than ever, and -we can’t expect very much.”</p> - -<p>“Take another slide on mine,” urged Sunny.</p> - -<p>For half an hour the Brownies and the Stone children<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">102</a></span> had a great deal -of fun on the hill. Then everyone became acutely aware of the cold. -Fingers began to tingle and toes to ache.</p> - -<p>The Stone children said good-bye to their new friends and, with their -dishpans, started home.</p> - -<p>“I’m freezing too!” announced Eileen, stamping her feet.</p> - -<p>“So am I,” declared Rosemary, slapping her mittens together.</p> - -<p>“It soon will be lunch time,” declared Miss Gordon, squinting up at the -sun which had climbed high overhead. “All those in favor of a nice warm -fire, vote ‘aye.’”</p> - -<p>“Aye!” shouted all of the Brownies.</p> - -<p>Dragging the sleds, they took a short cut through a field and across a -tiny lake to the Gordon farm.</p> - -<p>“Did you hear what Betty said to me about not expecting a sled for -Christmas?” Sunny remarked as they turned in at the lane.</p> - -<p>“I did,” replied Connie. “And I think it’s a shame!”</p> - -<p>“The Stone children never have had many toys,” informed Miss Gordon. -“Their father is hard pressed to buy food and clothing for the family.”</p> - -<p>“I wish we could help,” said Connie slowly. She was silent a moment -as she reflected that her mother<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">103</a></span> had given her two dollars to spend -as she wished during the visit at Snow Valley. “How much does a sled -cost?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“That depends upon the type,” Miss Gordon answered. “A fairly good one -can be bought for four dollars.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll give my two dollars spending money,” offered Connie, suddenly -making up her mind. “But that won’t be enough.”</p> - -<p>“I have a dollar I’ll contribute,” volunteered Sunny. “I want the Stone -children to have a sled for Christmas!”</p> - -<p>“So do I,” chimed in Eileen. “But I can only give fifty cents.”</p> - -<p>All of the Brownies voted to make a donation, and with a little money -Miss Gordon added to the fund, it was more than enough to buy a good -sled.</p> - -<p>Of the entire group, only Veve could not offer to give anything. She -had not brought any spending money along.</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon, will you buy the sled?” Connie asked the teacher.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be glad to shop for it.” Miss Gordon noticed Veve’s downcast face -and added: “That is, if Veve will help me make the selection. Will you, -Veve?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">104</a></span> -“Oh, I’d love to, Miss Gordon!” Veve perked up, thinking that the troop -leader needed her help.</p> - -<p>Reaching the Gordon farm, the girls swept off their snowsuits and left -their galoshes on the porch. Then they stomped in to toast themselves -by the kitchen stove and the fireplace where a big log crackled.</p> - -<p>“Lunch will be ready directly,” announced Mrs. Gordon, bustling to and -fro. “Hot vegetable soup and all the hamburgers you can eat!”</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon, tell Grandma about our wonderful plan!” Jane urged the -teacher.</p> - -<p>“To be sure. I’m very proud of my Brownies for wishing to help others.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon began dishing soup from the big blue tureen. “So the -Brownies have found themselves a project?” she inquired. “What is it, -may I ask?”</p> - -<p>“We’ve decided to give the Stone children a Christmas present,” -declared Connie, before Miss Gordon could answer. “We voted to use our -spending money to buy them a new sled.”</p> - -<p>Now Grandmother Gordon truly was surprised. The soup ladle clattered -from her hand against the rim of the tureen.</p> - -<p>She gazed quickly at Miss Gordon, almost as if she were displeased.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">105</a></span> -“The Stone children?” she repeated. “But are you certain—that is—”</p> - -<p>She did not finish what she had started to say. Instead, with a worried -shake of her head, she went on dipping up the hot soup.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">106</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">107</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_8" id="chapter_8"></a><small>CHAPTER 8</small><br /> -Three Little Stones</h2> - -<p class="noi">“LUNCH is served,” announced Grandmother Gordon quickly.</p> - -<p>As she shooed the Brownies to their places at the long table, she was -hopeful that they would forget her unfinished remark about the Stone -children.</p> - -<p>However, everyone wondered what she had intended to say.</p> - -<p>Before anyone could ask, Grandfather Gordon came in and began -questioning the Brownies about the fun they had had on Hammer Hill.</p> - -<p>“The skating is good on the lake too,” he told them. “Better try out -those skates soon, because if a heavy snow should come along, the -skating might be ruined.”</p> - -<p>“Will it snow again, do you think?” Sunny asked anxiously, peering out -at the deep drifts.</p> - -<p>“Can’t tell. It might,” replied Grandfather Gordon. “Haven’t seen the -weather prediction, but my bones tell me there’s more snow in the air.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">108</a></span> -The coasting expedition had made the Brownies as hungry as polar bears. -After the soup had warmed them, they devoted themselves to the huge -platter of hamburgers. But no matter how many they ate, Grandmother -Gordon always brought in more from the kitchen.</p> - -<p>“Let’s tell Grandfather Gordon about our plan to help the Stones!” -suggested Eileen.</p> - -<p>Connie shot her a warning glance, but she did not understand its -meaning. Instead, she went on and told again of the plan to buy a -Christmas sled for the three children.</p> - -<p>“Well, well, that is a kindly thought,” commented Mr. Gordon.</p> - -<p>However, as he spoke, he glanced at his wife. Grandmother Gordon’s thin -lips were drawn into a tight line. She couldn’t hide the fact that she -didn’t approve of the plan at all.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you like the idea of the Brownies using their spending money to -help others?” Miss Gordon asked her.</p> - -<p>“Why, yes, of course. I heartily approve of charity if the object is -worthy.”</p> - -<p>“And you believe that the Stone children are deserving?” Miss Gordon -asked, deliberately pinning her down.</p> - -<p>Grandmother Gordon hastily began to gather up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">109</a></span> the dishes. She would -have liked to avoid answering by escaping to the kitchen.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon smiled and took the dishes from her hands.</p> - -<p>“Must I answer?” Grandmother Gordon asked uncomfortably.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, you must, for you’ve raised a question in our minds.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Grandmother Gordon facing the Brownies and choosing -her words carefully, “I honestly must say, I hardly know the Stone -children. Never once have they been in my home. For all I know, they -are deserving enough.”</p> - -<p>“And yet for some undisclosed reason, you don’t entirely approve of the -Brownie plan. Come, out with it! Don’t try to hoodwink us!”</p> - -<p>From the far end of the table, Grandfather Gordon chuckled at his -wife’s discomfiture.</p> - -<p>“You may as well fess up,” he teased her. “Tell ’em the truth about why -you don’t like the Stone family.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear!” Grandmother Gordon sank back in her chair. She did not -enjoy being cornered. “I suppose I must, or I’ll never hear the last of -it!”</p> - -<p>“Tell the girls about the necklace,” urged Grandfather Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Necklace?” Sunny repeated in astonishment. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">110</a></span> could not imagine what -a necklace might have to do with the Stone children.</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t a necklace, but a gold locket,” corrected Grandmother -Gordon. She sighed and added: “My dislike of the Stones simmers down to -this—I’m not convinced they’re honest.”</p> - -<p>“The children steal?” gasped Connie.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” hastily corrected Grandmother Gordon. “I’ll start at the -beginning—then you’ll understand. Three years ago, Mrs. Stone worked -for me at threshing time. She helped out in the kitchen and with the -housework for nearly a month.”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Stone works by the day,” explained Miss Gordon. “Her husband has -a job in the village, but is ill much of the time.”</p> - -<p>“I always liked Mrs. Stone, and I’ll give her credit for being a good -worker,” Grandmother Gordon continued. “The poor woman probably was -tempted. Otherwise, I’m sure she wouldn’t have taken anything.”</p> - -<p>“You say she stole a gold locket?” asked Connie.</p> - -<p>“It was my wedding locket which I set great store by. I foolishly -showed it to Mrs. Stone and she greatly admired it. After that, I never -could find it, though I scoured the house high and low.”</p> - -<p>“You’re certain Mrs. Stone took the locket?” inquired Miss Gordon, -deeply troubled.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">111</a></span> -“I can’t be certain except in my own mind.”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t accuse her?”</p> - -<p>“No, but I never asked her to work for me again.”</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon, who had listened to his wife’s story, now said with -a chuckle:</p> - -<p>“Suppose I tell you my version of what happened?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, do!” urged the Brownies.</p> - -<p>“In my opinion, the locket never was stolen. My wife just misplaced it.”</p> - -<p>“No such thing!” insisted Grandmother Gordon. “After I missed the -locket, I searched the house high and low.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll find it someday,” declared Grandfather Gordon. “When you do, -you’ll be sorry you accused poor Mrs. Stone.”</p> - -<p>“I never did accuse her,” corrected Mrs. Gordon. “It was just a feeling -I had. I couldn’t have her working in my home, because I was convinced -beyond a shadow of doubt that she took the locket.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, a shadow of doubt!” teased Grandfather Gordon. “If my memory does -not fail me, you have made slight errors before. Now the time your -glasses were lost—”</p> - -<p>“That was entirely different. To be sure, I have misplaced articles. -But not the locket!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">112</a></span> -“You say you recall showing it to Mrs. Stone?” questioned Miss Gordon -thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Distinctly. She had been working for me during threshing time. -Then Grandfather Gordon and I planned a little wedding anniversary -celebration—nothing elaborate—only a few guests.</p> - -<p>“For the occasion, I put on my old lavender silk wedding gown.”</p> - -<p>“And the gold locket?” asked Connie, who was deeply interested in the -story.</p> - -<p>“No, the chain was broken, so I could not wear it. But I recall showing -the locket to Mrs. Stone.”</p> - -<p>“You were in the kitchen at the time,” said Grandfather Gordon, who had -heard the tale so many times he knew it from memory.</p> - -<p>“That’s right. Mrs. Stone admired it and remarked that it was the most -beautiful locket she had ever seen. She took it to the kitchen mirror -and held it to her own neck a moment.”</p> - -<p>“A very natural reaction,” commented Miss Gordon. “But it hardly -proves—”</p> - -<p>“The guests began to arrive then,” Grandmother Gordon interrupted. “I -left the locket lying on the kitchen table and entered the living room. -Not until much later did I give the matter another thought.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">113</a></span> -“You surely asked Mrs. Stone about the locket?” inquired Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Only casually, for at first I thought surely I would find it. And how -could I accuse her without proof?”</p> - -<p>“So you thought you would find it?” teased her husband. “That reveals -to me that deep down in your mind, you knew you might have misplaced it -yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing of the sort! I recall leaving it on the kitchen table. While -I entertained my guests, it disappeared. I’ve never seen it since, and -never will.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t anyone except Mrs. Stone have taken it?” asked Jane. “One of -the guests perhaps?”</p> - -<p>“Only Mrs. Stone was in the kitchen.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe the locket was thrown out with the garbage,” speculated Eileen. -“Once my mother lost a silver spoon that way.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see how such a thing could have occurred,” declared -Grandmother Gordon. “If the locket were lost, Mrs. Stone would be -responsible, because she did all the kitchen work that day.”</p> - -<p>“Your mind is dead set against the woman,” said her husband. “Poor Mrs. -Stone and those children the Brownies want to help!”</p> - -<p>“I feel very sorry for the three children. If they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">114</a></span> need toys, I see no -harm in the Brownies helping out. I shouldn’t have said a word about -the locket.”</p> - -<p>“On the contrary, it’s well to know the truth about the family,” -returned Miss Gordon. “However, since no one can be certain Mrs. Stone -actually took the locket, I believe in giving her the benefit of the -doubt. How about it, Brownies?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s buy the sled just as we planned,” proposed Connie.</p> - -<p>“I say so too!” cried Veve, forgetting that she was not a Brownie.</p> - -<p>All the members of the troop agreed with Connie and Miss Gordon that -their plan should not be abandoned.</p> - -<p>“I truly am sorry I told you anything about it,” apologized Grandmother -Gordon. “I should regret it deeply if this story ever were repeated -outside the family.”</p> - -<p>“Brownies know how to keep secrets,” Miss Gordon assured her.</p> - -<p>“I wish we could find the locket and prove that Mrs. Stone didn’t take -it,” said Connie soberly.</p> - -<p>“My dear, I wish you could too,” smiled Grandmother Gordon. -“Unfortunately, one can’t alter facts.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">115</a></span> -No more was said about the matter just then. The Brownies cleared the -table and did the dishes.</p> - -<p>After that, some of the girls rode to the village with Grandfather -Gordon. Connie, Veve, and Rosemary remained behind to write letters -home. Later, they played with Fluff and pressed their Brownie uniforms -which had become mussed on the trip.</p> - -<p>“Now what shall we do?” Rosemary asked when the task had been finished. -She liked to keep busy all the time.</p> - -<p>“Have you any work you would like to have us do, Mrs. Gordon?” inquired -Connie politely.</p> - -<p>“Not a thing,” the woman replied. “Just amuse yourselves.”</p> - -<p>“May we do anything we like?” Connie asked, a mischievous twinkle in -her eyes.</p> - -<p>“Well, almost anything, dear.”</p> - -<p>“Then I have a very special request. You wont be annoyed?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not. What is your request, Connie?”</p> - -<p>“While we’re here, may the Brownies search for the missing locket?”</p> - -<p>“Here in the kitchen?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and everywhere in the house.”</p> - -<p>Now the request had taken Grandmother Gordon quite by surprise. She -could visualize the Brownies<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">116</a></span> scurrying through the house, opening -bureau drawers and peeping into every nook and cranny of the old -dwelling.</p> - -<p>“We’ll be very careful,” promised Connie eagerly. “We won’t disturb -anything.”</p> - -<p>“Then by all means search for the locket,” Grandmother Gordon -encouraged the girls. She smiled confidently. “You won’t find the -trinket, but you’ll have fun.”</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">117</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_9" id="chapter_9"></a><small>CHAPTER 9</small><br /> -Tale of the Brownies</h2> - -<p class="noi">THE Brownies had no opportunity to search for the golden locket the -next day, because directly after breakfast, Grandfather Gordon proposed -a trip to the skating pond.</p> - -<p>“Wrap up warmly because the mercury is nosing below zero this morning,” -he warned. “We mustn’t have any little nipped fingers or toes.”</p> - -<p>By the time the Brownies were ready, Grandfather Gordon brought the -sled and horses to the door. Loading everyone in, he tucked the robes -snugly about them.</p> - -<p>“Here comes Skip!” laughed Connie, as the dog came plunging through the -snow. “He wants to go with us!”</p> - -<p>To confirm her words, Skip began to bark and carry on at a great rate.</p> - -<p>“Let’s take him!” pleaded Eileen. “May we?”</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon tossed Skip into the sled where he snuggled down -beside Rosemary.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">118</a></span> -Then off they went over the hard-packed snow to a large circular pond -which adjoined the icehouse.</p> - -<p>Already many boys and girls were gliding over the smooth ice, laughing -and shouting.</p> - -<p>“The ice is frozen six inches deep and is safe everywhere except near -the icehouse where the men have been cutting ice blocks,” Grandfather -Gordon told the Brownies. “Keep away from there.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies put on their skates and then hobbled over to the edge of -the pond. Connie was the first one to start off. She sailed away so -easily that Veve thought there was nothing to skating.</p> - -<p>“Here I go!” she shouted.</p> - -<p>The little girl took a long stroke, but something went wrong. Her skate -runner struck a rough place in the ice, causing her to lose her balance.</p> - -<p>Frantically, she swung her arms, but she could not save herself. Down -she went, landing with a hard thud which shook the ice.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies burst into laughter, for Veve looked so dazed and -surprised.</p> - -<p>“Spare the ice!” Jane shouted. “We want a chance—”</p> - -<p>Just then her feet flew out from beneath her and down she went beside -Veve! Grandfather Gordon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">119</a></span> picked up both little girls, making certain -that they were not hurt.</p> - -<p>Then he took each by a hand and, walking between them, helped them to -skate.</p> - -<p>Soon all the Brownies were out on the ice having a wonderful time. -Remembering Grandfather Gordon’s warning, they were careful to remain a -safe distance away from the icehouse.</p> - -<p>However, they noticed that some of the older boys actually were -venturing out onto the area which had been so recently frozen. The ice -there was very smooth, but dangerously thin.</p> - -<p>“Those boys should know better!” said Connie anxiously.</p> - -<p>Skating fairly close, she called to warn them of their danger.</p> - -<p>“Oh, go on!” one of the boys retorted. “The ice is thick enough here. -We skate where we please.”</p> - -<p>Connie said no more. She stood a moment watching the boys cut figure -eights on the clear ice. As they glided past, she could see the thin -surface weave beneath their weight.</p> - -<p>Not knowing what else to do, Connie skated back to the other Brownies. -Thinking that someone should impress upon the boys that they were in -danger, she looked about for Grandfather Gordon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">120</a></span> -He was some distance away, building a log fire at the edge of the pond. -His back was turned so that he had not noticed the skaters near the -icehouse.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Grandfather Gordon!” Connie said, stroking over to where he stood. -“Those boys are skating on the thin ice!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Gordon turned quickly. Then dropping a stick of wood, he started -toward the icehouse.</p> - -<p>Before he could cover half the distance, a frightened shout came from -the group of skaters.</p> - -<p>“Someone has fallen through the ice!” Grandfather Gordon exclaimed, -starting to run.</p> - -<p>Connie now was close enough to see the frightened faces of the skaters -who had backed away from the thin area. In its center, she saw a jagged -hole, and a boy clinging desperately to the brittle crust.</p> - -<p>“Hold on! Hold on!” shouted Grandfather Gordon encouragingly.</p> - -<p>Ordering Connie to keep back, he ran as close as he dared to the broken -ice. Then, flinging himself flat, he pulled himself inch by inch toward -the shivering boy.</p> - -<p>Connie was very frightened, not only for the skater, but for Mr. Gordon -as well. She could see the ice bending beneath his weight, and was -afraid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">121</a></span> it might break at any instant and plunge him into the freezing -water.</p> - -<p>When Grandfather Gordon was within a foot of the boy, he stretched out -his arms.</p> - -<p>“Hold fast!” he commanded.</p> - -<p>Inch by inch, he pulled the boy to ice which was thick enough to -withstand their combined weights without breaking. Then he helped the -lad to his feet, and wrapped his own coat about him.</p> - -<p>“You’re the Gainsworth boy, aren’t you?” he said, recognizing him. “And -a long ways from home too. I’ll take you there in my sled.”</p> - -<p>“Th-thanks,” the boy said, his teeth chattering on the words.</p> - -<p>Connie quickly rounded up all the Brownies, who removed their skates, -and scrambled into the sled. Although the girls were sorry to have -their fun end so abruptly, they were proud of Mr. Gordon for having -saved the Gainsworth boy.</p> - -<p>“You were lucky you didn’t drown,” Grandfather Gordon scolded the lad -as he let him out at his own home twenty minutes later. “If you had -used good common sense, you never would have risked your life skating -on the thin ice.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve sure learned my lesson,” the lad replied. “Thanks, Mr. Gordon.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">122</a></span> -Back at the Gordon farm once more, the Brownies enjoyed another of -Grandmother Gordon’s hearty lunches. Afterwards, they wrote letters -home and sat reading by the fireside.</p> - -<p>“I’m as sleepy as a cat,” Connie said, yawning drowsily. “That skating -trip certainly made me tired.”</p> - -<p>Since arriving at the Gordon farm, all of the Brownies had slept very -soundly at night. In fact, their cozy feather beds were so comfortable -they found it no easy matter to get up early in the morning.</p> - -<p>On the day following the skating party, Connie and Veve were downstairs -before any of the other Brownies.</p> - -<p>Entering the kitchen, they discovered Grandmother Gordon there ahead of -them. A roaring fire had been started in the wood stove.</p> - -<p>The long table with blue and white checkered tablecloth already had -been set. On the stove a thick mixture of mush boiled noisily in a big -iron kettle, while bacon sizzled in an iron skillet.</p> - -<p>“My, how delicious everything smells!” Veve declared, sniffing the air. -“I scarcely can wait until breakfast.”</p> - -<p>The girls looked about for work to do. Connie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">123</a></span> stirred the mush, taking -care not to burn herself.</p> - -<p>Then Veve noticed that the woodbox was nearly empty.</p> - -<p>“May we bring in more wood, Mrs. Gordon?” she suggested.</p> - -<p>“Why, yes, if you care to,” replied Grandmother Gordon. “Grandpa -usually keeps the box filled, but this time he failed me.”</p> - -<p>Veve and Connie put on their snowsuits, mittens and galoshes and went -outside.</p> - -<p>On the porch they paused for a moment to look at the frozen lake, the -white-clad hills, and the ghostlike evergreens. All the world seemed -white with snow.</p> - -<p>Following the shoveled path, the girls came to the woodpile near the -barn. A brown squirrel, disturbed by their approach, scampered off -leaving a trail of dainty tracks.</p> - -<p>Veve and Connie filled their arms with chopped wood and carried it back -to the house. After they had made a second trip, the woodbox was filled -to overflowing.</p> - -<p>By this time, all of the Brownies except Jane were up and dressed. -Veve and Connie helped pull her out of bed, and then it was time for -breakfast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">124</a></span> -“Girls,” said Miss Gordon, when the dishes had been done and morning -work was out of the way, “how would you like to take a hike into the -woods?”</p> - -<p>“Now?” asked Eileen eagerly. She always liked hikes and nature study.</p> - -<p>“It’s quite cold so early in the day. Suppose we start at ten o’clock -after the sun is higher.”</p> - -<p>To this, the Brownies enthusiastically agreed. They straightened their -rooms, made the beds, and then found time on their hands.</p> - -<p>“I know what let’s do,” proposed Connie. “Let’s hunt for Grandma -Gordon’s gold locket!”</p> - -<p>“Where shall we start?” asked Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“The <a name="kitchen" id="kitchen"></a><ins title="Original has kichen">kitchen</ins>!” proposed Eileen. “That’s the most likely -place.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon said she did not mind if the girls looked through all the -cupboards. Connie brought in a stepladder from the barn and climbed -up to the uppermost shelf. The dishes there were quite dusty, for the -shelf was too high for convenient use.</p> - -<p>“Dear me, I haven’t cleaned up there for goodness knows how long,” Mrs. -Gordon laughed. “Anything may come to light.”</p> - -<p>While Connie handed down the dishes, the other girls washed them. She -found a milk-white glass plate, which Miss Gordon said was an antique -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">125</a></span> should be kept where it could be seen and appreciated.</p> - -<p>There was an interesting Toby jug, a cracked pink glass pitcher and a -little glass boat which bore the words: “Remember the Maine.”</p> - -<p>“Why, I lost that little boat years ago!” Mrs. Gordon exclaimed when -Connie handed it down to be washed. “I never did remember what was done -with it.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe we’ll find the locket too!” laughed Rosemary.</p> - -<p>However, the Brownies cleaned the entire shelf and did not come upon -the lost trinket. Nor was it anywhere in the cupboards. One shelf -contained a solid row of jelly in rainbow colors of red, orange, and -mint green. On another was a vast array of canned fruit, and on a lower -shelf in easy reach, a large collection of herbs and spices.</p> - -<p>“We must make Christmas cakes and cookies soon,” said Miss Gordon when -she saw the spices. “Oh, dear, our time here is so short and we have so -many wonderful things to do.”</p> - -<p>“It’s time for our hike now,” Jane reminded her.</p> - -<p>The Brownies decided to abandon the search for the gold locket, at -least for the time being. Only Connie had faith it would be found -somewhere in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">126</a></span> the house. She made up her mind she would look for it -whenever she had a spare moment.</p> - -<p>“Tomorrow may we search in the attic?” she asked Grandmother Gordon.</p> - -<p>“The attic?” repeated Mrs. Gordon, rather puzzled. “How could the -locket be there?”</p> - -<p>Connie explained that she merely thought the attic would be an -interesting place to explore.</p> - -<p>“So it is,” agreed Mrs. Gordon. “Filled to overflowing with old -furniture, trunks, cast-off clothing, not to mention cobwebs. Rummage -there as much as you like.”</p> - -<p>Now Connie was not the only member of the Brownie troop to have -original ideas. Jane and Rosemary also had made special plans. After -talking the matter over with Miss Gordon, they had decided to have a -Christmas tree for the birds.</p> - -<p>The night before they had made careful preparations, so that the tree -itself might be selected on the morning hike.</p> - -<p>The girls had filled small cardboard boxes with seeds, had pressed -peanut butter into pine cones and had fixed tiny baskets of suet and -bread crumbs ready for tying onto the evergreen limbs.</p> - -<p>When everyone was ready, the Brownies set off on their hike, Miss -Gordon leading the way.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">127</a></span> -The snow was very deep, which made walking quite hard. However, the -Brownies soon emerged on a firmly-packed road, which wound on toward -Mr. Jeffert’s farm.</p> - -<p>Coming to a rustic bridge, Miss Gordon paused a moment so that the -Brownies might catch their breath.</p> - -<p>“May we hike through the woods?” Jane requested. “The trees are so -pretty beyond the log fence. I am sure we could find one there that -would be just right for the birds’ Christmas tree.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Jeffert doesn’t mind if we go on his land,” the Brownie leader -replied. “I telephoned him this morning to inquire.”</p> - -<p>The girls climbed the rail fence and followed Miss Gordon through the -maze of evergreens. Never had they seen such a beautiful forest of -Christmas trees. The needles of the pines and spruces glistened with -ice and flashed like diamonds under the bright morning sun.</p> - -<p>The Brownies walked slowly, studying each tree as a possible feeding -station for the birds.</p> - -<p>Finally Jane came to one which exactly suited her. It was a little -higher than her head, well filled out, and perfectly shaped.</p> - -<p>“This is just the place!” she proposed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">128</a></span> -Rosemary liked the tree and so did the other Brownies. All voted that -it be made into a feeding station for the birds. Jane opened up the box -of knick-knacks and the girls attached them to the limbs.</p> - -<p>“Will the birds find it, do you think?” Rosemary asked when the task -was completed. She saw several sparrows nearby, but they did not come -near the tree.</p> - -<p>“Give them time,” said Miss Gordon. “Within a day or two, I’ll -practically guarantee this will be a popular bird restaurant.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies tramped some distance on into the evergreen forest before -turning back. Near the rail fence by the road, they all sat down on a -log to rest.</p> - -<p>“Tell us a story, Miss Gordon,” urged Connie. “One about the fairies.”</p> - -<p>“No, about Brownies,” pleaded Jane.</p> - -<p>“I might tell you the Brownie Story by Juliana Horatia Ewing, which -suggests the ideals and objectives of our Brownie Scout program,” said -Miss Gordon. “Some of you already have heard it.”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t,” said Veve, eager to hear the tale. Gathering the girls -about her, the Brownie leader began in a low, clear voice:</p> - -<p>“Once upon a time, a little girl named Mary and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">129</a></span> her brother Tommy, -lived in England with their grandmother and father, who was a tailor.</p> - -<p>“Now, although the family was very poor and there was much work to do, -the children never thought to help.</p> - -<p>“So, was it surprising that the overburdened tailor one day complained -to his mother that children were a grievance?</p> - -<p>“‘No, children are not a burden but a blessing,’ the old woman replied, -and she decided to prove it.</p> - -<p>“One day when Mary asked her about the fairies, she sighed and -repeated: ‘Fairies? Ah, the luck of our house is gone. It went with the -Brownie, I believe.’</p> - -<p>“‘Tell us about her,’ urged Mary. ‘Did she live with our family?’</p> - -<p>“‘Yes, for many generations,’ replied the old woman. ‘Each morning -before the family was up, she slipped in to sweep up the hearth, set -out the breakfast and do all the housework. Then she would be off -before anyone could catch her.’</p> - -<p>“‘Yet they always knew it was a Brownie who came, Grandmother?’</p> - -<p>“‘Oh, yes, they frequently could hear her laughing and playing about -the house as she worked.’</p> - -<p>“‘And her wages?’ asked little Mary.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">130</a></span> -“‘A Brownie always works for love,’ explained the old woman. ‘Sometimes -though, the family would set a pancheon of clear water for her -overnight, or now and then they would leave a bowl of bread and milk. -Oh, she was a dainty little creature!’</p> - -<p>“‘And why did she leave the family, Granny?’</p> - -<p>“‘I fear only the wise old hoot owl who lives in the woods can answer -that,’ sighed the grandmother.</p> - -<p>“‘I wish I could find the owl and learn how to coax the Brownie back -again,’ said little Mary. ‘It would be so nice to have her to tidy the -room, run errands and pick up chips. Oh, if only she had never gone -away!’</p> - -<p>“Now then and there Mary decided to discover if she could what had -become of the helpful Brownie. So one night when the moon was high, she -started off in search of the wise old owl in the forest.</p> - -<p>“A white mist lay over the moor as she made her way to the forest.</p> - -<p>“‘Hoot! Hoot!’ suddenly said a voice directly behind her.</p> - -<p>“‘Please, can you tell me how to find a Brownie who will come to our -house and help with the work?’ Mary boldly asked the wise old bird.</p> - -<p>“‘Oohoo!’ hooted the owl. ‘I know of two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">131</a></span> Brownies who live in your -house now, but they will not work because they are so very lazy.’</p> - -<p>“‘Two Brownies in our house?’ echoed Mary, very much surprised. ‘I wish -you would tell me where to find them. I would show them how to work.’</p> - -<p>“‘I can tell you how to find one of the Brownies,’ replied the owl. -‘Now listen closely. When the moon is shining, go to the pool in the -woods, and turn yourself about three times as you repeat this charm:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="verse"> -<div class="line">‘Twist me, and turn me, and show me the Elf;</div> -<div class="line">I looked in the water, and saw—’</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>“‘And will I see a Brownie?’ asked little Mary.</p> - -<p>“‘If you fail to see one, it will be no use,’ answered the wise old owl.</p> - -<p>“Off went Mary to the pool deep in the woods. Gazing deep into the dark -water which was like a mirror, she slowly repeated the magic words.</p> - -<p>“But though she looked hard for the Brownie, all she saw was her own -sober reflection in the pool.</p> - -<p>“‘I must have done it wrong,’ thought Mary. ‘Anyway, there is no word -to rhyme with “Elf.”’</p> - -<p>“Disappointed and puzzled, the little girl went back to the old owl to -report that the charm had failed to work.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">132</a></span> -“‘Whoooo,’ hooted the owl, winking his sleepy eyes, ‘and what did you -see in the pool?’</p> - -<p>“‘No one but myself,’ answered little Mary.</p> - -<p>“‘Hoot! Hoot!’ said the owl, and he seemed to be laughing in his -feathers. ‘And what did you expect to see?’</p> - -<p>“‘A Brownie! You promised me I would!’</p> - -<p>“Then the owl explained to Mary that she herself was the Brownie and -that she could make herself beloved in the household by helping with -the work.</p> - -<p>“‘I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Brownie,’ said Mary, thinking over -what the owl had said. ‘I would rather have someone else do the work -for me.’</p> - -<p>“‘Fie!’ the old owl scolded crossly. ‘You would be idle and lazy—one -who eats, yet never helps with the supper!’</p> - -<p>“‘Say no more,’ sighed Mary. ‘I don’t really want to be like that. I’ll -go home now and tell my brother Tommy what you have said.’</p> - -<p>“The very next day, the little girl told her brother of her talk with -the owl. Together they worked out a plan whereby they arose each -morning before the old folks were awake. They swept the hearth, tidied -the house and started breakfast.</p> - -<p>“Each day the children found more and more things to do for their -father and their grandmother.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">133</a></span> The house rang with laughter and -everyone was much happier.</p> - -<p>“Now this went on for many days. Then one morning, the tailor stole -downstairs very early to watch for the Brownies. Instead, he saw Mary -and Tommy doing the work.</p> - -<p>“‘What’s this?’ he demanded. ‘Where are the Brownies?’</p> - -<p>“‘We are the only ones,’ laughed Mary and Tommy.</p> - -<p>“‘Surely this is a joke,’ declared the astonished tailor. ‘Are there no -real Brownies?’</p> - -<p>“‘We are the only ones,’ laughed Mary.</p> - -<p>“The old tailor then agreed with his mother that children indeed were a -blessing and not a burden.”</p> - -<p>When Miss Gordon had finished the tale, she added:</p> - -<p>“That is my own version of the Brownie story and a much shortened one. -You all must read the original.”</p> - -<p>“I already have,” declared Connie, who had obtained the tale at the -Rosedale Public Library.</p> - -<p>The Brownies all arose from the log, intending to start on toward the -farmhouse.</p> - -<p>As they were climbing the rail fence, a man in a dark flannel shirt and -leather jacket strode down the road.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">134</a></span> -Evidently he had been chopping wood, for an axe was slung over his -shoulder.</p> - -<p>When the man saw the Brownies, he slackened his pace and gazed at them -a trifle suspiciously. The girls began to feel a bit uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>Now Miss Gordon knew the man only slightly. His name was Felix Gossart -and his ten-acre place adjoined Mr. Jeffert’s evergreen farm. He had -never seemed very friendly and less so now.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Mr. Gossart,” Miss Gordon said politely.</p> - -<p>The man did not reply to the friendly greeting. He merely stared at the -Brownies as they scrambled over the snowy rails of the fence.</p> - -<p>“Trespassing on Mr. Jeffert’s property?” he asked and his voice was not -pleasant.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, we aren’t,” answered Miss Gordon. “Mr. Jeffert said we might -hike through the woods.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I wouldn’t do it again if I were you,” said Mr. Gossart, -shifting the axe to the other shoulder. “Maybe you haven’t heard. -Someone’s been cutting down trees in these parts. Wandering around -careless like, you might run into unpleasant characters.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Mr. Gossart. If we come this way again, we’ll be very -careful.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon said no more, but gathering the girls together, started off -down the road.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">135</a></span> -“Can’t we go to the woods again?” Rosemary asked anxiously when they -were well beyond Mr. Gossart’s hearing. “If we don’t we’ll never learn -whether or not the birds use our feeding station.”</p> - -<p>“When I talked to Mr. Jeffert this morning, he did not advise against -going onto his property,” Miss Gordon said. “If we stay close to the -road, I see no possible danger.”</p> - -<p>“Whoever is cutting down the evergreens wouldn’t do it in the daytime -at any rate,” reasoned Connie.</p> - -<p>“Then why did Mr. Gossart warn us that we might meet unpleasant -characters?” inquired Eileen nervously.</p> - -<p>“He may have intended to be helpful,” said Miss Gordon thoughtfully. -“On the other hand, I wonder—”</p> - -<p>“You wonder what, Miss Gordon?” demanded Connie.</p> - -<p>The Brownie leader, however, did not intend to finish what had been in -her mind.</p> - -<p>“Race you to the bridge!” she challenged.</p> - -<p>Off she darted, with the Brownies in hot pursuit. By the time they -all reached the bridge, everyone was out of breath and Mr. Gossart -completely forgotten.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">136</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">137</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_10" id="chapter_10"></a><small>CHAPTER 10</small><br /> -A Stolen Evergreen</h2> - -<p class="noi">THE Brownies and Veve were spending the afternoon rummaging in -Grandmother Gordon’s attic.</p> - -<p>Connie had suggested the idea immediately after lunch and everyone had -been enthusiastic. Mrs. Gordon, of course, did not expect the girls -to find her missing locket, but she knew they would have a fine time -poking about among all the old things.</p> - -<p>The attic had only one small window to let in light. Everywhere cobwebs -hung from file walls. Veve ran into one as she started toward an old -spinning wheel which stood near the door.</p> - -<p>“Ugh!” she exclaimed, fighting it off. “This old boy has me by the -throat.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe there are mice in here too,” Rosemary added uneasily.</p> - -<p>“Grandma Gordon is too good a housekeeper to have mice,” declared -Connie. She was alarmed lest the girls decide to leave the attic before -they had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">138</a></span> explored it. “Anyway, Fluff is here to scare them away.”</p> - -<p>The cat had followed the Brownies upstairs and was rubbing against -Connie’s legs.</p> - -<p>“Fluff is too lazy to catch anything,” laughed Rosemary.</p> - -<p>The attic fairly overflowed with boxes, trunks, suitcases and broken -furniture. Eileen tried out an old rocker which squeaked like an animal -in distress.</p> - -<p>Connie and Eileen began opening the trunks. In one they found old -shoes, ancient hats and woolen goods scented with moth balls.</p> - -<p>One box contained children’s winter clothing, still in good condition -and very little out of style. In another were several old-fashioned -silk dresses with tight waists and long full skirts.</p> - -<p>“What fun to dress up!” exclaimed Eileen.</p> - -<p>“We couldn’t without asking Mrs. Gordon’s permission,” said Connie. -“If we start to dress up now, we’ll have no time to look at the other -things here.”</p> - -<p>“Then let’s do it tomorrow,” Eileen replied, temporarily giving up the -idea.</p> - -<p>Suddenly from the far end of the attic came a resounding crash.</p> - -<p>Veve, who had tried to peep into a box that was higher than her head, -had pulled it over. Barely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">139</a></span> missing her feet, it spilled its contents -of books over the floor.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Veve! See what you’ve done!” Jane exclaimed impatiently. “If that -box had contained glass, it would have been smashed!”</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t my fault,” Veve mumbled, starting to pick up the books. “The -old box just fell over.”</p> - -<p>“You mean you accidentally pulled it down. Veve, you never stop to -think before you act, and then when it’s your fault, you don’t like to -admit it! Brownies believe in being honest about their mistakes.”</p> - -<p>Although it was quite dark in the attic, Connie saw that tears were -coming into Veve’s eyes. She really thought Jane was being too severe.</p> - -<p>“Oh, why make a fuss about it?” she interposed. “Of course, Veve didn’t -mean to do it.”</p> - -<p>“She never does,” retorted Jane crossly.</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re not being very nice yourself to blame Veve every time she -has an accident,” said Rosemary, siding with Connie. “At lunch today -when you upset your glass of milk, no one said a word.”</p> - -<p>Jane started to say that the milk had spilled only because Sunny had -joggled her elbow, but thought better of it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">140</a></span> -“Sorry,” she muttered. “I wouldn’t have said anything about the box, -only I think we should be careful or Mrs. Gordon won’t want us to play -up here.”</p> - -<p>“We <em>all</em> should be careful,” emphasized Connie.</p> - -<p>She and Sunny helped Veve pick up the books and stack them back in the -box. The task had just been finished, when Rosemary let out a squeal of -excitement.</p> - -<p>“See what I’ve found!” she cried.</p> - -<p>Rosemary had come upon a box of old buttons in a cardboard box tucked -in the drawer of a rusty sewing machine.</p> - -<p>“Say, maybe the golden locket is in there!” exclaimed Veve.</p> - -<p>Hopefully the girls examined the many odd shapes and designs of the -buttons. Some were of brass or silver; others were of glass and tin.</p> - -<p>“Oh, see this button!” declared Jane, selecting one from the -collection. “It has the face of George Washington on it and must be -very rare.”</p> - -<p>“And here’s one in the shape of a little house,” added Rosemary. “One -never sees buttons like these today.”</p> - -<p>“Except in collections,” contributed Connie. “It would be nice if the -Brownies could save buttons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">141</a></span> only we have so many other interesting -things to do.”</p> - -<p>The girls spent nearly half an hour studying the assortment. So -fascinating was the pastime, that they forgot their disappointment over -failure to find the missing locket.</p> - -<p>Time passed so swiftly that the girls all were quite startled when Mrs. -Gordon called from the foot of the stairs to ask them to wash up for -supper.</p> - -<p>“Is it supper time already?” gasped Connie. “Oh, dear, and we’ve only -half explored this wonderful place.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s finish up tomorrow if we can,” proposed Sunny as they all -trooped down the stairs. “Maybe we can dress up in the old clothes. -That would be fun.”</p> - -<p>All the Brownies agreed that it would be good sport to put on a style -show. Next morning, however, they had so many other interesting things -to do they had no time to think of the attic.</p> - -<p>In the morning the girls played games in the snow and went coasting -again on Hammer Hill.</p> - -<p>After lunch, Miss Gordon announced that she would drive to the village -in the sleigh.</p> - -<p>“Who wants to ride along and help me select the sled for the Stone -children?” she inquired.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">142</a></span> -All of the Brownies were eager to accompany her. However, everyone -could not crowd into one sleigh. So in the end, Veve and Eileen were -chosen to go with the Brownie leader.</p> - -<p>In the village, Miss Gordon attended to several errands. Then she took -the girls to a hardware store where they inspected a number of sleds. -After much debate, Eileen and Veve settled upon a handsome one which -was large enough for two children to ride on at the same time.</p> - -<p>While they were waiting for the sled to be carried out to the sleigh, -Veve wandered to the rear of the store to look at a construction set.</p> - -<p>As she stood there, she chanced to hear the owner of the hardware store -talking to another man who was buying a snow shovel.</p> - -<p>“<a name="Too" id="Too"></a><ins title="Original has To">Too</ins> bad about Stone,” the storekeeper remarked. “I’d help him if -I could, but business is slack now and I can’t give him a place here.”</p> - -<p>Hearing Mr. Stone’s name mentioned, Veve listened carefully.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ve heard he’s had no regular work for more than a month,” the -customer replied, “Pretty tough on that family of his, especially with -Christmas coming on.”</p> - -<p>When Veve left the hardware store with Eileen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">143</a></span> and Miss Gordon, she -repeated the snatch of conversation she had overheard.</p> - -<p>“I was afraid the Stone children might face a very meager Christmas, -and this confirms it,” declared Miss Gordon. “I wish we could give them -other things besides just a sled.”</p> - -<p>“They must need food and clothing,” said Eileen as she climbed into the -sleigh. “And I noticed the youngsters’ mittens were ragged.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to do something about it,” said Miss Gordon. “However, I -don’t wish to offend Grandma Gordon, so we must plan carefully.”</p> - -<p>After the three had returned to the Gordon home with the new sled, they -reported to the other Brownies what they had learned about Mr. Stone -being out of work.</p> - -<p>“If you want to give the children clothing, I know where there’s some!” -exclaimed Connie, before she stopped to think. “A trunk in the attic is -filled with garments—”</p> - -<p>Then she broke off, seeing from Grandmother Gordon’s set expression, -that the woman did not want to give any of the clothing away.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Stone may be out of work temporarily, but I can’t believe the -family is in actual need,” declared Grandmother Gordon. She lifted a -stove lid to throw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">144</a></span> a chunk of wood into the fiery red coals. “Besides, -Mr. Stone probably would have a steady job if he weren’t so shiftless.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Stone isn’t shiftless,” corrected Miss Gordon. “Work is very -scarce just at this time. Besides, I know for a fact that he works very -hard at his trap lines and does any kind of work he can get.”</p> - -<p>“Other men seem able to find means of providing for their families,” -sniffed Grandmother Gordon. “If I thought for a minute that he actually -were deserving, I’d try to help the family.”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it true you dislike them because you believe Mrs. Stone took -your locket?”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it does enter into my feelings,” Grandmother Gordon admitted.</p> - -<p>“Yet no matter what you believe about Mrs. Stone, you shouldn’t take it -out on those poor children. It bothers me to think they may not have -enough to eat.”</p> - -<p>“Since you’ve talked of it so much, it’s beginning to bother me too,” -admitted Mrs. Gordon. “Why not go there and find out the truth? I know -that’s what you want me to tell you to do!”</p> - -<p>“I’m very glad you suggested it,” laughed Miss Gordon. “It’s quite -possible I may take a delegation of Brownies and go there tomorrow.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">145</a></span> -Nothing more was said about the matter at that time, but secretly, -all the Brownies hoped Miss Gordon would find a way to help the Stone -children.</p> - -<p>Since the girls had arrived at the farm, time had flown very fast -They scarcely could realize that soon their parents would arrive for -Christmas and to take them back to Rosedale.</p> - -<p>Before that day came the Brownies planned to make cookies, cakes and -candies and decorate the entire house with greens.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Jeffert has promised us a Christmas tree,” Miss Gordon told the -girls. “He said we may have any one we select.”</p> - -<p>“One so tall it will touch the ceiling!” cried Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“Please, may we choose it this afternoon?” pleaded Eileen, who was -eager to return to the woods. “While we’re there, we could see if the -birds are using the new feeding station!”</p> - -<p>“How many Brownies feel equal to another hike?” asked Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“I do!” shouted Jane.</p> - -<p>All the other girls voted for the trip too and ran to put on their warm -snowsuits.</p> - -<p>A brisk walk through the frosty air brought the Brownies to the edge of -Mr. Jeffert’s land.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">146</a></span> -“Our track has completely disappeared!” declared Miss Gordon. “Last -night’s snow was heavier than I thought.”</p> - -<p>The trail to the birds’ feeding station had been completely blotted out -by the light fall of snow. Eileen and Jane, however, knew the way.</p> - -<p>“Follow us!” Eileen directed the girls.</p> - -<p>She and Jane broke track through the snow. Now and then they glimpsed -stretches of the old trail which had not been completely covered, so -they were sure they were going the right way.</p> - -<p>A moment later, Jane sang out: “Here we are. Our tree was right beside -this tall one—but where is it now?”</p> - -<p>She and Eileen, who were ahead, both stopped short. Only an ugly stump -arose from the place where the birds’ Christmas tree had stood the -previous day.</p> - -<p>Someone had chopped down the evergreen during the night!</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s gone! Our lovely tree is gone!” cried Eileen in a shrill -voice.</p> - -<p>The Brownies were so stunned they hardly said a word. They could not -believe a mistake had been made in the tree’s location, for in the snow -nearby were bits of ribbon and string and a pine cone with food still -pressed into it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">147</a></span> -“Oh, how could anyone be so mean?” demanded Connie.</p> - -<p>“Especially when the woods is filled with nice evergreens,” added -Rosemary, stooping to pick up the pine cone. “Why couldn’t Mr. Jeffert -have cut down another tree?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe Mr. Jeffert did it,” said Connie soberly. “Our tree -probably was chopped down by that same thief who has been sneaking onto -his property.”</p> - -<p>“And I agree,” commented Miss Gordon. “Mr. Jeffert never would have cut -down our tree.”</p> - -<p>Behind them, the girls heard footfalls in the snow. Whirling around, -they saw Mr. Jeffert himself striding toward them.</p> - -<p>“Who speaks my name?” he called cheerily.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Mr. Jeffert!” cried Connie. “You didn’t take our tree, did you?”</p> - -<p>She pointed to the stump and told the land owner what had happened. Mr. -Jeffert’s round face became as dark as a late afternoon sky.</p> - -<p>“I certainly did not cut that tree!” he exclaimed. “But I have a good -idea who may have chopped it down. Late last night I saw Clem Stone -walking this way. He saw me watching from the woods and went on. I have -a notion he may have sneaked back later.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">148</a></span> -“Then you believe Mr. Stone is the one who has been stealing your -trees?” Miss Gordon asked, looking worried.</p> - -<p>“I’ve no proof. Clem is out of a job though, and he may be trying to -raise money by selling a few of my trees. He didn’t speak last night -when he went past, and he was carrying an axe.”</p> - -<p>“But so was Mr. Gossart,” revealed Connie.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Gossart?”</p> - -<p>“We met him after we fixed the tree for the birds,” Connie explained. -“He was carrying an axe the same as Mr. Stone.”</p> - -<p>“Well, one can’t convict a man for having an axe,” admitted Mr. -Jeffert. “I probably was hasty in saying Mr. Stone could have cut the -tree. It might have been anyone.”</p> - -<p>“Then you don’t think it was Mr. Stone after all?”</p> - -<p>“I honestly don’t know. I’ve watched the woods night after night -without catching the culprit. The fellow, whoever he is, is too smart -for me.”</p> - -<p>Now that the birds’ tree had been taken, the Brownie hike seemed quite -purposeless. After talking with Mr. Jeffert for a while, the girls -selected another evergreen which he promised to cut for their Christmas -at the farm, and then they turned toward home.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">149</a></span> -“Let’s take a shortcut through the fields,” proposed Sunny who had -wearied.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, they rolled under a wire fence, and set off through the -deep snow. Although the distance was much shorter than by the road, the -drifts made walking very hard.</p> - -<p>When the snow was firm, the girls could walk along quite easily. But -every few feet the crust would give way, and down they would plunge, -nearly to their waists. However, it was fun and even Miss Gordon did -not mind.</p> - -<p>“Who lives in that little cabin?” Connie asked as they drew near a -lighted dwelling.</p> - -<p>Although it was not yet supper time, shadows were deepening everywhere. -In another half hour it would be very dark.</p> - -<p>“Why, the Stones live there,” said Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>Smoke curled lazily from the cabin’s chimney. A shaggy dog lounged on -the back doorstep. The Stone children were nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>The Brownies trudged on, coming quite close to the cabin. There were no -curtains or blinds at the windows. Without meaning to look the girls -peered directly into the Stones’ kitchen.</p> - -<p>Just inside the window stood a perfectly shaped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">150</a></span> Christmas tree! -Strings of popcorn and cranberries were its only decoration.</p> - -<p>Jane Tuttle saw the tree and clutched Connie’s arm excitedly.</p> - -<p>“There it is!” she cried. “Our evergreen! Mr. Jeffert was right! Mr. -Stone did chop it down!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">151</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_11" id="chapter_11"></a><small>CHAPTER 11</small><br /> -Into the Storm</h2> - - -<p class="noi">INSIDE the Stone cabin, oil lamps had been lighted, so the Brownies -could see the Christmas tree quite plainly. It stood at a slight angle -in the window, its branches brushing against the icy panes.</p> - -<p>“Why, it <em>is</em> our tree!” agreed Sunny indignantly. “Of all the nerve!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think the tree we selected for the birds was that tall,” -protested Connie, after a second glance.</p> - -<p>“Neither do I,” declared Eileen promptly. “Maybe it isn’t the same -evergreen, even though it looks a little like it.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies trudged on, deliberately breaking trail so that they would -pass close to the Stone cabin.</p> - -<p>“I still think it’s our tree,” insisted Jane when they were quite near -the window.</p> - -<p>“And I say it isn’t,” Eileen argued.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">152</a></span> -“Wait here!” Jane directed the Brownies. “I’ll find out for sure!”</p> - -<p>Before Miss Gordon or the other girls could stop her, she scrambled -over a big snowdrift and crept through the dark to the kitchen window. -Half hidden by an ice-coated bush, Jane was able to look closely at the -evergreen without being seen by anyone in the lighted room.</p> - -<p>At first glance she saw that the tree was not the one which had been -taken from Mr. Jeffert’s land, though it was a beautiful spruce.</p> - -<p>The lower branches were a little scraggly, and viewed at close range, -one side of the tree appeared slightly mis-shapen.</p> - -<p>Satisfied that the evergreen was not the same one, Jane started to turn -away. Then she waited a moment, for she saw the Stone children playing -on the floor of the kitchen.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Stone was setting food on the table for supper. One dish contained -potatoes and another held turnips. Jane did not see anything else.</p> - -<p>“Mom, may we have a new sled for Christmas?” she heard Barbara ask her -mother.</p> - -<p>“No, dear, and I’ve asked you not to keep pestering me about it,” -sighed her mother wearily. “With your father out of work, we can’t -afford toys this year. We’ll be lucky to keep food on the table.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">153</a></span> -“Jane!” called Miss Gordon. She did not consider it proper for the -little girl to peep through a window.</p> - -<p>Jane quickly rejoined the Brownies. She knew she had not been seen by -anyone in the cabin.</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t the same tree,” she announced as the Brownies waited for her -opinion.</p> - -<p>“I thought it wouldn’t be,” declared Connie, while Miss Gordon nodded -agreement.</p> - -<p>“This proves that one shouldn’t leap to hasty conclusions,” added the -leader of the Brownie troop. “How easy it is to misjudge a person.”</p> - -<p>As the Brownies started on at a brisk pace toward the Gordon farm, Jane -was rather quiet. She kept thinking about what she had heard Mrs. Stone -tell Barbara.</p> - -<p>Finally, she said: “Miss Gordon, I wish we could give the Stone family -more than just a sled. They need all sorts of toys and Christmas -food—turkey, cranberries, plum pudding and everything.”</p> - -<p>The remark surprised Miss Gordon. She asked Jane why she thought the -Stones might be in dire need.</p> - -<p>“I heard Mrs. Stone say there would be no money for Christmas toys and -maybe not any for food,” Jane related. “All they were having for supper -was potatoes and turnips.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">154</a></span> -“Oh, surely Mrs. Stone had other food prepared, Jane. Perhaps it was in -the oven, or out of sight.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all I saw at any rate.”</p> - -<p>“What was the kitchen like?” inquired Connie curiously.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t notice anything except the Christmas tree and the supper -table. Miss Gordon called me before I had a chance to really see very -much.”</p> - -<p>Now what Jane had reported deeply troubled Miss Gordon. She promised -the Brownies she would make inquiries before Christmas to learn if the -Stones actually were in need.</p> - -<p>“If they are, we’ll send a big basket of food,” she said. “However, the -Stones have lived in this community many years and I understand, are -quite proud. They might resent charity.”</p> - -<p>“Will they be offended if we give them the sled, and perhaps a few -other toys?” Connie asked anxiously.</p> - -<p>“The children will enjoy the presents—I’m certain of that,” declared -Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>After the Brownies reached Grandmother Gordon’s farmhouse they talked -over what they could do to help the Stone children.</p> - -<p>“We could stuff stockings and make them into dolls,” proposed Eileen -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“And we could bake things,” suggested Rosemary,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">155</a></span> who loved to cook. -“That is, if Mrs. Gordon wouldn’t mind having us use her kitchen.”</p> - -<p>“It’s yours for the asking,” laughed Mrs. Gordon.</p> - -<p>The Brownies divided into two groups, one to sew and the other to work -in the kitchen. Veve, Rosemary and Connie elected to cook, while the -other girls sewed stocking dolls.</p> - -<p>“What shall we make?” demanded Veve, after the three girls, wrapped in -huge kitchen aprons, had taken possession of the kitchen.</p> - -<p>“I have a recipe here for brownies,” said Miss Gordon. “You might -start with that. Then if you like, we can make sand tarts and regular -Christmas cookies, decorating them with red and green sugar, citron and -candied cherry.”</p> - -<p>“Are brownies a cookie too?” asked Veve, who never had done much -cooking.</p> - -<p>“A very rich and delicious variety,” declared the troop leader.</p> - -<p>She set out the ingredients and gave the girls Mrs. Gordon’s favorite -brownie recipe. It read:</p> - -<div class="ingredient-container"> -<ul class="nobullet figleft"> -<li><sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub> cup shortening</li> -<li>1 cup sugar</li> -<li>2 eggs</li> -<li>2 squares chocolate</li> -</ul> -<ul class="nobullet figright"> -<li><sup>1</sup>/<sub>2</sub> teaspoon vanilla</li> -<li><sup>1</sup>/<sub>4</sub> teaspoon salt</li> -<li><sup>1</sup>/<sub>2</sub> cup flour</li> -<li><sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub> cup chopped nut meats.</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<p class="clear"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">156</a></span> -“I’ll chop the nuts!” offered Connie, digging in the kitchen cabinet -drawer for the cracker.</p> - -<p>Rosemary and Veve under Miss Gordon’s direction blended the sugar and -the shortening.</p> - -<p>“Now while you add the two eggs, I’ll step into the living room and see -how our champion sewers are progressing,” Miss Gordon said.</p> - -<p>Left to themselves, Veve and Rosemary scarcely knew how to add the eggs -to the creamy white mixture.</p> - -<p>“You break one and I’ll smash the other,” proposed Veve. “That way, -we’ll both have a turn.”</p> - -<p>Rosemary cracked her egg squarely in the middle and let the yolk and -white drop into the pan. A tiny piece of shell fell in too, but she -fished it out with a spoon.</p> - -<p>“Now it’s my turn,” laughed Veve. Though she never had cracked an egg, -she was sure it would be easy.</p> - -<p>Selecting the largest one in the pan, she tapped it smartly against the -table edge as she had seen Rosemary do.</p> - -<p>Now Veve struck the egg much harder than she had intended. Instead of -cracking, the shell shattered completely, and the egg splattered on the -floor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">157</a></span> -“Oh, Veve! See what you’ve done!” cried Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“It just slipped,” said Veve contritely. “I didn’t mean to do it.” -Then, because she realized she had made that same excuse many times -before, she hung her head.</p> - -<p>“Never mind, Veve,” returned Rosemary kindly. “I almost dropped my egg -too.”</p> - -<p>With Connie helping, the two girls tried to wipe up the egg with a -cloth. It ran them a race on the linoleum. Finally, after washing out -the rag several times, they were successful in cleaning up the mess.</p> - -<p>“Now we’ll have to wash our hands and break another egg,” sighed -Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“It’s your turn again,” said Veve quickly. “I had mine.”</p> - -<p>While Connie and Veve hovered near to offer moral support, Connie broke -the egg and dropped it safely into the cookie mixture. As she was -stirring it in, Miss Gordon returned to the kitchen.</p> - -<p>“How are we coming?” she asked gaily.</p> - -<p>Veve told her about the accident, but the Brownie leader only laughed.</p> - -<p>“Grandmother Gordon has lots of eggs and won’t mind losing one,” she -said. “Now let’s add the melted chocolate.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">158</a></span> -With Miss Gordon there to watch, it was easy to finish up the brownie -mixture. Veve and Rosemary added melted chocolate, salt and vanilla. -Then Connie dumped in all the chopped nuts, after making certain there -were no shells.</p> - -<p>“Yum! Yum! It looks delicious!” she declared. “How long must we wait -for it to bake, Miss Gordon?”</p> - -<p>“About twenty minutes at moderate oven temperature.”</p> - -<p>“What’s a moderate oven?” asked Rosemary, who never had heard the term.</p> - -<p>“Usually that means about 350 degrees heat. Grandmother Gordon’s wood -stove has no temperature control, so we’ll have to test it by guess.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon opened the oven door and a blast of heat poured out into -the kitchen. She thrust her hand into the cavern a moment and then -withdrew it, closing the oven door.</p> - -<p>“The temperature is about right now, I think,” she decided. “Grease the -pan, and let’s pop those brownies right in.”</p> - -<p>While the cookies baked, Connie, Veve and Rosemary wandered into the -next room to see how Jane, Eileen and Sunny were progressing with their -stocking dolls.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">159</a></span> -The work was nearly finished. Jane had created the funniest figure, -tying the foot of her stuffed stocking into two long rabbit ears. With -needle and red thread, she had stitched on big eyes, a nose, mouth and -a few whiskers.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure the Stone children will love these dolls and the cookies as -well,” declared Miss Gordon. “As for the baskets of Christmas food, -we’ll decide later on, whether or not to send them.”</p> - -<p>Though the Brownie leader did not say so, she had talked the matter -over the night before with Mrs. Gordon. They had been unable to -agree on whether or not the Stones would resent receiving help. And -Grandmother Gordon had argued that she still was unconvinced the Stones -were a deserving family.</p> - -<p>So the matter of sending a turkey and other substantial food, remained -undecided.</p> - -<p>During the next two days, the Brownies were too busy to leave the -Gordon farm. They made decorations for the house, cut spruce boughs for -the windows, and baked more cookies and made fancy candies.</p> - -<p>Now, Mrs. Gordon had noticed that her supplies were beginning to -dwindle. So late one afternoon she reminded Grandfather Gordon that -if they were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">160</a></span> to have a Christmas feast, he must take the bobsled and -drive to Goshen.</p> - -<p>Grandfather Gordon stretched his long legs toward the crackling log and -yawned. “Why drive all the way to Goshen?” he asked. “That’s nearly -twenty miles. Can’t I get everything you want at Deerford?”</p> - -<p>“The stores there never have what I need,” complained his wife. “This -time I have a special list and it’s a long one.”</p> - -<p>“Goshen it must be then,” sighed Grandfather Gordon. “I may as well -start early in the morning.”</p> - -<p>He telephoned Mr. Jeffert to ask if he might pick up anything for him -at Goshen.</p> - -<p>“I’ll ride along if you’ll stop for me,” Mr. Jeffert said. “Meet you at -eight o’clock.”</p> - -<p>Now the next morning before Grandfather Gordon hitched the horses, he -remarked that the sky looked very dark.</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in for a heavy snow before nightfall,” -he told Grandmother Gordon. “I’ll get along as fast as I can.”</p> - -<p>Soon after Mr. Gordon had driven away with the bobsled, the flakes -began to flutter down. So fast did they fall that the entire sky seemed -full of moist feathers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">161</a></span> -The Brownies loved the snow. All morning they played out in it, -building a hut near the barn.</p> - -<p>However, by lunch time a sharp wind had sprung up, so that it no longer -was pleasant to be out-of-doors.</p> - -<p>Looking like ghosts in their heavily coated garments, the Brownies -tramped into the house to toast themselves by the fire. The snow kept -falling steadily, driving against the windows and banking up so that -one could not readily see outside.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be glad when Grandfather returns,” said Mrs. Gordon uneasily. -“The storm is getting worse.”</p> - -<p>“And the wind is drifting the snow,” added Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>Now the Brownies could see very plainly that both Mrs. Gordon and -their leader were worried lest Grandfather Gordon and Mr. Jeffert have -trouble getting home from Goshen.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon kept walking to the kitchen window to look at the main road.</p> - -<p>“How long will the storm last?” Connie asked anxiously.</p> - -<p>“That’s hard to say, dear,” replied the Brownie leader. “Usually not -very long, but this one may be different. Once we had a blizzard which -kept up three days and nights.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">162</a></span> -“Three days!” gasped Connie. “But that would be until after Christmas!”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t mean this storm will last that long,” said Miss Gordon -quickly. “However, I am afraid it may keep us from taking the sled to -the Stone children unless we do so at once.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go now,” urged Eileen.</p> - -<p>“I believe that will be wisest,” agreed Miss Gordon. “We must dress -warmly though, for it is steadily getting colder.”</p> - -<p>While Grandmother Gordon wrapped the cookies and the stocking dolls in -heavy paper, the Brownies scrambled into their snowsuits. Miss Gordon -brought out the shiny new sled.</p> - -<p>“Everyone ready?” she asked, her hand on the doorknob. “Now we must -keep close together and walk fast. Brace yourselves!”</p> - -<p>She thrust open the door and a wild flurry of snow whirled into the -faces of the Brownies.</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">163</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_12" id="chapter_12"></a><small>CHAPTER 12</small><br /> -A Pair of Mittens</h2> - -<p class="noi">ALREADY the wind had piled up great snowdrifts on the road. At first -the Brownies laughed and shouted as they climbed through them.</p> - -<p>“This is just like scaling a mountain!” shrieked Veve as she plunged -from one huge mound to another. “It takes your breath though.”</p> - -<p>Actually, the wind was at the girls’ backs, bowling them along and -making walking fairly easy.</p> - -<p>“It will be a different matter coming home,” Miss Gordon warned. “Then -we must face the wind. Fortunately, we haven’t far to go.”</p> - -<p>The girls took turns carrying the sled and the packages. They were -surprised how quickly their fingers became numb through their mittens -and gloves.</p> - -<p>“Slap your hands together,” Miss Gordon advised. “That will keep them -warm.”</p> - -<p>Snow fell steadily in large flakes, dusting the girls from head to -foot. Their eyelashes caked over.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">164</a></span> -By the time they reached the Stone cabin, Miss Gordon and her Brownies -looked like a troop of walking snowmen.</p> - -<p>As the girls rapped on the door, Mrs. Stone, who had seen them trailing -through the yard, quickly opened it. A tall, thin woman, she wore a -faded blue gingham dress.</p> - -<p>Now the arrival of so many persons at one time astonished her, but -she was too polite to show it. She was under the impression that the -Brownies were on their way to the Gordon farm and had stopped to warm -themselves.</p> - -<p>“Come in! Come in!” she invited cordially. “You must be half frozen.”</p> - -<p>The girls were grateful for the warmth of the stove. However, as they -glanced around, they saw that the kitchen was almost bare of furniture.</p> - -<p>“We’ve brought the children something for Christmas,” said Miss Gordon, -brushing snow from her cap. “It was entirely the Brownies’ idea.”</p> - -<p>“Here’s a new sled,” said Connie, depositing it by the tree.</p> - -<p>Barbara, Betty and Benny, who had been staring at the Brownies, let out -a whoop of joy. They rushed to examine the sled, gleefully dragging it -over the bare kitchen floor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">165</a></span> -“May we try it out on the hill now?” Barbara asked her mother. “It’s -such a dandy sled.”</p> - -<p>“Not right now,” said Mrs. Stone regretfully. “The storm is getting -much worse. I’m afraid it may prove to be a regular blizzard.”</p> - -<p>“Here’s something else we brought,” said Eileen, offering the stocking -dolls.</p> - -<p>“And some cookies we made,” added Rosemary, giving the box to Mrs. -Stone.</p> - -<p>The children’s eyes brightened at sight of the dolls, but the cookies -seemed to please them even more.</p> - -<p>“May we each have one now?” Betty pleaded. “It’s been ages since we’ve -had anything good to eat!”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Stone gave each of the children a chocolate brownie. The cookies -disappeared almost in one bite. When the girls saw how hungry the Stone -youngsters were, they were sorry they had not brought more food.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Stone, if you have no objection, we’ll bring you a goose or a -turkey for your Christmas dinner,” Miss Gordon offered impulsively. -“Grandmother Gordon has a large flock.”</p> - -<p>At mention of Mrs. Gordon’s name a very queer expression came over Mrs. -Stone’s face.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">166</a></span> -“Are—are you sure—” she began, and then finished quickly: “We’ll be -most grateful, Miss Gordon. My husband hasn’t worked for several weeks, -and he’s had bad luck with his traps. Except for your generosity, the -children would have had no Christmas.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll be back,” Miss Gordon assured her. “Now we must run along, for -the snow is coming down faster by the minute.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Stone did not urge the Brownies to remain, for she too was alarmed -by the increasing intensity of the storm.</p> - -<p>Trooping out of the warm cabin, the girls were met by a blast of -sub-zero wind which nearly swept them from their feet.</p> - -<p>“O-o-oh!” squealed Veve. “This is awful! It’s a lot worse than it was!”</p> - -<p>“The wind has risen a little,” Miss Gordon admitted, “and we must face -it all the way to the farm. Duck your heads into your mufflers and -follow me single file.”</p> - -<p>By going ahead, Miss Gordon broke the wind for the girls, making it -easier for them to walk. However, the trail they had made only a few -minutes before from the roadway to the Stone cabin, already had been -swept away. They had to weave in and out to avoid the larger drifts.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">167</a></span> -“Wait!” cried Veve just as the girls reached the road.</p> - -<p>Everyone paused, wondering why she had called out.</p> - -<p>“I’ve lost my mittens!” Veve informed the group. “I—I guess I left -than on the table in Mrs. Stone’s kitchen.”</p> - -<p>“The little kitten has lost its mitten,” mocked Jane. Snow was biting -into her face, making her out of sorts.</p> - -<p>“I—I didn’t notice about the mittens because I had my hands in my -pockets when we left the house,” Veve mumbled. “Now my hands are simply -freezing. I’ll run back and get them.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll freeze solid if we stand here and wait!” grumbled Jane. “Can’t -you go without your old mittens?”</p> - -<p>“No. Veve will need them before we get home,” Miss Gordon said before -the little girl could reply.</p> - -<p>“I’ll go back with her,” Connie offered quickly. “It won’t take long. -The rest of you walk on and we’ll catch up.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t like to separate in this storm,” said Miss Gordon. “But then, -you can’t mistake the way if you keep to the road. We’ll walk slowly -until you catch up.”</p> - -<p>With the wind to their backs again, Connie and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">168</a></span> Veve made a fast trip -to the Stone cabin. The mittens were on the kitchen table just where -Veve had dropped them.</p> - -<p>On their way once more, it seemed to the two girls, that the storm was -the worst one of their experience. With Miss Gordon and the others not -there to break the wind, it hurled itself full force against them.</p> - -<p>“I can’t see anything!” Connie cried as the snow pelted and stung her -face.</p> - -<p>“Neither can I,” screamed Veve above the howl of the wind. “Where are -the Brownies?”</p> - -<p>The girls could not see anyone ahead—only a slanting, blinding wall of -driven snow. Even the road was blotted from view though they knew where -it was situated.</p> - -<p>“Come on!” gasped Connie. “We’ll catch up if we hurry.”</p> - -<p>Haste however, was impossible. The wind snatched their breath and -tore at their clothing. Once Connie plunged through a large drift up -to her shoulders. Snow went down her neck, making her colder and more -uncomfortable than ever.</p> - -<p>“Where is the road?” she demanded. “Oughtn’t we to have come to it -before this?”</p> - -<p>“I think I see it over there,” said Veve, pointing to the left.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">169</a></span> -“But our road was to the right. Or am I mixed up? Oh, dear!”</p> - -<p>“It’s a road,” insisted Veve.</p> - -<p>The girls struggled on, and soon reached the narrow thoroughfare, lined -on either side by an arching wall of frozen bushes.</p> - -<p>“I can’t see the Brownies,” said Connie anxiously.</p> - -<p>“That’s because the snow is coming down so fast, Connie. They can’t be -very far ahead. Let’s run and maybe we’ll catch up.”</p> - -<p>At a dog-trot, the pair started down the winding road. Before they had -gone very far they had to slow down to a walk again. By now their hands -and faces tingled with cold and their ears were beginning to hurt. It -was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.</p> - -<p>“Does it seem to you we’re going the right direction?” Connie asked -after a while. “What if we turned the wrong way when we left the Stone -cabin?”</p> - -<p>Veve had been worried about the same thing, but had not wanted to admit -it.</p> - -<p>“This must be right,” she argued. “Miss Gordon said we couldn’t lose -our way if we followed the road.”</p> - -<p>“But it doesn’t look like the same road. We’re climbing as if we were -starting up a hill!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">170</a></span> -“Didn’t we come down one on our way to the Stone cabin?” Veve asked in -a frightened voice.</p> - -<p>“Not that I remember. This road is so narrow too. The one we followed -was wide enough for cars to pass easily.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe we went the wrong direction after we reached the road, Connie.”</p> - -<p>Connie stopped and reached for Veve’s mittened hand. “It’s worse than -that,” she said. “This isn’t the same road.”</p> - -<p>“But it <em>has</em> to be,” wailed Veve, ducking behind her friend to escape -the harsh wind.</p> - -<p>“There was another road a long ways off from the Stone cottage,” -Connie said, thinking hard. “I remember noticing it that first day we -went past there. It was just a side road and I think led close to Mr. -Jeffert’s evergreen farm.”</p> - -<p>“If we could get there, we could find our way,” Veve said hopefully. -“Or should we start back to the Stone cabin and ask Mrs. Stone how to -get home?”</p> - -<p>“I’m not even sure we could find the cabin now,” Connie admitted. “This -hateful snow hides everything.”</p> - -<p>“Then what shall we do?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s keep on a little ways farther and see if the road leads to Mr. -Jeffert’s farm.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</a></span> -On the girls trudged, becoming more discouraged by the minute.</p> - -<p>“Listen!” cried Connie suddenly.</p> - -<p>From up the hill, they heard the muffled roar of a motor. A truck was -bearing toward them.</p> - -<p>“Someone’s coming!” Veve shouted. “Let’s ask for a ride, or at least -find out how to get to the Gordon farm.”</p> - -<p>Stepping to the side of the road, but not so far away that they would -not be seen, the girls waited for the truck to draw near. Soon it -loomed up through the wall of blinding snow.</p> - -<p>The truck was carrying a load of freshly cut evergreens.</p> - -<p>“Yell, or he won’t stop!” Connie directed.</p> - -<p>Both girls moved out into the road, waving their arms, and yelling for -the truck driver to pick them up. He did apply brakes, and peer briefly -at them from the cab. Then he drove past.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how mean!” cried Veve, staring after the disappearing truck. “He -saw us, and deliberately wouldn’t stop!”</p> - -<p>“It was Felix Gossart too,” added Connie, who had seen his face quite -clearly for an instant. “He had a load of evergreens. I wonder—maybe -they were Mr. Jeffert’s trees!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</a></span> -“Trees he stole?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Jeffert went to Goshen with Grandfather Gordon,” said Connie, -thinking aloud. “It would be a good chance for someone to take the -trees. Only of course we don’t know that Mr. Gossart would do such a -thing.”</p> - -<p>“He’s mean or he would have picked us up,” Veve insisted. She shook -snow from her hood and huddled close to her friend. “Oh, Connie, I’m -cold and we’re lost! What are we going to do now?”</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_13" id="chapter_13"></a><small>CHAPTER 13</small><br /> -Lost in the Blizzard</h2> - -<p class="noi">CONNIE scarcely knew what to do. The storm seemed to be getting worse, -for snow came down faster and the wind was rising.</p> - -<p>“Maybe another car or truck will come along,” she said hopefully.</p> - -<p>“We can’t stand here and freeze,” shivered Veve. “I think this is a -side road. Mr. Gossart’s truck may be the only one to drive past today.”</p> - -<p>Connie knew that Veve depended upon her to make a decision. While they -might keep on walking, she could not be sure the road would lead to Mr. -Jeffert’s farm.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go back,” she decided.</p> - -<p>The wind howled in their ears and seemed to come from every direction. -Snow stung their faces. Never before had the two girls been so -miserable and cold.</p> - -<p>“Why can’t we see the Stone cabin?” Veve whimpered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</a></span> -From the road the dwelling was nowhere to be seen. The driving, -swirling curtain of white had blotted out the entire landscape, making -everything appear strange.</p> - -<p>“Are we walking the right direction?” Veve asked after a few minutes. -“It didn’t seem to me we followed the road this far before.”</p> - -<p>“I’m all mixed up,” Connie admitted, turning around so that the wind -would strike her back instead of her face. She was frightened, but did -not want Veve to know.</p> - -<p>The snowflakes were smaller now, hard and sharp as needles. They pelted -the girls from every direction, and the wind seized their breath.</p> - -<p>“I see something ahead!” gasped Connie a moment later.</p> - -<p>She hoped it might be a car, but instead it proved to be a small bridge -which arched over a frozen creek.</p> - -<p>“We never passed this before,” said Veve in despair. “Oh, Connie, we’re -truly lost!”</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon will be worried about us too!” Connie added. “Oh, dear!”</p> - -<p>When the girls reached the bridge, it seemed to them they could not -walk another foot.</p> - -<p>“Let’s stop under the bridge and rest,” proposed Veve.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</a></span> -“All right,” agreed Connie. “But we won’t dare stand still very long.” -She had heard that in severe blizzards persons sometimes froze to death.</p> - -<p>Under the bridge, the girls were protected from the wind and snow, but -not the intense cold. Connie’s fingers and toes ached, while Veve was -certain her nose already was frozen. Huddling together for warmth, they -tried to decide what to do.</p> - -<p>Now, although the girls were unaware of it, help already was close at -hand. Clem Stone, who had been out looking at his traps, came tramping -along the frozen creek. He saw the two half-frozen children even before -they heard his approach.</p> - -<p>“Well, what’s this?” he called out in astonishment.</p> - -<p>Just then the girls did not know that the man was Mr. Stone. He wore -a cap with ear muffs and a heavy mackinaw. His feet were protected by -heavy shoes which came nearly to his knees.</p> - -<p>“Oh, mister! Please tell us where we are!” Connie cried as she caught -sight of the trapper. “We think we’re lost.”</p> - -<p>“You’re cold,” observed Mr. Stone, staring at the two girls. “Now tell -me your names and where you live.”</p> - -<p>Connie told him that she and Veve were staying at the Gordon farmhouse -and had become separated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</a></span> from their friends after leaving the Stone -cabin.</p> - -<p>“Why, that’s my place!” exclaimed the trapper. “You’re not far from -there now, or the main road. Just follow me.”</p> - -<p>Connie and Veve no longer were worried because they were confident Mr. -Stone would take care of them. Hustling them along at a brisk pace, he -went ahead to break the wind and snow. Walking was hard work, but much -easier than it had been before.</p> - -<p>Connie asked the trapper what road they were on.</p> - -<p>“Just a little side cut that runs up to Mr. Jeffert’s evergreen farm. -The main road is across the field to the left. We’ll soon be there.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Stone helped the girls over a fence, and aided them whenever they -had to plunge through especially large drifts.</p> - -<p>“This is a real blizzard—no mistake,” he said once. “If it keeps on -until morning, all the roads will be closed.”</p> - -<p>Soon Mr. Stone and the girls reached the main road.</p> - -<p>“Thank you very much,” Connie told him gratefully. “We’ll be all right -now.”</p> - -<p>But Mr. Stone would not permit them to go on alone.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</a></span> -“Not in this storm,” he said. “I’ll see that you get safely to the -Gordon farm.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Stone walked a trifle too fast for the girls, who had to run a -bit to keep up with him. However, they discovered that the brisk pace -restored their circulation and made them feel much warmer.</p> - -<p>Unexpectedly, the trapper halted to listen. He had heard an unusual -sound.</p> - -<p>“What was that?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>The cry, “Yoo-ho-ho-yoo-ho!” resounded from far down the road. Connie -knew instantly what it was.</p> - -<p>“That’s our Brownie cry!” she shouted. “Miss Gordon must be looking for -us.”</p> - -<p>Connie gave an answering call. Then Mr. Stone and the two girls -hastened on to meet the Brownie troop leader.</p> - -<p>Soon they glimpsed her coming toward them through the slanting sheet of -snow. Covered from hood to toe, she looked like a white ghost.</p> - -<p>“Connie! Veve!” she exclaimed, giving them each a hug. “We’ve been so -worried about you! I was afraid you were lost.”</p> - -<p>“We were afraid we were too,” laughed Connie. “Mr. Stone found us.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon thanked the man for guiding the girls to the road, and -assured him she would now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</a></span> have no difficulty in escorting them on to -the Gordon farm. The other Brownies, she explained, already were there, -as a friendly neighbor had overtaken and picked them up in his sleigh.</p> - -<p>“I came back alone to find you girls,” she told Connie and Veve. “Dear -me, I never dreamed the storm would become so severe.”</p> - -<p>Saying good-bye to Mr. Stone, the girls started on down the road with -the Brownie leader. They wanted to tell Miss Gordon about seeing Mr. -Gossart with the load of evergreens, but decided the story must wait. -Walking took all their breath, making it too hard to talk.</p> - -<p>Now at Grandmother Gordon’s home, all the Brownies were very worried -about Connie, Veve and Miss Gordon. When finally, they saw them -stumbling across the yard, they were waiting joyfully at the kitchen -door.</p> - -<p>Grateful for the warmth of the house, the three stomped in to shed -their snow-covered garments. Grandmother Gordon had Veve and Connie sit -in front of the stove with their feet toasting in the oven.</p> - -<p>She served hot broth to everyone. After being out so long in the cold, -it tasted good and made the Brownies feel warm through and through.</p> - -<p>“I’m worried about Grandfather and Mr. Jeffert,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</a></span> said Miss Gordon. “I -wonder if they will try to drive back from Goshen in this frightful -blizzard?”</p> - -<p>“I hope they decide to remain in town,” Grandmother Gordon replied, -noticing that the kitchen windows were starting to freeze over from the -inside. “But if they do, we may have a difficult time of it here.”</p> - -<p>“The stock must be fed,” nodded Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“And our wood supply soon will be low. As for groceries, we have enough -of sorts, but tomorrow is the day before Christmas. I had planned to do -my cooking and baking for the Christmas feast.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies felt rather discouraged when they heard this conversation. -Their parents were due to arrive the following night, and they wondered -if the storm might prevent them from coming.</p> - -<p>“Now children, don’t worry,” said Grandmother Gordon when she noticed -the gloomy faces. “I’m sure Grandpa Gordon will drive home tonight if -it’s at all possible.”</p> - -<p>Even as she spoke the telephone rang. Three long jingles and two short -ones. That was the Gordon’s call.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon went quickly to answer it. She talked a few minutes and -then came back to the kitchen where the Brownies awaited her anxiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</a></span> -“It was Grandfather Gordon,” she revealed. “He telephoned from Goshen.”</p> - -<p>“From Goshen?” repeated Miss Gordon. “Then he isn’t coming home -tonight.”</p> - -<p>“He can’t,” said Grandmother Gordon. “The blizzard is very bad there. -Already the main road is closed, and there’s no telling when a work -crew will have it opened up again.”</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_14" id="chapter_14"></a><small>CHAPTER 14</small><br /> -Snowbound</h2> - -<p class="noi">ON the morrow, the Brownies awoke to find the house uncomfortably cold. -Connie put on her slippers and robe and ran to the window to see if -snow still fell.</p> - -<p>The pane was completely frosted over in lacelike patterns. She could -not see outside.</p> - -<p>“I’m staying in bed,” announced Veve, snuggling deeper down into the -covers.</p> - -<p>“You’re getting up,” contradicted her roommate. “Grandfather Gordon -isn’t here, so there’ll be lots and lots of work to do.”</p> - -<p>“Today’s the day before Christmas,” mumbled Veve, still drowsy with -sleep. “If Mother doesn’t come—”</p> - -<p>“Of course she’ll come. All our parents will! Now stop sniveling.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not sniveling,” Veve denied. “And just tell me how you think our -parents can get here when the roads are closed! Grandfather Gordon is -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</a></span> Goshen, and our folks are due to arrive at Deerford.”</p> - -<p>“They’ll find some way to get here. Wait and see.” Connie spoke -confidently, but at that time she had not seen the wind-swept road.</p> - -<p>A little later, when she and Veve went downstairs, they caught a -glimpse of the highway and yard through a window over the landing. Snow -no longer fell, but a sharp wind had raised mammoth drifts during the -night.</p> - -<p>Not only was the road blocked in places, but similar mounds of snow -isolated the house from the barn and outbuildings.</p> - -<p>When Connie opened the front door onto the porch, an avalanche of snow -tumbled in on the rug. All she could see was a wall of white.</p> - -<p>“We’re desperately short of wood, and I don’t know how to get more,” -said Mrs. Gordon, who was baking pancakes. Only a few sticks were left -in the nearby box.</p> - -<p>“Can’t the Brownies shovel a path to the woodpile?” asked Connie. She -wanted to help.</p> - -<p>“We can try, but the drifts are deep. There’s the stock to feed too. If -only the work crews would clear the roads with the snowplow!”</p> - -<p>The Brownies wore their sweaters at breakfast,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</a></span> for although a fire -still burned in the kitchen and on the living room hearth, cold kept -creeping in.</p> - -<p>Outdoors, the sun was bright but had no warmth. Wind kept howling about -the corners of the old house.</p> - -<p>Before the breakfast dishes were washed, Mrs. Gordon tried to telephone -to Goshen. She learned then that the weight of snow and ice had broken -the wire.</p> - -<p>“Now that our telephone service is gone we’re completely isolated,” she -declared. “Snowbound.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon and the Brownie troop leader talked quietly together, -deciding what must be done. They knew that in another hour or two, all -the wood would be gone.</p> - -<p>“If necessary, we can burn the furniture,” Mrs. Gordon decided. “I -would hate to do it, though.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon and the Brownies thought they might be able to shovel a -path to the woodpile. All they had to work with was a coal shovel, for -the regular snow shovel had been left at the barn.</p> - -<p>Taking turns, they dug and dug. It was hard, slow work. After an hour -of shoveling, they had not cleared a path even a third of the way.</p> - -<p>“We’ll never be done at this rate,” said Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</a></span> -Just then, she and the Brownies heard a shrill whistle. Miss Gordon -lifted Connie up on her shoulders, so she could see above the top of -the drift to the barn.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s Mr. Stone!” she shouted.</p> - -<p>The man had snowshoed across the fields and now was shoveling away a -drift which blocked the barn door.</p> - -<p>“Hi, there!” he called. “Need help here?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, we do!” Connie shouted in return. “Grandfather Gordon is gone, -and we’re almost out of wood.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll feed the stock, and then shovel a path to meet yours,” Mr. Stone -called. “Cheerio!”</p> - -<p>Just to know that help was near greatly relieved the minds of Miss -Gordon and the Brownies. They shoveled faster, making the snow fly. -Some of it tumbled back into the path, but they laughed and shouted and -did not mind.</p> - -<p>Within another hour, the Brownies’ path joined the one Mr. Stone had -made.</p> - -<p>“Hi! Ho!” he greeted the girls. “I’ve fed the stock, and now I’ll make -a side path to the woodpile. You run back to the house and warm your -toes.”</p> - -<p>“How are the roads?” Miss Gordon inquired anxiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</a></span> -“Still blocked. The snowplows can’t do much until the snow stops -drifting.”</p> - -<p>“And how is everyone at your place?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Stone hesitated a moment and then said with forced cheerfulness: -“Oh, fine! We have plenty of wood to keep the cabin warm.”</p> - -<p>“And food?”</p> - -<p>“We’re somewhat short,” Mr. Stone admitted briefly. As if afraid Miss -Gordon would ask him other questions, he picked up his shovel and -hastened off down the cleared path toward the barn.</p> - -<p>Returning to the house to warm themselves, Miss Gordon talked matters -over with the Brownies and Mrs. Gordon. Although supplies were short, -they knew that the <a name="Stone" id="Stone"></a><ins title="Original has stone">Stone</ins> family had even less to eat.</p> - -<p>“We can’t let the children go hungry,” declared Connie earnestly.</p> - -<p>“That’s the way I feel about it,” said Miss Gordon. “On the other hand, -the roads may be closed several days. If we share our supplies with -the Stones, it means a sacrifice. We’ll have a very drab Christmas Day -dinner.”</p> - -<p>“Who cares?” demanded Sunny.</p> - -<p>“Not I,” sang out Eileen.</p> - -<p>“I vote that we share our food with the Stones,” added Rosemary, and -Jane nodded agreement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</a></span> -Veve did <a name="not" id="not"></a><ins title="Original has ont">not</ins> say anything, for as she was not a Brownie, she -felt she had no right to vote.</p> - -<p>“I’ll prepare a basket immediately,” Grandmother Gordon said. “I must -check my supplies to see what we have left.”</p> - -<p>By the time Mr. Stone came to the house with an armload of wood, the -basket of food was ready. At first, he did not want to accept it, -because he thought Mrs. Gordon would not have enough left for her brood -of Brownies.</p> - -<p>“Now don’t you worry about that, Mr. Stone,” she reassured him. “We’ll -manage.”</p> - -<p>Although Mrs. Gordon felt grateful to the man for feeding the stock and -shoveling so much snow, she had not changed her mind one whit about -Mrs. Stone. However, she could not bear to think of the family going -hungry.</p> - -<p>After Mr. Stone had gone, the Brownies had luncheon. Though the meal -was a rather skimpy one, no one complained. Nevertheless, the Brownies -felt increasingly blue, knowing that with the roads blocked they were -unlikely to see their parents on Christmas.</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose they’ll come to Deerford and just wait there?” Connie -speculated. “Or will they decide not to leave Rosedale?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</a></span> -Miss Gordon had no satisfactory answer for either of the questions. -With the telephone still out of service, it was impossible to call the -Deerford station or Mr. Gordon, who had remained at Goshen.</p> - -<p>After the luncheon dishes were washed and put away, the Brownies, for -the first time since they had arrived at the farm, did not know how to -occupy their time.</p> - -<p>It was too cold to play outside. In any case, the only place they could -go was through the long trench of snow to the barn and the woodpile.</p> - -<p>“If the attic isn’t too chilly, why not explore there again?” suggested -Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, let’s!” cried Eileen. “May we dress up in the old clothes?”</p> - -<p>“Use anything you like,” replied Grandmother Gordon.</p> - -<p>The unheated attic was too cold for comfortable play. However, the -girls made their selection of clothes and carried them down to the -living room by the hearth.</p> - -<p>Veve chose a short red skirt, a lace blouse and high button shoes. -Eileen found a tight fitting black velvet gown and a tiny feathered -hat which gave her the appearance of having stepped out of a very old -picture book.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">188</a></span> -Connie put on Mrs. Gordon’s lavender silk wedding gown. The full, -ruffled skirt swished delightfully as she paraded up and down the -carpet.</p> - -<p>“How that dress brings back memories,” remarked Mrs. Gordon, thoroughly -enjoying the show the girls were putting on. “The silk has held up all -these years. One can’t buy such material these days.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s have a style show,” proposed Connie. “I’ll lead off.”</p> - -<p>“And I’ll provide the orchestra,” laughed Miss Gordon, seating herself -at the old organ.</p> - -<p>Connie pranced across the living room in her best imitation of a -department store model. All the Brownies clapped and laughed.</p> - -<p>“Now it’s Jane’s turn,” declared Connie. Just then her nose tickled, -and without thinking she reached into the pocket of Grandma Gordon’s -wedding dress for a handkerchief.</p> - -<p>Of course, there was no handkerchief in the pocket, but she did feel -something small and round and hard.</p> - -<p>“Why, what is this?” she said, pulling it out.</p> - -<p><a name="front" id="front"></a>In her hand she held a golden locket on a chain.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gordon saw the trinket and uttered a startled cry. “My locket!” -she exclaimed. “It’s the one I lost!”</p> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">189</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_15" id="chapter_15"></a><small>CHAPTER 15</small><br /> -Grandmother Gordon’s Locket</h2> - -<p class="noi">ALL the Brownies and Veve clustered about Connie to see the locket -which she had found in the pocket of the silk wedding dress. Inside -were the pictures of Grandmother and Grandfather Gordon, taken on the -day of their marriage.</p> - -<p>“So this is the locket you were certain Mrs. Stone took?” Miss Gordon -asked teasingly. “It seems Grandfather was right after all.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear, I’m heartily ashamed of myself,” Grandmother Gordon -apologized. “I never should have blamed Mrs. Stone. I realize now what -must have happened.”</p> - -<p>“After you showed her the locket that day in the kitchen, you dropped -it into your pocket and forgot the matter entirely.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that must have been what happened,” agreed Mrs. Gordon. “After -the wedding anniversary celebration, I packed the gown into the attic -trunk and never looked at it again.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">190</a></span> -“And all these long years, you misjudged poor Mrs. Stone.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’m afraid I did,” Mrs. Gordon sighed. “But you may be sure I’ll -make it up to her. I’ll ask her to work for me again, and I’ll see that -the children have more things. Oh, I’m ashamed of myself! Had it not -been for Connie and the Brownies, I might never have learned the truth.”</p> - -<p>Now Connie felt very happy to think that she had been credited with -clearing up the misunderstanding between Grandmother Gordon and Mrs. -Stone. She knew too, that recovery of the gold locket meant a great -deal to her.</p> - -<p>Throughout the day, with plenty of firewood available, the house was -kept quite comfortable. The girls made repeated trips to the attic, -sorting out clothing which could be sent to the Stone children.</p> - -<p>Wind rattled the windows and cold crept in at the cracks. After a quick -foray in the attic, the Brownies were grateful for the warmth of the -downstairs fire.</p> - -<p>“I hope our wood holds out,” Grandmother Gordon said anxiously. “And -our food.”</p> - -<p>Although the Brownies were glad to share their meager supplies with the -Stones, they knew that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">191</a></span> stock of provisions rapidly was running -lower and lower.</p> - -<p>However, everyone was hopeful that somehow Grandfather Gordon would get -home with the bobsled.</p> - -<p>“The sun is shining,” Connie observed cheerfully as the day wore on.</p> - -<p>“And the wind is dying,” added Jane, scraping a patch of frost from the -window pane so that she could look outdoors.</p> - -<p>By late afternoon everyone was encouraged to see that the snow no -longer drifted. Nevertheless, huge mountains of it remained piled up -near the porches and in the yard. Slowly the thermometer began to climb.</p> - -<p>“The big plow should come through soon and open up the main roads,” -declared Mrs. Gordon. “I do believe luck will be with us for Christmas -after all.”</p> - -<p>Her words brought good cheer to the Brownies. Gathering in the living -room, they drove the blues away with several rousing songs.</p> - -<p>“Here comes the snowplow!” Veve suddenly shouted.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies rushed to the window to see the welcome sight. The -plow swept past on the main<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">192</a></span> road, throwing up tall ridges of powdery -snow on either side.</p> - -<p>“Grandfather Gordon and Mr. Jeffert should be able to get through now,” -declared Miss Gordon in relief.</p> - -<p>Her prediction proved entirely right. Almost on the heels of the big -plow came the two men, their sled loaded with groceries and Christmas -packages.</p> - -<p>Stomping into the kitchen, Mr. Jeffert and Grandfather Gordon brushed -snow from their overcoats. Then they related astonishing news.</p> - -<p>“What do you know!” declared Mr. Jeffert, rocking back on his heels as -he warmed himself by the kitchen stove. “After trying for two years to -learn who has been stealing evergreens from my farm, I’ve caught the -fellow!”</p> - -<p>“You’ve caught the thief!” Connie exclaimed in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Rather, the storm did,” Mr. Jeffert corrected.</p> - -<p>“Who is the man, and where did you take him?” demanded Jane, all ears -for the story.</p> - -<p>“I should have said I know his name,” Mr. Jeffert amended. “Police are -looking for him now, so it’s only a matter of hours until they place -him under arrest.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">193</a></span> -“Who is the man?” asked Connie. “Not Mr. Stone?”</p> - -<p>“No, I know now that he had nothing to do with it.”</p> - -<p>“Do tell us his name,” pleaded Sunny impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Felix Gossart.”</p> - -<p>“The man who has the farm next to yours!” exclaimed Connie.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it’s strange that I never once suspected him. He would much -rather earn his money dishonestly than by hard work.”</p> - -<p>Now Veve and Connie were startled to hear that Mr. Gossart was the -guilty party, for they recalled that he was the same man who had -refused to give them a ride during the blizzard.</p> - -<p>“How did you find out it was Mr. Gossart?” asked Connie curiously.</p> - -<p>“His truck loaded with evergreens stalled in a big snowdrift about four -miles from here,” Mr. Jeffert revealed. “When he failed to get through, -he abandoned the load and set off afoot.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Jeffert was able to identify the trees as his, so he swore out a -warrant for Gossart’s arrest,” added Grandfather Gordon.</p> - -<p>As soon as they were warm, the men brought in all the boxes of -groceries from the bobsled, and unhitched<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">194</a></span> the horses. With ample -supplies now on hand, Grandmother Gordon began at once to make plans -for Christmas.</p> - -<p>“We’ll invite the entire Stone family here for a holiday feast,” she -declared. “Grandfather, as soon as you can, you must take some things -to their cabin, and extend the invitation.”</p> - -<p>“And what about our parents?” Eileen asked anxiously. “Will they get -here for Christmas Day?”</p> - -<p>Now that was the question which no one could answer.</p> - -<p>“We should know quite soon,” said Grandfather Gordon. “The telephone -lines still are down, so I can’t call the Deerford station.”</p> - -<p>“How are the trains running?” inquired Grandmother Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Probably about two hours behind schedule,” replied Mr. Gordon. “I’ll -drive to town and find out.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s finish decorating the house and make our plans exactly as if we -were certain everyone will get here,” proposed Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>The Brownies went to work with a will. They helped Grandmother Gordon -clean the entire house, polish the silver and put extra boards in the -dining room table.</p> - -<p>Although they could not be certain their parents<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">195</a></span> ever would arrive to -see the beautiful decorations, they hung gold stars in the windows.</p> - -<p>A large holly wreath was tacked on the front door. Candles were placed -in every room, ready for instant lighting.</p> - -<p>Late in the afternoon, a sleigh with gay bells jingling drove up to -the door. Out stepped a white-bearded man. Behind him he dragged a -Christmas tree, cut evergreen branches, and an array of packages.</p> - -<p>“Santa Claus has arrived!” shouted Veve from the window.</p> - -<p>“It’s Mr. Jeffert,” laughed Connie, “He’s bringing our Christmas tree.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Jeffert could not stay long, but he helped the Brownies set up the -tree in the living room. Its tall tip nearly brushed the ceiling.</p> - -<p>“What are all these packages?” Eileen asked curiously, as Mr. Jeffert -dropped them at the base of the tree.</p> - -<p>“Oh, just a few doo-dads for the Brownies,” laughed Mr. Jeffert. “I -bought them while I was in Goshen. No fair peeking until tomorrow -though.”</p> - -<p>After the owner of the evergreen farm had driven away in his sleigh, -the girls trimmed the tree with shiny colored balls, tinsel and -artificial snowballs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">196</a></span> -On the mantel above the fireplace and along the window sills they -arranged spruce and balsam boughs. Finally they could not think of -another thing to do.</p> - -<p>“Now we’re all ready for Christmas,” declared Rosemary. “But if our -parents don’t come, it won’t be much fun.”</p> - -<p>The day wore on and no word was received from Deerford. Lamps were -lighted and still Grandfather Gordon failed to return.</p> - -<p>“It’s hours past train time,” declared Mrs. Gordon uneasily. “Either -the train is very late or Grandfather has had trouble on the road.”</p> - -<p>Connie had gone to the window to peer out again. She could not see the -road, but she thought she could hear the soft thud of horses hoofs in -the snow.</p> - -<p>“Listen!” she cried.</p> - -<p>The other Brownies rushed to the windows. Jane was the first to see the -sled.</p> - -<p>“Grandfather Gordon is coming!” she shouted.</p> - -<p>The Brownies strained their eyes to pierce the shadows. Was Mr. Gordon -alone, or had he brought their parents from the station?</p> - -<p>“They’re here! They’re here!” cried Connie.</p> - -<p>The sled had pulled up near the shoveled path, and the grownups began -to alight. Seeing her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">197</a></span> mother and father, Rosemary forgot how cold -it was outside, and dashed out to fling herself into the arms of her -parents.</p> - -<p>Close behind, came all the other Brownies, laughing and shouting from -sheer happiness. All the parents had come, including Veve’s mother.</p> - -<p>“Let’s get inside before the Brownies freeze,” urged Miss Gordon. “We -were so afraid you might not arrive in time for Christmas.”</p> - -<p>Connie’s mother explained that the train had been nearly four hours -late due to the blizzard. However, all the parents had decided to make -the journey, knowing that their daughters would be disappointed if they -failed to arrive for Christmas Day.</p> - -<p>“It will be a wonderful Christmas now!” declared Connie, and all the -Brownies agreed.</p> - -<p>Now the parents had brought with them many mysterious-looking packages -of all shapes and sizes. These they whisked out of sight to their -rooms, but the Brownies knew well enough they were to see those same -packages on the morrow.</p> - -<p>“This is the very nicest holiday I ever had,” declared Eileen dreamily. -“But I hate to think it soon will be over.”</p> - -<p>According to plan, the Brownies, their parents, and Stone family, were -to enjoy a big Christmas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">198</a></span> dinner at the Gordon home. Then, after the -day had ended, the Brownies and their folks would take a night train -back to Rosedale.</p> - -<p>“Tonight will be our last one here,” said Connie, stooping to pick up a -silver paper which had fallen from the Christmas tree. “I wish it never -would end.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have a grand time tomorrow,” Miss Gordon promised. “And don’t -forget the plans we Brownies will make after we’re home! Summer is -coming, you know, and we might decide on a camping expedition!”</p> - -<p>“The Brownies are going to camp next summer?” Sunny demanded -breathlessly. “Oh, that would be fun!”</p> - -<p>“We mustn’t count on it too far ahead,” the troop leader warned. -“However, you girls have proved to my satisfaction that you’re highly -responsible and dependable. So, who knows?”</p> - -<p>Even a hint of what lay in store, thrilled the girls and made them glad -they were Brownies. Now, as it developed, the troop did go to camp the -following summer, a story which is related in the second volume of this -series, entitled: “The Brownie Scouts in the Circus.”</p> - -<p>And for boys, also interested in camp life and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">199</a></span> out-of-doors, there -is a book called: “Dan Carter, Cub Scout.”</p> - -<p>However, with snows banked deep about the Gordon farm, the Brownies -were thinking more about Christmas than of what they would do the -following summer.</p> - -<p>Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time now that the parents had -arrived—everyone, that is, except Veve.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon noticed that the little girl did not join in the singing -and that she looked quite downcast.</p> - -<p>“Why, Veve,” she said, “is anything wrong?”</p> - -<p>Veve shook her head and tried to smile, but instead only managed to -twist up the corners of her mouth.</p> - -<p>“You’re not sad because we’re leaving the farm?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve had a fine time here,” said Veve, looking down at her hands and -avoiding Miss Gordon’s direct gaze. “It’s just—just that the other -girls—”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Veve?”</p> - -<p>“They’ve been awfully nice to me. Only—only—I don’t belong.”</p> - -<p>“You’re not a Brownie, you mean?”</p> - -<p>Veve nodded miserably and a tear trickled down her left cheek. Angrily, -she brushed it away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">200</a></span> -“I never do things right like the other girls,” she mumbled. “I try and -try, but I keep on making stupid mistakes.”</p> - -<p>“We all do, Veve.”</p> - -<p>“Not the Brownies. They’re dependable and reliable—and they’re going -camping next summer!”</p> - -<p>“Why, Veve, I didn’t know you wanted to be a Brownie. I thought you -considered the organization rather silly.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t know anything about the Brownies then. But now the girls -wouldn’t have me. I’ve made so many mistakes, like losing my luggage -check and forgetting my mittens.”</p> - -<p>“The girls like you very much, Veve,” said Miss Gordon kindly. She was -pleased that the little girl finally had decided she would like to be a -member of the scout organization.</p> - -<p>The troop leader said no more about the matter just then. However, a -little later she called the Brownies together for a quiet talk. All of -the girls said they would like to have Veve join the organization.</p> - -<p>“Then let’s have the investiture ceremony tonight,” proposed Miss -Gordon. “Your parents will enjoy watching it, and Veve will have the -fun of becoming a Brownie before we leave Snow Valley.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">201</a></span> -Without telling Veve what they were doing, the girls prepared -Grandmother Gordon’s parlor for the initiation.</p> - -<p>In the center of the room, by use of a circular mirror, they -constructed a fairy pool. When everything was in readiness, the girls -seated themselves in a horseshoe pattern around it.</p> - -<p>Then Miss Gordon sought Veve and asked her if she would like to join -the Brownie Scouts and be initiated that very night.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes!” cried Veve, her eyes sparkling like stars.</p> - -<p>“Then knock on the door of the parlor,” Miss Gordon directed.</p> - -<p>Veve went to the closed door and tapped twice.</p> - -<p>“Who comes to the fairy wood?” called Connie from within.</p> - -<p>Veve answered with her name.</p> - -<p>“What do you want?” inquired Connie. “Would you like to be a Brownie?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, please!”</p> - -<p>“Why do you want to be a Brownie?”</p> - -<p>“Because Brownies are so dependable,” answered Veve soberly. “Because -more than anything in the world, I want to be a Brownie.”</p> - -<p>Connie turned to the other girls who were waiting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">202</a></span> in the -candle-lighted room. “Shall we let Veve in?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes!” chorused the Brownies.</p> - -<p>Veve was bidden to enter.</p> - -<p>“Close your eyes,” instructed Connie, leading her to the fairy pool. -Placing a cap with a dancing Brownie emblem on Veve’s head, she turned -her twice around so that she stood in front of the mirror.</p> - -<p>Next she told her to bend down and to repeat the verse which began:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="verse"> -<div class="line">‘Twist me and turn me and show me the Elf,</div> -<div class="line">I looked into the pool—’</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Veve spoke the words slowly and as she gazed down into the mirror -beheld a Brownie peering up at her.</p> - -<p>“‘And saw <em>myself</em>!’” she finished the rhyme.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies gathered around and repeated the Promise:</p> - -<p>“‘<em>I promise to do my best to love God and my country, to help other -people every day, especially those at home.</em>’”</p> - -<p>“Now you’re a full-fledged Brownie, Veve,” declared Miss Gordon. “You -must remember always to be courteous, kind, helpful and fair.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I will, I will!” promised Veve.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">203</a></span> -“Veve is our Christmas Brownie,” laughed Connie, happy that her friend -at last was a member of the organization.</p> - -<p>“Now that I’m a Brownie, am I entitled to know all the secrets?” asked -Veve.</p> - -<p>“Of course!” Sunny told her.</p> - -<p>“Then what does DYB mean?”</p> - -<p>“DYB?” repeated Jane, laughing. “Why, ‘Do Your Best,’ of course.”</p> - -<p>“We use the first letter of each word,” explained Eileen. “For -instance, LAH means ‘Lend A Hand.’”</p> - -<p>“And that’s exactly what I will do,” declared Veve earnestly. “I’ve had -a wonderful time at Snow Valley and the very best part is that I’m a -real Brownie!”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have grand times at Rosedale too,” promised Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>In the dimly lighted parlor, the girls now heard a strange, scratching -sound. Wondering what it might be, they turned to gaze toward the fairy -pool.</p> - -<p>Fluff, the cat, had padded through the open door into the room and now -was dragging her paws across the circular mirror.</p> - -<p>“Why, Fluff wants to be a Brownie too!” laughed Connie. “All in favor -of admitting her to membership, say ‘Aye.’”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">204</a></span> -“Aye!” sang out the six Brownies.</p> - -<p>Connie swept off her own brown cap and placed it on Fluff’s head. The -cat was so surprised she could not shake it off for a minute.</p> - -<p>“Now the Brownie salute!” directed Connie.</p> - -<p>They gave it smartly, right hand raised to the temple, with the first -two fingers straight and the little one held down by the thumb.</p> - -<p>“To Fluff and Veve,” said Connie, her face glowing in the soft -candlelight. “And to all the Brownies everywhere!”</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="tn"> -<p class="center p120">Transcriber’s Note:</p> - -<p class="noi">Punctuation has been standardised. Changes to the original publication -have been made as follows:</p> - - -<ul class="nobullet"> -<li><ul><li>Page 30<br /> -that the cholocate pudding <i>changed to</i><br /> -that the <a href="#chocolate">chocolate</a> pudding</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 46<br /> -delivery for Miss Constance Gordon <i>changed to</i><br /> -delivery for Miss Constance <a href="#Williams">Williams</a></li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 66<br /> -I hope it doen’t happen <i>changed to</i><br /> -I hope it <a href="#doesnt">doesn’t</a> happen</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 82<br /> -up rear to make certain <i>changed to</i><br /> -up <a href="#the">the</a> rear to make certain</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 94<br /> -twinking lights of the big <i>changed to</i><br /> -<a href="#twinkling">twinkling</a> lights of the big</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 124<br /> -The kichen <i>changed to</i><br /> -The <a href="#kitchen">kitchen</a></li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 142<br /> -To bad about Stone <i>changed to</i><br /> -<a href="#Too">Too</a> bad about Stone</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 185<br /> -knew that the stone family <i>changed to</i><br /> -knew that the <a href="#Stone">Stone</a> family</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 186<br /> -Veve did ont say <i>changed to</i><br /> -Veve did <a href="#not">not</a> say</li></ul></li> -</ul> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, by -Mildred A. 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