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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..9bed071 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52254 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52254) diff --git a/old/52254-0.txt b/old/52254-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1a78b40..0000000 --- a/old/52254-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6166 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm, by Mildred A. Wirt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm - -Author: Mildred A. Wirt - -Release Date: June 7, 2016 [EBook #52254] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROWNIE SCOUTS AT WINDMILL FARM *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: “Mrs. Gabriel has her flashlight turned on now.” - - _Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm_ See Page 178] - - - - - _The - BROWNIE SCOUTS - at Windmill Farm_ - - _by - Mildred A. Wirt_ - - _ILLUSTRATED_ - - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - _Publishers_ _New York_ - - - - - Copyright, 1953, by - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - _The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm_ - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - -_CONTENTS_ - - - _Chapter_ _Page_ - - 1. The Dog Cart 1 - 2. Hanny to the Rescue 14 - 3. Mr. Piff’s Plan 23 - 4. The Little Locked House 31 - 5. Hanny’s Secret 41 - 6. Wooden Shoes 52 - 7. A Runaway ‘Boat’ 63 - 8. The Treasure House 71 - 9. High Wind 80 - 10. In the Hayloft 89 - 11. The Man in Gray 102 - 12. A Flower Show 116 - 13. A Bag of Tulips 127 - 14. Mr. Piff’s Troubles 136 - 15. The Brownie Garden 148 - 16. Mrs. Gabriel’s Accusation 156 - 17. A Library Window 166 - 18. Magic Ways 176 - 19. An Announcement 189 - 20. Surprise! 200 - - - - -_Chapter 1_ - -THE DOG CART - - -Five pair of eyes focused with rapt attention upon Miss Paula Mohr, the -librarian. - -Five little girls in pin-checked Brownie Scout uniforms had been -listening attentively to a tale about the children of Holland. - -Now, in the story room of the Rosedale Public Library, they awaited an -important announcement. - -“Girls,” began Miss Mohr. She was young and pretty, and her voice had -soft edges. “How would the Brownies like to help this spring with -Rosedale’s annual tulip show?” - -“Oh, fine and dandy!” cried Vevi McGuire. - -The dark-eyed little girl shouted approval, even without asking what -the Brownies would be expected to do. But then, she knew anything -planned by Miss Mohr or Miss Jean Gordon, the Brownie troop leader, -would be fun. - -“Will we sell things?” inquired Connie Williams. - -Connie was the quiet, thoughtful member of the group. Sometimes the -other Brownies, Rosemary Fritche, Sunny Davidson and Jane Tuttle, -teased her by calling her “the thinker.” - -“Oh, no,” replied Miss Mohr. “I am not sure of the plans, but we would -assist Mrs. Langley.” - -The Brownie Scouts all knew that Mrs. Langley was president of the -Rosedale Garden Club. She lived with her servants on a large estate of -many acres at the edge of town. - -Each spring when bulbs bloomed, her gardens were the most beautiful in -Rosedale. - -“May we help Mrs. Langley?” asked Jane Tuttle, with a toss of her long -pigtails. She directed the question at Miss Gordon. - -“Why, yes,” the troop leader promptly agreed. “I think the project -would be a most worthwhile one.” - -“When will Rosedale have its flower show?” inquired Sunny Davidson. - -Miss Mohr explained that the exact date had not yet been set. It would -depend, she said, upon the weather, and when the tulips reached the -climax of bloom. - -“This year Mrs. Langley hopes to interest all garden growers and -possibly the commercial raisers,” she added. “We want our show to be -the best ever!” - -“Speaking of commercial growers, reminds me of something!” spoke up -Miss Gordon. “Do you girls know Peter Van Der Lann?” - -The Brownies had never heard the name. Miss Mohr however, knew it well. - -“Peter Van Der Lann is the young Dutchman who started a tulip nursery -here last fall,” she declared. “His little niece, Hanny, often comes to -the library to read.” - -“A charming little girl,” added Miss Gordon warmly. “Just the right age -to be a Brownie too--eight, I believe.” - -The Brownies now were very quiet, thinking about Hanny. Then Connie -spoke. - -“I saw her once, I think. She was buying a lolly-pop at the drugstore. -She had long shining yellow braids and very blue eyes. But she wore big -wooden shoes!” - -“_Klompen_,” supplied Miss Mohr, using the Dutch name. “Hanny only wore -them when she first came to Rosedale months ago. She wears regular -American shoes now. She has improved her English a great deal too.” - -“Would she want to be a Brownie Scout?” Jane Tuttle asked, doubt in her -voice. - -“I’m certain she would,” replied Miss Gordon. “Holland has a Brownie -organization too, you know. There, Brownies are called _Kabouters_ -which means Little Elves.” - -The girls plied Miss Gordon with eager questions about Hanny and the -country from which she had come. - -In the midst of the conversation, someone tapped lightly on the door of -the story room. Another librarian entered to speak to Miss Mohr. - -“I am so sorry to interrupt,” she apologized. “A caller is here by the -name of Ashley Piff. He insists upon seeing both Miss Mohr and Miss -Gordon. He says it is about the garden show.” - -Neither Miss Gordon nor the librarian ever had heard of anyone named -Mr. Piff. - -“I’ll see him,” Miss Mohr decided. “The Brownie meeting was just ending -anyway.” - -She reminded the girls not to forget the regular story hour the -following week. Then with Miss Gordon she went out into the main -reading room to talk to the stranger. - -The Brownies donned their beanies and jackets. Gathering up their -school books, they too sauntered outside. - -Mr. Piff was a short, stubby man with a black derby hat. He spoke too -loudly for the library. His words carried clearly to every part of the -quiet room. - -“Now this is my proposition,” the Brownies heard him say. “I am a -professional promoter of flower shows. If you ring me in on the deal, -I’ll put on a celebration that will be the talk of the town for years! -We’ll lift your little show out of the amateur class, and make it a -hum-dinger. What d’you say?” - -“You really must see Mrs. Langley,” replied Miss Mohr. “She is in -charge. Personally though, I’m not in favor of turning our lovely -garden show into a cheap commercial festival.” - -“Nor am I,” added Miss Gordon firmly. - -“You don’t get the idea,” protested Mr. Piff. “It would be a commercial -project--true. There would be money in it for everyone. Rosedale and -all the merchants would profit. The Brownies--” - -“Our organization cannot take part in such an enterprise,” Miss Gordon -said emphatically. “We have promised to help Mrs. Langley with the -annual garden show. That however, is an entirely different matter.” - -Mr. Piff realized that he could not change the teacher’s mind. - -“Okay, if that’s your decision,” he said. “You’ll regret it though. Now -can you direct me to the nursery of Peter Van Der Lann?” - -Miss Mohr showed Mr. Piff on a map how to reach the nearby farm. - -“I’ll never find the place by myself,” he said. “How about driving out -there with me?” - -Miss Mohr started to refuse, but before she could do so, Mr. Piff went -on: - -“Isn’t it nearly closing time here at the library?” - -“In ten minutes. But--” - -“It shouldn’t take long to drive out to the nursery,” Mr. Piff said -briskly. “My car is at the door. Now it would be a great favor to a -stranger who doesn’t know the community. I’ll take anyone who wants to -go, and bring you back too.” - -Miss Mohr really did not care to make the trip. But Mr. Piff was very -persuasive. He pointed out that it was a lovely afternoon for a drive -in the country. Finally, he convinced both young women that they should -accompany him. - -“May we go too?” demanded Vevi. She always liked to ride in a car. - -Her request did not appear to please Mr. Piff. He managed to smile -though, and said he would take as many Brownies as the sedan would -accommodate. - -“I have to go home right away,” spoke up Jane. - -“So do I,” said Sunny. - -Rosemary also turned down the invitation. Vevi and Connie were the only -two Brownies to go. They sat in the back seat of the big brown sedan, -while Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon rode up front with Mr. Piff. - -As the car sped along the open country road, the promotor talked at -great length. He kept telling the two young women about his elaborate -plans for the flower festival. - -“I want to interest every tulip grower in the community,” he said -grandly. “This will be the biggest affair Rosedale has ever had!” - -Connie and Vevi fairly tingled with excitement to hear Mr. Piff -describe everything he intended to do. - -The Brownie leader and Miss Mohr were less impressed. In fact, both -women seemed rather relieved when finally the car came within view of -the Van Der Lann nursery. - -“Oh, see the cute Dutch windmill!” cried Vevi as the car rolled over a -hilltop. - -The tower-like wooden building stood nearly fifty feet high on a slight -rise of land. Because it had been painted red, blue and green, the -unique structure could be seen from a long distance. Four large wind -flaps turned lazily in the breeze. - -“Oh, how lovely!” exclaimed Miss Gordon, who never before had seen the -mill. “Why, it looks like a charming bit of Old Holland!” - -Two stone gate piers marked the entrance to the farm. The house was -gabled, with a red tile roof which sloped forward to cover a wide -veranda. Beyond stood the big barn and a small milk house. Everywhere -there were acres and acres of tulips. Only a few of the flowers as yet -were in bloom. - -“This place will be a sea of color in a week or so!” exclaimed Miss -Mohr. “I’d love to see it then.” - -“We’ll have the show when the flowers are at their best,” said Mr. -Piff. He leaped out of the car to open the gate. - -Returning, he drove through and pulled up in front of the house. Vevi -and Connie jumped out, eager to explore. The farm was a delightful -place, neat as a pin. Even the trees had been whitewashed. - -As the two little girls stood watching the huge revolving arms of the -windmill, a nice looking young man came out of the house. His shirt -was open at the neck and he was deeply tanned from having lived much -of the time outdoors. - -“Good afternoon,” he said, walking over to the car. “May I help you?” - -Vevi and Connie noticed that instead of saying Good, the word sounded a -little like “goot.” They guessed at once that he was Mr. Van Der Lann, -the owner of the nursery. - -Mr. Piff introduced himself and at once began to tell of his plans for -the flower show. - -Not caring to listen, Vevi and Connie wandered off down the cinder path. - -“Oh, see!” cried Vevi pointing ahead. “A little canal! The windmill -must pump water from it to irrigate the tulip beds.” - -The path which led to the canal went directly past the big windmill. -Its great arms were covered with gray sailcloth which moved lazily in -the light breeze. The big flaps swept low to the ground each time they -revolved. - -“The windmill has a little house!” Vevi declared. “That must be where -the machinery is kept.” - -“I’ve never been inside a real mill,” Connie remarked wistfully. - -“Neither have I. I’d like to go in. Shall we?” - -Connie held back. “I don’t think it would be polite, Vevi. We’re only -half-way guests here on the farm. Mr. Van Der Lann didn’t even invite -us. We just came with Mr. Piff.” - -For awhile the children watched the mill, and then went on down to the -canal. A little bridge of planks stretched across to the opposite side. - -Both shores were lined with tulips, heavy with bud. All of the beds had -been laid out in attractive patterns. - -“My, it will be pretty here when the flowers bloom,” Vevi sighed. “No -wonder Mr. Piff wants Mr. Van Der Lann to help with the flower show! -This place would be a big attraction.” - -Vevi noticed a small flat-bottomed boat tied up near the bridge. Its -name, “GOLDEN TULIP,” had been painted in bright yellow letters on the -craft. - -“What an odd name for a boat!” she exclaimed. “Let’s take a ride.” - -“We can’t,” Connie replied firmly. “Anyway, the canal might be deep.” - -“Why, it’s shallow as anything,” Vevi corrected her. “I can see the -bottom.” - -“We shouldn’t do it anyway. Miss Gordon wouldn’t like it.” - -Connie knew that she must be firm, for Vevi had a way of getting into -trouble. Once she had hooked her sled onto an automobile, and had been -carried far out into the country. On another occasion the little girl -had climbed into a box car to be taken off with a circus! - -“I wonder where the canal leads?” Vevi speculated, giving up the idea -of a boat ride. - -The children could see that the canal wound along rich farm land toward -another nursery property. However, the adjoining farm did not look as -well laid out or as nicely kept as Mr. Van der Lann’s place. - -After tossing a stick into the canal, the girls decided it must be time -to return to the house. - -They were recrossing the bridge when Vevi suddenly halted. - -Connie, directly behind, bumped into her. - -“What’s the idea, Vevi McGuire?” she demanded. “You nearly made me fall -into the water!” - -Vevi spoke in an excited, hushed voice. “Connie, just see what is -coming!” - -She moved aside so that her little friend’s view would not be blocked. -The barn doors had swung open, and now, clattering toward them, was a -cart hauled by a huge dog. - -“Well, did you ever!” exclaimed Connie, laughing in delight. - -The little cart had two wheels. It was painted bright blue and held -empty milk cans. - -Hurrying on across the bridge, the two girls ran toward the dog. -Even though he had no driver, he seemed to know exactly where he was -supposed to go. At least he trotted toward the milk house farther down -the canal. - -“Hello, doggie,” Vevi called in a soft voice. “What’s your name?” - -To her astonishment, the dog stopped and looked at her. He was a very -large dog, but with a sad, kind face. - -“Why, he’s friendly as anything!” Connie exclaimed. - -“Mr. Van Der Lann must own him,” Vevi said. Carefully, she petted the -dog’s head. “Oh, don’t you just love this place? I’d like to live here.” - -“So you could go boating on the canal and ride in the dog cart!” teased -Connie. - -“Well, it would be fun.” - -Vevi gazed speculatively at the cart. She could see that there was room -to slide in behind the empty milk cans. - -Before Connie could stop her, she climbed in and picked up the reins. - -“Oh, Vevi!” Connie protested. “You’re too heavy for that poor dog to -haul.” - -“I’m light as a feather,” Vevi insisted. “Get up, doggie!” - -She made a loud clucking noise to make him go. - -The dog started off so fast that Vevi nearly was tossed backwards out -of the cart. - -“Hey, come back!” Connie shouted. She saw that the dog had headed -straight for the canal. - -Vevi squealed in fear. The cart was rattling down the slope, faster and -faster. One of the empty milk cans toppled over, making a frightful -clatter. - -The sound startled the dog. He bounded on, even faster. - -“Whoa!” Vevi shouted, and tried to pull back on the reins. But she was -too frightened. Dropping them entirely, she clung desperately to the -side of the jolting cart. - -“H-E-L-P,” she called. “Save me, Connie! Stop him quick before he dumps -me into the canal!” - - - - -_Chapter 2_ - -HANNY TO THE RESCUE - - -Connie tried to dart ahead of the cart. She could not move quickly -enough to stop the runaway dog. - -On the cart clattered, directly toward the canal. Off rolled one of the -milk cans and Vevi nearly went with it. Never in her life had she been -more jolted or frightened! - -When it seemed to her that she certainly would be dumped into the -canal, an amazing thing happened. - -Out of the barn darted a little girl in shining yellow braids, blue -skirt and white apron. - -“Bruno!” she yelled. Then she uttered a command in Dutch. Vevi could -not understand it, but the dog did. At any rate, he stopped so suddenly -that she nearly was tossed out of the cart again. - -Connie grasped the dog’s harness. Vevi slid out of the cart as fast as -she could. - -“You bad dog, you!” she said crossly. - -The little girl in the blue dress came running up. Her blue eyes were -dancing with merriment. - -“Oh, Bruno isn’t a bad dog,” she defended him. “He is a very good dog. -He carries our milk and does much hard work here on the farm.” - -“Well, he nearly dumped me into the canal,” Vevi said, straightening -the crumpled skirt of her Brownie uniform. - -“That was because you did not treat him right. If you would like a ride -in the cart, I will make him haul you very nicely.” - -“No thanks,” Vevi turned down the invitation. “I’d rather ride in a -car--or a boat.” - -“You must be Hanny,” said Connie, smiling in a friendly way. - -“How did you know my name?” the other asked in surprise. - -“Miss Mohr, the librarian told us.” - -“Oh, I know her!” Hanny cried, and her plump face lighted up. “She is -very nice.” - -“So is Miss Gordon, our Brownie Scout leader,” declared Vevi loyally. -“They are here now, with Mr. Piff, talking to Mr. Van Der Lann.” - -“With Peter? He is my uncle.” - -Hanny straightened the milk cans and then made Bruno haul them to the -cheese house. The dog behaved very well when she walked beside him. Not -once did he try to run away. - -Vevi and Connie walked along with the little Dutch girl. - -“Why do you call your boat the ‘Golden Tulip?’” Vevi inquired. - -“Oh, that is a secret,” replied Hanny. - -“A secret?” Vevi was annoyed by the answer. She could not guess why -anyone would want to make a mystery of such a simple matter. - -“Someday everyone in Rosedale will know,” Hanny went on merrily. “Then -perhaps my uncle will be very rich and buy me a silk gown!” - -“How you talk!” Vevi exclaimed. Never before had she met anyone like -Hanny. - -Connie mentioned the boat again, asking the little Dutch girl if she -ever went for rides on the canal. - -“Oh, yes, but not as often as I once did,” Hanny said, her face -clouding. “That is because of Freda and Joseph.” - -“Who are they?” Vevi inquired. - -“Freda and Joseph Mattox,” Hanny replied. “They have the farm just -below ours. They are not very nice and always make trouble. They will -not let me tie up the boat anywhere on their land.” - -“You have a much prettier farm than theirs,” said Connie. “The windmill -is lovely.” - -“Do you think so?” Hanny beamed with pleasure. “My uncle has spent -much money fixing up the farm so it will remind him of our beautiful -homeland. The Mattoxes, though, say he is wasteful of money. It is not -true!” - -The little girl unloaded the empty milk cans. Then she unhitched Bruno -and let him run free. - -“Would you like to see our cheese house?” she invited Connie and Vevi. - -“Yes, indeed!” they exclaimed together. Both were eager to see every -inch of the fascinating farm. - -Hanny pushed open the door and stood back so the visitors could enter -ahead of her. The room was sweet-smelling and spotlessly clean. - -Along the walls were deep shelves laden with yellow, perfectly rounded -cheeses. Fresh milk stood on tables in blue and orange-colored pans. - -“Each morning I skim the cream and churn it into butter,” explained -Hanny. - -“You know how to churn?” Connie asked, deeply impressed. - -“Oh, yes, I can make cheese too. We use the skimmed milk for that. I -add rennet which makes the solids separate from the liquid. The curds -or solid part goes into a bag to be pressed out. After it is salted, it -is set away to ripen. That takes several months.” - -“How do you make the cheese into such nice round balls?” Connie -inquired, peering at the many even rows on the shelves. - -Hanny explained that wooden molds were used. “But it is hard work, -making cheese,” she added with a sigh. - -“I should think so,” agreed Vevi. “I would rather run the windmill or -make the dog carry the cans of milk.” - -By this time the Brownies were beginning to feel very well acquainted -with Hanny. They no longer noticed that she spoke with a slight accent -or that sometimes she slipped in a “Ja” for the word “yes.” Connie told -the little Dutch girl about the Rosedale Brownie Scout organization and -asked if she would like to join the group. - -“What do Brownies do?” asked Hanny. - -“Loads of things,” explained Connie. “We make things and learn about -nature. To be a Brownie you can’t be older than nine years. You’re -supposed to be in second, third or fourth grade at school.” - -“I am all mixed up at school,” Hanny said. “In arithmetic I am fourth -grade, but in English I am only second grade. I do not know so many of -your words.” - -“That doesn’t matter,” Vevi declared. “Attending meetings is what -counts. You have to learn the Brownie Promise too.” - -“What is that?” - -Vevi recited it for her. “_I promise to do my best to love God and my -country, to help other people every day, especially those at home._” - -“I could promise all that,” Hanny said soberly. “I love America very, -very much. I want to help people too, especially my uncle, Peter. If it -had not been for him, I never could have left The Netherlands.” - -The little Dutch girl then went on to tell Vevi and Connie that until -recently she had lived in a little village near the city of Amsterdam. -Both of her parents were dead. - -“I have no one in all the world except Peter,” she said. “He is very -good to me.” - -Vevi felt so sorry for Hanny that she unpinned her Brownie Scout pin -and fastened it to the other’s blouse. - -“Now you can pretend you’re a Brownie,” she declared. “When you get a -pin of your own, you can return mine.” - -“After you have been a Brownie for a year, you may wear a flower -pendant with it,” Connie explained. “Both Vevi and I have pendants.” - -Indeed, the two girls were charter members of the Rosedale Troop. -With Rosemary, Sunny and Jane they had made a wonderful trip to the -seashore. On another occasion they had gone with Miss Gordon to Snow -Valley. One of their most exciting adventures has been told in the book -called “The Brownie Scouts in the Cherry Festival.” - -Now Connie and Vevi never missed a Brownie meeting if they could help -it. In Rosedale they lived next door to each other, and attended the -same school. They enjoyed doing the same things too. - -“Tell me more about the Brownie Scouts,” Hanny said, fingering the pin -Vevi had given her. - -“First you have to be invested,” Connie declared. - -The word troubled Hanny. “But I do not have very much money to invest,” -she said. “My uncle cannot afford to give me much, for his nursery -does not yet pay well.” - -“Oh, that isn’t what investment means!” laughed Vevi. “It means joining -the organization--being initiated.” - -“It’s a ceremony and it is called in-ves-ti-ture,” Connie said, -spelling out the word. “You learn the Promise, the Salute, and the -Handshake and attend enough meetings to know all the girls. Then you’re -ready to be a Brownie.” - -“I see,” nodded Hanny. “I am so very stupid.” - -“No such thing,” cried Vevi, seizing her hand. “It always takes a while -to catch on. But being a Brownie is fun. We have hikes and do lots of -things out of doors. We learn to keep house, too. That part I don’t -like so well.” - -“That would be easy for me,” laughed Hanny. “I can sweep, iron, and -cook! Peter says I am worth two girls in the house!” - -The children talked a while about the Brownies and then left the cheese -house. Hanny said she would show Connie and Vevi the barn and the mill. - -“And what’s in that little house over there?” Vevi asked curiously. - -The shack she had noticed stood between the mill and the barn. It had -no windows. The door was closed and fastened with a padlock. - -“I cannot show you that place,” said Hanny. - -“Do you keep animals inside?” asked Vevi. She was more curious than -ever now. - -“Not animals,” Hanny corrected. “Our cows stay in the barn.” - -“But what _do_ you keep in there, Hanny?” Vevi persisted. - -“Vevi!” reproved Connie. She did not consider it good manners to ask so -many questions. - -“I cannot tell you about the little house,” Hanny soberly replied to -Vevi’s question. “Please--the secret is not mine to relate.” - -Vevi might have teased a bit. Before she could do so, however, the -children were startled to hear loud angry voices. They could not see -the speakers, but the sound came from the direction of the house. - -“Uncle Peter has lost his temper again!” Hanny gasped. “Oh, dear!” - -Gathering up her skirts, she ran swiftly toward the veranda. - - - - -_Chapter 3_ - -MR. PIFF’S PLAN - - -Vevi and Connie hastened after Hanny as fast as they could. -Breathlessly, the three children reached the veranda where Peter Van -Der Lann and Mr. Piff were talking. - -“I want no part of it,” Mr. Van Der Lann said firmly. “My nursery is -not yet profitable. I have no money to donate to your show.” - -“It will be a money making proposition for you,” the promoter argued. -“We’ll bring folks here to your farm--charge admission. They’ll see -your fine tulips in bloom and order bulbs. Your business will boom.” - -“No part of it for me,” Mr. Van Der Lann repeated. - -At that Mr. Piff again lost patience. - -“You are a stubborn Dutchman!” he exclaimed. “You come to America with -only one thought--to make money!” - -The children thought that Peter meant to strike the promoter, he became -so angry. His ruddy face flushed an even darker hue and he drew in his -breath sharply. - -“You insult me,” he said. “Leave my farm! Leave it at once, and don’t -come back!” - -“Okay, okay, Dutchman,” Mr. Piff muttered, backing away. “Just keep -your shirt on! I meant no offense.” - -Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had been deeply distressed by the turn of -the conversation. They apologized to Peter, telling him that they did -not know Mr. Piff well. They said too, that they were sorry they had -brought him to the farm to cause trouble. - -“The fault is mine,” said Peter, smiling warmly. “It is my hot temper -again! You must forgive me. I did not mean to be rude or lacking in -hospitality.” - -“I’m sure you didn’t,” replied Miss Mohr with a gracious manner. She -turned to follow Mr. Piff to the car. - -“No, no! You cannot go now!” cried Peter in distress. “First you must -have tea and chocolate. Come inside, all of you.” - -Vevi and Connie eagerly started up the veranda steps. The Brownie Scout -leader and Miss Mohr held back, scarcely knowing what to do. - -“Mr. Piff is waiting for us,” Miss Mohr said uneasily. “We really -should go--” - -But Peter would not let the meeting end on an unpleasant note. He urged -Hanny to take the two women, Vevi and Connie into the parlor. Then he -went to the car to tell Mr. Piff he was sorry to have spoken so hastily. - -“You’ll reconsider and go in with us on the flower show?” Mr. Piff -demanded. - -Peter shook his head. “No, no!” he said impatiently. “I have told you -already--I have no money for such affairs.” - -“I’ll make you change your mind yet,” Mr. Piff insisted. “You’re -missing the chance of a lifetime.” - -Halfway restored to good humor, he allowed Peter to escort him into the -farmhouse. - -Miss Mohr, Miss Gordon and the children already had gone inside. Hanny -had called the housekeeper, Mrs. Schultz, a plump German lady, who kept -the premises as neat as a pin. - -“Oh, how delightful!” Miss Mohr exclaimed, her gaze roving over the -room. - -The walls were half-paneled in oak, with a deep white frieze above for -the display of blue Delft ware. A brace of crossed pipes hung above the -massive mantel. - -All of the furniture was solid, the huge cupboard, the carved chest and -the high-back chairs. The wooden floor was so highly polished that Vevi -and Connie had to walk carefully not to slip and fall. - -While the women admired the Delft tiles and Maiolica ware Peter had -brought from Holland, Hanny helped Mrs. Schultz prepare hot chocolate. - -Soon the little girl came in with the steaming cups. After that she -served tiny little cakes with pink and white frosting. - -When finally it was time to leave, Peter cordially invited Miss Mohr, -Miss Gordon and the Brownies to come again. - -“You’ll see me too!” declared Mr. Piff noisily. “I’ve not given up, Mr. -Van Der Lann. Not on your life! The more I see of Windmill Farm the -better I like the place. We’ll have to include you in our big show, -Peter.” - -Peter merely shook his head and made no reply. It was plain to Vevi and -Connie that he did not like Mr. Piff nor his familiar way of calling -him “Peter” upon such short acquaintance. - -Embarrassed by the promoter’s manners, Miss Gordon and the librarian -quickly said goodbye. Before leaving, Miss Mohr urged Hanny to come -to the library often. Miss Gordon told the little girl she would be -welcome at the next Brownie Scout meeting. - -“When will that be?” Hanny asked eagerly. - -“The date isn’t certain,” Miss Gordon replied. “I will have either -Connie or Vevi let you know.” - -As the car started toward Rosedale, the Brownie Scout leader and Miss -Mohr could talk of little else than the many beautiful treasures in -Peter’s home. - -“He has a nice place,” Mr. Piff admitted grudgingly. “A stubborn fool -though!” - -“I don’t agree with you,” Miss Mohr replied. “Surely it is his right to -decide whether or not he wants to have a part in a commercial show.” - -“He’d have gone for it if you had spoken a single favorable word,” Mr. -Piff went on. “What do you have against me anyhow?” - -“Nothing,” returned the librarian. She spoke shortly for she had lost -all patience with the promoter. - -For awhile, Mr. Piff drove in moody silence. Once though, when Vevi -lowered the rear window a trifle, he yelled at her to put it up again. - -The children decided they never had met a more disagreeable man than -the promoter. They were glad, though, that they had made the trip to -Windmill Farm, for otherwise they would not have become acquainted with -Hanny and her uncle. - -“Let’s go back there some day after school,” Vevi proposed. - -“So you can ride in the dog cart again?” teased Connie. - -Vevi made a grimace. “I’m not afraid of that old dog!” she insisted. -“Next time I’ll take a switch and make him obey! I want to see the -inside of the old mill.” - -“So do I, Vevi. Maybe we can go out there again next week, if our -mothers will let us.” - -“Some of the flowers should be in bloom by then,” Vevi went on. “I’d -like to load the boat with them and float down to the Mattox place.” - -“And be run off,” Connie added with a laugh. “That’s you, Vevi, always -ready for trouble.” - -“Why do you suppose the Mattoxes aren’t friendly with Peter and Hanny?” - -“How should I know?” shrugged Connie. “Maybe it’s because they come -from Holland. That shouldn’t make any difference, though.” - -Vevi’s mind, as active as a humming bird, had darted on. - -“Why do you suppose that boat is called the Golden Tulip?” she -speculated. “And why wouldn’t Hanny tell us what was kept in that -padlocked little house?” - -“She did act mysterious about it,” Connie admitted. - -The car sped on, striking an uneven place in the pavement. Vevi was -thrown forward in her seat. She would have struck the coat rack had not -Miss Gordon reached out to hold her back. - -“We’re going rather fast,” she said pointedly to Mr. Piff. - -“Have to get back to town,” he replied without slowing down. “I have an -appointment at the hotel with a man from the Chamber of Commerce. We -stayed too long at Windmill Farm.” - -The automobile whirled around a bend in the road so fast that the tires -screamed. Then Mr. Piff had to put on the brakes. - -Directly ahead, was a stalled car. The hood was up and a middle-aged -lady in a blue hat, stood looking helplessly at the dead engine. - -“Shouldn’t we stop and offer to help?” Miss Gordon suggested. “There -isn’t a garage closer than two miles.” - -“No time,” Mr. Piff muttered. “I’ll be late for my appointment. Women -shouldn’t drive cars if they don’t know how to repair them.” - -“I only hope Mrs. Langley doesn’t recognize us as we whirl pass,” -remarked Miss Mohr. - -“Mrs. Langley?” Mr. Piff demanded. “Not the garden club president?” - -“Well, yes,” nodded the librarian. - -“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Mr. Piff took his foot from the -accelerator and applied the brakes. - -Even so, he could not immediately stop the car. It sped past the -stalled automobile and pulled up some distance down the road. Mr. Piff -started to back up. - -“Your appointment--” began Miss Gordon dryly. - -“That can wait,” Mr. Piff rejoined. “My motto is ‘Always help a lady in -distress.’ Particularly if her name is Mrs. Langley!” - - - - -_Chapter 4_ - -THE LITTLE LOCKED HOUSE - - -Leaping out of the sedan, Mr. Piff rushed over to the stalled -automobile to offer his services to Mrs. Langley. - -“Having trouble?” he inquired, tipping his hat. - -“I think a wire must be broken somewhere,” replied Mrs. Langley. -“Either that or the fan belt. Oh, dear, I know so little about motors.” - -“Allow me,” said Mr. Piff. - -He took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. But after puttering -over the stalled engine for a few minutes, he told Mrs. Langley he was -afraid he could not find the trouble. - -“Suppose I take you to your destination and send a garageman for your -car,” he suggested. - -“I should be most grateful! I was on my way home when the car suddenly -went dead as I rounded the bend. But won’t it be too much trouble to -drop me off?” - -“Not at all,” insisted Mr. Piff, escorting the club woman to his own -car. - -Mrs. Langley knew Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr very well and was pleased -to see them again. During the drive to her nearby estate, she chatted -gaily of her plans for the coming garden show. - -“You’re exactly the person I’ve wanted to see,” Mr. Piff told her. “I -have a plan which I know will interest you--” - -From that point on, he talked and talked, outlining his scheme for the -big commercial flower show. At first Mrs. Langley did not seem very -much impressed. However, before the ride ended, she had begun to ask -many questions. - -“Do come in,” she invited the group when finally the car reached her -home. “You must see my gardens.” - -“Another time perhaps,” said Miss Gordon. “Mr. Piff was in a hurry to -keep an appointment--” - -“That can wait,” he cut in. “Nothing shall deprive me of the pleasure -of viewing Mrs. Langley’s beautiful garden.” - -The hour had grown late. Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon felt they should -be returning to their homes. However, Mr. Piff had forgotten his -haste entirely. To the annoyance of the two women, he insisted upon -remaining. - -The grounds were well-kept and very lovely. Tiny box hedges edged the -formal flower beds. There were fountains, a gazing globe and a sun dial. - -“How would you children like to pick yourselves a tussie-mussie -bouquet?” suggested Mrs. Langley. - -“What is that?” asked Vevi, who had never heard of such a thing. - -The garden club president explained that a tussie-mussie bouquet really -was a tiny nosegay, or flowers arranged for their scents. Each little -bouquet was set off with a small paper lace cap. - -“You may select any scents you wish,” Mrs. Langley said, -leading the girls on to another old-fashioned garden. -“Lavender--heliotrope--mignonette--rosemary or lemon verbena.” - -“Say, that tussie-mussie idea is good! Has great commercial -possibilities!” exclaimed Mr. Piff. “We could set up a booth and have -the Brownies sell them at the flower show!” - -“The Brownies are not interested,” Miss Gordon said firmly. She had -grown increasingly annoyed by the promoter’s tactics. “Really, we -should be going--” - -Mr. Piff ignored the hint. While Vevi and Connie gathered flowers -for their tiny bouquets, he kept talking to Mrs. Langley about his -wonderful plans for the tulip festival. - -“You have one of the finest gardens I ever have seen,” he flattered -the club woman. “It should be thrown open to the public--for a fee, of -course.” - -“I do open my gardens each year, Mr. Piff,” she told him. “However, I -have never charged admission.” - -The visitors were conducted to the greenhouse, where orchids and other -tropical plants were grown. Under the glass roof it was so warm that -Vevi and Connie were glad to get outside again into the fresh air. - -They ran on ahead of the adults to the old wishing well. - -“I’m going to make a wish,” declared Vevi quickly. “It’s about Mr. Piff -too!” - -She dropped a flower petal down into the water and was very quiet for a -moment. - -“There!” she announced. “I’ve made my wish. Now it’s your turn, Connie. -What will you wish?” - -“No fair telling or it won’t come true.” - -“You can give a hint, Connie. That wouldn’t do any harm.” - -“My wish is about Windmill Farm.” - -“You’re hoping we can go there again and find out about that locked -room!” Vevi instantly guessed. “Isn’t that so?” - -“Maybe,” laughed Connie, dropping her petal into the still water. “I -won’t tell!” - -Just then the grownups came up the path. Mr. Piff seemed in very -jubilant spirits. Vevi and Connie soon learned the reason for his good -humor. He had won from Mrs. Langley a promise that she would assist -financially with the commercial flower show! - -The purpose of his visit accomplished, Mr. Piff now was ready to leave. -He hustled everyone to the car, and promptly delivered the children to -their separate homes. - -Connie and Vevi heard no more about the flower show until the next -Brownie Scout meeting at the library. Miss Gordon then told the girls -that Mr. Piff had talked nearly everyone in Rosedale into cooperating -in his scheme. - -“Everyone except Peter Van Der Lann,” Miss Mohr amended. - -“And the Brownies,” added Connie with a laugh. “Or will we help too?” - -“I have not agreed to let the organization take part,” Miss Gordon -said. “I feel we should help Mrs. Langley, but I am opposed to -assisting Mr. Piff in his commercial scheme. Somehow, I do not trust -him.” - -“It would be fun though, to sell things in the show,” Rosemary Fritche -remarked wistfully. “Those tussie-mussie bouquets perhaps.” - -“Maybe we could have a Brownie booth,” Jane Tuttle proposed. “We could -wear fancy costumes.” - -“Dutch dresses and wooden shoes!” cried Vevi. “Maybe Hanny could help -us make our costumes!” - -“Not so fast, children!” laughed Miss Gordon. “You’re miles ahead of -me. I don’t mind if the Brownies have a booth at the regular garden -show, but anything we sell must be for charity.” - -“May we have a booth?” Connie asked eagerly. - -Miss Gordon said she would talk the matter over with Mrs. Langley. She -agreed with Vevi that if they did decide to help, it would be nice for -the Brownies to wear colorful Dutch costumes. - -“Hanny probably can tell us where to get wooden shoes!” Vevi exclaimed. -“When will she come to our Brownie meetings?” - -“Has anyone given her a definite invitation?” inquired the teacher. - -No one had. True, Vevi and Connie had talked with the little girl -about joining the troop but they had not told her when the group would -meet. - -“Why don’t we hike out there right now and invite her to our next -meeting?” Sunny Davidson proposed. “Anyway, I’d like to see Windmill -Farm.” - -“So would I,” declared Rosemary, who had heard a great deal about the -nursery from her friends. “May we go right now, Miss Gordon?” - -“Well--I had thought we might make scrapbooks this afternoon.” - -“Can’t that wait?” pleaded Vevi. “It’s such a nice day for a hike.” - -“I think so too,” agreed Miss Mohr, supporting the girls. “Let’s all -go.” - -Windmill Farm was only a short way into the country. The Brownie Scouts -enjoyed the walk and made the most of it by noticing birds, flowers and -trees as they hiked. - -Presently, they came within view of the Dutch windmill. However, it was -such a still day that the giant arms hung motionless. - -Miss Gordon told the children that in Holland similar windmills were -needed to pump water and prevent the sea from flooding lowlands. She -explained, too, that the people of The Netherlands love flowers and -are noted for raising especially fine tulips. - -“Our best bulbs come from there,” she declared. “Since Peter Van Der -Lann started his nursery here, Rosedale is rapidly becoming a known -flower center. Many folks say that his imported bulbs are the best that -can be bought anywhere in this country.” - -“Did you ever hear of a Golden tulip?” Vevi questioned, recalling the -name printed on Mr. Van Der Lann’s boat. - -“There are all types, Vevi. All colors too. Nurserymen constantly are -trying to develop new strains.” - -The driveway was fringed with pink and white dogwood trees which had -splattered their petals on the gravel. A big gray sedan stood in front -of the little nursery office building. - -“Mr. Van Der Lann must have a customer,” Miss Mohr remarked. - -The nurseryman was talking to a well-dressed woman in a navy-blue suit -and fox fur. However, when the Brownie Scouts trooped into the office, -he noticed the party at once. He bowed to Miss Gordon and bestowed an -especially nice smile upon Miss Mohr. - -“Just a moment, please,” he requested. - -While they waited, the Brownies wandered about the office room. Garden -tools and seeds were for sale, and there were bins of bulbs and tubers. - -Connie and Vevi looked eagerly about for Hanny. - -“You should find her at the house,” Mr. Van Der Lann advised. - -The Brownies dashed off in search of the little Dutch girl. However, at -the house, no one answered. The door to the kitchen stood ajar, but not -even the housekeeper was there. - -“Maybe Hanny is down by the canal,” Vevi suggested. - -“Or in the cheese house,” added Connie. - -The two girls enjoyed showing Rosemary, Jane and Sunny over the farm. -Because they wanted to keep the secret to themselves, they did not tell -the others about the locked door or the mystery connected with it. In -passing the little building, though, they noticed that the padlock -still was clamped shut. - -“Where can Hanny be?” Jane speculated. - -“Maybe she is out in the fields,” Sunny suggested. - -“First, I want to look inside the cheese house,” Connie said. - -She opened the door of the building to peer inside. The room appeared -empty at first glance. Milk had been poured into the pans, but no one -was working there. - -Connie started to leave. Then she stood very still, listening. She -could hear an odd sobbing sound which came from a far corner of the -room. - -There on an old couch lay Hanny! The little girl was curled -kitten-fashion into a tight ball. Her hands covered her face and she -was trying desperately to smother her loud sobs. - - - - -_Chapter 5_ - -HANNY’S SECRET - - -“Why, Hanny!” exclaimed Connie, amazed to see the little girl weeping. -“What is wrong?” - -Hanny had not heard the Brownie Scouts come into the cheese room. She -sat up quickly, wiping her eyes and blinking fast. - -“Why are you crying?” Vevi asked when she did not answer Connie’s -question. - -Hanny shook her head and turned her face toward the wall. All the -Brownies felt very sorry for her. - -“Is it because you have to work hard here at the farm?” Connie asked -after a moment. - -“Oh, no!” Hanny denied, stirred by the question. “I do not work hard.” - -“Then you must be crying because you never have any fun.” - -Hanny shook her long yellow braids emphatically. She wiped away the -tears and sat up on the couch. - -“No, no!” she protested. “You do not understand. I am so very happy -here. I love America. I love my so good uncle. Everyone!” - -“Then what is wrong, Hanny?” - -“I cry because I am sad. My uncle told me today that I may have to go -back to my homeland.” - -“But why?” demanded Jane. “I don’t get it.” - -“My uncle is heavily in debt,” sighed Hanny. “He owes much money for -this farm and all the what-you-call improvements on it. Now the bank -men have told him he must pay.” - -“Oh, don’t you worry,” Vevi assured her carelessly. “Everything will -turn out all right.” - -“Not unless my uncle makes money fast,” Hanny insisted. “If tulip bulbs -only sold for five thousand dollars apiece it would be easy.” - -“Who ever heard of a bulb selling for that price!” scoffed Jane. - -“Oh, but they did at one time,” Hanny said. “During the tulip-o-mania -bulbs sold for great sums.” - -“What is a tulip-o-mania?” curiously inquired Sunny. - -“I know!” cried Connie before Hanny could answer. “It was a period in -Dutch history when the people went crazy over tulips.” - -“They lost and made fortunes buying and selling them,” added Hanny. “I -will tell you about it.” - -Forgetting the cause of her tears, the little Dutch girl began to -describe the strange period in history. - -She related that in 1634 the entire Dutch population traded in tulip -bulbs. At first everyone made money. Tulips kept selling for higher and -higher prices. - -“Then suddenly, people came to their senses,” Hanny went on. “Instead -of paying thousands of _florins_ for a single bulb, no one wanted them -at any price. People lost all their money.” - -“I hope it won’t be that way here,” remarked Rosemary anxiously. “My -father says that many nurserymen have invested heavily in tulips this -year.” - -“People always will buy tulip bulbs,” said Hanny. “But they will not -pay high prices any more except for very special bulbs.” - -“Can’t your uncle raise a special bulb?” Vevi questioned. “One that’s -better than any other tulip in the world?” - -Hanny smiled and said she did not think the Brownies knew how difficult -it was to develop a fine, new tulip. - -“Uncle Peter has one though,” she admitted. “If it should catch the -fancy of the public, he might yet make his fortune. Then I could stay -in America!” - -“Does this new tulip have a name?” inquired Connie. - -“I gave it one myself,” Hanny said proudly. - -The Brownies pleaded with her to tell the name, but she would not. - -“It’s a secret,” she insisted. “At least until after the prize is -announced.” - -“Prize?” Vevi asked alertly. “What prize?” - -“Mrs. Langley has offered a blue ribbon for the best tulip entered in -the show.” - -“Only a ribbon?” asked Rosemary. “Not a cash prize?” - -“The winner of the blue ribbon will earn much money selling the prize -bulbs. If the tulip catches the public fancy, the winning grower will -receive large orders from all over the country.” - -“I wish you’d show us the tulip to be entered in the contest,” Vevi -said. - -“It is a secret. No one knows except my Uncle Peter, Bruno and me!” - -“Bruno is a dog!” scoffed Vevi. “How can he know?” - -“Bruno knows many things,” laughed Hanny. “He is a very smart dog. He -hauls the milk and at night he keeps people from climbing the fence and -stealing our flowers.” - -“What color is that special tulip?” Vevi demanded. “Is it red?” - -“I don’t dare tell,” laughed Hanny. “Wouldn’t the Mattoxes like to -know, though!” - -“The couple on the next farm?” questioned Connie, recalling mention of -the name. - -“_Ja_,” laughed Hanny, lapsing into a Dutch word. “They are what you -call snoops! But they will never learn Uncle Peter’s secret!” - -To keep the Brownies from asking too many questions about the tulip, -the little Dutch girl took them through the old mill. It was exciting -indeed to look at all the pulleys and machinery. - -Hanny showed the girls a mechanism which acted as a brake. It was used -to prevent the mill from pumping too much water into the irrigation -ditches. - -“It is my job to watch the windmill,” Hanny told her friends. “Whenever -the wind is too strong, I lock the mechanism.” - -After the tour had ended, the girls all sat down on the grass to talk. -Connie invited Hanny to attend the next Brownie meeting at the Public -Library. - -“It will be Wednesday right after school,” she said. “Can you come?” - -“I think so, but I am not sure,” Hanny replied. “It will depend upon my -stand.” - -“A flower stand?” asked Jane. - -“Yes, my uncle is letting me have one at the roadside. I will sell -bouquets of tulips mostly.” - -“I’d like to do that myself,” Jane declared. “Maybe the Brownies will -have a stand at Mrs. Langley’s garden show.” - -“Everything’s so mixed up, we don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” -Vevi added with a laugh. “We promised Mrs. Langley we would help her -with the regular show. Then Mr. Piff came along and talked her into -working with him for a bigger festival.” - -“In my country we call a festival a _kermis_,” Hanny said. “You should -bake _ellekoek_ and sell them!” - -“What is that?” asked Jane suspiciously. - -“Thin cakes in long, narrow ribbons,” Hanny explained with a chuckle. -“One sells them by the yard. In my country, the children buy them at -the _kermis_ or festival. A child takes each end of the cake. They eat -toward each other and kiss at the last bite!” - -“How silly!” exclaimed Jane. “I wouldn’t like that.” - -“I’d rather sell flowers,” declared Vevi. “Either tulips or -tussie-mussie bouquets.” - -Hanny told the girls she would try very hard to attend the Wednesday -Brownie Scout meeting. - -“I’ve told you about Holland,” she declared. “Now you must tell me more -about the Brownie Scout organization.” - -“Our motto is ‘Be Prepared!’” Sunny explained. “I guess it means -learning how to do things well ahead of time, so they can be done right -when you’re called on to do it.” - -“You ought to learn the greeting too,” Vevi asserted. “When one Brownie -Scout meets another, she doesn’t just say ‘Hi!’” - -“You use the sign of friendship.” Rosemary took up the explanation. -“See, it’s done this way.” - -She held up her first two fingers, stiff and straight, token of the two -parts of the Brownie Scout Promise. - -“The promise is this,” she added: “‘I promise to do my best to love God -and my country, to help other people every day, especially those at -home’.” - -“I know that part,” Hanny declared. - -“I guess you help out plenty at home,” Connie said. “Do you know the -slogan?” - -Hanny shook her head. - -“It’s this: ‘Do a Good Turn Daily.’” - -“Miss Gordon says that means doing something for someone without being -asked or paid for it.” - -“Things like setting the table for your mother,” Rosemary explained. -“Or maybe washing the dishes.” - -“I would like to do something for the Brownies!” declared Hanny. “I -know! Next week I will give you some of our tulips. We will have oceans -of them in bloom by then.” - -“You can do something for the Brownies right now,” said Connie. “If we -have our booth in the flower show, we plan to dress in Dutch costumes. -Do you know where we can buy some wooden shoes?” - -“Buy sabots?” Hanny echoed. “Why don’t you make them?” - -“Make our own wooden shoes?” Connie repeated in amazement. - -“My uncle does,” Hanny said proudly. “He carves them from wood, with -special tools. Maybe he will make shoes for the Brownies!” - -“That would be too much trouble,” Connie replied quickly. - -“If Uncle Peter is not too busy, I think he will do it. I will ask him. -First though, before we go to the office, would you like to see our -south field? The first tulips are coming into bloom.” - -Eagerly, the Brownies assented. Hanny walked ahead with Connie and Vevi -over the soft ground. Entering through a picket gate, they made their -way between seemingly endless rows of bright green plants. - -“All of our fields are now in bud,” Hanny declared. “We will have a -very large flower harvest unless rain or a heavy wind should harm the -plants.” - -“I haven’t seen any tulips in bloom except in the greenhouses,” Connie -remarked. - -“Uncle Peter’s are the first in Rosedale. The ones in this field are an -especially early variety.” - -“Is the prize tulip here?” Vevi teased. - -“I’m not saying,” laughed Hanny. “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. You -will have to discover the answer for yourself.” - -Already, though not fully in bloom, the field was speckled with color. -Never had the girls beheld so many different types of tulips. - -There were rows of tall pink ones, and short, stubby double yellows. -Some were variegated with odd markings. - -“Wait until the parrot tulips bloom!” Hanny declared proudly. “They -have ragged, queer-shaped petals that look like the feathers of a bird!” - -“Your uncle’s prize tulip isn’t a parrot?” Vevi demanded. - -“No, it is not a Parrot tulip or a Cottage type,” Hanny replied. “I -will tell you that much. It is an early bloomer. My uncle developed it -from seed.” - -“Then it must be in this field,” Vevi insisted, allowing her gaze to -rove over the brilliant mass of flowers. “Is it in bloom now?” - -“I can’t say,” answered Hanny, her eyes twinkling. “But it is the most -beautiful tulip I have ever seen.” - -Everywhere Vevi and the other Brownies saw wonderful flowers. All were -so pretty that they could not decide which one was nicer than the -others. Jane loved a large flame colored tulip. Sunny’s favorite was a -tall rose-hued variety with dark throat. - -Then unexpectedly, Vevi saw the tulip that held her eye like a magnet. -Only a single flower was in bloom, surrounded by other tulips in bud. -Yet the single specimen, each petal perfect, was breath taking. - -The flower had a long, straight stem and in color was a pure, golden -yellow. Compared to it, all other yellow tulips in the field appeared -faded. - -“There it is! The one I like best!” cried Vevi. - -“It’s my choice too,” declared Connie. - -Hanny smiled in an odd sort of way. She seemed very pleased that her -friends liked the tulip. - -“This isn’t the special tulip, is it?” demanded Rosemary. - -Hanny just kept smiling and did not answer. - -“Does this flower have a name?” Vevi asked eagerly. - -“We call it the ‘Golden Beauty.’” - -“‘The Golden Beauty’,” Vevi repeated triumphantly. “That proves it! -Your boat has almost the same name! You can’t fool us, Hanny! We’ve -discovered the tulip your uncle intends to enter in the prize contest!” - - - - -_Chapter Six_ - -WOODEN SHOES - - -Hanny would not admit that Vevi had guessed which tulip her uncle -intended to enter in the blue ribbon contest. - -All the Brownies clustered about the plant, exclaiming at the beauty of -the single bloom. - -“The petals look like spun gold!” declared Connie, peering down into -the tulip’s deep cup. - -“This is the tulip your uncle developed, isn’t it?” demanded Vevi. She -wanted to force Hanny to tell. - -However, Hanny only laughed. - -Quickly, she led the Brownies on to another section of the field, -devoted entirely to purple flowers. - -“You may each pick a bouquet of these,” she told the girls. “They are -the common type of tulips--not special like the others. Next week, you -may have all the tulips you can pick.” - -“Loads and loads of them?” Sunny asked eagerly. - -“We’ll have more than we can sell,” Hanny explained. “Uncle Peter likes -to have the blossoms picked off, so that the strength of the bulb will -not be sapped.” - -The little girl told the Brownies that during the next week, hundreds -of visitors likely would come to the farm to see the flowers in bloom. -Many would order bulbs for fall delivery, selecting the color and type -they liked best. - -“If Uncle Peter receives many orders, I may be able to stay in -America,” Hanny declared. “I hope people like the new varieties he has -developed.” - -The little Dutch girl next took the Brownies to an adjoining field, -ablaze with rare and splendid colors. - -“Uncle Peter calls these his ‘Rembrandt’ tulips,” Hanny said. - -“Wasn’t Rembrandt a famous painter?” inquired Connie. - -“The tulips were named for him because of their beautiful colors,” -Hanny explained. “When Darwin tulips ‘break’ into fantastic color -combinations, they are called Rembrandts.” - -“I like this one,” declared Rosemary. - -She pointed to a tulip which was very exotic appearing with flame-red -petals on a white background. - -“It is very pretty,” said Vevi, “but I like the Golden Beauty much -better.” - -Connie asked Hanny what caused tulips to change color or to “break” as -horticulturists called it. - -“Uncle Peter says ‘breaking’ is really a tulip disease, caused by the -combined action of two viruses,” the little Dutch girl explained. “The -flowers change color, but the plant keeps growing normally.” - -“My, there must be a lot to growing tulips,” sighed Sunny. - -As the children trooped out of the Rembrandt field, they spied Peter -Van Der Lann near the office. He was watering a display of potted -plants as he chatted with Miss Mohr and the Brownie Scout leader. - -Hanny immediately sought him to ask if he would have time to make -wooden shoes for the girls. - -The nurseryman put aside his watering can. “And why should I make -wooden shoes?” he asked, smiling indulgently at his beloved niece. - -“Because the Brownie Scouts need them to wear at Mrs. Langley’s flower -show. You can’t turn them down, Uncle Peter, because they have invited -me to be a Brownie too! May I, Uncle Peter?” - -Miss Gordon and the librarian already had talked to the nurseryman -about his niece joining the organization. So Peter had his answer ready. - -“You may join, little Hanny,” he declared. “And I will make the shoes.” - -“It must be done quickly, for the flower show is next week,” Hanny said -anxiously. “When will you make the shoes, Uncle Hanny?” - -“I will take the measurements now,” he said. “Run for my tape measure.” - -Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon protested that the nurseryman was far too -busy to take time to carve wooden shoes for the children. - -“I will do it at night,” he replied. “To whittle wood provides -relaxation after a hard day in the fields.” - -The two young women declared that they would pay for the work. Mr. Van -Der Lann would not hear of such a thing. He insisted that the children -were Hanny’s friends and his, and that it was little enough he could do -to show his liking. - -Soon Hanny came running back with a tape measure. Peter sat the -children on a bench, and one by one, measured their feet. - -Carefully, he marked down the figures on a sheet of paper. - -“Connie has the largest foot,” he reported. “For her shoes I must have -a very long piece of white wood.” - -“What will our shoes look like when they are finished?” asked Rosemary. - -“I will show you,” Hanny said. - -Off she darted to the house again. In a moment she returned, two pairs -of wooden shoes tucked under her arms. - -The shoes were too small for Connie and Jane, but the other Brownies -tried them on. First Sunny tried to walk in them. - -Her feet felt very stiff and awkward. After she had taken four steps -one of the shoes slipped off. - -“You don’t do it right,” laughed Hanny. “See, I will show you.” - -She slipped into the shoes which were an exact fit. Instead of walking, -she ran across the yard toward the cheese house. The door was open. - -One moment the children saw Hanny and her long braids framed in the -doorway. The next instant she had disappeared into the building. - -But setting neatly by the door were the wooden shoes! - -“How did she do that?” cried Vevi in admiration. “Why, she didn’t even -slow down when she went through the doorway!” - -“I never saw her slip off her shoes,” added Jane. “She did it in a -flash.” - -“Hanny learned that trick when she was very young,” Peter chuckled. -“She did not like to take time to remove her shoes before entering the -house, so she learned to take them off on the fly.” - -Hanny only stayed in the cheese house a moment. Soon she came out to -pick up her shoes again. - -“Let me see if I can do that!” cried Vevi. - -Hanny gave her the shoes, putting on her leather ones again. - -“I like these American shoes much better,” she said. “Wooden shoes are -clumsy.” - -Vevi slipped into the sabots. She took four little choppy steps and -then one of the shoes sailed off. - -“I can’t run in them at all,” Vevi said, very much discouraged. - -She went after the shoe which had rolled down a slope toward the canal. -Hanny skipped after her to the water’s edge. - -“I’ll show you something else you can do with a wooden shoe,” she told -the Brownies. “Watch!” - -Picking up the wooden shoe that Vevi had lost she carefully set it -down in the shallow water. - -“See, a boat!” she laughed. - -The wooden shoe turned slowly around in the sluggish water. Then toe -forward, it began to drift lazily away. - -“Hey, get it quick!” cried Vevi in alarm. - -“Oh, it won’t sail far,” laughed Hanny. - -She was right too, because in just a minute the shoe snagged on a stick -and was held fast. - -“Say, that’s fun, sailing boats!” cried Vevi. “Where is the other shoe?” - -“On your foot, stupe!” laughed Jane. - -The joke certainly was on Vevi, for in the excitement of watching the -“boat” she had forgotten that its mate still was on her left foot. - -All the Brownies were eager to play “boat.” - -“Is it safe?” Miss Gordon anxiously asked the nurseryman. - -“Oh, they can’t any more than splash their clothing,” he replied. “The -water barely is deep enough to float the boat.” - -Reassured, Miss Gordon told the children to have a good time, but to be -very careful. She and Miss Mohr then went off with Peter to see some of -the tulips. - -Connie watched the three walk away. She noticed that the nurseryman -seemed especially friendly with Miss Mohr. - -“I think he likes her,” she whispered to Vevi. “See, he is picking her -a bouquet of tulips.” - -“He likes Miss Gordon too,” Vevi replied carelessly. All her attention -now had centered on the wooden shoe boats. - -“Not the same way though,” insisted Connie. “He smiles at her sort of -special. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they’d fall in love? Then Hanny -could stay here always--” - -Vevi gave her friend a sharp jab in the ribs. - -“Hush!” she warned. “Do you want Hanny to hear? Anyway, you get crazy -ideas, Connie Williams!” - -For the next twenty minutes the Brownies had a wonderful time at the -water’s edge. They peeled off their stockings and sat on the bridge, -splashing their toes. - -It was great fun sailing the wooden shoes in the lazy current. Now and -then a “boat” would fill with water and sink. Then one of the girls -would wade to its rescue. - -“My shoe is a torpedo boat!” Vevi shouted. “I’m coming after your boat, -Jane.” - -She propelled the shoe, making it crack into the other. - -The Brownies played “war” for a few minutes before discovering that the -wooden shoes made good sand scoops. Sand castles occupied them after -that. - -Connie noticed that Miss Mohr, Miss Gordon and Peter had started back -from the tulip fields. - -“It must be nearly time to leave,” she said anxiously. “Vevi McGuire, -just look at your dress! What will Miss Gordon say?” - -“Yours is splashed too!” Vevi replied, trying to brush off the water -drops from her skirt. “It has a spot of mud on the sleeve.” - -“We’d better quit this game before we get any dirtier,” Rosemary -declared uneasily. “Let’s clean up the wooden shoes.” - -She gathered up one pair and began to wash out the sand. - -Vevi looked about for the other shoes. One lay at the water’s edge. The -other was nowhere to be seen. - -“Connie, did you have Hanny’s shoe?” she inquired. - -Connie shook her head. - -“You had it last,” she reminded Vevi. “Remember? When you were playing -torpedo.” - -“I don’t recall taking it out of the water,” Vevi said, glancing -anxiously down the canal. “Did anyone else pick it up?” - -No one had seen the shoe. - -“It must have drifted away,” Hanny said. “Oh, dear, it belonged to my -best pair too.” - -“Where does the canal lead?” Connie questioned. - -“Past the Mattox farm and on to a drainage ditch. The shoe couldn’t -have drifted far though, because the Mattoxes have a footwalk across -the water. That would stop the shoe if it went that far.” - -“Let’s go see!” proposed Vevi. She started off toward the adjoining -property which was separated from the Van Der Lann place by a tall -fence. - -“No! No!” Hanny called after her. “We must not trespass.” - -Vevi did not climb over the fence. But she crawled high up on it so she -could see far down the canal. - -“I don’t see the shoe anywhere,” she said, and then she corrected -herself. “Oh, yes, I do!” - -“Where?” cried Hanny. - -“It has snagged on a pile of sticks there where the canal turns a bit!” - -Hanny climbed up on the fence beside Vevi. She too saw the runaway shoe. - -“I’ll run and get it,” Vevi offered. She was not afraid to cross the -Mattox land. - -“No, no!” Hanny said in earnest protest. “Uncle Peter has told me that -I must never set foot on their property. They are so very unpleasant.” - -“Then how will we get the shoe?” Vevi demanded. - -Hanny thought hard for a second and then had an idea. - -“The watercourse belongs to everybody,” she declared. “I will take the -boat and fetch the shoe!” - - - - -_Chapter Seven_ - -A RUNAWAY ‘BOAT’ - - -Vevi and Connie offered to go with Hanny to recover the missing wooden -shoe. They thought it odd, however, that the Mattox couple should be so -strict about anyone walking on their land. - -“Is it safe to go in the boat?” questioned Connie as the children -walked back to the canal. - -“Oh, yes, the water isn’t deep,” Hanny replied. “I will get the oars.” - -She ran to the barn, returning with them in a moment. Then she untied -the boat and climbed in. - -All of the Brownies were eager for a ride on the canal. Hanny though, -could not take everyone. - -“Vevi and Connie spoke first,” she said. “So I will take them.” - -The two Brownies stepped into the boat with their armful of tulip -blooms. By this time the flowers had wilted a bit. Vevi dipped the -stems into the canal for a moment and then put the bouquets on the -bottom of the boat. - -As she bent down she noticed that a little water was seeping in through -the boards. - -“Say, I think this old boat is leaking!” she cried. - -“It always does a little,” Hanny replied, picking up the oars. - -Vevi and Connie moved their feet so that their shoes would not get wet. - -“Shove us off,” Hanny urged the Brownies who had remained ashore. - -Jane gave the boat a mighty push. Out it shot into the current. For a -moment, before slowing down, the craft went almost as fast as if it had -a motor. - -“Say, this is fun!” shouted Vevi. - -Jane, Rosemary and Sunny ran along the bank beside the boat. When they -reached the fence that separated Mr. Van Der Lann’s property from the -Mattox farm, they had to stop. - -Hanny began to row. She handled the oars very well and kept the boat -steady in the middle of the canal. - -“Say, this old boat is leaking fast!” Vevi observed very soon. “My feet -are getting wet.” - -“So are mine,” declared Connie, shifting to another place in the boat. - -Hanny told Vevi to look for a bailing can under the seat. The container -could not be found. - -“I remember, I used it for something else last week and forgot to put -it back,” Hanny admitted. - -Vevi and Connie began to squirm nervously. The water was not deep but -it kept spreading over the bottom of the boat. - -“I want out of this old tub,” Vevi suddenly announced. “It is going to -sink!” - -Hanny insisted that the boat was safe. “I can’t let you out because -we are at the Mattox place now,” she added. “We will soon have that -runaway shoe and be back home.” - -Vevi and Connie forgot the leaking boat as they looked about with -interest. From the Van Der Lann place tall trees and bushes had -screened their view of the other nursery. - -Now they saw the big greenhouse with its glass roof and a small cottage -very much in need of paint. A few tulips were in bloom, but the flowers -were not as large or as showy as those on Peter’s place. - -“The Mattoxes lived here before my uncle started his nursery,” Hanny -told her friends. “They were annoyed when he bought land next to their -property. They had expected to add it to their own place.” - -“Is that Mrs. Mattox?” Connie asked. She had noticed a woman in a blue -straw hat working in the fields. - -“Her name is Freda,” Hanny said. “If she sees us, she may speak -crossly. She does not like me or Uncle Peter.” - -“Say, my feet are wet!” Vevi suddenly cried. - -“The water is coming into this boat faster and faster,” Connie declared -uneasily. “Hanny, you must pull up on shore.” - -“Mrs. Mattox won’t like it.” - -“Who cares about her?” Vevi demanded. “We are getting wet, Hanny.” - -The little Dutch girl guided the boat to a sandy stretch of beach along -the canal. After Connie and Vevi had leaped out, she pulled the craft -up on shore so it would not drift away. - -“Mrs. Mattox has seen us,” Hanny said, glancing over her shoulder. “Oh! -Oh! She has dropped her hoe and is coming this way.” - -“Let’s get the wooden shoe as fast as we can and run!” Vevi urged. - -Abandoning the boat, the children ran to the clutter of debris where -the runaway shoe had caught fast. - -But when Connie tried to capture it, she only succeeded in setting it -free. Off it floated again down the canal. - -“Hey, come back here, shoe!” she cried. - -The “boat” drifted lazily along until finally it lodged against a -footbridge. - -“Now we can get it,” declared Vevi. - -“And Mrs. Mattox will get us,” added Hanny nervously. “She is walking -straight to our boat.” - -The children walked quickly out on the footbridge. The narrow planking -bent under their weight and dipped low into the water. - -“It’s going to break!” Vevi exclaimed fearfully. - -“Oh, a footbridge always wobbles,” Connie reassured her. “Here, hold my -hand while I grab the old shoe.” - -Vevi steadied her so she could bend down and rescue the shoe. - -“Now back to the boat!” Hanny urged. “We are going to get a scolding, I -can tell you.” - -Mrs. Mattox did not pay very much attention to the three girls as they -hurried up the canal. In fact, she seemed deeply engrossed examining -something in the bottom of the boat. - -“What is she doing?” Vevi asked curiously. - -“Maybe she is trying to stop the leak in our boat,” Connie speculated. - -Hanny however, had sharper eyes. - -“She is looking at our tulips,” she told her companions. “Just see her -poking about among the blossoms.” - -“Why would she do that?” Vevi whispered. By this time the children had -drawn quite close to the boat. - -“She’s trying to see what varieties Uncle Peter is raising this year,” -Hanny declared. “I think she is hoping to find out if we have a tulip -that will win the blue ribbon.” - -Mrs. Mattox had heard the children come up. She straightened, dropping -a red tulip. - -For a minute the girls thought she intended to scold them for coming -onto her property. Instead, she merely stared at them. - -“Our boat is leaking,” Hanny said politely. “That is why we walked on -your land.” - -“It isn’t the first time you have done it,” the woman answered. She -kept eyeing the tulips in the boat. - -“Hanny gave us some flowers,” Connie said to make conversation. She -always tried to be friendly with everyone. “Aren’t they beautiful?” - -“Humph! Very ordinary tulips I would say,” replied Mrs. Mattox. “Which -one is your uncle entering in the flower show, Hanny?” - -“I cannot say, Mrs. Mattox.” - -“None of these, I’d judge.” - -Hanny remained silent. Her unwillingness to talk angered the woman. - -“How many times have I told you not to come onto my property?” she -berated the children. “You tramp the flowers and damage our plantings.” - -Hanny knew the accusations were unfair. It was true, though, that she -had been told repeatedly not to trespass. - -“We are leaving now,” she said. - -“Take this leaky old tub with you,” Mrs. Mattox ordered crossly. -“You will have to tow it back by the rope because it is becoming -waterlogged. Now, begone!” - -Hanny seized the rope and started to pull the boat alongshore. Mrs. -Mattox followed close behind to see that she did not do any damage. - -“I am sorry about the boat,” Hanny apologized again. “My uncle plans -soon to build a new one.” - -“Such foolishness!” the nurseryman’s wife exclaimed. “First it was a -windmill! What will it be next? Always foolishness.” - -“I like the windmill,” Vevi said, speaking in Peter’s defense. “His -farm is very pretty. It is nicer than this one.” - -Now the little girl should not have made the remark. She was sorry the -moment she had said the words. Mrs. Mattox lost her temper at once. - -“Oh, so Peter Van Der Lann has a better nursery than ours!” she -exclaimed. “Well, let me tell you something! He won’t have it long. -Everyone in Rosedale knows that he is deeply in debt. He will lose his -farm, and then where will he be?” - - - - -_Chapter 8_ - -THE TREASURE HOUSE - - -Mrs. Mattox’ words distressed Hanny, who began to cry. She knew only -too well that her uncle might lose his property and that she would be -sent back to Holland. - -“My uncle won’t lose his farm,” she denied stubbornly. “He will make a -great deal of money this year. Our tulip will win the prize and we will -sell our bulbs for a nice price.” - -“Don’t count on it,” said Mrs. Mattox. “Your uncle will win no prize -with any of the tulip varieties I have seen.” - -“We have one though--” Hanny began, and then she stopped short. She -realized she had been on the verge of saying too much. - -“Where does your uncle grow this wonderful tulip?” Mrs. Mattox pursued -the subject. - -Hanny would not say. She was glad when they reached the boundary of her -uncle’s land. The other Brownies were at the fence and helped to pull -the water-logged boat back to its mooring place. - -“Don’t you mind Mrs. Mattox,” Connie said to Hanny, slipping an arm -about the little girl’s waist. “She is just an old meanie.” - -“But it is true my uncle may lose this farm.” - -“You will win the blue ribbon for your prize tulip.” - -“I hope so,” Hanny said soberly, “but Uncle Peter says we cannot count -on it. All the growers in Rosedale are trying for the prize. Many new -varieties will be shown.” - -“Yours will be the very best,” Connie declared confidently. “If it is -the Golden Beauty I am sure it will win.” - -The children hauled the leaky boat up on the grassy bank. As they -overturned it, Miss Gordon hailed them from the path. - -“Come to the house, girls,” she called. “Mr. Van Der Lann has invited -us to have sweet cakes.” - -“I’ll give you some of my _hopjes_ too,” declared Hanny. - -“What are those?” Jane Tuttle asked as the group started for the house. -“Something to eat?” - -“Candy with a butterscotch flavor,” Hanny explained. “Good too!” - -Inside the farm house, Peter had laid a fire on the hearth to take a -chill from the air. Hanny, Vevi and Connie moved in close to dry their -damp shoes and stockings. - -As the children were telling Mr. Van Der Lann about the leaky boat, -the housekeeper came in bearing steaming chocolate and _maastegles_ or -sweet cakes. - -While they nibbled the cakes, the grownups talked of the coming flower -show. Judging of the tulips, the first event in the mammoth festival, -was to come the following weekend. Mrs. Langley planned to open her -estate to the public according to her usual custom. Prize flowers would -be on display at her greenhouse. - -“Mr. Piff keeps at me to have a part in the commercial show,” Mr. Van -Der Lann said. “To participate I must pay one hundred dollars. I do not -have it and have told him so. Yet he has told about Rosedale that I -have refused only because I am stubborn.” - -“From what I hear, many of the growers are regretting that they went -into Mr. Piff’s scheme,” remarked Miss Mohr. “It is to be an elaborate -affair and no doubt will bring hundreds of persons to Rosedale during -show week. But some folks are saying that for all his talk, Mr. Piff is -not a good manager.” - -“I have heard rumors myself,” nodded Mr. Van Der Lann. “Some of the -growers complain that for every dollar Mr. Piff collects, fifty cents -goes into his own pocket.” - -“I liked our festival so much when it was a small, quiet affair,” added -Miss Gordon. “For the life of me I cannot understand why Mrs. Langley -became interested in Mr. Piff’s scheme.” - -The Brownies had just finished their cake when the housekeeper came in. -She spoke quietly to the nurseryman. - -“Mrs. Gabriel is here again,” she informed him. “It is about those -bulbs she asked you to order for her.” - -Mr. Van Der Lann went to the window and looked out. He could see the -lady’s car on the driveway near the little office. - -“Why does she keep pestering me?” he demanded. “I have told her -repeatedly that I want none of her business. Tell her I will not see -her!” - -The Brownies could not understand why the nurseryman did not like to -deal with Mrs. Gabriel. Her unexpected visit seemed to upset him. - -A little later, when the children were outside again, Vevi asked Hanny -why her uncle turned down Mrs. Gabriel’s order. - -“I do not know,” Hanny answered with a shrug. - -“Who is she anyhow?” Connie questioned. She did not know anyone in -Rosedale by the name of Gabriel. - -“She has been here several times,” Hanny told her friends. “Always she -is nice to me and once gave me a chocolate bar. But I do not like her. -Uncle Peter says she is trying to get him to do something he does not -want to do.” - -It was nearly time to leave now, so the children went down to the canal -for their bouquets of flowers. - -Sunny, Jane and Rosemary quickly gathered up their tulips and carried -them back to the house. Vevi and Connie followed more slowly, stopping -a moment to watch the revolving arms of the big windmill. - -“Hanny,” said Vevi suddenly, “when are you going to tell us about the -mystery house?” - -Hanny grinned and pretended not to understand. - -“You know what I mean,” Vevi said pointedly. “When are you going to -tell us what you keep in that locked building?” - -“Someday,” Hanny laughed. - -“We may not get out here again very soon,” Vevi argued. “Next week is -the flower show at Mrs. Langley’s estate.” - -“And right after that the big commercial festival,” added Connie. “The -Brownies will be very busy next week too. We have to make our booth and -cut paper tulips to decorate the library.” - -“But you will have to come again, if only to try on the wooden shoes -Uncle Peter is making for you,” Hanny protested. - -“We won’t be able to stay long next time,” Vevi insisted. “If you’re -ever going to tell us about that locked house, now is the time to do -it.” - -Hanny hesitated a long while. Then she demanded: - -“Can you both keep a secret?” - -“Oh, yes!” said Connie. - -“A Brownie’s word is as good as gold,” added Vevi. “Tell us your -secret, Hanny.” - -“It belongs to Uncle Peter as much as to me. You’re sure you can keep -the secret if I tell you?” - -“Brownie’s honor,” said Connie soberly. - -“Then wait here,” directed Hanny. “I will be back in a minute.” - -She ran off to the house. Vevi and Connie could not imagine what she -was after. Soon she came flying back, something clutched in her hand. - -She opened her fingers to show Connie and Vevi that the object was a -tiny padlock key. - -“Come with me,” she bade her friends. “But you must never, never tell -what I am going to show you. Not until after next week at least. Then -it will not matter.” - -Connie and Vevi became rather excited at the thought of seeing inside -the locked house. They could not guess what Hanny’s uncle kept hidden -there. It made them feel very important to think that Hanny trusted -them enough to let them share her secret. - -“We must hurry,” Connie said, glancing anxiously toward the house. “I -think Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr are about ready to start home.” - -Hanny inserted the key into the padlock and pulled it open. - -“You mustn’t tell anyone--not even the other Brownies,” Hanny warned. - -“We promise,” Vevi said impatiently. - -Hanny pushed open the door and stepped into the dark room. The other -two girls followed quickly behind her. - -“I can’t see a thing!” Vevi complained. - -“Neither can I,” declared Connie, clinging to her friend’s arm. - -“Wait! I will let in a little light,” Hanny said. “But only a little.” - -The room in which the children stood was nearly square, with walls -scarcely more than ten feet in length. There were no windows, only a -small skylight overhead. The latter had been covered with a blanket to -keep out the sunshine. - -Hanny moved the covering so that a crack of light filtered down. - -“There!” she exclaimed. “Now can you see?” - -Vevi and Connie looked about them. The walls of the room were lined -with homemade shelves on which were stored large, plump objects which -were difficult to identify in the shadowy light. - -“Onions!” Vevi exclaimed, finally making out their shape. - -She was bitterly disappointed. For that matter, so was Connie. - -“Not onions,” corrected Hanny. “Look again.” - -“Tulip bulbs?” Connie asked. - -“Yes,” Hanny acknowledged. “Our very best ones are kept here. The -temperature is carefully controlled. Uncle Peter and I call this place -our treasure house.” - -Connie and Vevi were so disappointed they could not say a word. - -For days they had been speculating about the mystery of the little -locked house. They had convinced themselves that this room contained -something very startling and wonderful. And now to learn that it was -only a storeroom for bulbs! - -Hanny seemed to sense how her friends felt. At any rate, she chuckled -as if enjoying their astonishment. - -“Now, I’ll show you the real treasure,” she promised. “Then you will -understand why the secret must be kept.” - - - - -_Chapter 9_ - -HIGH WIND - - -Moving to a shelf on the north wall, Hanny pulled out a canvas bag. - -“Not money?” gasped Vevi. Her interest in the locked room had revived -quickly. - -“This bag contains something which may be as valuable as gold,” Hanny -replied. “It all depends on whether or not Uncle Peter is lucky.” - -The little Dutch girl unfastened the bag and carefully emptied out some -of the contents on the counter. - -“More tulip bulbs!” exclaimed Vevi. “Big ones too.” - -She had never seen such large bulbs. Each one was plump and perfectly -formed. Even Vevi who did not know anything about flower bulbs could -see that these were something very fine. - -“Are these the special bulbs your uncle developed Hanny?” shrewdly -guessed Connie. “Are they the blue ribbon ones?” - -“They’re the bulbs Uncle Peter hopes will win the prize.” - -“Why do you keep them locked up?” questioned Vevi. - -“Because they will be worth their weight in gold if our tulip wins -first prize,” Hanny explained. “There are no other bulbs like these -anywhere in this country or abroad. Uncle Peter says they are the -finest in the world! If we should lose them or if they should rot, we -never could replace them.” - -“Are they bulbs of the Golden Tulip?” Vevi asked. - -“I cannot say,” returned Hanny. “I would like to tell, but I promised -Uncle Peter not to give away the secret.” - -“The Golden Tulip is the most beautiful one I have seen anywhere,” Vevi -insisted. “I think these must be Golden Tulip bulbs.” - -Hanny only laughed and put away the bag. Then she carefully locked the -little house again. - -“I wish the Brownies had a tulip bed,” said Connie after the padlock -had been snapped shut. “Miss Mohr might give us a little plot of ground -at the library.” - -“It is too late to start a tulip bed this spring,” Hanny advised her. -“Bulbs should be planted in the fall.” - -“Then perhaps the Brownies can have a garden next year. Only then -Rosedale may not be having a flower festival.” - -“Next year, if Uncle Peter still has his nursery, I will give you -hundreds of bulbs,” Hanny promised. - -As the children turned away from the little house, they were startled -to hear Jane calling to them from the roadway. - -“Hey, hurry up!” she shouted. “We’ve been waiting nearly ten minutes! -Hurry!” - -Vevi and Connie hastily said goodbye to Hanny, reminding her not to -forget the scheduled Brownie Scout meeting at the library. Then they -ran off to join their friends who were ready to start home. - -“Say, where did you girls go anyhow?” Jane demanded suspiciously as -Vevi and Connie rushed up breathlessly. - -“It’s a secret,” chuckled Vevi. - -All the way home, the other Brownies teased her to reveal where she and -Connie had been. But Vevi would not. - -Not until they were alone again, did the two girls so much as mention -the locked room. - -Both were hopeful that Peter would win the blue ribbon and that his bag -of precious bulbs truly would become a bag of treasure. - -On Wednesday after school all the Brownie Scouts gathered at the public -library to cut and paste tulip decorations for the windows. - -“Where is Hanny?” Rosemary asked noticing that the little girl was not -present. “I thought she was coming today.” - -“So did I,” declared Miss Gordon. “Perhaps she will come later.” - -A door banged just then and in came Hanny. She was quite breathless -from hurrying. - -“I am sorry to be late,” she apologized. “I did not think I could come -at all. My uncle was called away and there is no one at home to look -after things. Even the housekeeper is away.” - -Miss Gordon said she was happy indeed that Hanny had managed to attend -the meeting. She gave the little girl materials and showed her how to -make paper flowers. - -As the children worked with scissors and paste, Miss Mohr told them -about the work of Brownies in foreign countries. - -“Now who remembers the Brownie name in the Netherlands?” she asked the -group. - -Sunny Davidson and Connie Williams both waved their hands. Miss Mohr -called on Sunny to give the answer. - -“They’re called Kabouters and it means little elves.” - -“Now who knows the name that is used for the organization in South -Africa?” the librarian went on. - -No one knew the answer so Miss Mohr told the girls that Brownies in -South Africa were known as Sunbeams. - -She said that in Greece they were called Poulakia or Little Birds. - -Miss Gordon then told the Brownies about cut-out dolls they could -obtain. She explained that the figures were dressed in Brownie uniforms -of different countries in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl -Scouts. - -“Now you know that tulip bulbs came to this country from Holland,” she -declared. “Look about in your homes, and at our next meeting report -how many objects you have noticed that have been imported from other -countries.” - -“Our home has almost everything from Holland,” Hanny said. “But I like -best the things you buy in America. I love your big super markets too -where you see so many wonderful foods.” - -So that the little girl would know more about the organization she -intended to join, Miss Gordon explained how the Brownies obtained their -name in English speaking countries. - -“The organization was named by Robert Baden-Powell, who lived in -England,” she told Hanny. “He knew many wonderful stories about the -brownies or ‘little people’ and thought it would be a suitable name for -girls who try to be useful. The founder of the Girl Scouts in America -was Mrs. Juliette Gordon Low.” - -“How can I join?” Hanny asked eagerly. “I want to be a Brownie.” - -“We will have the investiture ceremony as soon as you have attended -four meetings,” Miss Gordon promised. - -After the paper flowers had been made, the girls talked over plans -for a booth at Mrs. Langley’s flower show. Miss Mohr announced that -Peter Van Der Lann had promised the troop all the tulips they wanted, -not only for decoration, but to sell. The mothers would help too, -particularly in the making of tussie-mussie bouquets. - -“I think the festival on Mrs. Langley’s estate will be very nice,” Miss -Mohr told the girls. “The Brownies will wear Dutch costumes, and wooden -shoes. All the money we make will be for our own organization.” - -It was after four-thirty when the meeting finally came to an end. Vevi -and Hanny were among the last to leave the library. Arm in arm they -walked along the street together. - -“I am going to like being a Brownie,” Hanny told her new friend. “Why, -I hope I can attend every single meeting.” - -The children were passing a drugstore window. Vevi stopped to look at -a poster which advertised the coming festival. The placard did not -mention the preliminary show on Mrs. Langley’s estate but told about -the three-day celebration which would follow. - -Vevi was reading the poster when a sudden gust of wind whipped her -Brownie uniform about her knees. - -At the same instant off went her brown beanie into the gutter. - -“Whoops!” Vevi exclaimed, scampering after the rolling headgear. - -As she snatched the beanie from the street an automobile came to a -jerky halt at the curb. The strange woman Vevi knew as Mrs. Gabriel was -at the wheel. She tooted her horn and glared at the little girl. - -“Don’t you know better than to dash out into the street!” she scolded. -“I might have run you down.” - -Vevi had been a little careless. However, she never had come very close -to the automobile. - -“I am sorry,” she apologized. “That wind--” - -Off went her beanie again, this time almost directly beneath the wheels -of the stationary car. To the annoyance of Mrs. Gabriel, Vevi had to -get down on her hands and knees to fish it out. - -“Do watch what you are doing,” the woman said. “And hang onto that hat!” - -The moment Vevi was safely on the curb, she drove away. - -Hanny had been having a time with her own belongings. The capricious -wind had scattered some of her school papers. For several minutes she -was kept busy gathering them up. - -Breathlessly the two girls huddled in the drugstore doorway. As -yet there was no rain but dust was blowing wildly in the street. A -newspaper flew past, plastering itself around a telephone pole. - -“It’s going to blow real hard,” Vevi said, pulling her sweater tight. -“Hanny, you had better come home with me.” - -“I can’t,” the other replied. “O-oh!” - -Vevi looked around quickly, wondering what was wrong. She thought dust -had blown into Hanny’s eyes or that another paper had been swept away. - -“What is it?” she asked for her little friend looked dreadfully worried. - -“The windmill!” Hanny said in a frightened voice. “I left it turned on. -If it pumps very long in this high wind, our tulips may be ruined!” - - - - -_Chapter 10_ - -IN THE HAYLOFT - - -The wind was blowing steadily now, whipping the trees and sending -everyone to cover. - -Hanny and Vevi huddled in the drugstore doorway, not knowing what to do. - -“I should have locked the windmill before I left the farm,” Hanny said, -clutching her hat tightly to keep it from sailing away. - -“Maybe your uncle will get home and take care of it,” Vevi said -hopefully. - -“He has gone away for the afternoon. Oh, Vevi, I will have to get out -there as fast as I can. This wind is not going to let up for a long -while.” - -“I will go with you,” Vevi offered. She did not really want to go. It -was a long walk to the farm and the sharp wind would make the trip -uncomfortable. - -Nevertheless, she started off with Hanny down the street. The girls -had to duck their heads and bend low. Even then it was hard to keep on -their feet. - -“This is a regular hurricane!” Vevi gasped. “Maybe everything is going -to blow away!” - -Hanny however, was not frightened. She glanced at the sky, studying the -boiling clouds for a minute. - -“It is only a hard wind,” she said. “But it can do much damage at our -nursery. Oh, why did I forget the windmill?” - -Reaching the outskirts of the city, the two girls struck out along the -main highway. Soon they saw a car overtaking them. - -“Here comes someone,” Vevi said, looking over her shoulder. “Maybe we -can catch a ride to the farm.” - -The children moved off the roadway and waited. When the car was fairly -close they could see a woman at the wheel. There were no passengers. - -“It looks like Mrs. Gabriel’s car,” said Hanny. “My uncle would not -want me to ride with her.” - -“Even to save the tulips?” - -“I guess that would be different,” Hanny agreed. - -Both girls waved their arms, trying to attract Mrs. Gabriel’s -attention. They knew she saw them, for she slowed down. - -“She is going to pick us up!” Vevi cried in relief. - -But Mrs. Gabriel did not stop. She drove past the children, without -paying any attention to their frantic gestures. - -“Why, that was mean!” exclaimed Vevi. “She’ll be going right past the -farm too!” - -The girls bored on into the wind, but walking was most difficult. Vevi -could not keep on her beanie. She carried it in her hand, but her hair -kept whipping across her eyes. - -“We’ll never get there!” she gasped. “This hateful old wind!” - -A loud “toot-toot” sounded directly behind the girls. Startled, they -jumped to the side of the road. - -Another car had come along, driven by a man who was riding with his -wife. He pulled up beside the children. - -“Want a ride?” he asked. - -“Do we!” demanded Vevi gratefully. - -The man opened the car door, and the girls slid into the back seat. - -“Going far?” he inquired. - -“Only to Windmill Farm,” Hanny said. “Can you take us there?” - -“Sure thing,” the man agreed. “I’m going right past the farm.” - -The car rolled over a bridge. Vevi and Hanny saw that the river had -been ruffled into high, foamy waves. Along each shore, the low-bent -branches of willows were lashing back and forth. - -A few big drops of rain spattered against the car’s windshield. - -“We’ll have a downpour any minute now,” the driver said. “You children -should have your raincoats.” - -The car passed the Mattox nursery. On the driveway, Vevi and Hanny saw -Mrs. Gabriel’s parked automobile. - -“Look at the roof of the greenhouse!” Hanny cried, pointing. - -A portion of the glass covering had been smashed by the wind. - -“It was a little twister all right,” declared the man who had given the -children a ride. “The worst is over now though, I think.” - -“I hope our windmill is all right,” Hanny said anxiously. “It may have -blown down.” - -The car rolled over a rise, and the children were reassured to see the -huge canvas-arms revolving at a furious rate. - -“It’s still there,” Vevi said, greatly relieved. - -“But see how fast the arms are turning,” Hanny declared. “The tulip -fields will be flooded!” - -At the gate to Windmill Farm, the driver stopped the car to let the -children off. - -“Will you be all right now?” he asked. “Or do you want me to come with -you?” - -“I can turn off the windmill myself,” Hanny said. - -She and Vevi thanked the driver and his wife for the ride and ran -through the gate. - -The windmill was groaning and straining under the assault of the -elements. At any moment, Vevi expected to see the canvas-covered arms -ripped to shreds. - -Around and around went the fan-shaped sails, pumping water at a fearful -rate. The irrigation ditches were flooded and Hanny could see that some -of the tulip fields were soaked. - -“I must get the mill stopped first of all!” she cried. - -The little Dutch girl ran to the mill and tried to open the door. The -wind held it back. - -“Help me, Vevi!” she cried. - -Both girls tugged at the door. Vevi lost her beanie again, and this -time she did not try to save it. - -Suddenly the mill door flew back, banging hard. The wind was so strong -it nearly wrenched off the hinges. - -Once inside the mill, the girls were protected. But it was frightening -to hear the wild creak of the pulleys and the heaving and groaning of -the great sails overhead. - -“Oh, Hanny, I’m scared,” Vevi whimpered, huddling against a wall. “This -old mill is about ready to blow over.” - -Hanny was not as nervous as her little friend, for she had been inside -the mill before on very windy days. - -Quickly, she shot levers into place, locking the mechanism. - -“There, I have stopped the mill from pumping!” she exclaimed. - -The girls caught their breath, looking out over the fields through the -open doorway. - -“This wind will snap the stems of our tulips even if the water did not -ruin them,” Hanny said. “Uncle Peter will lose most of his investment.” - -“The wind is dying down some now,” Vevi said. “Maybe the tulips will be -all right.” - -“I am especially worried about the north field,” Hanny went on. “If the -prize tulip is lost, we will have nothing to enter in Mrs. Langley’s -show.” - -“The Golden Beauty?” - -Hanny did not answer. She seemed to be thinking hard. - -Suddenly, without explaining what she intended to do, she bolted out -the open door of the mill. - -Vevi saw the little girl run to the barn. She was inside a minute or -two. Then out she came, carrying a large, empty orange crate. - -“Where are you going, Hanny?” Vevi shouted across the yard. - -In the high wind, Hanny could not hear. But Vevi saw her enter the -north field and dart down the rows of tulips. - -Hanny carefully set the crate down. Then she came flying back to rejoin -Vevi in the mill. - -“Our tulip is still safe!” she exclaimed. “I have covered it with the -box. Now it will be protected even if the other tulips are ruined.” - -Vevi had noticed the place where Hanny had set down the box. - -“It was the Golden Beauty that you covered,” she said. “I am sure of -it, Vevi. But I will never tell.” - -The old mill was a chilly and uncomfortable place in which to stand. -Hanny said that the barn, directly across the yard, was a much better -shelter from which to watch the storm. - -“Let’s make a run for it,” she urged. “The rain is coming.” - -Together the girls dashed across the open space. Midway there, Vevi -spied her lost beanie snagged against a fence post. She darted aside to -rescue it. Before she could reach the barn, rain began to come down in -torrents. - -“Hurry! Hurry!” Hanny shouted, holding the barn door open for her. - -Vevi dashed in, her Brownie uniform splashed with raindrops. - -For several minutes the rain came in a great sheet. Then abruptly, it -let up. - -“At least we will not have hail,” Hanny declared. “That is what ruins -the plants.” - -Now that the excitement was nearly over, Vevi became interested in the -interior of the barn. She had never seen such a clean place. - -The floor was swept as neatly as a living room. Curtains were at all -the windows. The stalls, where two Jersey cows contentedly chewed -their cuds, did not have a speck of dust or dirt. - -Vevi sniffed the air. She could smell something sweet and fragrant. - -“What is that odor?” she asked. - -“The haymow,” Hanny told her. “See, the ladder leads up to it.” - -Vevi climbed up to look. “My, this hay looks nice and soft,” she called -down. - -The little girl suddenly realized that the trip from Rosedale and so -much running and hurrying had made her very tired. She snuggled down -into a mound of hay. - -Hanny also climbed the ladder. Seeing Vevi so snug, she curled up -beside her. - -The hay was warm and delightful. - -“I’m sleepy,” Vevi said. “I think I will take a nap. By the time I wake -up, the rain will be over.” - -“It is almost over now,” said Hanny. - -“I think I will take a nap anyhow,” Vevi declared. “Wake me up when it -stops raining.” - -Now Hanny did not intend to fall asleep. After Vevi had closed her -eyes, she lay very still listening to the rain on the barn roof. - -The hay was sweet-smelling and as cozy as a feather bed. She felt -delightfully drowsy, shut off from all the world. - -Hanny thought she would close her eyes only for a moment. When she -opened them, she was astonished to see that dark shadows shrouded the -haymow. - -Vevi was shaking her. - -“M-m,” Hanny mumbled drowsily. For a moment she could not think where -she was or what had happened. - -Vevi pressed a hand over Hanny’s lips. - -“Sh!” she warned. - -By this time Hanny had come two-thirds awake. She saw Vevi sitting -beside her, hay sticking in her mussed hair. - -“Listen!” Vevi whispered. - -The rain had ceased and Hanny no longer could hear the whistle of the -wind around the corners of the barn. How long had she slept? - -Hanny sat up, rubbing her eyes. Only then did she hear a strange -murmuring sound from the lower floor of the barn. - -“What is that?” she whispered. - -“Someone is down there,” Vevi answered, very low. “When I woke up, I -heard two people talking.” - -“Maybe it is Peter come home.” - -“I don’t think so Hanny. Besides, there are two people.” - -Their curiosity aroused, the two girls crept to the edge of the hay -loft. Peering down they saw a man and a woman standing in the doorway -of the barn. - -“It is Mrs. Mattox and her husband Joseph,” Hanny whispered. “But why -are they here? They refuse me permission to walk on their property.” - -Mrs. Mattox was cleaning mud from her shoes. - -“We should not stand here,” her husband said. “Peter Van Der Lann may -return at any moment, or his little girl.” - -“Let them,” said the wife. “At any rate, it was your idea to visit his -fields to see what the stubborn Dutchman is raising. Now that you have -looked under the box are you satisfied?” - -“The tulip is superior to anything that we can enter in the show.” - -“I don’t agree,” Mrs. Mattox replied. “Our own flower the cherry-rose -candy stick tulip is its equal. We will win the prize, Joseph.” - -“Don’t count on it,” Mr. Mattox said gloomily. - -“We won’t need to win the blue ribbon to have a profitable business. We -have valuable customers. Mrs. Gabriel--” - -“How many times must I ask you not to mention her name?” Mr. Mattox -broke in angrily. “I wish I had never seen her--she may yet be the -cause of me going to jail.” - -“Jail?” his wife echoed. “Joseph, I fail to understand you. When Mrs. -Gabriel first came to talk to you, why you said we would make a mint of -money. Didn’t she give you a large order of bulbs to be imported from -Holland?” - -“Yes, and I wish she hadn’t! Don’t forget that woman went first to -Peter Van Der Lann with her proposition. He must suspect what is going -on. If he should turn me in we both might be jailed.” - -In the hayloft, Hanny and Vevi caught nearly all of the conversation. -But they did not understand why Mr. Mattox was so angry at his wife for -mentioning Mrs. Gabriel’s name. - -Hanny made up her mind she would tell her Uncle Peter all about it when -he came home. - -“The rain has stopped,” she heard Mr. Mattox say. “We can go now.” - -Never guessing that anyone had listened to their talk, the couple left -the barn. By the time Vevi and Hanny had slid down from the loft, they -were nowhere in sight. - - - - -_Chapter 11_ - -THE MAN IN GRAY - - -When Peter Van Der Lann drove into the farm yard twenty minutes later, -Hanny and Vevi ran to meet him. - -“I came as fast as I could,” the farmer said. “Is everything all right?” - -Finding English inadequate, Hanny spoke rapidly in Dutch, telling him -everything that had happened during his absence. - -Mr. Van Der Lann did not have much to say until he had inspected the -tulip fields. Although the high wind and rain had flattened many of the -plants, they were not as badly damaged as he had feared. - -“Now that the sun is coming out again, they will straighten up,” he -said. “We will have a good flower harvest, Hanny.” - -The nurseryman did not scold his niece for having forgotten about the -windmill. Instead, he told her that she probably had saved the tulip -field by shutting off the water. - -“As for Mr. and Mrs. Mattox,” he said indifferently, “give them no -thought, little Hanny.” - -“But Uncle Peter, they came while you were away to peep under the box!” - -“It does not matter. Before this week has ended, everyone will have -seen our beautiful tulip.” - -“Mrs. Mattox spoke of a tulip they are entering in the show, Uncle -Peter. A cherry-rose candy stripe, she called it.” - -“It will not compare with our flower,” declared Mr. Van Der Lann -cheerfully. “Do not worry, Hanny.” - -“She spoke also of a customer, Mrs. Gabriel. And a large order of tulip -bulbs from Holland.” - -The nurseryman became attentive, listening closely as his niece related -the entire conversation overheard in the hayloft. - -“The Mattoxes are welcome to their big order,” he said. “I can tell -you no more, Hanny, except to say that you are never to talk to Mrs. -Gabriel or have anything to do with her.” - -“But why, Uncle Peter?” - -“Do not ask me questions,” he said kindly. “I cannot answer, Hanny. -Mrs. Gabriel is not to be trusted. I have told her never to come here.” - -Mr. Van Der Lann would say no more about Mrs. Gabriel. As it now was -growing dusk, he told Vevi he would take her home in his car. - -“When you see the other Brownies, let them know that their wooden shoes -will be ready for them by tomorrow night,” he said as he dropped her -off at her doorstep. “Also, unless it rains again, there will be tulips -for the booth which is to be decorated.” - -Now that Mrs. Langley’s flower show was close at hand, the Brownie -Scouts dropped all other activities. - -Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr had obtained Dutch girl costumes for the -girls. A carpenter on the Langley estate helped out by making a booth -for the organization to use. It was set up on the lawn not far from the -greenhouse where the flowers were to be judged. - -On the day before the show, the Brownies all hiked out to Windmill -Farm. Their wooden shoes were ready for them, and all were a perfect -fit. - -Mr. Van Der Lann was too busy picking tulips to talk to the children. -He left word with his housekeeper though, that they were to have all -the flowers they needed. Hanny helped the Brownies choose the blooms -they wanted. - -“My, I wish we had a tulip bed,” Vevi remarked. “Miss Mohr, could the -Brownie Scouts have a little plot of ground at the library?” - -“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it, and I know just the place,” the -librarian replied. “It will be too late for spring bulbs. However, once -the ground is prepared, you can set out other plants.” - -“I would rather have tulips,” Vevi said, burying her nose in the -crimson bouquet she had gathered. “They are the most beautiful flowers -in the world.” - -“I would like a bed of nothing but Golden Beauties,” declared Connie. - -“How soon can we have our flower bed?” Sunny Davidson asked. - -“I will have the plot spaded and raked tomorrow so that the ground -is even and workable,” the librarian promised. “If you speak to Mrs. -Langley about it, I am sure she will give you plants from her estate.” - -“I’d like pansies,” Rosemary said. “And forget-me-nots.” - -Sunny thought the bed should be planted with marigolds or -late-flowering plants such as asters or chrysanthemums. Connie favored -geraniums, while Jane thought an old fashioned herb garden would be the -most interesting. - -“I just want tulips,” Vevi said again. “The Brownies should have a -tulip garden while the festival is going on.” - -“I wish we had thought of it earlier,” Miss Gordon replied. “Since we -didn’t, I am afraid you will have to forget the tulip bed, Vevi.” - -After gathering armfuls of tulips at Windmill Farm, the girls set the -stems in tubs of water so they would not wilt. - -Just then Mr. Van Der Lann came in from the field. He spoke to everyone -and bestowed a very special smile upon Miss Mohr. - -“I am driving to the Langley estate now in my truck,” he said. “I will -be glad to take the tubs of flowers there for you.” - -“May we ride too?” Jane asked. - -“Yes, I have plenty of room,” he assured her. “Jump in.” - -Mr. Van Der Lann was carrying a load of potted plants to the estate. -The children had never seen so many beautiful tulips. - -“It will be fun riding with the flowers!” cried Vevi. “I want to sit -beside the Golden Beauty.” - -The choice tulip, however, was not among the other potted plants in the -back of the truck. Vevi was very worried about it until she discovered -that the nurseryman was carrying his best tulips in a special box on -the front seat. - -At the Langley estate dozens of gardeners were hard at work preparing -the grounds for the coming affair. - -The grass was being cut with big power mowers. All of the hedges had -been neatly trimmed. One worker was edging the walks. - -Mr. Van Der Lann drove his truck close to the greenhouse. While he was -lifting out his flowers, the Brownies went on ahead into the building. - -“My, it’s hot in here!” Vevi exclaimed. “It takes my breath away.” - -The Brownies spied Mrs. Langley telling workmen how to arrange -different flower exhibits. Mr. Piff was there too. The girls saw him -start to put up a poster advertising the Rosedale tulip festival. - -“No! No! Not in here, of all places!” Mrs. Langley exclaimed. “You will -ruin the artistic effect.” - -“Where shall I put the poster?” the promoter asked. He seemed rather -annoyed by Mrs. Langley’s refusal to let him tack it up in the -greenhouse. - -“Not anywhere on the estate, please.” - -“Don’t you want to advertise the festival?” - -“This is a private, non-commercial judging show,” Mrs. Langley -explained. “I can’t have the grounds cluttered with cheap signs.” - -“Cheap signs!” Mr. Piff exploded. “Well, I like that! Let me tell you, -if we don’t advertise, the festival will be a flop. Your money is -invested in it too.” - -“How well I know,” replied Mrs. Langley coldly. “I deeply regret that I -allowed you to talk me into the affair. Your methods--” - -The garden club president did not finish what she had intended to say. -At that instant she saw the tulips which Mr. Van Der Lann had brought -into the greenhouse. - -“Oh, such beautiful flowers!” she exclaimed. “I have never seen more -lovely blooms. And this golden-hued tulip! What is it, Mr. Van Der -Lann?” - -“A new variety I am introducing,” the nurseryman replied politely. “I -call it the Golden Beauty.” - -“It is the showiest flower so far brought in.” - -“Thank you, Ma’am, for the praise,” said the nurseryman. “I only wish -that you were to be one of the judges.” - -While Mr. Van Der Lann was arranging his display, Mr. and Mrs. Mattox -drove up in their truck. They too had brought many gorgeous flowers for -the judging contest. - -“Look at that rosy-red tulip,” Connie directed Vevi’s attention to -a potted plant which Mrs. Mattox was showing to the garden club -president. “Isn’t it pretty?” - -The tulip which Mrs. Mattox had named Candy Stick, resembled -peppermint. It stood on a tall, graceful stem, its outer petals a -cherry-rose color. Inside petals were a delicate white. - -Vevi was deeply worried when she saw the handsome tulip. For a second -she thought it was a prettier flower than the one Peter Van Der Lann -had developed. Then she decided that the Golden Beauty was the better. - -“They’re both very nice,” Connie said. “I hope though, that Peter’s -tulip wins the blue ribbon tomorrow.” - -After admiring all the lovely flowers, the Brownies helped Miss Mohr -and Miss Gordon decorate the outdoor booth. They put up colored crepe -paper to cover the rough boards and pasted on the tulips they had made -at the library. When the job finally was finished, the Brownies were -very proud of their work. - -“I just hope a wind doesn’t come along tonight and ruin everything,” -Vevi said anxiously. “That would be too mean.” - -“Or a rain,” added Connie, glancing up at the slightly overcast sky. - -“If it should rain, workmen will move the booth indoors,” Miss Mohr -reassured the girls. “I think though, that tomorrow will be fair.” - -Her prediction proved true. The day of the flower show dawned warm and -clear. - -Vevi and Connie were up with the birds. Even before breakfast they were -dressed in their Dutch costumes, ready to go to Mrs. Langley’s estate. - -By ten o’clock all of the Brownies, including Hanny, had arrived on the -grounds. First of all, before taking turns working at the stand, the -children visited the greenhouse where the tulips were to be judged. - -In addition to the Golden Beauty and the Candy Stripe, other varieties -had been displayed by Rosedale growers. There were groupings of Parrot -tulips, Darwins and hybrids. One section of the room was devoted to -tiny tulips suitable only for rock gardens. - -“Do you think the Golden Beauty will win?” Hanny anxiously asked her -little friends. - -“Of course,” said Vevi loyally. - -“Uncle Peter says that Mr. and Mrs. Mattox have a very fine tulip,” -Hanny went on. “The judges seem to like it too.” - -Now two men and a lady had been selected to award the prize ribbons. -The three were experts in judging tulips. They wandered back and forth -between the rows of flowers, making notes on paper. Now and then they -whispered together. It was hard to tell though, which tulip they -thought was the best. - -Vevi noticed a tall stranger in a gray suit who had entered the -greenhouse. He seemed to be watching the persons who came in, rather -than looking at the flowers. - -“Who is that man?” Vevi asked, pointing him out to Hanny and Connie. - -“No one I ever saw before,” Connie replied carelessly. “Maybe he is one -of Mr. Piff’s friends.” - -The stranger, however, did not speak to the flower festival promoter -when the latter came into the greenhouse. In fact, the man did not talk -to anyone. - -“Maybe he is a detective,” Vevi decided. “Mrs. Langley may have hired -him to watch the prize tulips.” - -Convinced that this was so, she went over to ask the garden club -president about it. - -“No, dear,” Mrs. Langley assured her, “I do not have a detective on the -grounds.” - -“Then who is that man who keeps watching everyone so closely?” Vevi -asked. - -Mrs. Langley turned to glance at the tall man in the gray suit. She had -never seen him before. - -“He probably is from some nearby town,” she told Vevi. “Many persons -are here today that I do not know.” - -“Maybe he is a friend of Mrs. Gabriel,” Vevi speculated. - -She had noticed that the man kept watching both Mrs. Gabriel and the -Mattox couple who had come to the show together. - -“Who is Mrs. Gabriel?” inquired Mrs. Langley absently. She was not -paying very much attention to the conversation for her mind was on -other important matters. - -“Mrs. Gabriel is very fond of flowers,” Vevi remarked. “I guess she -must have one of the largest gardens in Rosedale.” - -“Why do you think that, dear?” - -Mrs. Langley knew every interesting garden in the entire city and had -never heard of one maintained by a Mrs. Gabriel. - -“Because Mrs. Gabriel buys so many tulip bulbs.” Vevi replied. “She -tried to place a very large order with Peter Van Der Lann. When he -wouldn’t take it, she went to the Mattox Nursery with her business.” - -Mrs. Langley now was listening more attentively to the little girl. -Neither of them noticed that the stranger in gray had moved closer. He -too could hear their conversation. - -“You say Mr. Van Der Lann turned down a very large bulb order?” the -garden club president asked. “Well, that is odd. I wonder why?” - -“He didn’t seem to like Mrs. Gabriel.” - -“Mrs. Gabriel--” repeated the society woman, mulling over the name. -“I’m quite sure I never have heard of her, or her garden. Why would she -order tulips at this time of year? Perhaps it was for fall delivery. -No doubt that was it, Vevi. Mr. Van Der Lann turned down the business, -because this isn’t a good time to plant bulbs. Any that were bought now -would have to be held until Fall.” - -Mrs. Langley was called away just then and so said no more about Mrs. -Gabriel. However, the man in gray moved over to where Vevi stood. - -“Hello, little girl,” he greeted her. And in a friendly voice, he -asked: “Which lady is Mrs. Gabriel? Is she the one in the darkblue -dress?” - -“Oh, no, that is Mrs. Howard,” Vevi answered. “Mrs. Gabriel is over by -the door, talking to Peter Van Der Lann.” - -“The owner of Windmill Farm?” - -Vevi merely nodded and did not answer. She had begun to wonder why the -man asked so many curious questions. - -“Say, you must be a detective,” she declared, after studying him a -moment. - -The man only smiled. He started to ask Vevi another question, but -before he could do so, Mrs. Langley clapped her hands to attract -everyone’s attention. - -The room became very quiet. - -“The judges are ready to award the prize ribbons,” announced the garden -club president. “Clear the aisles, please. In a moment now, we will -know which tulip is considered the best in the show.” - - - - -_Chapter 12_ - -A FLOWER SHOW - - -An expectant hush fell upon the crowd as Mrs. Langley made her -announcement. - -Everyone watched the three judges, wondering which tulip they would -choose for the first prize award. - -“Oh, they’re stopping beside the candy stripe tulip!” Vevi whispered -nervously to Connie. “That is the flower they are going to choose.” - -Connie thought so too and so did Hanny who stood beside the two -Brownies. Her tense face puckered up and she looked as if she were -about to burst into tears. - -“If Uncle Peter’s tulip doesn’t win, I’ll have to go back to the -orphanage in Holland,” she whispered. “I know it!” - -The judges were now pinning a ribbon on the table where the candy -stripe tulip was displayed. - -“The Mattox flower wins,” Hanny said with a little moan. “Oh, I was -afraid of it. The flower is very beautiful.” - -“But not half as nice as the Golden Beauty,” Vevi declared loyally. “I -don’t see how the judges could make such a mistake.” - -“They haven’t!” cried Connie. “Just look at the color of the ribbon, -you dopes!” - -Hanny and Vevi laughed aloud, so great was their relief. True, the -judges had pinned a ribbon on the Mattox’ table. But it was not a blue -ribbon. Instead, it was red and bore printing which said “Second Prize.” - -“The first prize hasn’t been awarded yet,” Hanny said, breathing -naturally again. “Uncle Peter still has a chance.” - -Again the judges paused, this time beside the table on which stood the -Golden Beauty. They whispered together. Then one of the men pinned the -blue ribbon on Peter Van Der Lann’s choice flower. - -“He’s won first prize!” shouted Vevi. “Hurrah!” - -Hanny couldn’t say a word. Tears streamed down her cheeks. This time, -however, they were tears of happiness. - -Everyone crowded about the nurseryman, offering congratulations. At -once, flower lovers began asking him how they could obtain bulbs of the -Golden Beauty for fall planting. - -Mr. Piff pushed through the throng to shake Peter’s hand. - -“Congratulations!” he boomed. “Mr. Van Der Lann, you and I will have to -make a deal. I understand you have a good stock of bulbs on hand. Now -that you’ve won first prize, I can arrange to sell them for you at a -fancy price. My commission will be very small--” - -“You will receive no commission from me,” the nurseryman broke in. -He made it plain that he wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the -promoter. “I have already arranged to sell my entire stock to a large -seed house in the East. Now that I have won the blue ribbon, the bulbs -will command a good price.” - -Hanny was so happy over her uncle’s good fortune that she scarcely -could contain her joy. She went skipping over the grounds, telling -everyone about the Golden Beauty. - -“Now you know why I called the locked room our treasure house!” she -said to Vevi. “All those fine bulbs that are stored there will be worth -their weight in gold.” - -“My, I wish the Brownies had a bed of Golden Beauty tulips,” remarked -Rosemary Fritche, who had listened to the talk. - -“So do I,” added Vevi wistfully. - -“I will give you some of the bulbs,” Hanny offered. - -“Not of the Golden Beauty?” Rosemary asked in amazement. - -Hanny nodded. “I will give you some of the culls,” she promised. “They -are bulbs that are too small to sell. Each one will bear a flower, but -it will not be large.” - -“That wouldn’t matter,” Vevi said. “When may we have the bulbs?” - -“Come to Windmill Farm when we leave here and I will give you a bag of -them,” Hanny offered. - -Throughout most of the day, the Brownie Scouts remained at the Langley -estate. They took turns working at the flower stand. Tussie-mussie -bouquets sold very well at twenty-five cents each. The girls also -disposed of many tulips. - -When they sold out, Mr. Van Der Lann and Hanny drove to Windmill Farm -in the truck to bring more flowers. - -“My, but the Brownies have made a lot of money,” Jane Tuttle remarked, -jingling the coins in the cash box. “Shall we count it?” - -“Let’s,” agreed Vevi. “You start on the nickels and pennies. I will -take the dimes and quarters.” - -The large coins were easy to count. Vevi reported very quickly that -they amounted to ten dollars and forty cents. - -Jane had to count the pennies and nickels twice. She kept getting mixed -up. - -“There are two dollars and a quarter in nickels,” she finally decided. -“I think the pennies add up to a dollar and three cents.” - -“That makes thirteen dollars!” exclaimed Vevi. “The Brownies are rich!” - -“Thirteen dollars and sixty-eight cents,” corrected Connie who was -better at arithmetic than her little friend. - -Miss Gordon told the children she would take charge of the money for -them. Sunny Davidson asked what the organization would do with the fund. - -“Will we have a nice party?” she questioned. - -“We could,” Miss Gordon agreed. “I wonder though, if the girls wouldn’t -prefer to do something really worthwhile. Miss Mohr has a suggestion.” - -The librarian’s proposal was that the Brownie Scout troop use some -of its money to send a CARE package of children’s books to a foreign -country. - -“Any country?” asked Vevi. - -“Yes, the girls may make their choice.” - -“Italy,” cried Jane before any of the other Brownies could speak. She -named that particular country just to tease Vevi. - -“No, Holland!” insisted Vevi. “That’s where I want the package to go!” - -Usually, the other Brownies had ideas that were very different from -hers. This time, however, everyone except Jane agreed with her. Because -of Hanny, all the troop members wanted the book package to be sent to -Holland. - -“I’ll vote for Holland too,” declared Jane, changing her vote. - -“That matter is settled then,” Miss Mohr said, well pleased by the -decision. “I’ll take care of the matter.” - -The Brownies had worked hard at their stand and now were tired and -ready to go home. Everyone said the flower show had been a great -success. Hundreds of persons had visited the estate, admiring the -beautiful plantings. - -Mr. Piff and the Mattox couple were the only ones who did not seem -pleased. - -“This flower show was a mistake,” the promoter complained. “The affair -has attracted so many persons that it may hurt attendance at the big -festival later this week.” - -“The festival will be an anti-climax,” agreed Mr. Mattox. “I wish you -hadn’t talked me into contributing so much money.” - -“You made us believe that our tulip would win the prize and that we -would make a great deal from the sale of bulbs,” Mrs. Mattox accused -the promoter. “Now Peter Van Der Lann wins the blue ribbon and he had -nothing to do with the festival! It is unfair!” - -“Was it my fault the judges didn’t choose your tulip?” Mr. Piff -growled. “Let me tell you I’ve had my troubles! Everyone is -complaining--jumping on me--saying I haven’t kept my promises.” - -“Maybe you’d like to get out of the whole mess?” suggested Mr. Mattox. - -“I sure would! I’m fed up with Rosedale and this stupid festival.” - -“You’re fed up! You’re starting to make excuses because you are afraid -the thing will be a flop. Well, let me tell you this, Mr. Piff. You -promised that if we put in five thousand dollars, we’d get it back in -bulb sales. You’d better make good!” - -“Oh, you make me tired,” Mr. Piff retorted. - -He walked angrily off and the Brownies did not hear any more. A little -later though, they saw the president of the Rosedale Savings Bank -talking soberly to the promoter. - -“Mr. Piff is in trouble with everyone,” Miss Gordon told the Brownies. -“He has obtained heavy contributions from Rosedale businessmen and -flower growers. However, he failed with his publicity, and now the -businessmen are afraid they will lose nearly everything they put into -the affair.” - -Visitors began to leave the Langley grounds. Connie’s mother presently -drove all the Brownies except Vevi, to their homes. Vevi, who wanted to -obtain the bag of Golden Beauty culls, said she would wait until Mr. -Van Der Lann and Hanny were ready to leave. - -The nurseryman loaded his truck with plants and drove to Windmill Farm, -taking both Hanny and Vevi with him. - -“I will have to make one more trip,” he told them after he had -unloaded. “Then I will take you home, Vevi.” - -The two girls decided to wait at the farm until Mr. Van Der Lann -returned. He promised he would be back within a half hour at the latest. - -“Look after everything, Hanny,” he instructed. - -After Mr. Van Der Lann had gone with the truck, Hanny and Vevi had a -snack of cheese and crackers. Then they decided to get the bag of tulip -culls. - -“Are you sure your uncle will not mind?” Vevi asked. - -“Oh, he will want you to have them, Vevi. The bulbs are too small to -be sold. He is giving Miss Mohr some Golden Beauty tulips too. Only he -will let her have choice stock.” - -“I guess that is because he likes her better than anyone else,” Vevi -said with a giggle. - -She knew that Mr. Van Der Lann and the pretty librarian twice had been -seen together at the movies. Everyone in Rosedale, it seemed, had -talked about it, saying they made a nice couple. - -“It is getting late,” Vevi said, deciding not to tease her little -friend about Miss Mohr. “I should be starting home.” - -“I will fetch the bulbs,” Hanny offered. “They are in the barn.” - -Vevi went with her to the building. While they were inside, Hanny -tossed several ears of corn into the cow’s manger. - -After that she sorted through several bags of bulbs until she found the -one for which she searched. - -“When you plant these, use a little fertilizer with them,” she -instructed. “That will make them grow faster. And press the bulbs down -firmly, so there will be no air pockets.” - -Vevi picked up the bag and started to leave the barn. In the open -doorway she paused and uttered an exclamation of surprise. - -“You have a visitor, Hanny,” she said. - -“A customer?” inquired Hanny. “Not the Mattox couple again!” - -She went quickly to the door. Vevi pointed toward the locked house -where the choice tulip bulbs were stored. - -A man stood at the door, apparently tampering with the padlock. His -back was toward the barn, so the children could not immediately see who -he was. - -As they watched, he moved slightly. Then they obtained a plain view of -his face. - -“Why, it is that same man in gray who attended the flower show at Mrs. -Langley’s!” Vevi exclaimed. “What is he doing here? Why is he trying to -break into the little house?” - - - - -_Chapter 13_ - -A BAG OF TULIPS - - -As the two girls watched, the man in gray merely shook the padlock, but -did not try to smash it open. - -Hanny and Vevi hurried over to the little house. - -“Why are you trying to break in?” Hanny demanded severely of the -stranger. - -“Just checking,” he replied. He smiled at her in a friendly way, not -acting in the least as if he had been caught trying to steal or do -anything dishonest. “Is your uncle at home, Hanny?” - -“No, he isn’t,” Hanny answered. She was astonished that the man knew -her first name. - -“What are you doing here anyhow?” questioned Vevi alertly. “You’re not -a detective, are you?” - -Once a long while before, the little girl had been carried away with a -circus and during the exciting trip had met a detective. The manner of -this quiet stranger reminded her somewhat of the other investigator. - -“My name is Frederick Evans,” the man replied. “I’m with the FBI.” - -“The FBI!” gasped Vevi, deeply impressed. “Is that the secret service?” - -“FBI stands for Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m doing a little -investigating.” - -Mr. Evans then began to ask casual questions about Hanny’s uncle and -the various customers who came to his farm. He inquired as to recent -shipments of tulip bulbs from Holland and whether or not Mr. Van Der -Lann had any helpers. - -“Only me,” Hanny replied to the last question. “We did have a hired man -earlier this spring. But now he is working for Mr. and Mrs. Mattox.” - -Mr. Evans next asked if Hanny’s uncle had a customer by the name of -Mrs. Gabriel. - -“Oh, no!” the little girl returned with emphasis. “She used to come -here, but Uncle Peter told her he did not want her business.” - -“Did he tell you why?” - -Hanny shook her head. She had been made very uneasy by so many -questions about her uncle. - -“I’ll drop around later when Mr. Van Der Lann is at home,” the FBI man -said to reassure her. “He may be able to help me.” - -Very shortly the stranger left without explaining why he had come to -Windmill Farm or what he was investigating. Hanny, however, was very -worried. - -“FBI men always arrest people, don’t they?” she remarked nervously to -Vevi. “Why would he come here?” - -“Maybe he thinks your uncle has done something wrong.” - -“Not Uncle Peter,” declared Hanny. “No, it is about Mrs. Gabriel, I -think. Oh, dear, I wish my uncle were here. I’m worried.” - -By this time it was quite late. Mr. Van Der Lann had been gone much -longer than half an hour. Vevi knew she would have to start home at -once if she were to be on time for supper. - -“I must go right away,” she said. “I will see you tomorrow, Hanny. -Thanks a lot for the bag of bulbs.” - -“Uncle Peter will take you home if you wait.” - -“I had better go now,” Vevi decided. “My Mother will be expecting me.” - -Hanny walked with her to the gate. The bus did not run very often, so -Vevi set off afoot. - -At first the bag of tulip bulbs did not seem very heavy. But as she -trudged on over the rolling hills, it seemed to take on added weight. -Several times she had to stop and set it down on the pavement a moment -to rest her arm. - -“My I wish someone would offer me a ride,” she thought wearily. - -Two cars sped past. The drivers did not appear to notice the tired -little girl. - -Presently, another automobile rolled over a hill, coming from the -direction of the Mattox Farm. Vevi glanced hopefully over her shoulder. - -Noticing that the driver of the car was Mrs. Gabriel she was certain -she would not be offered a ride. - -She was surprised, therefore, when the big powerfully-built automobile -coasted to a standstill beside her. - -“Hello, little girl,” said Mrs. Gabriel in a very friendly voice. “May -I give you a lift to Rosedale?” - -Now Vevi did not like Mrs. Gabriel. She wanted to turn down the ride, -but she was dreadfully tired. - -“Thank you,” she accepted politely, “This bag is very heavy.” - -“Tulip bulbs?” asked Mrs. Gabriel, opening the car door. - -“Just some culls that Hanny gave me.” - -As Vevi slid into the car, she noticed that canvas bags, very similar -to the one she carried, were piled on the floor. - -“I see you bought some tulip bulbs yourself,” she remarked. “Or were -they given to you?” - -“I bought them,” Mrs. Gabriel answered shortly. “They are special -stock. The shipment I ordered direct from Holland came today.” - -“Are they nicer bulbs than Mr. Van Der Lann’s Golden Beauty?” - -“Mr. Van Der Lann!” replied Mrs. Gabriel. “His tulips are greatly -over-rated. Even if he did win a blue ribbon, I prefer to do business -with Mr. and Mrs. Mattox.” - -Now Vevi thought that Mrs. Gabriel could not possibly have bought bulbs -that would produce flowers nicer than the Golden Beauty. However, she -was too polite to say so. - -She dropped her bag of culls down on the floor among the other sacks. -Then, curious to see if the Mattox bulbs were larger than the culls -Hanny had given her, she started to open one of Mrs. Gabriel’s bags. - -“Don’t do that,” the woman reprimanded her sharply. - -“I’m sorry,” Vevi apologized, drawing back her hand. - -“I can’t have tulip bulbs rolling around loose on the car floor,” Mrs. -Gabriel added. - -Vevi was careful not to touch the bags after that. Nevertheless, she -thought that Mrs. Gabriel was a very disagreeable woman. - -For the first few minutes of the ride, the woman scarcely spoke. Then, -in a much more friendly manner, she began to question Vevi about where -she had been after leaving the flower show. - -“Only to Hanny’s place,” the little girl replied. - -“I saw a car at the gate when I drove by earlier this afternoon,” Mrs. -Gabriel remarked. “It was an automobile I never had noticed there -before.” - -“It must have belonged to the stranger,” answered Vevi carelessly. - -“Stranger?” - -“The same man who was at Mrs. Langley’s flower show. He’s here checking -up on folks.” - -“Checking up on whom?” - -Vevi shrugged and did not answer. She remembered that Hanny had said -she thought the FBI man might be investigating Mrs. Gabriel. But what -could the woman have done wrong? - -Riding along so comfortably in the big, powerful car, Vevi found -herself liking Mrs. Gabriel a tiny bit. The next moment, though, the -feeling was gone. Mrs. Gabriel spoke very harshly. - -“A Federal investigator, I’ll warrant! The snoop!” - -At the outskirts of Rosedale, Mrs. Gabriel pulled up at the curb. - -“You will have to get out here,” she said shortly. “I can’t take you -any farther.” - -Vevi was surprised for she had expected that Mrs. Gabriel would carry -her at least to within a few blocks of her home. She began to suspect -that the woman had picked her up only so that she might ask questions. - -“Thank you for bringing me this far,” Vevi nevertheless said politely. -“I can walk the rest of the way. It is only six or eight blocks.” - -Mrs. Gabriel swung open the car door, impatiently waiting for the -little girl to alight. - -“Oh, my tulip bulbs!” Vevi exclaimed, nearly forgetting them. - -She picked up the bag from the floor, and started to thank Mrs. Gabriel -again for the ride. - -Before she could do so, the woman drove rapidly away. - -Vevi watched the car until it was out of sight. As far as she could -see, Mrs. Gabriel did not turn off the main highway. - -“She could have taken me farther, but she didn’t want to,” Vevi thought -resentfully. “She just wanted to get rid of me.” - -Picking up the bag of tulip bulbs, the little girl trudged slowly on -toward home. The sack seemed heavier than ever now. - -Before she had gone half a block, it seemed to her that her arm would -break. - -Vevi paused beside a fence to rest. She noticed that the canvas bag had -the numerals 67543 stamped on the canvas. Also in black letters were -printed the name of a city in Holland. - -“That’s funny,” reflected Vevi. “I thought Hanny gave me an old bag -without any markings on it. I guess I didn’t notice very well.” - -Picking up the bag once more, she started on. Every few yards she had -to shift it to the other hand. Even so, she began to wish she never had -tried to carry the bulbs home. - -“I should have waited for Mr. Van Der Lann,” she thought. “I never knew -culls could be so heavy.” - -Now the joke actually was on Vevi. Though she did not suspect it, the -bag of bulbs Hanny had given her was at this moment being carried away -in Mrs. Gabriel’s car. - -Unknowingly, the little girl had picked up another bag in exchange. The -mistake was certain to cause a great deal of trouble for Mrs. Gabriel, -but of this, Vevi was blissfully unaware. - - - - -_Chapter 14_ - -MR. PIFF’S TROUBLES - - -“Mother, how can the Brownie Scouts have a tulip bed--one that will -grow fast?” - -Vevi asked the question at the breakfast table. It was the morning -after Mrs. Langley’s flower show and she still felt rather tired. - -“A tulip bed?” repeated Vevi’s mother absently. She was reading the -paper and not paying too much attention to the conversation. “I am -afraid it is too late for this year, dear.” - -“Hanny gave me a bag of bulbs yesterday, Mother.” - -“Why, that’s fine,” approved Mrs. McGuire. “You can wrap them in paper -and keep them in a cool place until fall.” - -“But I want tulips right away,” Vevi insisted. “How can I make them -grow fast?” - -“I’m afraid you can’t, dear. Nurserymen sometimes ‘force’ plants to -bring them to flower earlier or out of season. That however, takes -special skill and exact temperatures. Fertilizer, of course, helps to -make plants develop fast.” - -“I’d like to force my bulbs,” Vevi announced. “The Brownies have such a -nice bed at the library now. But so far it is only bare ground.” - -“It is too late to plant tulip bulbs this spring,” said Mrs. McGuire. -“The Brownies, I am afraid, will have to be satisfied with late -flowering plants.” - -The information disappointed Vevi. After seeing so many beautiful -tulips at Windmill Farm, she felt she never would be happy to have the -Brownie bed devoted to any other flower. Besides, she was eager to -discover if the Golden Beauty culls really would bloom. - -“Today is the first day of the flower festival,” Mrs. McGuire remarked. -“From all I hear, the affair will not be a success.” - -“I think I will take a book to the library,” Vevi announced. She knew -it would give her an excuse to go down town to see what was happening. - -“Don’t stay long, dear,” Mrs. McGuire advised. - -Vevi felt very light hearted as she tripped along the street. Colored -bunting decorated the lamp posts and hung from overhead wires on Main -Street. - -As Vevi reached the library, a parade went by. Hearing the band music, -she paused to watch. The beat and rumble of the drum made her blood -race. - -Not many people were watching the parade, and it did not last long. -There were a few floats and several automobiles carrying flags. Almost -before Vevi knew it, the procession had ended. - -“I don’t call that much of a parade,” said a voice directly behind Vevi. - -She whirled around to see Connie and Jane standing behind her. It was -Jane who had spoken. Both girls wore their Brownie uniforms. - -“My, you startled me!” Vevi laughed. “What brought you girls downtown?” - -“The flower festival,” explained Connie. “Only so far it doesn’t amount -to anything.” - -“Hardly anyone is attending,” declared Jane. “My father says Mr. Piff -has made a mess of the show. Everyone is dissatisfied.” - -The girls went into the library with Vevi who returned her books. -They stopped to chat with Miss Mohr a moment, noticing a bouquet of -beautiful scarlet tulips on her desk. - -“I can guess where those came from!” laughed Connie. “Windmill Farm!” - -“That is right,” agreed the librarian. “Peter brought them over -himself early this morning.” - -The Brownie Scouts noticed that Miss Mohr used the name “Peter” instead -of Mr. Van Der Lann. Jane winked at Vevi who understood what she meant. -By this time all the Brownies knew that Miss Mohr and Mr. Van Der Lann -were the best of friends. In fact, the couple had been seen together at -several social gatherings. - -“Oh, by the way, girls,” said Miss Mohr. “The Brownie garden has been -spaded and raked. It is ready now for the planting of seeds.” - -“Tulips?” inquired Vevi hopefully. “Hanny gave me a bagful of bulbs. I -have them at home.” - -“Tulips would be nice,” replied Miss Mohr. She was busy checking out a -book and spoke absently. “When the right time comes to plant--” - -“Most of the bulbs in my bag are Golden Beauties,” Vevi told Jane and -Connie. “When they bloom, they will be the best tulips in Rosedale!” - -Miss Mohr had finished waiting on another child who had asked for a -special book on frogs. Returning to the Brownies she reported that she -had a special message for Vevi. - -“Mrs. Gabriel is looking for you,” the librarian said. “She came -here not an hour ago, asking where you lived. She said it was most -important that she find you right away.” - -The message astonished Vevi. She could not guess why Mrs. Gabriel would -want to see her. - -“Where does Mrs. Gabriel live?” she asked the librarian. “I could go to -her house if it is important.” - -Miss Mohr said she did not have the woman’s address. “It’s odd,” she -added, “but no one in Rosedale seems to know where she lives, or for -that matter, very much about her.” - -“Why does she want to see me, Miss Mohr?” - -“She didn’t say, Vevi. However, she seemed very disturbed about -something.” - -“You’ve been in mischief again, I’ll bet!” teased Jane, pointing an -accusing finger at Vevi. - -“I have not! She gave me a ride part way home from Windmill Farm -yesterday. I was nice as pie to her.” - -Vevi was a little worried to know that Mrs. Gabriel was looking for -her. She could not think of anything she had done or said that would -cause the woman to seek her. - -Leaving the library, the three girls went out to look at the flower -bed. - -The plot was circular, nicely rounded in the center. It had been deeply -spaded and the soil raked until it was nearly as fine as sand grains. - -“I’ll bet my tulips would grow fast here!” Vevi said. “If I plant them -right away, maybe they will bloom by summer.” - -“Dope!” chided Jane. “Tulips only bloom in the Spring.” - -“Maybe it depends on when you plant them,” Vevi argued. “Folks plant -bulbs in the fall for Spring blooms. So if you plant in the Spring, why -wouldn’t the flowers come in summer?” - -“And if you plant in the summer, I suppose the tulips would bloom in -the winter!” Connie joked. “Oh, Vevi!” - -“You heard Miss Mohr say I could plant tulips.” - -“She did, that’s true,” Connie admitted. - -“Those Golden Beauty culls Hanny gave me are something special, don’t -forget,” Vevi argued. “Miss Mohr must know all about them. That’s -probably why she said I could plant them now. Their growing season must -be shorter than for other tulips.” - -“She wasn’t paying much attention to what you said,” Jane recalled -doubtfully. “I don’t think she really heard--” - -“Oh, yes, she did,” Vevi cut in. “Miss Mohr said I could plant tulips, -and she meant it too.” - -“I think pansies would be nicer,” Jane argued. “I saw a pretty basket -of them a few minutes ago on my way to the library.” - -“No pansies,” Vevi said emphatically. “That would cost money. I have -the tulip bulbs and they didn’t cost a penny.” - -Jane and Connie reluctantly abandoned the argument. Having won her -point, Vevi now was eager to plant the bulbs immediately. - -“You’ll need tools,” Jane pointed out “Do you have a trowel?” - -“What’s that?” - -“Oh, a thing you dig with. We have one at home. Then you ought to have -fertilizer to put with each bulb. I know because I’ve watched my father -plant things lots of times.” - -“Let’s go to your house and get the stuff we’ll need,” proposed Vevi. - -Jane protested that she had come down town to see the flower festival. -She was not ready as yet to return home. - -“Let’s look at the flowers quick then,” Vevi urged. “Most of the -exhibits are at the auditorium.” - -The girls walked to the centrally located public building. At the door -they discovered that tickets were required in order to get inside. - -“I don’t have fifty cents,” Vevi announced. “Even if I did I wouldn’t -spend it to see flowers growing in pots. I would rather look at them -free on Windmill Farm.” - -“Anyway, hardly anyone is in the auditorium,” Connie observed, peering -through the open door. - -The girls caught a glimpse of a room filled with all types of spring -flowers. In the center of the hall, an artificial fountain splashed -into a shallow tank where goldfish swam. - -“That fountain isn’t nearly as nice as the one on Mrs. Langley’s -estate,” Jane said. - -“There aren’t many flowers either,” added Connie. “See all the blank -spaces along the wall where there should be exhibits.” - -As the three were peering in, Mr. Piff came along. - -“Children you are blocking the door,” he scolded. “Stand aside so that -folks can get into the auditorium.” - -“There aren’t any folks trying to get in,” Jane replied. “I guess you -aren’t selling many tickets.” - -Mr. Piff scowled, not liking the little girl’s observation. Then he -smiled wryly and admitted that she was right. - -“Do you girls want to go inside?” he inquired. “Pass right on in.” - -“Free?” Vevi asked quickly. - -“Go ahead,” Mr. Piff directed. “What’s the difference? This show is a -flop and everyone knows it.” - -“Maybe more people will come tomorrow,” Connie said kindly. - -“Tomorrow will be worse than today,” Mr. Piff rejoined. “I only hope I -won’t be here to hear the squawks of the business men when they find -out how deep in the hole we’re going to be.” - -“You’re not going away?” Connie asked quickly. - -“No, no, certainly not.” Mr. Piff laughed, but in a hollow sort of way. - -Following the girls into the auditorium, he voiced a steady stream of -complaints. - -“This show would have been a success if it hadn’t been for Peter Van -Der Lann. That stubborn Dutchman hung the sign on me by refusing to -cooperate. Then some of the other growers wouldn’t come into the -scheme. Mrs. Langley put in some money, quite a nice chunk, but a few -days ago, she clamped down the lid. Wouldn’t give me another penny. -What was worse, her garden show drew all the customers away from this -one.” - -The Brownies listened to Mr. Piff without saying much in return. They -went over to the fountain to watch the goldfish swim in the basin. - -“Some of the fish are dead,” Vevi said, noticing the ones that floated -on top of the water. - -“Your flowers are wilting too,” declared Jane. “It is too warm for them -in here.” - -As the girls wandered about, looking at the potted tulips, lilies and -other flowers, Mr. Piff talked to workmen. Connie heard the men ask him -about their pay. - -“Don’t worry, you’ll get it when the show ends,” he told them. “Not -before.” - -Refrigerators, stoves and dish washers were being demonstrated in the -hall. The Brownies thought that having such items on sale ruined the -garden effect. - -After awhile, as they were watching a television set, Mr. Piff rejoined -the girls. - -“As I was saying,” he remarked, “this show would have been a success if -it hadn’t been for Peter Van Der Lann. That tightwad didn’t put a cent -into the affair, and he’s profited more than any grower in Rosedale.” - -“You mean because his tulip won the blue ribbon?” Vevi questioned. She -did not like the way Mr. Piff was talking about Hanny’s uncle. - -“Sure,” the promoter replied. “He won the ribbon, and now folks don’t -want to buy any of the bulbs on sale here. They only want stock from -Van Der Lann. He’ll make a fortune--that is, if he has any bulbs to -sell.” - -“Oh, he has!” cried Vevi. “Hanny showed them to me. He has a little -room with a padlock on the door. All his Golden Beauty bulbs are kept -there.” - -“Oh, yes, I noticed that little house when I was out at Windmill Farm,” -Mr. Piff said thoughtfully. “So that’s where he keeps his choice bulbs? -I know a grower who would pay plenty to get them. Mr. Van Der Lann, -though, won’t do business with me.” - -The promoter asked the girls a few more questions about Mr. Van Der -Lann’s bulbs. Then, as he started to turn away, he said to Vevi: - -“By the way, did Mrs. Gabriel see you?” - -“Not today,” answered Vevi. “I have been looking for her too.” - -“She was here not an hour ago. For that matter, she came especially to -find you.” - -Vevi asked Mr. Piff if he knew why the woman wanted to see her. - -“I’ve no idea,” the promoter replied. “She was very angry though. Her -exact words were these: that little imp had better return my property -at once, or there will be trouble!” - - - - -_Chapter 15_ - -THE BROWNIE GARDEN - - -Vevi’s first thought was that Mr. Piff was joking about Mrs. Gabriel. - -“She didn’t really say that about me!” the little girl protested. - -“Oh, yes, she did,” Mr. Piff corrected. - -“But I don’t have any of her property.” - -“Then you should see her and tell her so,” the promoter declared. “If -you don’t, she may turn you over to the police.” - -“She couldn’t do that,” Vevi gasped. “She must have me mixed up with -some other person.” - -The Brownies now had lost all interest in the flower show. Vevi wanted -to find Mrs. Gabriel at once to try to clear up the misunderstanding. - -From one booth to another the girls went, asking if anyone had seen -Mrs. Gabriel. Finally they learned that she had left the building more -than a half hour earlier. It seemed useless to try to seek her further. - -“I am not going to worry about her,” Vevi decided. “I will let her find -me. I am going home to get my tulip bulbs. Let’s plant them right away.” - -“Why not wait until the next Brownie Scout meeting?” proposed Connie. -“Then all the girls can help.” - -Vevi opposed any delay. “No, we must plant them right away,” she -insisted. “Every day counts if they are to bloom this summer.” - -Leaving the auditorium, the girls started for Jane’s home to collect -digging tools and fertilizer. - -They were only three blocks from the Tuttle home when they spied a -group of children coming toward them. - -“What are they carrying?” Connie speculated. - -Each child in the group of six held a double handful of plump, round -objects. - -“Onions,” declared Jane. - -“Tulip bulbs,” corrected Vevi. By this time the children were quite -close. - -The youngsters would have dashed on past with their plunder, had not -Jane stopped them. - -“Say, where’d you get those?” she demanded. - -The children halted, proudly showing the bulbs. - -“We found ’em,” one of the older boys said. - -“Why, those look just like the Golden Beauty culls that Hanny gave me,” -Vevi commented as she gazed at the fistful of bulbs. - -“I’ve got some bigger ones,” announced another child in the group. He -opened his hands to show the girls several large, plump bulbs. - -“They do look like onions,” declared Connie. “In Holland when times -were hard, the people ate bulbs for food. Miss Mohr told me so.” - -Vevi thought that the bulbs, except for a few, looked like extremely -good ones. - -“Where did you find them?” she asked. - -One of the boys indicated the direction from which he and the others -had come. “Down the street a ways,” he said. “They were lying in a -culvert.” - -“Thrown away?” Vevi asked in amazement. - -“Sure. Someone dumped a lot of ’em there.” - -“Are there any more?” Jane asked eagerly. - -“Scads of ’em.” - -“Let’s get some,” Jane proposed to her friends. “Come on, before -they’re all gone.” - -Forgetting their plan to plant Vevi’s tulips, the three girls raced -down the street. - -A block away, at the street corner, they saw the open culvert. Just as -the boys had said, there lay hundreds of tulips, dumped on the street. - -“Well, did you ever!” exclaimed Jane, amazed by the sight. “Who would -throw away valuable tulips?” - -“And so many of them!” gasped Connie. “Tulip bulbs are expensive. Why, -there must be twenty or thirty dollars worth here at least!” - -“Let’s pick them all up,” proposed Jane excitedly. “The ones we don’t -want for our own gardens, we can sell!” - -A few of the bulbs had broken open or had been crushed. Many were in -perfect condition. The girls filled their skirts, not stopping until -they had gathered every bulb. - -“We can take them to my house,” Jane said. “My, but we have a lot of -’em. Enough for a wonderful garden.” - -Vevi noticed a piece of canvas lying in the gutter. - -Putting down her skirtful of bulbs for a moment, she picked it up. - -“Why, this is a bag,” she said in astonishment. “It must have held some -of the tulips.” - -“Someone dumped them here,” Jane agreed. “I can’t understand why, -either. They look like perfectly good bulbs to me.” - -Vevi examined the canvas bag carefully. She noticed that it bore -numbers and was stamped “Holland.” - -“That means these are imported bulbs,” she declared. “This empty bag -looks just like the one I have at home. The number is different though.” - -“You don’t think Hanny or her uncle dumped these tulips here?” Connie -asked. - -“I’m sure they didn’t,” Vevi replied. “Maybe it was Mrs. Gabriel.” - -“Why should she do such a thing?” demanded Jane. - -“It seems silly,” Vevi agreed soberly. “All the same, this bag looks -like some she had in her car. She told me her big Holland order had -just been delivered.” - -“It couldn’t have been Mrs. Gabriel,” Jane argued. “If she had just -bought the bulbs, she certainly wouldn’t throw them away.” - -“Maybe they weren’t good enough for her garden,” Vevi speculated. -“She’s real fussy, I guess.” - -The girls stuffed as many bulbs as they could into the empty bag. The -remainder they carried in their hands to Jane’s home. - -“What will we do with so many tulips?” Connie asked. “Shall we use -them for the Brownie Scout garden at the library?” - -“Oh, no,” Vevi said in quick protest. “I want to plant my Golden -Beauties there.” - -“But those bulbs are only culls,” Jane argued. “Most of these are nice -big fat ones.” - -“Maybe size doesn’t count,” Vevi replied. “They couldn’t have been much -good, or they wouldn’t have been thrown away.” - -“That’s so,” agreed Connie, siding with her friend. “Maybe the bulbs -are dead and won’t grow. Besides, Hanny might not like it if we don’t -use her bulbs.” - -“Okay,” Jane consented. “I’ll get the digging tools. We can leave these -bulbs in our garage until we decide where to plant them.” - -An empty shelf along one side of the garage provided a place for the -bulbs. The girls lined them up in neat rows. - -“They do look just like onions!” Jane laughed. “I hope Mother doesn’t -use them for a stew.” - -“All of the bulbs are the same size, large and plump,” Connie noticed. -“That is, all but about twenty or so. Vevi, you don’t suppose--” - -She was intending to ask Vevi if by any chance she might have mixed up -one of the bags with Hanny’s culls. Before she could do so, however, -Jane interrupted: - -“If we’re going to plant tulips, let’s get at it!” she urged. “It’s -nearly lunch time now.” - -Jane asked permission of her mother to go to Vevi’s house. Carrying the -digging tools, the girls reached the McGuire home exactly at noon. - -Mrs. McGuire was preparing lunch as the three Brownies stomped into the -kitchen. - -“Oh, here you are, Vevi,” her mother said. “I’ve telephoned everywhere, -trying to find you.” - -“For lunch?” the little girl asked. “I’m terribly hungry. And so are -Connie and Jane. Please, may they stay?” - -“Of course,” agreed Mrs. McGuire. “But it wasn’t because of lunch that -I called you. While you were gone we had a visitor.” - -“Not the minister?” asked Vevi. - -“No, dear, it was a woman named Mrs. Gabriel.” - -Hearing the name again, Vevi had a queer feeling in the pit of her -stomach. She couldn’t imagine what she had done wrong. It must have -been something very dreadful, though, or the woman wouldn’t keep trying -to find her. - -“What did she want, Mother?” Vevi asked in a faint voice. - -“She said you had taken something from her car. A bag of valuable tulip -bulbs.” - - - - -_Chapter 16_ - -MRS. GABRIEL’S ACCUSATION - - -Vevi became very indignant when she heard the purpose of Mrs. Gabriel’s -call. - -“Why, how could she accuse me of such a thing?” she asked, deeply hurt. -“I never took anything in my life.” - -“I told Mrs. Gabriel that,” declared Mrs. McGuire. “She was quite -demanding and rude. You did ride in her car, Vevi?” - -“Yes, Mother. She offered me a lift from Windmill Farm. I think she -asked me a million questions. Then she made me get out and walk part of -the way.” - -“You didn’t take anything from her car?” - -“Of course not. Only the bag of tulip bulbs Hanny gave me.” - -“Could you have mixed the bags?” - -“I don’t think I did,” Vevi said. “I will show you the bulbs.” - -For safe keeping, the little girl had stored the bag in the basement. -Quickly she brought it upstairs. - -Mrs. McGuire untied the strings and peered into the bag. - -“Tulip bulbs all look alike to me,” she said. “If you are sure these -are yours, Vevi--” - -“Oh, I am, Mother!” - -“Then forget Mrs. Gabriel,” advised Mrs. McGuire. “To tell you the -truth, her accusation annoyed me. I offered to pay her for any bulbs -she thought she had lost, but that did not satisfy her. Nor would she -give me her address so that I could call her after talking to you, -Vevi. I am afraid she is a trouble maker.” - -No more was said about the bulbs. Jane and Connie stayed for lunch. -After the dishes had been done, Mrs. McGuire went next door to talk -with Connie’s mother. - -“If we are going to plant tulips we will have to do it right away,” -Jane announced. “It is nearly time for me to go home now.” - -“Maybe we shouldn’t plant the Golden Beauties now,” Connie suggested -doubtfully. “Mrs. Gabriel might make trouble if she thinks they are her -tulips.” - -“They’re mine,” Vevi said. “Hanny gave them to me. Anyway, Mrs. Gabriel -didn’t think so much of her precious old tulips or she wouldn’t have -dumped them along the roadside.” - -“Do you really think she did?” Connie asked. - -“That empty bag looked exactly like one I saw in her car.” - -“But your bag--the one Hanny gave you--has the same kind of markings,” -Connie pointed out. “Vevi, maybe you did make a mistake and pick up the -wrong one.” - -“No such thing,” Vevi insisted emphatically. “Anyway, even if I did, -Mrs. Gabriel got another bag of tulips better than her own. Everyone -knows the Golden Beauties are the very best.” - -“That’s so,” agreed Jane. “Even if there was a mix-up, she came out -with good tulips. I don’t see why she’s making such a fuss.” - -“Let’s plant the Brownie flower bed,” urged Connie who had wearied of -the discussion. “Come on.” - -Carrying the bag of bulbs and Jane’s garden tools, the girls set off -for the library. - -“We ought to tell Miss Mohr what we are doing,” Connie suggested. -“Maybe she will tell us how to do it right.” - -“Oh, anyone can plant tulip bulbs,” Vevi said carelessly. “Hanny told -me how.” - -Nevertheless, the three girls went into the building to find Miss Mohr. -Another librarian told them that she had left twenty minutes earlier -with Peter Van Der Lann. - -“We don’t need anyone to tell us how to plant,” Vevi insisted. “It’s -easy.” - -“I guess it will be all right,” Connie agreed with a troubled frown. -“Only the Brownies may not like it. They may want other flowers in the -bed.” - -“Tulips are the very best,” Vevi declared. “And Golden Beauties are the -nicest bulbs.” - -“The only thing--you aren’t sure you’re planting Golden Beauties,” Jane -teased. “For all you know, they may be Mrs. Gabriel’s tulips!” - -“No such thing,” Vevi insisted, opening the bag. “These are my culls.” - -“What’s a cull?” Jane asked for she was unfamiliar with the word. - -“That means a bulb that isn’t as good as the regular stock,” Vevi -explained. “It will bloom though. Hanny said so.” - -The little girl poured some of the bulbs out on the grass. All were -well-shaped, fat specimens. - -“Those look like good bulbs to me,” declared Jane. “Connie, don’t they -seem exactly like the ones we found on the road?” - -“They look the same to me.” - -Vevi said nothing. She began to dig a neat hole in the well-pulverized -ground. - -“Tulip bulbs have to be put in deep,” directed Connie. “I know that, -because I heard Mr. Van Der Lann telling Miss Gordon.” - -“I am digging the hole deep,” Vevi replied. “At least six inches. That -ought to be deep enough.” - -She pressed the first bulb down into the spot she had prepared for it. - -“Hey, I thought you said you knew how to plant bulbs!” Jane hooted. -“You’re putting it in upside down!” - -“The sprout end has to be up and the roots underneath,” added Connie. -“Anyone knows that, Vevi.” - -“Oh, I wasn’t ready to plant the bulb,” Vevi said, hastily turning it -over. “I was only trying it in the hole to see if I had dug it the -right size.” - -“Let me dig,” Jane demanded, after the first bulb had been planted and -covered with soil. “It takes you too long, Vevi.” - -“I’ll hand you the bulbs,” Vevi offered, willing enough to turn the -harder job over to her friend. - -Jane dug a series of small holes all around the circular bed. She -worked fast and spaced them evenly. - -“Now hand me the bulbs one at a time,” she instructed. - -Vevi dumped them all out of the bag. From the very bottom of the canvas -sack out tumbled a handful of small gray, greasy appearing pellets. - -“What are those?” Connie demanded curiously. - -Picking up one of the hard, round pieces, she rubbed it between her -fingers. - -“It must be fertilizer,” Vevi declared. “Put one in with each tulip -bulb.” - -Jane followed instructions, carefully pressing a pellet at the base of -each bulb. There were not enough of them to finish the task. The last -of the bulbs had to be planted without the “fertilizer.” - -“There! That’s done,” Jane said in relief when the last bulb had been -firmly covered with earth. “I’m tired too! My legs feel as if they will -drop off.” - -“Your neck is all red,” Connie informed her. “I think you are -sunburned.” - -Jane gingerly rubbed her neck which smarted and felt uncomfortable. - -“I hurt all over,” she complained. “Tulips are too much work.” - -“I don’t think they are,” declared Vevi, who had dug only one hole. -“Anyway, it is worth while. The Brownies will have one of the nicest -flower beds in Rosedale.” - -“I just hope the other Brownies ’preciate all the work we’ve done,” -Jane muttered. “It’s late and I’m going home.” - -She began to gather up the tools. Her Brownie uniform was smudged with -dirt and so were her sox. - -Vevi and Connie walked along with Jane, helping her carry the tools. -Vevi had picked up the empty canvas bag too, not wanting to leave it on -the library lawn. - -Before the girls had walked three blocks, Jane noticed someone coming -toward them. - -“See who is heading our way!” she directed the attention of her -companions. - -A woman was coming down the street. As she saw the three girls, she -began to walk faster. - -“It’s Mrs. Gabriel,” Vevi recognized her. “She looks cross too.” - -Mrs. Gabriel’s high heels were clicking like knitting needles by the -time she came face to face with the trio. - -“Well!” she exclaimed, glaring at Vevi. “At last I’ve found you!” - -“I haven’t been anywhere,” Vevi answered innocently. - -“I want my bag of tulip bulbs,” Mrs. Gabriel announced. - -“_Your_ bag,” said Vevi. “Do you mean my sack of culls that Hanny gave -me?” - -“Don’t try to pretend. When you rode in my car, you were carrying a bag -of bulbs. Either by accident, or on purpose, you left yours behind and -took one of mine. I want it back--now.” - -“I took a bag of tulip bulbs. But I thought it was mine--” - -“You’re carrying the empty sack now,” Mrs. Gabriel fairly screamed. -“Give it to me.” - -She snatched the bag from Vevi’s hand, excitedly examining the numerals. - -“This is the sack!” she cried. “Now where are the contents?” - -“I didn’t mean to mix up the bags,” Vevi apologized. “I thought--” - -“Never mind what you thought,” Mrs. Gabriel broke in angrily. “Just -tell me what you did with the tulip bulbs.” - -“I don’t see why you’re so excited about it,” Jane said before Vevi -could answer. “You threw all your other bulbs away.” - -“In a culvert,” added Connie accusingly. - -“Why, you insolent, stupid children!” Mrs. Gabriel cried. “Such -arrogance! I want my tulip bulbs. Do you understand?” - -The Brownies never had seen anyone more angry. Mrs. Gabriel seized Vevi -by the arm, squeezing it so hard that the muscle hurt. - -“What have you done with my bulbs?” she demanded. - -“Let me go and I’ll tell you,” Vevi answered, trying to pull away. “I -never will when you act so cross.” - -Mrs. Gabriel dropped her arm. She even forced a stiff sort of smile. - -“There, child, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said in a wheedling -tone. “Just tell me what you did with the contents of the bag.” - -“We planted the bulbs in the Brownie Scout bed at the library,” Vevi -answered. “I didn’t mean to take your bulbs. But you got mine. So -wasn’t it a fair exchange?” - -“A fair exchange?” Mrs. Gabriel cried, her voice shrill. “You planted -the tulips! That bag was worth a small fortune to me. Oh, I could shake -you!” - -Vevi backed away, rather afraid of the irate woman. - -“What did you do with the pellets that were in the bag?” she demanded. - -“You mean those little pieces of fertilizer?” Vevi stammered. “We -planted them with the bulbs!” - -“Oh!” gasped Mrs. Gabriel. She started to scold Vevi and then abandoned -the tirade. With a gesture of both anger and despair, she brushed past -the girls and went rapidly away. - - - - -_Chapter 17_ - -A LIBRARY WINDOW - - -Vevi, Connie and Jane watched Mrs. Gabriel until she was out of sight -far down the street. - -“Such a fuss about a few stupid tulip bulbs,” Vevi said. “What’s the -matter with her anyhow?” - -“She’s an old fussbudget,” Jane returned. “Why did that one bag of -bulbs mean so much to her?” - -“She spoke especially of the pellets that were with the bulbs,” Connie -said reflectively. “Whoever heard of setting such store by fertilizer?” - -“Anyway, the bulbs are planted now,” Vevi said with a nervous giggle. -“Do you suppose she’ll try to make me pay for ’em?” - -“She might,” Connie returned. “Mrs. Gabriel said the bulbs were worth a -small fortune.” - -“That’s silly,” Vevi declared. “Even the best tulip bulbs shouldn’t -cost more than a dollar or two a dozen.” - -“Some do, I think,” Connie said. “We must have planted at least four -dozen.” - -“That would amount to eight or ten dollars at least,” Jane computed. -“Vevi, if she decides to make trouble, you’re really in for it.” - -“Pooh! I’m not worried.” - -However, Vevi was only trying to put up a good front. Actually she was -deeply concerned. She knew Mrs. Gabriel might accuse her of taking the -tulip bulbs on purpose. - -The exchange had been accidental, but one that the woman couldn’t seem -to understand. Vevi had less than five dollars in her savings bank at -home. How could she ever pay the sum Mrs. Gabriel might ask? It made -her fairly ill to think of it. - -At the next corner, the girls parted to go to their separate homes. -As Vevi started away alone, Connie reminded her that all the Brownie -Scouts had been invited to take part in a puppet show that evening in -the public library. - -“Don’t forget, Vevi.” - -“I’ll be there,” Vevi promised. With a nervous giggle, she added: “That -is, unless Mrs. Gabriel puts me in jail!” - -Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had planned the puppet show as a special -treat for the girls. The Brownies themselves had made scenery and -painted the clever figures which were to be used in a dramatization of -“The Brownie Story” by Juliana H. Ewing. - -Using patterns provided by Miss Mohr, the girls had traced them on -stiff cardboard. These they had cut out, pasted and painted. Each -character had a narrow, stiff strip of cardboard at the back which -could be used as a handle to make the figures move in a life-like -manner on the little stage. - -Besides tiny elves, the girls had created a Tailor, his aging mother, -Mary and her little brother, and an Old Owl. - -Vevi was assigned to speak the words of the Old Owl and to handle that -particular puppet. - -Her part had not been hard to learn. Mostly the owl only had to say -“Who-oo,” and “Hoot! Hoot!” - -“Don’t be late,” Connie warned as she and Jane bade their friend -goodbye. “After the puppet show we’re to have an investiture ceremony. -Hanny’s to be made a real Brownie.” - -“I’ll be on time,” Vevi promised again. “Hoot! Hoot!” - -By seven o’clock that night all the troop members were at the library. -Vevi as usual was the last to arrive. She seemed so fidgety and nervous -that Connie asked her if Mrs. Gabriel had made any more trouble. - -“What makes you think she will?” Vevi asked quickly. - -“I saw her walking around the library when I came in a few minutes -ago,” Connie revealed. “She was looking at the Brownie flower bed too.” - -“I wish you wouldn’t keep talking about Mrs. Gabriel and her silly -tulip bulbs,” Vevi said, squirming uncomfortably. “I’m not worrying -about her.” - -“Then what is wrong with you?” - -“I’m thinking about my part in the play, that’s all. I’m afraid I may -forget my lines.” - -“Your lines!” Connie laughed. “All you have to do is hold your owl up -in a tree and make bird noises. And you’re afraid you’ll forget!” - -The girls were using a large library table for a stage. In the first -scene, the Tailor and his elderly wife sat by their fireside discussing -Mary and Tommy, who never liked to help with work in the home. - -Connie took the part of the Old Tailor, while Rosemary spoke the lines -of the aged grandmother. Sunny acted the character of Mary, and Hanny -that of the little boy, Tommy. - -The play progressed. In the second scene, Tommy and Mary, eager to find -Brownies who would do all the housework for their family, set off to -the woods to seek advice of the wise old Owl. - -Vevi, thoroughly enjoying her role of owl, hooted and whoo’d and -advised the children that they could find the “Brownies” only by going -to the north side of the pond when the moon was shining. - -“Say these words,” she directed in her most owlish voice: “‘Twist me, -and turn me and show me the Elf; I looked into the water, and saw--’ - -“Then,” she further instructed, “at the moment you gaze into the water, -think of a word that will rhyme with Elf, and complete the verse.” - -In the next scene of the playlet, Sunny and Hanny as Tommy and Mary, -were shown at the pond. Gazing down into a circular mirror which -represented the water, they saw their own reflections. Sunny recited: - - “‘Twist me, and turn me and show me the Elf; - I looked into the water, and saw--’” - -“Myself,” Hanny completed the rhyme. - -According to the story, the children then knew that they were the -real Brownies. The next and final scene showed them doing cheerfully -the work of the family. The playlet ended with Connie as the old -grandmother, declaring that children were a blessing, not a burden. - -Everyone said the show had been a great success. - -“I didn’t forget my lines either,” Vevi laughed in relief. “Not a -single hoot!” - -The time now had come for Hanny formally to be invested as a Brownie -Scout. She was sent from the room while the other girls gathered in a -circle about the big library table. - -At the proper moment, Miss Gordon told Hanny she might return. - -In the story room, the lights had been switched off. For a minute Hanny -was bewildered as she came in. - -Then Vevi took her hand and led her to the big table. The circular -mirror, which represented a pool of water, had been placed in the very -center. - -“Who comes to the fairy wood?” asked Miss Gordon. “I do,” answered the -little girl. “Hanny.” - -“What do you seek?” - -“To be a Brownie Scout,” replied Hanny earnestly. - -“Why, Hanny?” asked Miss Gordon. “Why do you wish to become a Brownie?” - -Hanny drew a deep breath. For a second, she couldn’t think of anything -to say. Then the words came with a rush. - -“I want to be a Brownie because I love America!” she cried, her eyes -shining. “I want to live here always. I like Rosedale too and all the -girls.” - -“That is reason enough for becoming a Brownie,” declared Miss Gordon -warmly. “Now gaze into the pool.” - -Hanny looked down into the mirror. Miss Gordon turned her around twice, -and placed a Brownie cap on her head. - -“‘Twist me, and turn me, and show me the Elf;’” recited the other -Brownies in unison. - -“‘I looked into the pool and saw--’” - -“MYSELF,” cried Hanny. - -The ceremony was completed by having the little girl repeat the Brownie -Promise. She gave it word perfect. - -Miss Gordon then pinned a Brownie Scout pin on the right-hand side of -her collar. She saluted Hanny and shook her hand, using the special -grasp known only to troop members. - -“Am I a real Brownie now?” Hanny asked happily. - -“As real as they come,” declared Miss Mohr, giving her an affectionate -hug. - -“The best part of all is that I am going to stay in Rosedale,” Hanny -told the other girls. “Now that my uncle has won the blue ribbon, he -will make a great deal of money. Already he has had many fine offers -for the Golden Beauty tulip bulbs.” - -All the girls were delighted that Hanny would be able to remain in -Rosedale, and told her so. - -By this time it was five minutes after eight o’clock. - -“Time for the meeting to end,” said Miss Gordon noticing the clock. -“School tomorrow as usual, you know. Little Brownies should be in bed -early.” - -The girls began to put on their jackets and coats. Vevi had left hers -in another room. She went for it but did not immediately return. - -Impatiently, the other Brownies waited. - -“That Vevi!” Jane exclaimed. “She always keeps us waiting!” - -“What do you suppose she’s doing now?” Sunny speculated. - -The room where Vevi had left her jacket was dark. What, the Brownies -wondered, could she be doing so long without a light? - -“Hurry up Vevi!” Jane called. - -There was no answer from the darkened cloak room. - -“She’s holding us up on purpose!” Jane fumed. “Let’s leave without her. -It would serve her right for being such a slow poke.” - -Miss Gordon, however, would not allow the Brownies to depart without -Vevi. - -“I’ll see what is keeping her,” she offered. - -However, before the Brownie Scout leader could enter the darkened room, -Vevi appeared in the doorway. - -“Why, you don’t have your jacket even now!” Jane exclaimed. “Vevi -McGuire! You’re the limit!” - -“We’ve waited an age,” added Rosemary. - -Vevi had a strange expression on her face. - -“What’s wrong?” Connie asked her quickly. “Have you lost something? -Your pocketbook?” - -Vevi shook her head. “I want to show you something--” - -“Oh, Vevi, we’re in a hurry!” Jane exclaimed indignantly. “You’re -always holding us up.” - -“This is important. Someone is digging in the Brownie tulip bed.” - -“WHAT?” cried the Brownies almost as one person. - -“Come and see for yourselves,” invited Vevi. “You can watch from the -window. All the tulip bulbs are being scattered on the ground!” - - - - -_Chapter 18_ - -MAGIC WAYS - - -Now Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had not known that tulip bulbs were -planted in the Brownie Scout flower bed. Vevi, Connie and Jane had been -so busy with the show that they had neglected to mention the planting. - -Therefore, everyone was surprised to hear that the bulbs were being dug -up. - -“What do you mean?” demanded Jane in great excitement. “Who is wrecking -our flower bed?” - -“A woman,” Vevi informed the group. “I can’t see her too plainly from -the window. Come quick!” - -The Brownie Scouts needed no further urging. With the librarian and -their leader, they followed Vevi into the darkened room overlooking the -lawn. - -“See, down there!” the little girl declared, pointing out the window. - -The Brownies jostled each other in their eagerness to learn what was -going on in the yard. - -A shadowy figure could be seen on hands and knees, industriously -digging up the tulip bulbs. Already many of them were scattered -helter-skelter over the grass. - -“Well, of all the nerve!” cried Vevi indignantly. - -“It looks like Mrs. Gabriel,” declared Connie. “At least she has a tall -feather on her hat, just like one Mrs. Gabriel has.” - -“Let’s stop her!” exclaimed Vevi, starting for the door. - -Miss Gordon grasped her hand, holding her back. - -“Wait, Vevi.” - -“Wait? But Miss Gordon, our tulip bed is nearly ruined now! She’s -wrecking everything!” - -“And we worked so hard planting those bulbs,” Jane wailed. “It’s the -meanest trick yet.” - -Miss Gordon spoke quietly. - -“Mrs. Gabriel, I think, is after something more vital than tulip bulbs.” - -“I think so too,” agreed Miss Mohr quickly. “Peter has told me of his -suspicions that a ring may be operating--” - -Now the Brownies were quite bewildered by the talk, not understanding -what the two young women meant. - -“Must we let that dreadful Mrs. Gabriel ruin our flower bed?” demanded -Jane. - -“No, indeed,” replied Miss Mohr. “I intend to call Peter Van Der Lann -and the police.” - -“The police?” gasped Vevi. She had not thought of having Mrs. Gabriel -arrested. - -“We must hurry,” urged Miss Gordon, peering out the window again. - -While the teacher and the Brownie Scouts kept watch, Miss Mohr -telephoned the police station. Then she called Hanny’s uncle at -Windmill Farm. - -“Peter is coming as quickly as he can drive here!” the librarian told -the group tensely. “He says we must hold Mrs. Gabriel whatever happens. -He is certain--” - -“Mrs. Gabriel has her flashlight turned on now!” Connie reported from -the window. “She’s examining something she has dug up!” - -“It’s not a tulip bulb either,” added Rosemary. - -“Let’s go down there right now!” Vevi urged, again starting for the -door. - -“No, Vevi!” Miss Gordon checked her once more. “It would only frighten -her away. We must wait for the police.” - -“They’ll never come,” complained Sunny. “It’s been ages now.” - -“Only a minute or two,” corrected Miss Mohr. “Patience.” - -“The police will come,” added the Brownie Scout leader. - -She was right too. In less than ten minutes, the girls heard the high -pitched, whining whistle of a siren. - -“There they come!” cried Vevi. “I’m going down there now!” - -Without even stopping to put on her cap or jacket she darted out the -door. The other Brownies followed after her, in their excitement -stumbling on the stairs. - -Just as the group reached the street, the police car halted at the curb. - -Mrs. Gabriel straightened up and then started hastily away. But the -police did not let her escape. - -Quickly they overtook her, grasping her firmly by the arm. - -While one officer held Mrs. Gabriel, another questioned Miss Mohr and -Miss Gordon as to the nature of their complaint. - -“This woman has been destroying library property,” declared Miss Mohr. - -“We saw her digging up the Brownie Scout tulip bed,” added Vevi. “I -think she has some of our bulbs in her pocket now.” - -“Ridiculous!” snapped Mrs. Gabriel. “I suppose it does seem unusual -for me to be found here digging up tulip bulbs. Nevertheless, I can -explain.” - -“Please do,” invited Miss Mohr. - -“I bought a large order of tulips, especially valuable stock, from Mr. -Mattox. Unfortunately, in driving home, I offered one of these children -a ride.” - -“Me,” interposed Vevi. - -“She had a bag of worthless bulbs with her--” - -“Not worthless,” corrected Vevi. “They may have been culls but they -were Golden Beauties. Those are the best and most valuable kind on the -market now that Mr. Van Der Lann has won the blue ribbon!” - -“If you’ll keep quiet for a moment, I’ll explain,” said Mrs. Gabriel, -glaring at Vevi. “The child either deliberately or possibly by mistake, -exchanged a bag of my good bulbs for her trash. So tonight I thought to -recover my stock.” - -The two police officers seemed half inclined to believe the woman’s -story. - -“If it were only tulip bulbs you wanted, why didn’t you come to Miss -Mohr or me?” questioned the Brownie Scout leader. - -“I realize I should have asked permission to dig up the bed,” replied -Mrs. Gabriel glibly. “I hesitated to do so because I didn’t want to -cause trouble.” - -“You set great store by those tulip bulbs,” remarked Miss Mohr. - -As she spoke, she glanced about the ground. The bulbs had been -scattered everywhere. In her haste to dig them up. Mrs. Gabriel had -broken many and chopped others in two with her sharp tool. - -“If you valued your tulips so much, why did you dump all the other bags -of bulbs along the roadside?” Vevi demanded. - -Mrs. Gabriel ignored the pointed question, so the little girl asked it -again. - -“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman finally replied. -“If you found any bulbs along the road, they must have belonged to -someone else.” - -The police officers had been listening to the talk. Now one of the men -had a question of his own. - -“Lady,” he said, “are you sure it was tulip bulbs you were after?” - -“Of course! What else?” - -“Sorry,” said the policeman, “but I’m afraid we’ll have to take you to -the station for a complete search.” - -“The idea!” Mrs. Gabriel snapped. “You may look in my purse now if you -like. You’ll find nothing.” - -She offered her pocketbook, which the policeman thoroughly examined. -Inside were toilet articles, a billfold containing nearly two hundred -dollars, a handkerchief and a set of car keys. - -“I saw her put something in her outside coat pocket while she was -digging,” Connie reported. - -One of the officers reached into Mrs. Gabriel’s pocket. He brought out -nothing but an old theater program. - -In the other coat pocket was an old handkerchief. One corner had been -tied into a knot to hold several small objects. - -“What’s this?” commented the policeman, untying the handkerchief. - -The cloth contained four dark-colored pellets. - -“Our fertilizer!” exclaimed Vevi. “Well, what do you know! She was -after our fertilizer, not the tulip bulbs!” - -Carefully the policeman examined the pellets. He rolled them between -his fingers. - -“You see, they are nothing!” said Mrs. Gabriel. “Now will you let me -go? I’ve had quite enough of Rosedale and Brownie Scouts. I assure you -I’ll leave town promptly and not come back.” - -Before the officers could decide what to do, a car pulled up at the -curb. - -“There’s Peter!” exclaimed Miss Mohr in relief. - -The nurseryman leaped out of his car and came over to the flower bed. -Miss Mohr told him what had happened before his arrival. The policeman -showed him the pellets taken from Mrs. Gabriel. - -“Just as I thought!” Mr. Van Der Lann exclaimed. “These pellets are -uncut commercial diamonds. They were smuggled to this country from -Holland in a shipment of imported tulip bulbs.” - -“Then we planted diamonds, thinking it was fertilizer!” gasped Jane. - -Mr. Van Der Lann’s disclosure amazed everyone except Miss Mohr. She -was not surprised because the nurseryman earlier had told her of his -suspicion that Mrs. Gabriel was not an honest person. - -Now that Mr. Van Der Lann had revealed that the pellets were uncut -diamonds, the Brownie Scouts became highly excited. Vevi was -especially so, for she knew that Mrs. Gabriel had not had time to dig -up all of the stones. - -“Almost every tulip bulb has a pellet with it,” she revealed. “Why, -this old flower bed is full of diamonds!” - -“I’m going to dig them up!” cried Jane, reaching for Mrs. Gabriel’s -trowel. - -The police, however, would not permit any of the children or the adults -to touch the flower bed. They said they would assign men to sift the -earth and make certain that every uncut stone was recovered. - -Mrs. Gabriel realized by this time that it was useless to deny her -guilt. - -“All right, I did smuggle the diamonds in with a shipment of bulbs,” -she acknowledged. “I wasn’t alone in the deal though. If you arrest me, -how about the Mattox couple?” - -“We’ll take care of them, never fear,” the policeman assured her. - -Mrs. Gabriel was taken away to the police station and other men came -to sift the flower bed soil. All the Brownies, Mr. Van Der Lann, the -librarian and Miss Gordon stood by, watching the work. Soon a fairly -large crowd gathered. - -“So Mr. and Mrs. Mattox are mixed up in this smuggling affair,” -remarked a businessman who paused to observe. “Well, that will finish -the flower show.” - -“How do you mean?” inquired Miss Gordon. - -“The Mattox couple contributed heavily for the affair. If they are -arrested, they will not pay their assessment. Mr. Piff may as well call -it quits.” - -As the digging went on, police talked at length with Mr. Van Der Lann. -He was asked to relate everything he knew about Mrs. Gabriel and her -smuggling activities. - -“I met the woman for the first time a few weeks ago,” the nurseryman -revealed. “She came to Windmill Farm and proposed that I go in with her -on her crooked scheme. At the time I needed money badly, but I refused.” - -“Uncle Peter ordered her to stay away from our place,” added Hanny, who -stood beside the nurseryman, watching the digging work. - -“That is true,” agreed Mr. Van Der Lann. “When she learned she could -not do business with me, she took up with Mr. and Mrs. Mattox. As to -their part in the affair, I can only guess. My suspicion is that they -cooperated with Mrs. Gabriel fully in importing bulbs which they knew -were only a cover for a shipment of priceless commercial stones.” - -“You and Mr. Mattox have never been good friends,” commented one of the -policemen. - -“That is so,” agreed the nurseryman. “Always Mr. and Mrs. Mattox have -considered me as a business rival. They sought to add my farm to their -own. Of late they have been especially eager to get me out of the -community, fearing no doubt that I would expose their association with -Mrs. Gabriel.” - -“They will make you no more trouble,” the policeman promised. “The -sheriff has been asked to arrest the couple for questioning. Very -shortly they will be taken to jail.” - -The digging work went on. Within an hour every diamond had been -recovered. - -However, the flower bed was completely ruined. Dirt had been scattered -everywhere and only a few of the tulip bulbs were worth saving. - -“Vevi, whatever possessed you girls to plant tulip bulbs at this time -of year?” Miss Gordon questioned. “They should be planted in the fall, -you know, for spring blooms.” - -“We didn’t want spring flowers though,” Vevi explained. “We wanted -tulips right now.” - -“While the flower show is on,” declared Jane. - -Miss Gordon regretfully told the Brownies that seeds or plants would -have to be used if the troop were to have a flower bed that year. Even -if they went to work at once, the bed would not be in bloom for several -weeks. - -The information made all the Brownies unhappy, especially Vevi. - -“I did so want tulips,” she said. “They are the most beautiful flower -in the world. Now I’ve even lost my Golden Beauty culls.” - -“Don’t worry about that,” said Mr. Van Der Lann. “Next Spring I will -give you some choice stock.” - -Vevi thanked the nurseryman, but continued to look unhappy. “I wanted a -tulip bed so badly,” she murmured. - -“So did I,” said Jane. “It was fun catching Mrs. Gabriel and saving the -diamonds, but I’d rather have had a beautiful bed of flowers.” - -“Do all the Brownies feel the same way about tulips?” inquired Mr. Van -Der Lann. “Would they rather have them than any other flower?” - -“Oh, yes!” cried Vevi. “But it is impossible. We will have to wait -until next year.” - -“And that is a million years away,” sighed Sunny. - -“Perhaps not,” said Mr. Van Der Lann. He smiled in a most mysterious -sort of way. - -“What do you mean?” questioned Vevi alertly. - -“Just you wait!” he advised. “Not a year either.” - -Now the Brownie Scouts sensed immediately that their friend had -something special in mind. They teased him to tell what it was. - -Mr. Van Der Lann only smiled and shook his head. - -“I can guess!” laughed Hanny. - -“Tell us,” pleaded the other Brownies. - -Hanny grinned and would not answer. “It’s a secret,” she chuckled. -“Nurserymen sometimes have magic ways. Just you wait!” - - - - -_Chapter 19_ - -AN ANNOUNCEMENT - - -Vevi awoke late the next morning, feeling tired in every bone and -muscle. Pulling herself slowly up in bed, she peered out the window. It -was raining hard. - -“Oh, dear,” she thought. “I did so hope for a nice day.” - -Vevi dressed and went downstairs for a belated breakfast. - -“Mother,” she said, seating herself at the table by the kitchen window. -“Is it really true that Mrs. Gabriel was caught digging up the Brownie -Scout flower bed last night? Or did I dream it?” - -Mrs. McGuire handed her the morning paper. - -“It was true, Vevi. See, the story of what happened is on the front -page. The Brownies are mentioned too.” - -Vevi read every word of the story for herself. The item told of Mrs. -Gabriel’s arrest and confinement in jail. Related also, was the part -the Brownies had played in the capture. - -“Oh, by the way,” Mrs. McGuire said after the little girl had finished -her breakfast. “Miss Mohr telephoned a few minutes ago. All the -Brownies are to meet at the library directly after lunch. She said -something about an extra special surprise.” - -“But the Brownies had a meeting last night, Mother. Why are we meeting -again so soon?” - -“She didn’t say, dear.” - -“Maybe it is about our flower bed,” Vevi speculated. “I think that must -be it.” - -The little girl helped her mother with the housework. She dusted the -furniture and wiped dishes. Time seemed to pass very slowly. All the -while, she kept speculating upon why Miss Mohr would call a special -meeting of the Brownie troop. - -As soon as luncheon was over, Vevi changed into her Brownie uniform. -Carrying her red umbrella, she splashed along the sloppy streets toward -the library. It was not raining much now, but the gutters ran deep with -muddy water. - -Vevi had not gone many blocks when she had to wait at an intersection -for a traffic light. - -As she stood there, a taxi came up very fast. The light changed and the -cab halted with a screech of brakes. It stopped so suddenly beside -Vevi, that she felt her legs being splashed with dirty water. - -She jumped back, very much annoyed at the driver. - -“Sorry,” apologized the cab man, leaning out of the taxi window. “I -shouldn’t have tried to make the light, but my customer is in a big -rush to catch a train.” - -Vevi glanced into the back of the cab and was surprised to see that the -passenger was Mr. Piff. - -“Why, are you leaving Rosedale?” she asked. - -“Am I?” he replied. “The flower show is washed up--finished. This rain -was the last straw. I’m getting out of this hick town for good.” - -“Rosedale is nice,” Vevi answered. “It’s not a hick town--” - -She had no chance to say more. Just then the light changed to green -again. The cab sped on, disappearing down the street. - -Crossing the street, Vevi went on to the library. She glanced quickly -toward the flower bed. - -To her disappointment, it appeared exactly as it had the previous -night. Dirt was scattered everywhere on the grass and so were the -broken tulip bulbs. - -“I guess Peter Van Der Lann was joking about magic,” she thought. -“Nothing is changed.” - -All of the Brownies except Hanny had arrived at the library ahead of -Vevi. As soon as she came into the story room, Miss Gordon and Miss -Mohr signaled for silence. - -“Girls,” the librarian announced, “we have all been invited to -Peter’s--I mean to Mr. Van Der Lann’s home for a little outing. This -rain has rather spoiled our plans, but I’m sure we’ll have a fine time -in any event.” - -“Will we have to walk?” Rosemary asked, rather dismayed. “I didn’t -bring my umbrella or a raincoat.” - -Miss Mohr assured the girls that the nurseryman would come for them in -his truck. He was expected at any moment. - -“He’s here now,” reported Connie a moment later. She had been watching -from the window. “He’s driving up in front.” - -“Come girls,” urged Miss Gordon. “We mustn’t keep him waiting.” - -The Brownies put on their coats and went outside. - -“Why, it’s stopped raining!” cried Jane, holding up her hand to see if -she could catch any drops. “The sun is trying to peek through a cloud.” - -“We’ll have a fine day yet!” exclaimed Sunny. “Hurrah for Windmill -Farm!” - -Mr. Van Der Lann helped the children into the truck. Miss Mohr and the -Brownie leader rode up front. - -During the ride to the farm, the nurseryman was in very high spirits. -He declared that everything had gone extremely well for him and for -Hanny. - -“Now that I have won first prize for the Golden Beauty tulip, nearly -everyone wants to buy my stock of bulbs,” he said. “I have arranged to -sell them all to one eastern dealer at a very high price.” - -“I will get to stay in America,” added Hanny happily. - -Mr. Van Der Lann had arranged a pleasant afternoon for the Brownies at -Windmill Farm. He told the girls they might pick all the tulips they -liked, ride in the dog cart and even in the boat. - -“Not the boat,” laughed Vevi. “It leaks.” - -“Oh, I repaired it yesterday,” the nurseryman assured her. “Mr. and -Mrs. Mattox will not annoy you either, should you drift past their -place. The sheriff took them to jail today for questioning.” - -“Then it has been established that they aided Mrs. Gabriel?” questioned -Miss Gordon. - -“Yes, they worked with her in smuggling gems into this country from -Holland. I long suspected it, but could prove nothing and so remained -quiet.” - -“I guess the Brownies were pretty smart to catch Mrs. Gabriel digging -up the tulips!” Vevi chuckled. - -At Windmill Farm, the Brownies found Hanny and the housekeeper busy -in the spic and span kitchen. The room was fragrant with the smell of -baking. Little cakes had been taken from the oven and now were being -beautifully frosted. - -“Why, we must be having a party!” laughed Connie. - -Now the Brownies could not imagine why everyone seemed so happy at -Windmill Farm. Nor could they understand the reason Mr. Van Der Lann -had gone to so much trouble just for them. - -“I think someone is keeping a secret from us,” guessed Connie. “Isn’t -that right?” - -“It could be,” admitted Miss Mohr. - -“Tell us!” pleaded Rosemary. - -“Later--” - -“Right now!” teased the Brownies. - -“Shall we tell them?” Miss Mohr asked, turning to Hanny’s uncle. - -“Why keep them in suspense?” he replied. “Let the news be known.” - -“I want to pass the little cakes!” cried Hanny in excitement. - -She made everyone sit in the living room. Then she passed the -refreshments, giving every Brownie one of the delicately frosted cakes. - -Now the girls were not very hungry, having finished their lunches only -a short while before. Being polite, however, they did not mention this. - -Vevi was the first to break open her little cake. - -“Why, there’s a piece of paper in mine!” she exclaimed. - -“Read it,” urged Hanny. “I already know the good news.” - -Vevi spread out the strip of paper. Two names had been printed on it. -She read them aloud. - -“Peter Van Der Lann and Miss Mohr!” she exclaimed, not understanding -why the names had been baked into the cake. - -“Peter and I are to be married in a few days,” the librarian announced. -“We decided to have the wedding so soon because Peter must go to New -York with his tulip bulbs. We’ll call it our honeymoon.” - -Now the Brownies were delighted to hear that Miss Mohr was to wed. -They were especially glad that Hanny would have someone as nice as the -librarian to look after her. - -“If you are to be married right away, I don’t suppose there will be a -big wedding,” Vevi remarked. - -“Oh, we couldn’t omit that,” smiled the librarian. “We plan a wonderful -church wedding. Hanny is to be the ring bearer. I want all the Brownies -to be there.” - -“As bridesmaids?” Vevi asked quickly. - -Miss Mohr explained that Miss Gordon and some of her older friends -would act as maids. She promised though that the Brownies would have a -special pew in the church. - -After refreshments had been enjoyed, the Brownies went outside to play. -Never had Windmill Farm looked so beautiful. The rain had made the -grass fresh and green. Tulips were bent over and heavy with water, but -the bright sun was reviving them. - -“I want to ride in the boat!” declared Connie quickly. - -“I’m going to pick tulips,” announced Rosemary. “A bouquet of nothing -but bright pink ones.” - -“I want to pick flowers too,” declared Jane. “My bouquet will be -purple.” - -Sunny announced that she intended to watch the windmill for awhile and -then ride with Connie in the boat. - -“What will you do, Vevi?” asked Hanny. - -Vevi had been thinking over her choice very carefully. - -“I will ride in the dog cart,” she announced. “I want that old Bruno to -know who is boss!” - -While the others went toward the tulip fields, Hanny and Vevi ran to -the barn to find the dog. They hitched him to the cart. Vevi climbed in -and picked up the reins. - -“Now start him easy,” Hanny instructed. “If he tries to run away again, -I will punish him.” - -The big dog however, seemed to know that with Hanny there, he could not -play tricks. When Vevi said “Giddap!” he moved off at a very slow walk. - -After a minute or two, the little girl wished that he would go faster. -Bruno though, did not feel like trotting or running. He ambled lazily -toward the cheese house and then on past the little house where Mr. -Van Der Lann had stored his Golden Beauty tulip bulbs. - -Vevi noticed that the door no longer was locked. - -“I guess your uncle has moved his bulbs somewhere else,” she remarked -to Hanny who was walking along beside the cart. - -“What?” inquired Hanny, not understanding. - -Vevi repeated what she had said, and pointed to the open door. - -Hanny stopped short, staring at it. - -“That door shouldn’t be open!” she cried. “I’m sure Uncle Peter hasn’t -moved the bulbs. We have always kept them there.” - -Hanny ran over to the little house. Vevi dropped the reins and -scrambled out of the dog cart. Thus released, Bruno trotted off toward -the canal. Neither of the girls noticed. - -Hanny had reached the open door. She pushed it back so she could look -at the padlock. - -“It has been broken!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Vevi!” - -Hanny darted into the room where the precious Golden Beauty tulip bulbs -had been stored. Vevi kept close behind. - -It was dark inside though, and she could see nothing. - -Hanny groped for the light switch and finally found it. As she switched -it on, the room was fully illuminated. - -Both girls looked quickly at the wall shelves. All of the tulip bulbs -were gone! - -“Someone has taken them!” gasped Hanny. “A wicked thief has broken in -here and stolen Uncle Peter’s Golden Beauty stock!” - - - - -_Chapter 20_ - -SURPRISE! - - -Thoroughly alarmed, Vevi and Hanny ran as fast as they could to the -house to relate what had happened. - -“Uncle Peter! Uncle Peter!” Hanny shouted, bursting into the house. -“Come quick!” - -“Why, what is wrong?” he inquired. Startled, he rose quickly to his -feet, fearing that one of the Brownies had been hurt. - -“Our tulip bulbs!” Hanny cried. “Did you move them from the little -house?” - -“No, Hanny, I did not.” - -“Then they have been stolen!” Hanny was so excited that she began to -speak in Dutch, telling her uncle of the discovery she and Vevi had -made. - -Mr. Van Der Lann ran to the storehouse to see for himself. - -“Gone!” he groaned as he too beheld the empty shelves. - -“Maybe it was Mr. Evans who took the bulbs,” guessed Vevi, remembering -that she had seen the man examining the padlock a few days earlier. - -“No! No! It could not have been he,” insisted the nurseryman. “Mr. -Evans is a federal agent. He was sent here to try to catch the -smugglers. I talked to him only last night and he now has left -Rosedale.” - -“Mr. Piff is going away too,” remarked Vevi. - -“Mr. Piff!” exclaimed the nurseryman. “When did you last see him?” - -“Only a minute or two before we came out here in your truck. He was in -a taxi cab.” - -“What made you think he was leaving Rosedale, Vevi?” - -“He said so. He said the show had failed, and he was going away. The -taxi was taking him to a train.” - -“The show was a failure all right,” declared Mr. Van Der Lann. “But -Mr. Piff has no call to go away without making a full accounting to -the townspeople who contributed to his flower fund. He has run up many -debts. Besides, I suspect he may be the one who took my bulbs!” - -“Not Mr. Piff?” echoed Miss Gordon. “How could he do such a thing?” - -“He has been here several times during the last few days,” the -nurseryman revealed. “When he saw that his show would fail, he sought -a means of making quick money. He wanted to sell my bulbs for me, but I -turned him down.” - -“Did he know where you kept them, Peter?” asked Miss Mohr. - -“Yes, and he was here this morning while I was at the library. The -housekeeper told me so.” - -“Can’t we stop him from leaving Rosedale?” Miss Gordon asked. She -looked at her wristwatch, and added: - -“His train may have gone by this time. There is a chance, though, that -we can intercept him.” - -“I will try,” said Mr. Van Der Lann grimly. - -He ran to get his truck. By this time, Connie and Sunny had run up from -the canal. Jane and Rosemary, their arms laden with tulips, raced in -from the fields to see what was happening. - -“Everyone into the truck!” ordered Mr. Van Der Lann. - -The Brownies scrambled in, fairly tumbling over one another in their -haste. - -“Those bulbs represent my entire fortune,” Mr. Van Der Lann declared, -starting off very fast. “I must get them back.” - -Rosedale had only one union station. The nurseryman drove directly -there. Passengers could be seen waiting on the platform. Luggage had -been piled up on a dolly-truck ready to be hauled to the train when it -came in. - -Even as the Brownies leaped from Mr. Van Der Lann’s truck, they heard -the whistle of the approaching engine. - -“Hurry! Hurry!” urged Vevi. “It’s coming now.” - -Passengers were gathering up their hand luggage. The children did not -see Mr. Piff anywhere. - -“He must have taken an earlier train,” declared Miss Gordon anxiously. -“I’m afraid we have missed him.” - -“I’ll look in the depot,” offered Vevi. - -“You don’t need to!” cried Connie excitedly. “There he comes now!” - -Mr. Piff had left the building and was walking directly toward the -group. - -Suddenly he saw the Brownies with Mr. Van Der Lann, and stopped short. -He turned as if to move in the opposite direction. - -“Wait!” called the nurseryman. - -Mr. Piff reluctantly obeyed the command. - -“Well?” he demanded. “What do you want?” - -The train now was very close. Mr. Van Der Lann knew he would have to -talk fast. - -“You cannot leave Rosedale without making an accounting of the flower -show funds!” he told the promoter. “Debts are not paid and you have all -the money.” - -“Try to stop me,” said Mr. Piff unpleasantly. “I’m fed up with this -town. I’m leaving.” - -“Oh, no, you are not,” corrected the nurseryman. He spoke quietly but -with firmness. - -By this time the train had pulled into the station. Most of the -passengers already had boarded their cars. - -“Get out of my way!” Mr. Piff said furiously. - -He tried to push past the nurseryman. Mr. Van Der Lann grasped him by -the arm, making the promoter drop one of the bags he carried. - -Vevi snatched it up. Before anyone could stop her, she had opened it. - -Inside were two sacks of tulip bulbs. Vevi knew at once that they were -the Golden Beauties. - -“So!” exclaimed Mr. Van Der Lann. “I thought as much.” - -“Now see here,” said Mr. Piff, still trying to pull away. “I can -explain. It’s true I intended to sell the bulbs to a dealer I know. But -you would have received the full amount, minus a small commission. I -can get you a much better price than you can arrange for yourself.” - -Mr. Van Der Lann paid no attention. He went through the promoter’s -luggage, taking all the bulbs that were his. - -Then he made Mr. Piff turn over all the money he had collected for his -flower show from Rosedale townspeople. - -“Now get on that train and never come back here!” the nurseryman said, -shoving him toward his car. - -“You’re not having me arrested?” Mr. Piff muttered. - -“Get on your train,” the nurseryman ordered again. “And let this be a -lesson to you.” - -Mr. Piff grabbed up his luggage, including the empty handbag, and ran -for the train. He swung aboard. The cars began to move, slowly at first -and then faster and faster. - -“Goodbye, Mr. Piff!” laughed Sunny. - -Mr. Van Der Lann pocketed the money he had taken from the promoter. He -told Miss Mohr and the Brownie Scout leader that he doubted it would -be enough to pay all of the flower show debts. - -“It will cover most of the expense though,” he assured the women. “I -will turn all of this money over to Mrs. Langley or the Chamber of -Commerce president.” - -Now the Brownies were happy indeed that the nurseryman had recovered -the Golden Beauty tulip bulbs. Mr. Van Der Lann assured them that he -would ship the bulbs east that very day so that there would be no risk -of having them stolen again. - -For the troop members, the day had been a thrilling one. During the -next week they had many wonderful times too, going often to Windmill -Farm. - -Miss Mohr especially, was kept very busy, planning her approaching -wedding. Often the Brownies went with her to the stores to help her buy -finery. Time was very short, and it seemed there were a million things -to do. - -Then finally, the important day was at hand. - -All the Brownies, dressed in fresh Scout uniforms, arrived early at the -church. An usher escorted them to their seats, a special roped-off pew -at the front. - -“I hope everything goes off well,” Vevi whispered nervously to Connie. -“Wouldn’t it be awful if Hanny should drop the ring?” - -“Sh!” Connie warned severely. “The ceremony is starting.” - -An expectant hush had fallen upon the church throng. The organist began -to play a solemn wedding march. - -“Here they come!” whispered Rosemary, twisting around to see. “Oh, how -lovely!” - -Hanny led the stately procession down the carpeted aisle. She was -dressed in white, and carried a basket of flower petals which she -dropped one by one ahead of the bride. - -Miss Mohr wore a white satin gown with long train and a veil. Her -flowers were Golden Beauty tulips. She had never been more lovely. - -“Doesn’t Miss Gordon look nice too?” murmured Connie. - -The Brownie Scout leader was dressed in pink, with a large picture hat. -She and the other bridesmaids carried bouquets of tulips also. - -At the proper moment in the ceremony, the ring was produced. Then the -minister spoke the words which made Miss Mohr and Mr. Van Der Lann man -and wife. - -“There! It’s over!” Vevi whispered. “Now we can throw our rice!” - -As soon as the procession had passed out of the church, the Brownie -Scouts hastened to the exit. - -They were in time to see the bridal party getting into cars. - -“Now for the rice!” chuckled Vevi. - -Each Brownie Scout had brought a small bag filled with rice grains. -Laughing and shouting, they hurled it at the bridal couple. - -Miss Mohr leaned out of the car to speak to the girls. - -“Peter and I will soon return from our honeymoon,” she said. “When we -do, we want you all to come often to visit us at Windmill Farm.” - -“We will,” promised Connie, speaking for all the Brownies. - -“One more thing,” said Miss Mohr. “I have a special request.” - -“What is it, Miss Mohr--I mean Mrs. Van Der Lann?” inquired Vevi -politely. - -“I want all the Brownies to walk past the library when they leave the -church.” - -Now Vevi thought this a most strange request indeed. - -“Past the library?” she repeated, thinking that possibly the librarian -had made a slip of tongue. - -“Yes, dear, it’s a surprise. From Peter.” - -Vevi and the other Brownies were more mystified than ever. Before they -could ask a single question, the cars began to move away. - -Mr. Van Der Lann opened a paper sack. He began to toss -cellophane-wrapped candies to the children. - -“_Suikers_,” he explained with a smile. “Sugar plums. It’s an old Dutch -custom to throw them at every wedding.” - -The Brownies caught most of the sugar plums. Jane, who was agile, -picked up four, and Vevi captured three. The other girls had at least -one or two apiece. - -The bridal cars rounded a corner and were gone. For just a minute, the -Brownie Scouts felt lonesome. - -“What shall we do now?” asked Sunny. “Go home?” - -“We must walk past the library,” Connie said, recalling Miss Mohr’s -final instructions. “I wonder why she asked us to do it?” - -“It is out of my way to go that direction,” declared Rosemary. “Do you -think it would matter if I walk past some other time?” - -“No, we must all go now--together,” Vevi insisted. “Miss Mohr said it -was important.” - -“That’s right,” agreed Connie. “She spoke of a surprise. One from -Peter.” - -The girls started off, walking in pairs. Vevi and Connie were ahead, -followed by the others. - -“What surprise could Peter have left for us?” Vevi speculated. - -“A package of books perhaps,” Rosemary guessed. - -“He may have given the troop a piece of his fine Delft ware,” Sunny -declared. “I would like that for a gift.” - -Thinking of various possibilities, the girls began to walk faster. Soon -they came within view of the library. - -“How will we know about the surprise?” Jane asked in perplexity. “Are -we supposed to go into the building and ask one of the librarians?” - -“Well, if we aren’t dopes!” suddenly cried Vevi. - -She stopped short and began to laugh. - -“What’s wrong with you?” demanded Jane. - -“The surprise!” cried Vevi. “One can see it a mile away! It’s a -wonderful one too!” - -The other Brownies were bewildered by the little girl’s words. But only -for a moment. - -“Oh, I see it too!” exclaimed Connie. - -She and Vevi both began to run toward the library. - -Then Jane, Rosemary and Sunny joined the race. - -The surprise, everyone now knew, was a beautiful flower bed! - -As the girls approached closer, they could see it plainly. - -The circular bed which Miss Mohr had given to the Brownie Scouts for -their very own, now was a mass of blooms. - -Yellow and gold and brown tulips blazed in the sunlight. The Brownies -never had seen a more gorgeous sight. - -“Oh, it’s wonderful!” cried Vevi, dancing about the bed. “Just what I -wanted!” - -“It’s our very own too!” added Sunny. - -“Look at the center of the bed,” directed Connie. - -Mr. Van Der Lann had so arranged the tulips that they resembled the -clover-shaped Scout emblem. - -The letters “G. S.” were spelled out in bright yellow tulips. - -“That stands for Girl Scouts,” commented Jane. “I do wish Mr. Van Der -Lann had made a ‘B’ to stand for Brownie.” - -“All Brownie Scouts fly up to become Girl Scouts when they’re old -enough,” declared Connie. “I like our flower bed just as he made it.” - -“So do I,” agreed Rosemary. “I think this is the nicest surprise our -troop ever had.” - -“The very best,” echoed Sunny. - -“How do you suppose Mr. Van Der Lann made the tulips grow so fast?” -speculated Jane. “Why, it’s almost miraculous!” - -“He couldn’t have planted bulbs, that’s certain,” replied Connie. “I -know! He must have brought potted plants from Windmill Farm!” - -“However he did it, I guess it proves the Brownie Story,” asserted Vevi. - -The other girls asked her what she meant. - -Vevi grinned happily and bent down to sniff the fragrance of a big -yellow tulip. Then with twinkling eyes, she replied: - -“Don’t you see? It’s magic, pure magic!” - -“It does seem almost like it,” admitted Connie. - -“This wonderful surprise proves that elves are still at work,” Vevi -said with a laugh. “They live in Rosedale and everywhere in the world. -And best of all, they serve the Brownies!” - - -THE END - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - -Punctuation has been standardised. Chapter headings have been retained -as published, most with figures, others words. Spelling and hyphenation -have been retained as in the original publication except as follows: - - Page 72 - varieties wil be shown _changed to_ - varieties will be shown - - Page 92 - Vevi and Connie saw that the river _changed to_ - Vevi and Hanny saw that the river - - Page 92 - the lowbent branches _changed to_ - the low-bent branches - - Page 112 - went over to asked the garden _changed to_ - went over to ask the garden - - Page 134 - that the canves bag _changed to_ - that the canvas bag - - Page 139 - Vevi who understand what _changed to_ - Vevi who understood what - - Page 202 - She look at her wristwatch _changed to_ - She looked at her wristwatch - - Page 211 - As the girls aproached closer _changed to_ - As the girls approached closer - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm, by -Mildred A. 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Wirt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm - -Author: Mildred A. Wirt - -Release Date: June 7, 2016 [EBook #52254] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROWNIE SCOUTS AT WINDMILL FARM *** - - - - -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="564" alt="Cover" /> -</div> -</div> - - -<hr class="divider" /> -<h1>The<br /> -BROWNIE SCOUTS<br /> -at Windmill Farm</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="614" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">“Mrs. Gabriel has her flashlight turned on now.”<br /> -<em>Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm</em><br /> -See Page <a href="#front">178</a></div> -</div> -</div> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<p class="center p200"><i><small>The</small><br /> -BROWNIE SCOUTS<br /> -<small>at Windmill Farm</small></i></p> - -<p class="center p120 mt3"><i>by</i> -<span class="p150"><i>Mildred A. Wirt</i></span></p> - -<p class="center p120 mt3"><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></p> - -<p class="center mt3"><span class="p130">CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY</span><br /> -<span class="p120"><span class="wordspacing"><i>Publishers</i> <i>New</i></span> <i>York</i></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<p class="center">Copyright, 1953, by<br /> -CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY</p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<p class="center">ALL RIGHTS RESERVED</p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<p class="center"><em>The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm</em></p> - -<p class="center mt3">Printed in the United States of America</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<h2><a name="contents" id="contents"></a><i>CONTENTS</i></h2> - - -<table summary="Contents"> -<tr> -<td class="tdc"><i>Chapter</i></td> -<td> </td> -<td class="tdc"><i>Page</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">1.</td> -<td class="tdl">The Dog Cart</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 2.</td> -<td class="tdl">Hanny to the Rescue</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_2">14</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 3.</td> -<td class="tdl">Mr. Piff’s Plan</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_3">23</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 4.</td> -<td class="tdl">The Little Locked House</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_4">31</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 5.</td> -<td class="tdl">Hanny’s Secret</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_5">41</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 6.</td> -<td class="tdl">Wooden Shoes</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_six">52</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 7.</td> -<td class="tdl">A Runaway ‘Boat’</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_seven">63</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 8.</td> -<td class="tdl">The Treasure House</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_8">71</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"> 9.</td> -<td class="tdl">High Wind</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_9">80</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">10.</td> -<td class="tdl">In the Hayloft</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_10">89</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">11.</td> -<td class="tdl">The Man in Gray</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_11">102</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">12.</td> -<td class="tdl">A Flower Show</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_12">116</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">13.</td> -<td class="tdl">A Bag of Tulips</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_13">127</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">14.</td> -<td class="tdl">Mr. Piff’s Troubles</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_14">136</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">15.</td> -<td class="tdl">The Brownie Garden</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_15">148</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">16.</td> -<td class="tdl">Mrs. Gabriel’s Accusation</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_16">156</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">17.</td> -<td class="tdl">A Library Window</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_17">166</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">18.</td> -<td class="tdl">Magic Ways</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_18">176</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">19.</td> -<td class="tdl">An Announcement</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_19">189</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">20.</td> -<td class="tdl">Surprise!</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#chapter_20">200</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><i><small>Chapter 1</small></i><br /> -THE DOG CART</h2> - - -<p class="noi">FIVE pair of eyes focused with rapt attention upon Miss Paula Mohr, the -librarian.</p> - -<p>Five little girls in pin-checked Brownie Scout uniforms had been -listening attentively to a tale about the children of Holland.</p> - -<p>Now, in the story room of the Rosedale Public Library, they awaited an -important announcement.</p> - -<p>“Girls,” began Miss Mohr. She was young and pretty, and her voice had -soft edges. “How would the Brownies like to help this spring with -Rosedale’s annual tulip show?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, fine and dandy!” cried Vevi McGuire.</p> - -<p>The dark-eyed little girl shouted approval, even without asking what -the Brownies would be expected to do. But then, she knew anything -planned by Miss Mohr or Miss Jean Gordon, the Brownie troop leader, -would be fun.</p> - -<p>“Will we sell things?” inquired Connie Williams.</p> - -<p>Connie was the quiet, thoughtful member of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">2</a></span> group. Sometimes the -other Brownies, Rosemary Fritche, Sunny Davidson and Jane Tuttle, -teased her by calling her “the thinker.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” replied Miss Mohr. “I am not sure of the plans, but we would -assist Mrs. Langley.”</p> - -<p>The Brownie Scouts all knew that Mrs. Langley was president of the -Rosedale Garden Club. She lived with her servants on a large estate of -many acres at the edge of town.</p> - -<p>Each spring when bulbs bloomed, her gardens were the most beautiful in -Rosedale.</p> - -<p>“May we help Mrs. Langley?” asked Jane Tuttle, with a toss of her long -pigtails. She directed the question at Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Why, yes,” the troop leader promptly agreed. “I think the project -would be a most worthwhile one.”</p> - -<p>“When will Rosedale have its flower show?” inquired Sunny Davidson.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr explained that the exact date had not yet been set. It would -depend, she said, upon the weather, and when the tulips reached the -climax of bloom.</p> - -<p>“This year Mrs. Langley hopes to interest all garden growers and -possibly the commercial raisers,” she added. “We want our show to be -the best ever!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">3</a></span> -“Speaking of commercial growers, reminds me of something!” spoke up -Miss Gordon. “Do you girls know Peter Van Der Lann?”</p> - -<p>The Brownies had never heard the name. Miss Mohr however, knew it well.</p> - -<p>“Peter Van Der Lann is the young Dutchman who started a tulip nursery -here last fall,” she declared. “His little niece, Hanny, often comes to -the library to read.”</p> - -<p>“A charming little girl,” added Miss Gordon warmly. “Just the right age -to be a Brownie too—eight, I believe.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies now were very quiet, thinking about Hanny. Then Connie -spoke.</p> - -<p>“I saw her once, I think. She was buying a lolly-pop at the drugstore. -She had long shining yellow braids and very blue eyes. But she wore big -wooden shoes!”</p> - -<p>“<i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">Klompen</i>,” supplied Miss Mohr, using the Dutch name. “Hanny only wore -them when she first came to Rosedale months ago. She wears regular -American shoes now. She has improved her English a great deal too.”</p> - -<p>“Would she want to be a Brownie Scout?” Jane Tuttle asked, doubt in her -voice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">4</a></span> -“I’m certain she would,” replied Miss Gordon. “Holland has a Brownie -organization too, you know. There, Brownies are called <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">Kabouters</i> -which means Little Elves.”</p> - -<p>The girls plied Miss Gordon with eager questions about Hanny and the -country from which she had come.</p> - -<p>In the midst of the conversation, someone tapped lightly on the door of -the story room. Another librarian entered to speak to Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“I am so sorry to interrupt,” she apologized. “A caller is here by the -name of Ashley Piff. He insists upon seeing both Miss Mohr and Miss -Gordon. He says it is about the garden show.”</p> - -<p>Neither Miss Gordon nor the librarian ever had heard of anyone named -Mr. Piff.</p> - -<p>“I’ll see him,” Miss Mohr decided. “The Brownie meeting was just ending -anyway.”</p> - -<p>She reminded the girls not to forget the regular story hour the -following week. Then with Miss Gordon she went out into the main -reading room to talk to the stranger.</p> - -<p>The Brownies donned their beanies and jackets. Gathering up their -school books, they too sauntered outside.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">5</a></span> -Mr. Piff was a short, stubby man with a black derby hat. He spoke too -loudly for the library. His words carried clearly to every part of the -quiet room.</p> - -<p>“Now this is my proposition,” the Brownies heard him say. “I am a -professional promoter of flower shows. If you ring me in on the deal, -I’ll put on a celebration that will be the talk of the town for years! -We’ll lift your little show out of the amateur class, and make it a -hum-dinger. What d’you say?”</p> - -<p>“You really must see Mrs. Langley,” replied Miss Mohr. “She is in -charge. Personally though, I’m not in favor of turning our lovely -garden show into a cheap commercial festival.”</p> - -<p>“Nor am I,” added Miss Gordon firmly.</p> - -<p>“You don’t get the idea,” protested Mr. Piff. “It would be a commercial -project—true. There would be money in it for everyone. Rosedale and -all the merchants would profit. The Brownies—”</p> - -<p>“Our organization cannot take part in such an enterprise,” Miss Gordon -said emphatically. “We have promised to help Mrs. Langley with the -annual garden show. That however, is an entirely different matter.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff realized that he could not change the teacher’s mind.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">6</a></span> -“Okay, if that’s your decision,” he said. “You’ll regret it though. Now -can you direct me to the nursery of Peter Van Der Lann?”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr showed Mr. Piff on a map how to reach the nearby farm.</p> - -<p>“I’ll never find the place by myself,” he said. “How about driving out -there with me?”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr started to refuse, but before she could do so, Mr. Piff went -on:</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it nearly closing time here at the library?”</p> - -<p>“In ten minutes. But—”</p> - -<p>“It shouldn’t take long to drive out to the nursery,” Mr. Piff said -briskly. “My car is at the door. Now it would be a great favor to a -stranger who doesn’t know the community. I’ll take anyone who wants to -go, and bring you back too.”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr really did not care to make the trip. But Mr. Piff was very -persuasive. He pointed out that it was a lovely afternoon for a drive -in the country. Finally, he convinced both young women that they should -accompany him.</p> - -<p>“May we go too?” demanded Vevi. She always liked to ride in a car.</p> - -<p>Her request did not appear to please Mr. Piff. He managed to smile -though, and said he would take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">7</a></span> as many Brownies as the sedan would -accommodate.</p> - -<p>“I have to go home right away,” spoke up Jane.</p> - -<p>“So do I,” said Sunny.</p> - -<p>Rosemary also turned down the invitation. Vevi and Connie were the only -two Brownies to go. They sat in the back seat of the big brown sedan, -while Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon rode up front with Mr. Piff.</p> - -<p>As the car sped along the open country road, the promotor talked at -great length. He kept telling the two young women about his elaborate -plans for the flower festival.</p> - -<p>“I want to interest every tulip grower in the community,” he said -grandly. “This will be the biggest affair Rosedale has ever had!”</p> - -<p>Connie and Vevi fairly tingled with excitement to hear Mr. Piff -describe everything he intended to do.</p> - -<p>The Brownie leader and Miss Mohr were less impressed. In fact, both -women seemed rather relieved when finally the car came within view of -the Van Der Lann nursery.</p> - -<p>“Oh, see the cute Dutch windmill!” cried Vevi as the car rolled over a -hilltop.</p> - -<p>The tower-like wooden building stood nearly fifty feet high on a slight -rise of land. Because it had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">8</a></span> been painted red, blue and green, the -unique structure could be seen from a long distance. Four large wind -flaps turned lazily in the breeze.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how lovely!” exclaimed Miss Gordon, who never before had seen the -mill. “Why, it looks like a charming bit of Old Holland!”</p> - -<p>Two stone gate piers marked the entrance to the farm. The house was -gabled, with a red tile roof which sloped forward to cover a wide -veranda. Beyond stood the big barn and a small milk house. Everywhere -there were acres and acres of tulips. Only a few of the flowers as yet -were in bloom.</p> - -<p>“This place will be a sea of color in a week or so!” exclaimed Miss -Mohr. “I’d love to see it then.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have the show when the flowers are at their best,” said Mr. -Piff. He leaped out of the car to open the gate.</p> - -<p>Returning, he drove through and pulled up in front of the house. Vevi -and Connie jumped out, eager to explore. The farm was a delightful -place, neat as a pin. Even the trees had been whitewashed.</p> - -<p>As the two little girls stood watching the huge revolving arms of the -windmill, a nice looking young man came out of the house. His shirt -was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">9</a></span> open at the neck and he was deeply tanned from having lived much -of the time outdoors.</p> - -<p>“Good afternoon,” he said, walking over to the car. “May I help you?”</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie noticed that instead of saying Good, the word sounded a -little like “goot.” They guessed at once that he was Mr. Van Der Lann, -the owner of the nursery.</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff introduced himself and at once began to tell of his plans for -the flower show.</p> - -<p>Not caring to listen, Vevi and Connie wandered off down the cinder path.</p> - -<p>“Oh, see!” cried Vevi pointing ahead. “A little canal! The windmill -must pump water from it to irrigate the tulip beds.”</p> - -<p>The path which led to the canal went directly past the big windmill. -Its great arms were covered with gray sailcloth which moved lazily in -the light breeze. The big flaps swept low to the ground each time they -revolved.</p> - -<p>“The windmill has a little house!” Vevi declared. “That must be where -the machinery is kept.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve never been inside a real mill,” Connie remarked wistfully.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">10</a></span> -“Neither have I. I’d like to go in. Shall we?”</p> - -<p>Connie held back. “I don’t think it would be polite, Vevi. We’re only -half-way guests here on the farm. Mr. Van Der Lann didn’t even invite -us. We just came with Mr. Piff.”</p> - -<p>For awhile the children watched the mill, and then went on down to the -canal. A little bridge of planks stretched across to the opposite side.</p> - -<p>Both shores were lined with tulips, heavy with bud. All of the beds had -been laid out in attractive patterns.</p> - -<p>“My, it will be pretty here when the flowers bloom,” Vevi sighed. “No -wonder Mr. Piff wants Mr. Van Der Lann to help with the flower show! -This place would be a big attraction.”</p> - -<p>Vevi noticed a small flat-bottomed boat tied up near the bridge. Its -name, “GOLDEN TULIP,” had been painted in bright yellow letters on the -craft.</p> - -<p>“What an odd name for a boat!” she exclaimed. “Let’s take a ride.”</p> - -<p>“We can’t,” Connie replied firmly. “Anyway, the canal might be deep.”</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s shallow as anything,” Vevi corrected her. “I can see the -bottom.”</p> - -<p>“We shouldn’t do it anyway. Miss Gordon wouldn’t like it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">11</a></span> -Connie knew that she must be firm, for Vevi had a way of getting into -trouble. Once she had hooked her sled onto an automobile, and had been -carried far out into the country. On another occasion the little girl -had climbed into a box car to be taken off with a circus!</p> - -<p>“I wonder where the canal leads?” Vevi speculated, giving up the idea -of a boat ride.</p> - -<p>The children could see that the canal wound along rich farm land toward -another nursery property. However, the adjoining farm did not look as -well laid out or as nicely kept as Mr. Van der Lann’s place.</p> - -<p>After tossing a stick into the canal, the girls decided it must be time -to return to the house.</p> - -<p>They were recrossing the bridge when Vevi suddenly halted.</p> - -<p>Connie, directly behind, bumped into her.</p> - -<p>“What’s the idea, Vevi McGuire?” she demanded. “You nearly made me fall -into the water!”</p> - -<p>Vevi spoke in an excited, hushed voice. “Connie, just see what is -coming!”</p> - -<p>She moved aside so that her little friend’s view would not be blocked. -The barn doors had swung open, and now, clattering toward them, was a -cart hauled by a huge dog.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">12</a></span> -“Well, did you ever!” exclaimed Connie, laughing in delight.</p> - -<p>The little cart had two wheels. It was painted bright blue and held -empty milk cans.</p> - -<p>Hurrying on across the bridge, the two girls ran toward the dog. -Even though he had no driver, he seemed to know exactly where he was -supposed to go. At least he trotted toward the milk house farther down -the canal.</p> - -<p>“Hello, doggie,” Vevi called in a soft voice. “What’s your name?”</p> - -<p>To her astonishment, the dog stopped and looked at her. He was a very -large dog, but with a sad, kind face.</p> - -<p>“Why, he’s friendly as anything!” Connie exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Van Der Lann must own him,” Vevi said. Carefully, she petted the -dog’s head. “Oh, don’t you just love this place? I’d like to live here.”</p> - -<p>“So you could go boating on the canal and ride in the dog cart!” teased -Connie.</p> - -<p>“Well, it would be fun.”</p> - -<p>Vevi gazed speculatively at the cart. She could see that there was room -to slide in behind the empty milk cans.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">13</a></span> -Before Connie could stop her, she climbed in and picked up the reins.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Vevi!” Connie protested. “You’re too heavy for that poor dog to -haul.”</p> - -<p>“I’m light as a feather,” Vevi insisted. “Get up, doggie!”</p> - -<p>She made a loud clucking noise to make him go.</p> - -<p>The dog started off so fast that Vevi nearly was tossed backwards out -of the cart.</p> - -<p>“Hey, come back!” Connie shouted. She saw that the dog had headed -straight for the canal.</p> - -<p>Vevi squealed in fear. The cart was rattling down the slope, faster and -faster. One of the empty milk cans toppled over, making a frightful -clatter.</p> - -<p>The sound startled the dog. He bounded on, even faster.</p> - -<p>“Whoa!” Vevi shouted, and tried to pull back on the reins. But she was -too frightened. Dropping them entirely, she clung desperately to the -side of the jolting cart.</p> - -<p>“H-E-L-P,” she called. “Save me, Connie! Stop him quick before he dumps -me into the canal!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">14</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_2" id="chapter_2"></a><i><small>Chapter 2</small></i><br /> -HANNY TO THE RESCUE</h2> - - -<p class="noi">CONNIE tried to dart ahead of the cart. She could not move quickly -enough to stop the runaway dog.</p> - -<p>On the cart clattered, directly toward the canal. Off rolled one of the -milk cans and Vevi nearly went with it. Never in her life had she been -more jolted or frightened!</p> - -<p>When it seemed to her that she certainly would be dumped into the -canal, an amazing thing happened.</p> - -<p>Out of the barn darted a little girl in shining yellow braids, blue -skirt and white apron.</p> - -<p>“Bruno!” she yelled. Then she uttered a command in Dutch. Vevi could -not understand it, but the dog did. At any rate, he stopped so suddenly -that she nearly was tossed out of the cart again.</p> - -<p>Connie grasped the dog’s harness. Vevi slid out of the cart as fast as -she could.</p> - -<p>“You bad dog, you!” she said crossly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">15</a></span> -The little girl in the blue dress came running up. Her blue eyes were -dancing with merriment.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Bruno isn’t a bad dog,” she defended him. “He is a very good dog. -He carries our milk and does much hard work here on the farm.”</p> - -<p>“Well, he nearly dumped me into the canal,” Vevi said, straightening -the crumpled skirt of her Brownie uniform.</p> - -<p>“That was because you did not treat him right. If you would like a ride -in the cart, I will make him haul you very nicely.”</p> - -<p>“No thanks,” Vevi turned down the invitation. “I’d rather ride in a -car—or a boat.”</p> - -<p>“You must be Hanny,” said Connie, smiling in a friendly way.</p> - -<p>“How did you know my name?” the other asked in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Miss Mohr, the librarian told us.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I know her!” Hanny cried, and her plump face lighted up. “She is -very nice.”</p> - -<p>“So is Miss Gordon, our Brownie Scout leader,” declared Vevi loyally. -“They are here now, with Mr. Piff, talking to Mr. Van Der Lann.”</p> - -<p>“With Peter? He is my uncle.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">16</a></span> -Hanny straightened the milk cans and then made Bruno haul them to the -cheese house. The dog behaved very well when she walked beside him. Not -once did he try to run away.</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie walked along with the little Dutch girl.</p> - -<p>“Why do you call your boat the ‘Golden Tulip?’” Vevi inquired.</p> - -<p>“Oh, that is a secret,” replied Hanny.</p> - -<p>“A secret?” Vevi was annoyed by the answer. She could not guess why -anyone would want to make a mystery of such a simple matter.</p> - -<p>“Someday everyone in Rosedale will know,” Hanny went on merrily. “Then -perhaps my uncle will be very rich and buy me a silk gown!”</p> - -<p>“How you talk!” Vevi exclaimed. Never before had she met anyone like -Hanny.</p> - -<p>Connie mentioned the boat again, asking the little Dutch girl if she -ever went for rides on the canal.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, but not as often as I once did,” Hanny said, her face -clouding. “That is because of Freda and Joseph.”</p> - -<p>“Who are they?” Vevi inquired.</p> - -<p>“Freda and Joseph Mattox,” Hanny replied. “They<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">17</a></span> have the farm just -below ours. They are not very nice and always make trouble. They will -not let me tie up the boat anywhere on their land.”</p> - -<p>“You have a much prettier farm than theirs,” said Connie. “The windmill -is lovely.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think so?” Hanny beamed with pleasure. “My uncle has spent -much money fixing up the farm so it will remind him of our beautiful -homeland. The Mattoxes, though, say he is wasteful of money. It is not -true!”</p> - -<p>The little girl unloaded the empty milk cans. Then she unhitched Bruno -and let him run free.</p> - -<p>“Would you like to see our cheese house?” she invited Connie and Vevi.</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed!” they exclaimed together. Both were eager to see every -inch of the fascinating farm.</p> - -<p>Hanny pushed open the door and stood back so the visitors could enter -ahead of her. The room was sweet-smelling and spotlessly clean.</p> - -<p>Along the walls were deep shelves laden with yellow, perfectly rounded -cheeses. Fresh milk stood on tables in blue and orange-colored pans.</p> - -<p>“Each morning I skim the cream and churn it into butter,” explained -Hanny.</p> - -<p>“You know how to churn?” Connie asked, deeply impressed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">18</a></span> -“Oh, yes, I can make cheese too. We use the skimmed milk for that. I -add rennet which makes the solids separate from the liquid. The curds -or solid part goes into a bag to be pressed out. After it is salted, it -is set away to ripen. That takes several months.”</p> - -<p>“How do you make the cheese into such nice round balls?” Connie -inquired, peering at the many even rows on the shelves.</p> - -<p>Hanny explained that wooden molds were used. “But it is hard work, -making cheese,” she added with a sigh.</p> - -<p>“I should think so,” agreed Vevi. “I would rather run the windmill or -make the dog carry the cans of milk.”</p> - -<p>By this time the Brownies were beginning to feel very well acquainted -with Hanny. They no longer noticed that she spoke with a slight accent -or that sometimes she slipped in a “Ja” for the word “yes.” Connie told -the little Dutch girl about the Rosedale Brownie Scout organization and -asked if she would like to join the group.</p> - -<p>“What do Brownies do?” asked Hanny.</p> - -<p>“Loads of things,” explained Connie. “We make things and learn about -nature. To be a Brownie you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">19</a></span> can’t be older than nine years. You’re -supposed to be in second, third or fourth grade at school.”</p> - -<p>“I am all mixed up at school,” Hanny said. “In arithmetic I am fourth -grade, but in English I am only second grade. I do not know so many of -your words.”</p> - -<p>“That doesn’t matter,” Vevi declared. “Attending meetings is what -counts. You have to learn the Brownie Promise too.”</p> - -<p>“What is that?”</p> - -<p>Vevi recited it for her. “<i>I promise to do my best to love God and my -country, to help other people every day, especially those at home.</i>”</p> - -<p>“I could promise all that,” Hanny said soberly. “I love America very, -very much. I want to help people too, especially my uncle, Peter. If it -had not been for him, I never could have left The Netherlands.”</p> - -<p>The little Dutch girl then went on to tell Vevi and Connie that until -recently she had lived in a little village near the city of Amsterdam. -Both of her parents were dead.</p> - -<p>“I have no one in all the world except Peter,” she said. “He is very -good to me.”</p> - -<p>Vevi felt so sorry for Hanny that she unpinned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">20</a></span> her Brownie Scout pin -and fastened it to the other’s blouse.</p> - -<p>“Now you can pretend you’re a Brownie,” she declared. “When you get a -pin of your own, you can return mine.”</p> - -<p>“After you have been a Brownie for a year, you may wear a flower -pendant with it,” Connie explained. “Both Vevi and I have pendants.”</p> - -<p>Indeed, the two girls were charter members of the Rosedale Troop. -With Rosemary, Sunny and Jane they had made a wonderful trip to the -seashore. On another occasion they had gone with Miss Gordon to Snow -Valley. One of their most exciting adventures has been told in the book -called “The Brownie Scouts in the Cherry Festival.”</p> - -<p>Now Connie and Vevi never missed a Brownie meeting if they could help -it. In Rosedale they lived next door to each other, and attended the -same school. They enjoyed doing the same things too.</p> - -<p>“Tell me more about the Brownie Scouts,” Hanny said, fingering the pin -Vevi had given her.</p> - -<p>“First you have to be invested,” Connie declared.</p> - -<p>The word troubled Hanny. “But I do not have very much money to invest,” -she said. “My uncle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">21</a></span> cannot afford to give me much, for his nursery -does not yet pay well.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that isn’t what investment means!” laughed Vevi. “It means joining -the organization—being initiated.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a ceremony and it is called in-ves-ti-ture,” Connie said, -spelling out the word. “You learn the Promise, the Salute, and the -Handshake and attend enough meetings to know all the girls. Then you’re -ready to be a Brownie.”</p> - -<p>“I see,” nodded Hanny. “I am so very stupid.”</p> - -<p>“No such thing,” cried Vevi, seizing her hand. “It always takes a while -to catch on. But being a Brownie is fun. We have hikes and do lots of -things out of doors. We learn to keep house, too. That part I don’t -like so well.”</p> - -<p>“That would be easy for me,” laughed Hanny. “I can sweep, iron, and -cook! Peter says I am worth two girls in the house!”</p> - -<p>The children talked a while about the Brownies and then left the cheese -house. Hanny said she would show Connie and Vevi the barn and the mill.</p> - -<p>“And what’s in that little house over there?” Vevi asked curiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">22</a></span> -The shack she had noticed stood between the mill and the barn. It had -no windows. The door was closed and fastened with a padlock.</p> - -<p>“I cannot show you that place,” said Hanny.</p> - -<p>“Do you keep animals inside?” asked Vevi. She was more curious than -ever now.</p> - -<p>“Not animals,” Hanny corrected. “Our cows stay in the barn.”</p> - -<p>“But what <em>do</em> you keep in there, Hanny?” Vevi persisted.</p> - -<p>“Vevi!” reproved Connie. She did not consider it good manners to ask so -many questions.</p> - -<p>“I cannot tell you about the little house,” Hanny soberly replied to -Vevi’s question. “Please—the secret is not mine to relate.”</p> - -<p>Vevi might have teased a bit. Before she could do so, however, the -children were startled to hear loud angry voices. They could not see -the speakers, but the sound came from the direction of the house.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter has lost his temper again!” Hanny gasped. “Oh, dear!”</p> - -<p>Gathering up her skirts, she ran swiftly toward the veranda.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">23</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_3" id="chapter_3"></a><i><small>Chapter 3</small></i><br /> -MR. PIFF’S PLAN</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI and Connie hastened after Hanny as fast as they could. -Breathlessly, the three children reached the veranda where Peter Van -Der Lann and Mr. Piff were talking.</p> - -<p>“I want no part of it,” Mr. Van Der Lann said firmly. “My nursery is -not yet profitable. I have no money to donate to your show.”</p> - -<p>“It will be a money making proposition for you,” the promoter argued. -“We’ll bring folks here to your farm—charge admission. They’ll see -your fine tulips in bloom and order bulbs. Your business will boom.”</p> - -<p>“No part of it for me,” Mr. Van Der Lann repeated.</p> - -<p>At that Mr. Piff again lost patience.</p> - -<p>“You are a stubborn Dutchman!” he exclaimed. “You come to America with -only one thought—to make money!”</p> - -<p>The children thought that Peter meant to strike the promoter, he became -so angry. His ruddy face<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">24</a></span> flushed an even darker hue and he drew in his -breath sharply.</p> - -<p>“You insult me,” he said. “Leave my farm! Leave it at once, and don’t -come back!”</p> - -<p>“Okay, okay, Dutchman,” Mr. Piff muttered, backing away. “Just keep -your shirt on! I meant no offense.”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had been deeply distressed by the turn of -the conversation. They apologized to Peter, telling him that they did -not know Mr. Piff well. They said too, that they were sorry they had -brought him to the farm to cause trouble.</p> - -<p>“The fault is mine,” said Peter, smiling warmly. “It is my hot temper -again! You must forgive me. I did not mean to be rude or lacking in -hospitality.”</p> - -<p>“I’m sure you didn’t,” replied Miss Mohr with a gracious manner. She -turned to follow Mr. Piff to the car.</p> - -<p>“No, no! You cannot go now!” cried Peter in distress. “First you must -have tea and chocolate. Come inside, all of you.”</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie eagerly started up the veranda steps. The Brownie Scout -leader and Miss Mohr held back, scarcely knowing what to do.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">25</a></span> -“Mr. Piff is waiting for us,” Miss Mohr said uneasily. “We really -should go—”</p> - -<p>But Peter would not let the meeting end on an unpleasant note. He urged -Hanny to take the two women, Vevi and Connie into the parlor. Then he -went to the car to tell Mr. Piff he was sorry to have spoken so hastily.</p> - -<p>“You’ll reconsider and go in with us on the flower show?” Mr. Piff -demanded.</p> - -<p>Peter shook his head. “No, no!” he said impatiently. “I have told you -already—I have no money for such affairs.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll make you change your mind yet,” Mr. Piff insisted. “You’re -missing the chance of a lifetime.”</p> - -<p>Halfway restored to good humor, he allowed Peter to escort him into the -farmhouse.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr, Miss Gordon and the children already had gone inside. Hanny -had called the housekeeper, Mrs. Schultz, a plump German lady, who kept -the premises as neat as a pin.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how delightful!” Miss Mohr exclaimed, her gaze roving over the -room.</p> - -<p>The walls were half-paneled in oak, with a deep white frieze above for -the display of blue Delft ware. A brace of crossed pipes hung above the -massive mantel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">26</a></span> -All of the furniture was solid, the huge cupboard, the carved chest and -the high-back chairs. The wooden floor was so highly polished that Vevi -and Connie had to walk carefully not to slip and fall.</p> - -<p>While the women admired the Delft tiles and Maiolica ware Peter had -brought from Holland, Hanny helped Mrs. Schultz prepare hot chocolate.</p> - -<p>Soon the little girl came in with the steaming cups. After that she -served tiny little cakes with pink and white frosting.</p> - -<p>When finally it was time to leave, Peter cordially invited Miss Mohr, -Miss Gordon and the Brownies to come again.</p> - -<p>“You’ll see me too!” declared Mr. Piff noisily. “I’ve not given up, Mr. -Van Der Lann. Not on your life! The more I see of Windmill Farm the -better I like the place. We’ll have to include you in our big show, -Peter.”</p> - -<p>Peter merely shook his head and made no reply. It was plain to Vevi and -Connie that he did not like Mr. Piff nor his familiar way of calling -him “Peter” upon such short acquaintance.</p> - -<p>Embarrassed by the promoter’s manners, Miss Gordon and the librarian -quickly said goodbye. Before leaving, Miss Mohr urged Hanny to come -to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">27</a></span> the library often. Miss Gordon told the little girl she would be -welcome at the next Brownie Scout meeting.</p> - -<p>“When will that be?” Hanny asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“The date isn’t certain,” Miss Gordon replied. “I will have either -Connie or Vevi let you know.”</p> - -<p>As the car started toward Rosedale, the Brownie Scout leader and Miss -Mohr could talk of little else than the many beautiful treasures in -Peter’s home.</p> - -<p>“He has a nice place,” Mr. Piff admitted grudgingly. “A stubborn fool -though!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t agree with you,” Miss Mohr replied. “Surely it is his right to -decide whether or not he wants to have a part in a commercial show.”</p> - -<p>“He’d have gone for it if you had spoken a single favorable word,” Mr. -Piff went on. “What do you have against me anyhow?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing,” returned the librarian. She spoke shortly for she had lost -all patience with the promoter.</p> - -<p>For awhile, Mr. Piff drove in moody silence. Once though, when Vevi -lowered the rear window a trifle, he yelled at her to put it up again.</p> - -<p>The children decided they never had met a more disagreeable man than -the promoter. They were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">28</a></span> glad, though, that they had made the trip to -Windmill Farm, for otherwise they would not have become acquainted with -Hanny and her uncle.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go back there some day after school,” Vevi proposed.</p> - -<p>“So you can ride in the dog cart again?” teased Connie.</p> - -<p>Vevi made a grimace. “I’m not afraid of that old dog!” she insisted. -“Next time I’ll take a switch and make him obey! I want to see the -inside of the old mill.”</p> - -<p>“So do I, Vevi. Maybe we can go out there again next week, if our -mothers will let us.”</p> - -<p>“Some of the flowers should be in bloom by then,” Vevi went on. “I’d -like to load the boat with them and float down to the Mattox place.”</p> - -<p>“And be run off,” Connie added with a laugh. “That’s you, Vevi, always -ready for trouble.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you suppose the Mattoxes aren’t friendly with Peter and Hanny?”</p> - -<p>“How should I know?” shrugged Connie. “Maybe it’s because they come -from Holland. That shouldn’t make any difference, though.”</p> - -<p>Vevi’s mind, as active as a humming bird, had darted on.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">29</a></span> -“Why do you suppose that boat is called the Golden Tulip?” she -speculated. “And why wouldn’t Hanny tell us what was kept in that -padlocked little house?”</p> - -<p>“She did act mysterious about it,” Connie admitted.</p> - -<p>The car sped on, striking an uneven place in the pavement. Vevi was -thrown forward in her seat. She would have struck the coat rack had not -Miss Gordon reached out to hold her back.</p> - -<p>“We’re going rather fast,” she said pointedly to Mr. Piff.</p> - -<p>“Have to get back to town,” he replied without slowing down. “I have an -appointment at the hotel with a man from the Chamber of Commerce. We -stayed too long at Windmill Farm.”</p> - -<p>The automobile whirled around a bend in the road so fast that the tires -screamed. Then Mr. Piff had to put on the brakes.</p> - -<p>Directly ahead, was a stalled car. The hood was up and a middle-aged -lady in a blue hat, stood looking helplessly at the dead engine.</p> - -<p>“Shouldn’t we stop and offer to help?” Miss Gordon suggested. “There -isn’t a garage closer than two miles.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">30</a></span> -“No time,” Mr. Piff muttered. “I’ll be late for my appointment. Women -shouldn’t drive cars if they don’t know how to repair them.”</p> - -<p>“I only hope Mrs. Langley doesn’t recognize us as we whirl pass,” -remarked Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Langley?” Mr. Piff demanded. “Not the garden club president?”</p> - -<p>“Well, yes,” nodded the librarian.</p> - -<p>“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Mr. Piff took his foot from the -accelerator and applied the brakes.</p> - -<p>Even so, he could not immediately stop the car. It sped past the -stalled automobile and pulled up some distance down the road. Mr. Piff -started to back up.</p> - -<p>“Your appointment—” began Miss Gordon dryly.</p> - -<p>“That can wait,” Mr. Piff rejoined. “My motto is ‘Always help a lady in -distress.’ Particularly if her name is Mrs. Langley!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">31</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_4" id="chapter_4"></a><i><small>Chapter 4</small></i><br /> -THE LITTLE LOCKED HOUSE</h2> - - -<p class="noi">LEAPING out of the sedan, Mr. Piff rushed over to the stalled -automobile to offer his services to Mrs. Langley.</p> - -<p>“Having trouble?” he inquired, tipping his hat.</p> - -<p>“I think a wire must be broken somewhere,” replied Mrs. Langley. -“Either that or the fan belt. Oh, dear, I know so little about motors.”</p> - -<p>“Allow me,” said Mr. Piff.</p> - -<p>He took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. But after puttering -over the stalled engine for a few minutes, he told Mrs. Langley he was -afraid he could not find the trouble.</p> - -<p>“Suppose I take you to your destination and send a garageman for your -car,” he suggested.</p> - -<p>“I should be most grateful! I was on my way home when the car suddenly -went dead as I rounded the bend. But won’t it be too much trouble to -drop me off?”</p> - -<p>“Not at all,” insisted Mr. Piff, escorting the club woman to his own -car.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">32</a></span> -Mrs. Langley knew Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr very well and was pleased -to see them again. During the drive to her nearby estate, she chatted -gaily of her plans for the coming garden show.</p> - -<p>“You’re exactly the person I’ve wanted to see,” Mr. Piff told her. “I -have a plan which I know will interest you—”</p> - -<p>From that point on, he talked and talked, outlining his scheme for the -big commercial flower show. At first Mrs. Langley did not seem very -much impressed. However, before the ride ended, she had begun to ask -many questions.</p> - -<p>“Do come in,” she invited the group when finally the car reached her -home. “You must see my gardens.”</p> - -<p>“Another time perhaps,” said Miss Gordon. “Mr. Piff was in a hurry to -keep an appointment—”</p> - -<p>“That can wait,” he cut in. “Nothing shall deprive me of the pleasure -of viewing Mrs. Langley’s beautiful garden.”</p> - -<p>The hour had grown late. Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon felt they should -be returning to their homes. However, Mr. Piff had forgotten his -haste entirely. To the annoyance of the two women, he insisted upon -remaining.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">33</a></span> -The grounds were well-kept and very lovely. Tiny box hedges edged the -formal flower beds. There were fountains, a gazing globe and a sun dial.</p> - -<p>“How would you children like to pick yourselves a tussie-mussie -bouquet?” suggested Mrs. Langley.</p> - -<p>“What is that?” asked Vevi, who had never heard of such a thing.</p> - -<p>The garden club president explained that a tussie-mussie bouquet really -was a tiny nosegay, or flowers arranged for their scents. Each little -bouquet was set off with a small paper lace cap.</p> - -<p>“You may select any scents you wish,” Mrs. Langley said, -leading the girls on to another old-fashioned garden. -“Lavender—heliotrope—mignonette—rosemary or lemon verbena.”</p> - -<p>“Say, that tussie-mussie idea is good! Has great commercial -possibilities!” exclaimed Mr. Piff. “We could set up a booth and have -the Brownies sell them at the flower show!”</p> - -<p>“The Brownies are not interested,” Miss Gordon said firmly. She had -grown increasingly annoyed by the promoter’s tactics. “Really, we -should be going—”</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff ignored the hint. While Vevi and Connie gathered flowers -for their tiny bouquets, he kept<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">34</a></span> talking to Mrs. Langley about his -wonderful plans for the tulip festival.</p> - -<p>“You have one of the finest gardens I ever have seen,” he flattered -the club woman. “It should be thrown open to the public—for a fee, of -course.”</p> - -<p>“I do open my gardens each year, Mr. Piff,” she told him. “However, I -have never charged admission.”</p> - -<p>The visitors were conducted to the greenhouse, where orchids and other -tropical plants were grown. Under the glass roof it was so warm that -Vevi and Connie were glad to get outside again into the fresh air.</p> - -<p>They ran on ahead of the adults to the old wishing well.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to make a wish,” declared Vevi quickly. “It’s about Mr. Piff -too!”</p> - -<p>She dropped a flower petal down into the water and was very quiet for a -moment.</p> - -<p>“There!” she announced. “I’ve made my wish. Now it’s your turn, Connie. -What will you wish?”</p> - -<p>“No fair telling or it won’t come true.”</p> - -<p>“You can give a hint, Connie. That wouldn’t do any harm.”</p> - -<p>“My wish is about Windmill Farm.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">35</a></span> -“You’re hoping we can go there again and find out about that locked -room!” Vevi instantly guessed. “Isn’t that so?”</p> - -<p>“Maybe,” laughed Connie, dropping her petal into the still water. “I -won’t tell!”</p> - -<p>Just then the grownups came up the path. Mr. Piff seemed in very -jubilant spirits. Vevi and Connie soon learned the reason for his good -humor. He had won from Mrs. Langley a promise that she would assist -financially with the commercial flower show!</p> - -<p>The purpose of his visit accomplished, Mr. Piff now was ready to leave. -He hustled everyone to the car, and promptly delivered the children to -their separate homes.</p> - -<p>Connie and Vevi heard no more about the flower show until the next -Brownie Scout meeting at the library. Miss Gordon then told the girls -that Mr. Piff had talked nearly everyone in Rosedale into cooperating -in his scheme.</p> - -<p>“Everyone except Peter Van Der Lann,” Miss Mohr amended.</p> - -<p>“And the Brownies,” added Connie with a laugh. “Or will we help too?”</p> - -<p>“I have not agreed to let the organization take part,” Miss Gordon -said. “I feel we should help Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">36</a></span> Langley, but I am opposed to -assisting Mr. Piff in his commercial scheme. Somehow, I do not trust -him.”</p> - -<p>“It would be fun though, to sell things in the show,” Rosemary Fritche -remarked wistfully. “Those tussie-mussie bouquets perhaps.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe we could have a Brownie booth,” Jane Tuttle proposed. “We could -wear fancy costumes.”</p> - -<p>“Dutch dresses and wooden shoes!” cried Vevi. “Maybe Hanny could help -us make our costumes!”</p> - -<p>“Not so fast, children!” laughed Miss Gordon. “You’re miles ahead of -me. I don’t mind if the Brownies have a booth at the regular garden -show, but anything we sell must be for charity.”</p> - -<p>“May we have a booth?” Connie asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon said she would talk the matter over with Mrs. Langley. She -agreed with Vevi that if they did decide to help, it would be nice for -the Brownies to wear colorful Dutch costumes.</p> - -<p>“Hanny probably can tell us where to get wooden shoes!” Vevi exclaimed. -“When will she come to our Brownie meetings?”</p> - -<p>“Has anyone given her a definite invitation?” inquired the teacher.</p> - -<p>No one had. True, Vevi and Connie had talked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">37</a></span> with the little girl -about joining the troop but they had not told her when the group would -meet.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t we hike out there right now and invite her to our next -meeting?” Sunny Davidson proposed. “Anyway, I’d like to see Windmill -Farm.”</p> - -<p>“So would I,” declared Rosemary, who had heard a great deal about the -nursery from her friends. “May we go right now, Miss Gordon?”</p> - -<p>“Well—I had thought we might make scrapbooks this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t that wait?” pleaded Vevi. “It’s such a nice day for a hike.”</p> - -<p>“I think so too,” agreed Miss Mohr, supporting the girls. “Let’s all -go.”</p> - -<p>Windmill Farm was only a short way into the country. The Brownie Scouts -enjoyed the walk and made the most of it by noticing birds, flowers and -trees as they hiked.</p> - -<p>Presently, they came within view of the Dutch windmill. However, it was -such a still day that the giant arms hung motionless.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon told the children that in Holland similar windmills were -needed to pump water and prevent the sea from flooding lowlands. She -explained, too, that the people of The Netherlands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">38</a></span> love flowers and -are noted for raising especially fine tulips.</p> - -<p>“Our best bulbs come from there,” she declared. “Since Peter Van Der -Lann started his nursery here, Rosedale is rapidly becoming a known -flower center. Many folks say that his imported bulbs are the best that -can be bought anywhere in this country.”</p> - -<p>“Did you ever hear of a Golden tulip?” Vevi questioned, recalling the -name printed on Mr. Van Der Lann’s boat.</p> - -<p>“There are all types, Vevi. All colors too. Nurserymen constantly are -trying to develop new strains.”</p> - -<p>The driveway was fringed with pink and white dogwood trees which had -splattered their petals on the gravel. A big gray sedan stood in front -of the little nursery office building.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Van Der Lann must have a customer,” Miss Mohr remarked.</p> - -<p>The nurseryman was talking to a well-dressed woman in a navy-blue suit -and fox fur. However, when the Brownie Scouts trooped into the office, -he noticed the party at once. He bowed to Miss Gordon and bestowed an -especially nice smile upon Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">39</a></span> -“Just a moment, please,” he requested.</p> - -<p>While they waited, the Brownies wandered about the office room. Garden -tools and seeds were for sale, and there were bins of bulbs and tubers.</p> - -<p>Connie and Vevi looked eagerly about for Hanny.</p> - -<p>“You should find her at the house,” Mr. Van Der Lann advised.</p> - -<p>The Brownies dashed off in search of the little Dutch girl. However, at -the house, no one answered. The door to the kitchen stood ajar, but not -even the housekeeper was there.</p> - -<p>“Maybe Hanny is down by the canal,” Vevi suggested.</p> - -<p>“Or in the cheese house,” added Connie.</p> - -<p>The two girls enjoyed showing Rosemary, Jane and Sunny over the farm. -Because they wanted to keep the secret to themselves, they did not tell -the others about the locked door or the mystery connected with it. In -passing the little building, though, they noticed that the padlock -still was clamped shut.</p> - -<p>“Where can Hanny be?” Jane speculated.</p> - -<p>“Maybe she is out in the fields,” Sunny suggested.</p> - -<p>“First, I want to look inside the cheese house,” Connie said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">40</a></span> -She opened the door of the building to peer inside. The room appeared -empty at first glance. Milk had been poured into the pans, but no one -was working there.</p> - -<p>Connie started to leave. Then she stood very still, listening. She -could hear an odd sobbing sound which came from a far corner of the -room.</p> - -<p>There on an old couch lay Hanny! The little girl was curled -kitten-fashion into a tight ball. Her hands covered her face and she -was trying desperately to smother her loud sobs.</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_5" id="chapter_5"></a><i><small>Chapter 5</small></i><br /> -HANNY’S SECRET</h2> - - -<p class="noi">“WHY, Hanny!” exclaimed Connie, amazed to see the little girl weeping. -“What is wrong?”</p> - -<p>Hanny had not heard the Brownie Scouts come into the cheese room. She -sat up quickly, wiping her eyes and blinking fast.</p> - -<p>“Why are you crying?” Vevi asked when she did not answer Connie’s -question.</p> - -<p>Hanny shook her head and turned her face toward the wall. All the -Brownies felt very sorry for her.</p> - -<p>“Is it because you have to work hard here at the farm?” Connie asked -after a moment.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” Hanny denied, stirred by the question. “I do not work hard.”</p> - -<p>“Then you must be crying because you never have any fun.”</p> - -<p>Hanny shook her long yellow braids emphatically. She wiped away the -tears and sat up on the couch.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">42</a></span> -“No, no!” she protested. “You do not understand. I am so very happy -here. I love America. I love my so good uncle. Everyone!”</p> - -<p>“Then what is wrong, Hanny?”</p> - -<p>“I cry because I am sad. My uncle told me today that I may have to go -back to my homeland.”</p> - -<p>“But why?” demanded Jane. “I don’t get it.”</p> - -<p>“My uncle is heavily in debt,” sighed Hanny. “He owes much money for -this farm and all the what-you-call improvements on it. Now the bank -men have told him he must pay.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, don’t you worry,” Vevi assured her carelessly. “Everything will -turn out all right.”</p> - -<p>“Not unless my uncle makes money fast,” Hanny insisted. “If tulip bulbs -only sold for five thousand dollars apiece it would be easy.”</p> - -<p>“Who ever heard of a bulb selling for that price!” scoffed Jane.</p> - -<p>“Oh, but they did at one time,” Hanny said. “During the tulip-o-mania -bulbs sold for great sums.”</p> - -<p>“What is a tulip-o-mania?” curiously inquired Sunny.</p> - -<p>“I know!” cried Connie before Hanny could answer. “It was a period in -Dutch history when the people went crazy over tulips.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">43</a></span> -“They lost and made fortunes buying and selling them,” added Hanny. “I -will tell you about it.”</p> - -<p>Forgetting the cause of her tears, the little Dutch girl began to -describe the strange period in history.</p> - -<p>She related that in 1634 the entire Dutch population traded in tulip -bulbs. At first everyone made money. Tulips kept selling for higher and -higher prices.</p> - -<p>“Then suddenly, people came to their senses,” Hanny went on. “Instead -of paying thousands of <em>florins</em> for a single bulb, no one wanted them -at any price. People lost all their money.”</p> - -<p>“I hope it won’t be that way here,” remarked Rosemary anxiously. “My -father says that many nurserymen have invested heavily in tulips this -year.”</p> - -<p>“People always will buy tulip bulbs,” said Hanny. “But they will not -pay high prices any more except for very special bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t your uncle raise a special bulb?” Vevi questioned. “One that’s -better than any other tulip in the world?”</p> - -<p>Hanny smiled and said she did not think the Brownies knew how difficult -it was to develop a fine, new tulip.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">44</a></span> -“Uncle Peter has one though,” she admitted. “If it should catch the -fancy of the public, he might yet make his fortune. Then I could stay -in America!”</p> - -<p>“Does this new tulip have a name?” inquired Connie.</p> - -<p>“I gave it one myself,” Hanny said proudly.</p> - -<p>The Brownies pleaded with her to tell the name, but she would not.</p> - -<p>“It’s a secret,” she insisted. “At least until after the prize is -announced.”</p> - -<p>“Prize?” Vevi asked alertly. “What prize?”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Langley has offered a blue ribbon for the best tulip entered in -the show.”</p> - -<p>“Only a ribbon?” asked Rosemary. “Not a cash prize?”</p> - -<p>“The winner of the blue ribbon will earn much money selling the prize -bulbs. If the tulip catches the public fancy, the winning grower will -receive large orders from all over the country.”</p> - -<p>“I wish you’d show us the tulip to be entered in the contest,” Vevi -said.</p> - -<p>“It is a secret. No one knows except my Uncle Peter, Bruno and me!”</p> - -<p>“Bruno is a dog!” scoffed Vevi. “How can he know?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">45</a></span> -“Bruno knows many things,” laughed Hanny. “He is a very smart dog. He -hauls the milk and at night he keeps people from climbing the fence and -stealing our flowers.”</p> - -<p>“What color is that special tulip?” Vevi demanded. “Is it red?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t dare tell,” laughed Hanny. “Wouldn’t the Mattoxes like to -know, though!”</p> - -<p>“The couple on the next farm?” questioned Connie, recalling mention of -the name.</p> - -<p>“<i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">Ja</i>,” laughed Hanny, lapsing into a Dutch word. “They are what you -call snoops! But they will never learn Uncle Peter’s secret!”</p> - -<p>To keep the Brownies from asking too many questions about the tulip, -the little Dutch girl took them through the old mill. It was exciting -indeed to look at all the pulleys and machinery.</p> - -<p>Hanny showed the girls a mechanism which acted as a brake. It was used -to prevent the mill from pumping too much water into the irrigation -ditches.</p> - -<p>“It is my job to watch the windmill,” Hanny told her friends. “Whenever -the wind is too strong, I lock the mechanism.”</p> - -<p>After the tour had ended, the girls all sat down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">46</a></span> on the grass to talk. -Connie invited Hanny to attend the next Brownie meeting at the Public -Library.</p> - -<p>“It will be Wednesday right after school,” she said. “Can you come?”</p> - -<p>“I think so, but I am not sure,” Hanny replied. “It will depend upon my -stand.”</p> - -<p>“A flower stand?” asked Jane.</p> - -<p>“Yes, my uncle is letting me have one at the roadside. I will sell -bouquets of tulips mostly.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to do that myself,” Jane declared. “Maybe the Brownies will -have a stand at Mrs. Langley’s garden show.”</p> - -<p>“Everything’s so mixed up, we don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” -Vevi added with a laugh. “We promised Mrs. Langley we would help her -with the regular show. Then Mr. Piff came along and talked her into -working with him for a bigger festival.”</p> - -<p>“In my country we call a festival a <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">kermis</i>,” Hanny said. “You should -bake <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">ellekoek</i> and sell them!”</p> - -<p>“What is that?” asked Jane suspiciously.</p> - -<p>“Thin cakes in long, narrow ribbons,” Hanny explained with a chuckle. -“One sells them by the yard.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">47</a></span> In my country, the children buy them at -the <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">kermis</i> or festival. A child takes each end of the cake. They eat -toward each other and kiss at the last bite!”</p> - -<p>“How silly!” exclaimed Jane. “I wouldn’t like that.”</p> - -<p>“I’d rather sell flowers,” declared Vevi. “Either tulips or -tussie-mussie bouquets.”</p> - -<p>Hanny told the girls she would try very hard to attend the Wednesday -Brownie Scout meeting.</p> - -<p>“I’ve told you about Holland,” she declared. “Now you must tell me more -about the Brownie Scout organization.”</p> - -<p>“Our motto is ‘Be Prepared!’” Sunny explained. “I guess it means -learning how to do things well ahead of time, so they can be done right -when you’re called on to do it.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to learn the greeting too,” Vevi asserted. “When one Brownie -Scout meets another, she doesn’t just say ‘Hi!’”</p> - -<p>“You use the sign of friendship.” Rosemary took up the explanation. -“See, it’s done this way.”</p> - -<p>She held up her first two fingers, stiff and straight, token of the two -parts of the Brownie Scout Promise.</p> - -<p>“The promise is this,” she added: “‘I promise to do my best to love God -and my country, to help<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">48</a></span> other people every day, especially those at -home’.”</p> - -<p>“I know that part,” Hanny declared.</p> - -<p>“I guess you help out plenty at home,” Connie said. “Do you know the -slogan?”</p> - -<p>Hanny shook her head.</p> - -<p>“It’s this: ‘Do a Good Turn Daily.’”</p> - -<p>“Miss Gordon says that means doing something for someone without being -asked or paid for it.”</p> - -<p>“Things like setting the table for your mother,” Rosemary explained. -“Or maybe washing the dishes.”</p> - -<p>“I would like to do something for the Brownies!” declared Hanny. “I -know! Next week I will give you some of our tulips. We will have oceans -of them in bloom by then.”</p> - -<p>“You can do something for the Brownies right now,” said Connie. “If we -have our booth in the flower show, we plan to dress in Dutch costumes. -Do you know where we can buy some wooden shoes?”</p> - -<p>“Buy sabots?” Hanny echoed. “Why don’t you make them?”</p> - -<p>“Make our own wooden shoes?” Connie repeated in amazement.</p> - -<p>“My uncle does,” Hanny said proudly. “He carves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">49</a></span> them from wood, with -special tools. Maybe he will make shoes for the Brownies!”</p> - -<p>“That would be too much trouble,” Connie replied quickly.</p> - -<p>“If Uncle Peter is not too busy, I think he will do it. I will ask him. -First though, before we go to the office, would you like to see our -south field? The first tulips are coming into bloom.”</p> - -<p>Eagerly, the Brownies assented. Hanny walked ahead with Connie and Vevi -over the soft ground. Entering through a picket gate, they made their -way between seemingly endless rows of bright green plants.</p> - -<p>“All of our fields are now in bud,” Hanny declared. “We will have a -very large flower harvest unless rain or a heavy wind should harm the -plants.”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t seen any tulips in bloom except in the greenhouses,” Connie -remarked.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter’s are the first in Rosedale. The ones in this field are an -especially early variety.”</p> - -<p>“Is the prize tulip here?” Vevi teased.</p> - -<p>“I’m not saying,” laughed Hanny. “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. You -will have to discover the answer for yourself.”</p> - -<p>Already, though not fully in bloom, the field was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">50</a></span> speckled with color. -Never had the girls beheld so many different types of tulips.</p> - -<p>There were rows of tall pink ones, and short, stubby double yellows. -Some were variegated with odd markings.</p> - -<p>“Wait until the parrot tulips bloom!” Hanny declared proudly. “They -have ragged, queer-shaped petals that look like the feathers of a bird!”</p> - -<p>“Your uncle’s prize tulip isn’t a parrot?” Vevi demanded.</p> - -<p>“No, it is not a Parrot tulip or a Cottage type,” Hanny replied. “I -will tell you that much. It is an early bloomer. My uncle developed it -from seed.”</p> - -<p>“Then it must be in this field,” Vevi insisted, allowing her gaze to -rove over the brilliant mass of flowers. “Is it in bloom now?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t say,” answered Hanny, her eyes twinkling. “But it is the most -beautiful tulip I have ever seen.”</p> - -<p>Everywhere Vevi and the other Brownies saw wonderful flowers. All were -so pretty that they could not decide which one was nicer than the -others. Jane loved a large flame colored tulip. Sunny’s favorite was a -tall rose-hued variety with dark throat.</p> - -<p>Then unexpectedly, Vevi saw the tulip that held<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">51</a></span> her eye like a magnet. -Only a single flower was in bloom, surrounded by other tulips in bud. -Yet the single specimen, each petal perfect, was breath taking.</p> - -<p>The flower had a long, straight stem and in color was a pure, golden -yellow. Compared to it, all other yellow tulips in the field appeared -faded.</p> - -<p>“There it is! The one I like best!” cried Vevi.</p> - -<p>“It’s my choice too,” declared Connie.</p> - -<p>Hanny smiled in an odd sort of way. She seemed very pleased that her -friends liked the tulip.</p> - -<p>“This isn’t the special tulip, is it?” demanded Rosemary.</p> - -<p>Hanny just kept smiling and did not answer.</p> - -<p>“Does this flower have a name?” Vevi asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“We call it the ‘Golden Beauty.’”</p> - -<p>“‘The Golden Beauty’,” Vevi repeated triumphantly. “That proves it! -Your boat has almost the same name! You can’t fool us, Hanny! We’ve -discovered the tulip your uncle intends to enter in the prize contest!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">52</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_six" id="chapter_six"></a><i><small>Chapter Six</small></i><br /> -WOODEN SHOES</h2> - - -<p class="noi">HANNY would not admit that Vevi had guessed which tulip her uncle -intended to enter in the blue ribbon contest.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies clustered about the plant, exclaiming at the beauty of -the single bloom.</p> - -<p>“The petals look like spun gold!” declared Connie, peering down into -the tulip’s deep cup.</p> - -<p>“This is the tulip your uncle developed, isn’t it?” demanded Vevi. She -wanted to force Hanny to tell.</p> - -<p>However, Hanny only laughed.</p> - -<p>Quickly, she led the Brownies on to another section of the field, -devoted entirely to purple flowers.</p> - -<p>“You may each pick a bouquet of these,” she told the girls. “They are -the common type of tulips—not special like the others. Next week, you -may have all the tulips you can pick.”</p> - -<p>“Loads and loads of them?” Sunny asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have more than we can sell,” Hanny explained. “Uncle Peter likes -to have the blossoms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">53</a></span> picked off, so that the strength of the bulb will -not be sapped.”</p> - -<p>The little girl told the Brownies that during the next week, hundreds -of visitors likely would come to the farm to see the flowers in bloom. -Many would order bulbs for fall delivery, selecting the color and type -they liked best.</p> - -<p>“If Uncle Peter receives many orders, I may be able to stay in -America,” Hanny declared. “I hope people like the new varieties he has -developed.”</p> - -<p>The little Dutch girl next took the Brownies to an adjoining field, -ablaze with rare and splendid colors.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter calls these his ‘Rembrandt’ tulips,” Hanny said.</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t Rembrandt a famous painter?” inquired Connie.</p> - -<p>“The tulips were named for him because of their beautiful colors,” -Hanny explained. “When Darwin tulips ‘break’ into fantastic color -combinations, they are called Rembrandts.”</p> - -<p>“I like this one,” declared Rosemary.</p> - -<p>She pointed to a tulip which was very exotic appearing with flame-red -petals on a white background.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">54</a></span> -“It is very pretty,” said Vevi, “but I like the Golden Beauty much -better.”</p> - -<p>Connie asked Hanny what caused tulips to change color or to “break” as -horticulturists called it.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter says ‘breaking’ is really a tulip disease, caused by the -combined action of two viruses,” the little Dutch girl explained. “The -flowers change color, but the plant keeps growing normally.”</p> - -<p>“My, there must be a lot to growing tulips,” sighed Sunny.</p> - -<p>As the children trooped out of the Rembrandt field, they spied Peter -Van Der Lann near the office. He was watering a display of potted -plants as he chatted with Miss Mohr and the Brownie Scout leader.</p> - -<p>Hanny immediately sought him to ask if he would have time to make -wooden shoes for the girls.</p> - -<p>The nurseryman put aside his watering can. “And why should I make -wooden shoes?” he asked, smiling indulgently at his beloved niece.</p> - -<p>“Because the Brownie Scouts need them to wear at Mrs. Langley’s flower -show. You can’t turn them down, Uncle Peter, because they have invited -me to be a Brownie too! May I, Uncle Peter?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">55</a></span> -Miss Gordon and the librarian already had talked to the nurseryman -about his niece joining the organization. So Peter had his answer ready.</p> - -<p>“You may join, little Hanny,” he declared. “And I will make the shoes.”</p> - -<p>“It must be done quickly, for the flower show is next week,” Hanny said -anxiously. “When will you make the shoes, Uncle Hanny?”</p> - -<p>“I will take the measurements now,” he said. “Run for my tape measure.”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon protested that the nurseryman was far too -busy to take time to carve wooden shoes for the children.</p> - -<p>“I will do it at night,” he replied. “To whittle wood provides -relaxation after a hard day in the fields.”</p> - -<p>The two young women declared that they would pay for the work. Mr. Van -Der Lann would not hear of such a thing. He insisted that the children -were Hanny’s friends and his, and that it was little enough he could do -to show his liking.</p> - -<p>Soon Hanny came running back with a tape measure. Peter sat the -children on a bench, and one by one, measured their feet.</p> - -<p>Carefully, he marked down the figures on a sheet of paper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">56</a></span> -“Connie has the largest foot,” he reported. “For her shoes I must have -a very long piece of white wood.”</p> - -<p>“What will our shoes look like when they are finished?” asked Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“I will show you,” Hanny said.</p> - -<p>Off she darted to the house again. In a moment she returned, two pairs -of wooden shoes tucked under her arms.</p> - -<p>The shoes were too small for Connie and Jane, but the other Brownies -tried them on. First Sunny tried to walk in them.</p> - -<p>Her feet felt very stiff and awkward. After she had taken four steps -one of the shoes slipped off.</p> - -<p>“You don’t do it right,” laughed Hanny. “See, I will show you.”</p> - -<p>She slipped into the shoes which were an exact fit. Instead of walking, -she ran across the yard toward the cheese house. The door was open.</p> - -<p>One moment the children saw Hanny and her long braids framed in the -doorway. The next instant she had disappeared into the building.</p> - -<p>But setting neatly by the door were the wooden shoes!</p> - -<p>“How did she do that?” cried Vevi in admiration.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">57</a></span> “Why, she didn’t even -slow down when she went through the doorway!”</p> - -<p>“I never saw her slip off her shoes,” added Jane. “She did it in a -flash.”</p> - -<p>“Hanny learned that trick when she was very young,” Peter chuckled. -“She did not like to take time to remove her shoes before entering the -house, so she learned to take them off on the fly.”</p> - -<p>Hanny only stayed in the cheese house a moment. Soon she came out to -pick up her shoes again.</p> - -<p>“Let me see if I can do that!” cried Vevi.</p> - -<p>Hanny gave her the shoes, putting on her leather ones again.</p> - -<p>“I like these American shoes much better,” she said. “Wooden shoes are -clumsy.”</p> - -<p>Vevi slipped into the sabots. She took four little choppy steps and -then one of the shoes sailed off.</p> - -<p>“I can’t run in them at all,” Vevi said, very much discouraged.</p> - -<p>She went after the shoe which had rolled down a slope toward the canal. -Hanny skipped after her to the water’s edge.</p> - -<p>“I’ll show you something else you can do with a wooden shoe,” she told -the Brownies. “Watch!”</p> - -<p>Picking up the wooden shoe that Vevi had lost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">58</a></span> she carefully set it -down in the shallow water.</p> - -<p>“See, a boat!” she laughed.</p> - -<p>The wooden shoe turned slowly around in the sluggish water. Then toe -forward, it began to drift lazily away.</p> - -<p>“Hey, get it quick!” cried Vevi in alarm.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it won’t sail far,” laughed Hanny.</p> - -<p>She was right too, because in just a minute the shoe snagged on a stick -and was held fast.</p> - -<p>“Say, that’s fun, sailing boats!” cried Vevi. “Where is the other shoe?”</p> - -<p>“On your foot, stupe!” laughed Jane.</p> - -<p>The joke certainly was on Vevi, for in the excitement of watching the -“boat” she had forgotten that its mate still was on her left foot.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies were eager to play “boat.”</p> - -<p>“Is it safe?” Miss Gordon anxiously asked the nurseryman.</p> - -<p>“Oh, they can’t any more than splash their clothing,” he replied. “The -water barely is deep enough to float the boat.”</p> - -<p>Reassured, Miss Gordon told the children to have a good time, but to be -very careful. She and Miss Mohr then went off with Peter to see some of -the tulips.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">59</a></span> -Connie watched the three walk away. She noticed that the nurseryman -seemed especially friendly with Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“I think he likes her,” she whispered to Vevi. “See, he is picking her -a bouquet of tulips.”</p> - -<p>“He likes Miss Gordon too,” Vevi replied carelessly. All her attention -now had centered on the wooden shoe boats.</p> - -<p>“Not the same way though,” insisted Connie. “He smiles at her sort of -special. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they’d fall in love? Then Hanny -could stay here always—”</p> - -<p>Vevi gave her friend a sharp jab in the ribs.</p> - -<p>“Hush!” she warned. “Do you want Hanny to hear? Anyway, you get crazy -ideas, Connie Williams!”</p> - -<p>For the next twenty minutes the Brownies had a wonderful time at the -water’s edge. They peeled off their stockings and sat on the bridge, -splashing their toes.</p> - -<p>It was great fun sailing the wooden shoes in the lazy current. Now and -then a “boat” would fill with water and sink. Then one of the girls -would wade to its rescue.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">60</a></span> -“My shoe is a torpedo boat!” Vevi shouted. “I’m coming after your boat, -Jane.”</p> - -<p>She propelled the shoe, making it crack into the other.</p> - -<p>The Brownies played “war” for a few minutes before discovering that the -wooden shoes made good sand scoops. Sand castles occupied them after -that.</p> - -<p>Connie noticed that Miss Mohr, Miss Gordon and Peter had started back -from the tulip fields.</p> - -<p>“It must be nearly time to leave,” she said anxiously. “Vevi McGuire, -just look at your dress! What will Miss Gordon say?”</p> - -<p>“Yours is splashed too!” Vevi replied, trying to brush off the water -drops from her skirt. “It has a spot of mud on the sleeve.”</p> - -<p>“We’d better quit this game before we get any dirtier,” Rosemary -declared uneasily. “Let’s clean up the wooden shoes.”</p> - -<p>She gathered up one pair and began to wash out the sand.</p> - -<p>Vevi looked about for the other shoes. One lay at the water’s edge. The -other was nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>“Connie, did you have Hanny’s shoe?” she inquired.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">61</a></span> -Connie shook her head.</p> - -<p>“You had it last,” she reminded Vevi. “Remember? When you were playing -torpedo.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t recall taking it out of the water,” Vevi said, glancing -anxiously down the canal. “Did anyone else pick it up?”</p> - -<p>No one had seen the shoe.</p> - -<p>“It must have drifted away,” Hanny said. “Oh, dear, it belonged to my -best pair too.”</p> - -<p>“Where does the canal lead?” Connie questioned.</p> - -<p>“Past the Mattox farm and on to a drainage ditch. The shoe couldn’t -have drifted far though, because the Mattoxes have a footwalk across -the water. That would stop the shoe if it went that far.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go see!” proposed Vevi. She started off toward the adjoining -property which was separated from the Van Der Lann place by a tall -fence.</p> - -<p>“No! No!” Hanny called after her. “We must not trespass.”</p> - -<p>Vevi did not climb over the fence. But she crawled high up on it so she -could see far down the canal.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see the shoe anywhere,” she said, and then she corrected -herself. “Oh, yes, I do!”</p> - -<p>“Where?” cried Hanny.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">62</a></span> -“It has snagged on a pile of sticks there where the canal turns a bit!”</p> - -<p>Hanny climbed up on the fence beside Vevi. She too saw the runaway shoe.</p> - -<p>“I’ll run and get it,” Vevi offered. She was not afraid to cross the -Mattox land.</p> - -<p>“No, no!” Hanny said in earnest protest. “Uncle Peter has told me that -I must never set foot on their property. They are so very unpleasant.”</p> - -<p>“Then how will we get the shoe?” Vevi demanded.</p> - -<p>Hanny thought hard for a second and then had an idea.</p> - -<p>“The watercourse belongs to everybody,” she declared. “I will take the -boat and fetch the shoe!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">63</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_seven" id="chapter_seven"></a><i><small>Chapter Seven</small></i><br /> -A RUNAWAY ‘BOAT’</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI and Connie offered to go with Hanny to recover the missing wooden -shoe. They thought it odd, however, that the Mattox couple should be so -strict about anyone walking on their land.</p> - -<p>“Is it safe to go in the boat?” questioned Connie as the children -walked back to the canal.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, the water isn’t deep,” Hanny replied. “I will get the oars.”</p> - -<p>She ran to the barn, returning with them in a moment. Then she untied -the boat and climbed in.</p> - -<p>All of the Brownies were eager for a ride on the canal. Hanny though, -could not take everyone.</p> - -<p>“Vevi and Connie spoke first,” she said. “So I will take them.”</p> - -<p>The two Brownies stepped into the boat with their armful of tulip -blooms. By this time the flowers had wilted a bit. Vevi dipped the -stems into the canal for a moment and then put the bouquets on the -bottom of the boat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">64</a></span> -As she bent down she noticed that a little water was seeping in through -the boards.</p> - -<p>“Say, I think this old boat is leaking!” she cried.</p> - -<p>“It always does a little,” Hanny replied, picking up the oars.</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie moved their feet so that their shoes would not get wet.</p> - -<p>“Shove us off,” Hanny urged the Brownies who had remained ashore.</p> - -<p>Jane gave the boat a mighty push. Out it shot into the current. For a -moment, before slowing down, the craft went almost as fast as if it had -a motor.</p> - -<p>“Say, this is fun!” shouted Vevi.</p> - -<p>Jane, Rosemary and Sunny ran along the bank beside the boat. When they -reached the fence that separated Mr. Van Der Lann’s property from the -Mattox farm, they had to stop.</p> - -<p>Hanny began to row. She handled the oars very well and kept the boat -steady in the middle of the canal.</p> - -<p>“Say, this old boat is leaking fast!” Vevi observed very soon. “My feet -are getting wet.”</p> - -<p>“So are mine,” declared Connie, shifting to another place in the boat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">65</a></span> -Hanny told Vevi to look for a bailing can under the seat. The container -could not be found.</p> - -<p>“I remember, I used it for something else last week and forgot to put -it back,” Hanny admitted.</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie began to squirm nervously. The water was not deep but -it kept spreading over the bottom of the boat.</p> - -<p>“I want out of this old tub,” Vevi suddenly announced. “It is going to -sink!”</p> - -<p>Hanny insisted that the boat was safe. “I can’t let you out because -we are at the Mattox place now,” she added. “We will soon have that -runaway shoe and be back home.”</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie forgot the leaking boat as they looked about with -interest. From the Van Der Lann place tall trees and bushes had -screened their view of the other nursery.</p> - -<p>Now they saw the big greenhouse with its glass roof and a small cottage -very much in need of paint. A few tulips were in bloom, but the flowers -were not as large or as showy as those on Peter’s place.</p> - -<p>“The Mattoxes lived here before my uncle started his nursery,” Hanny -told her friends. “They were annoyed when he bought land next to their -property. They had expected to add it to their own place.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">66</a></span> -“Is that Mrs. Mattox?” Connie asked. She had noticed a woman in a blue -straw hat working in the fields.</p> - -<p>“Her name is Freda,” Hanny said. “If she sees us, she may speak -crossly. She does not like me or Uncle Peter.”</p> - -<p>“Say, my feet are wet!” Vevi suddenly cried.</p> - -<p>“The water is coming into this boat faster and faster,” Connie declared -uneasily. “Hanny, you must pull up on shore.”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Mattox won’t like it.”</p> - -<p>“Who cares about her?” Vevi demanded. “We are getting wet, Hanny.”</p> - -<p>The little Dutch girl guided the boat to a sandy stretch of beach along -the canal. After Connie and Vevi had leaped out, she pulled the craft -up on shore so it would not drift away.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Mattox has seen us,” Hanny said, glancing over her shoulder. “Oh! -Oh! She has dropped her hoe and is coming this way.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s get the wooden shoe as fast as we can and run!” Vevi urged.</p> - -<p>Abandoning the boat, the children ran to the clutter of debris where -the runaway shoe had caught fast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">67</a></span> -But when Connie tried to capture it, she only succeeded in setting it -free. Off it floated again down the canal.</p> - -<p>“Hey, come back here, shoe!” she cried.</p> - -<p>The “boat” drifted lazily along until finally it lodged against a -footbridge.</p> - -<p>“Now we can get it,” declared Vevi.</p> - -<p>“And Mrs. Mattox will get us,” added Hanny nervously. “She is walking -straight to our boat.”</p> - -<p>The children walked quickly out on the footbridge. The narrow planking -bent under their weight and dipped low into the water.</p> - -<p>“It’s going to break!” Vevi exclaimed fearfully.</p> - -<p>“Oh, a footbridge always wobbles,” Connie reassured her. “Here, hold my -hand while I grab the old shoe.”</p> - -<p>Vevi steadied her so she could bend down and rescue the shoe.</p> - -<p>“Now back to the boat!” Hanny urged. “We are going to get a scolding, I -can tell you.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Mattox did not pay very much attention to the three girls as they -hurried up the canal. In fact, she seemed deeply engrossed examining -something in the bottom of the boat.</p> - -<p>“What is she doing?” Vevi asked curiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">68</a></span> -“Maybe she is trying to stop the leak in our boat,” Connie speculated.</p> - -<p>Hanny however, had sharper eyes.</p> - -<p>“She is looking at our tulips,” she told her companions. “Just see her -poking about among the blossoms.”</p> - -<p>“Why would she do that?” Vevi whispered. By this time the children had -drawn quite close to the boat.</p> - -<p>“She’s trying to see what varieties Uncle Peter is raising this year,” -Hanny declared. “I think she is hoping to find out if we have a tulip -that will win the blue ribbon.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Mattox had heard the children come up. She straightened, dropping -a red tulip.</p> - -<p>For a minute the girls thought she intended to scold them for coming -onto her property. Instead, she merely stared at them.</p> - -<p>“Our boat is leaking,” Hanny said politely. “That is why we walked on -your land.”</p> - -<p>“It isn’t the first time you have done it,” the woman answered. She -kept eyeing the tulips in the boat.</p> - -<p>“Hanny gave us some flowers,” Connie said to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">69</a></span> make conversation. She -always tried to be friendly with everyone. “Aren’t they beautiful?”</p> - -<p>“Humph! Very ordinary tulips I would say,” replied Mrs. Mattox. “Which -one is your uncle entering in the flower show, Hanny?”</p> - -<p>“I cannot say, Mrs. Mattox.”</p> - -<p>“None of these, I’d judge.”</p> - -<p>Hanny remained silent. Her unwillingness to talk angered the woman.</p> - -<p>“How many times have I told you not to come onto my property?” she -berated the children. “You tramp the flowers and damage our plantings.”</p> - -<p>Hanny knew the accusations were unfair. It was true, though, that she -had been told repeatedly not to trespass.</p> - -<p>“We are leaving now,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Take this leaky old tub with you,” Mrs. Mattox ordered crossly. -“You will have to tow it back by the rope because it is becoming -waterlogged. Now, begone!”</p> - -<p>Hanny seized the rope and started to pull the boat alongshore. Mrs. -Mattox followed close behind to see that she did not do any damage.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry about the boat,” Hanny apologized<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">70</a></span> again. “My uncle plans -soon to build a new one.”</p> - -<p>“Such foolishness!” the nurseryman’s wife exclaimed. “First it was a -windmill! What will it be next? Always foolishness.”</p> - -<p>“I like the windmill,” Vevi said, speaking in Peter’s defense. “His -farm is very pretty. It is nicer than this one.”</p> - -<p>Now the little girl should not have made the remark. She was sorry the -moment she had said the words. Mrs. Mattox lost her temper at once.</p> - -<p>“Oh, so Peter Van Der Lann has a better nursery than ours!” she -exclaimed. “Well, let me tell you something! He won’t have it long. -Everyone in Rosedale knows that he is deeply in debt. He will lose his -farm, and then where will he be?”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">71</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_8" id="chapter_8"></a><i><small>Chapter 8</small></i><br /> -THE TREASURE HOUSE</h2> - - -<p class="noi">MRS. Mattox’ words distressed Hanny, who began to cry. She knew only -too well that her uncle might lose his property and that she would be -sent back to Holland.</p> - -<p>“My uncle won’t lose his farm,” she denied stubbornly. “He will make a -great deal of money this year. Our tulip will win the prize and we will -sell our bulbs for a nice price.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t count on it,” said Mrs. Mattox. “Your uncle will win no prize -with any of the tulip varieties I have seen.”</p> - -<p>“We have one though—” Hanny began, and then she stopped short. She -realized she had been on the verge of saying too much.</p> - -<p>“Where does your uncle grow this wonderful tulip?” Mrs. Mattox pursued -the subject.</p> - -<p>Hanny would not say. She was glad when they reached the boundary of her -uncle’s land. The other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">72</a></span> Brownies were at the fence and helped to pull -the water-logged boat back to its mooring place.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you mind Mrs. Mattox,” Connie said to Hanny, slipping an arm -about the little girl’s waist. “She is just an old meanie.”</p> - -<p>“But it is true my uncle may lose this farm.”</p> - -<p>“You will win the blue ribbon for your prize tulip.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so,” Hanny said soberly, “but Uncle Peter says we cannot count -on it. All the growers in Rosedale are trying for the prize. Many new -varieties <a name="will" id="will"></a><ins title="Original has wil">will</ins> be shown.”</p> - -<p>“Yours will be the very best,” Connie declared confidently. “If it is -the Golden Beauty I am sure it will win.”</p> - -<p>The children hauled the leaky boat up on the grassy bank. As they -overturned it, Miss Gordon hailed them from the path.</p> - -<p>“Come to the house, girls,” she called. “Mr. Van Der Lann has invited -us to have sweet cakes.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll give you some of my <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">hopjes</i> too,” declared Hanny.</p> - -<p>“What are those?” Jane Tuttle asked as the group started for the house. -“Something to eat?”</p> - -<p>“Candy with a butterscotch flavor,” Hanny explained. “Good too!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">73</a></span> -Inside the farm house, Peter had laid a fire on the hearth to take a -chill from the air. Hanny, Vevi and Connie moved in close to dry their -damp shoes and stockings.</p> - -<p>As the children were telling Mr. Van Der Lann about the leaky boat, -the housekeeper came in bearing steaming chocolate and <i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">maastegles</i> or -sweet cakes.</p> - -<p>While they nibbled the cakes, the grownups talked of the coming flower -show. Judging of the tulips, the first event in the mammoth festival, -was to come the following weekend. Mrs. Langley planned to open her -estate to the public according to her usual custom. Prize flowers would -be on display at her greenhouse.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Piff keeps at me to have a part in the commercial show,” Mr. Van -Der Lann said. “To participate I must pay one hundred dollars. I do not -have it and have told him so. Yet he has told about Rosedale that I -have refused only because I am stubborn.”</p> - -<p>“From what I hear, many of the growers are regretting that they went -into Mr. Piff’s scheme,” remarked Miss Mohr. “It is to be an elaborate -affair and no doubt will bring hundreds of persons to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">74</a></span> Rosedale during -show week. But some folks are saying that for all his talk, Mr. Piff is -not a good manager.”</p> - -<p>“I have heard rumors myself,” nodded Mr. Van Der Lann. “Some of the -growers complain that for every dollar Mr. Piff collects, fifty cents -goes into his own pocket.”</p> - -<p>“I liked our festival so much when it was a small, quiet affair,” added -Miss Gordon. “For the life of me I cannot understand why Mrs. Langley -became interested in Mr. Piff’s scheme.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies had just finished their cake when the housekeeper came in. -She spoke quietly to the nurseryman.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gabriel is here again,” she informed him. “It is about those -bulbs she asked you to order for her.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann went to the window and looked out. He could see the -lady’s car on the driveway near the little office.</p> - -<p>“Why does she keep pestering me?” he demanded. “I have told her -repeatedly that I want none of her business. Tell her I will not see -her!”</p> - -<p>The Brownies could not understand why the nurseryman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">75</a></span> did not like to -deal with Mrs. Gabriel. Her unexpected visit seemed to upset him.</p> - -<p>A little later, when the children were outside again, Vevi asked Hanny -why her uncle turned down Mrs. Gabriel’s order.</p> - -<p>“I do not know,” Hanny answered with a shrug.</p> - -<p>“Who is she anyhow?” Connie questioned. She did not know anyone in -Rosedale by the name of Gabriel.</p> - -<p>“She has been here several times,” Hanny told her friends. “Always she -is nice to me and once gave me a chocolate bar. But I do not like her. -Uncle Peter says she is trying to get him to do something he does not -want to do.”</p> - -<p>It was nearly time to leave now, so the children went down to the canal -for their bouquets of flowers.</p> - -<p>Sunny, Jane and Rosemary quickly gathered up their tulips and carried -them back to the house. Vevi and Connie followed more slowly, stopping -a moment to watch the revolving arms of the big windmill.</p> - -<p>“Hanny,” said Vevi suddenly, “when are you going to tell us about the -mystery house?”</p> - -<p>Hanny grinned and pretended not to understand.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">76</a></span> -“You know what I mean,” Vevi said pointedly. “When are you going to -tell us what you keep in that locked building?”</p> - -<p>“Someday,” Hanny laughed.</p> - -<p>“We may not get out here again very soon,” Vevi argued. “Next week is -the flower show at Mrs. Langley’s estate.”</p> - -<p>“And right after that the big commercial festival,” added Connie. “The -Brownies will be very busy next week too. We have to make our booth and -cut paper tulips to decorate the library.”</p> - -<p>“But you will have to come again, if only to try on the wooden shoes -Uncle Peter is making for you,” Hanny protested.</p> - -<p>“We won’t be able to stay long next time,” Vevi insisted. “If you’re -ever going to tell us about that locked house, now is the time to do -it.”</p> - -<p>Hanny hesitated a long while. Then she demanded:</p> - -<p>“Can you both keep a secret?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes!” said Connie.</p> - -<p>“A Brownie’s word is as good as gold,” added Vevi. “Tell us your -secret, Hanny.”</p> - -<p>“It belongs to Uncle Peter as much as to me. You’re sure you can keep -the secret if I tell you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">77</a></span> -“Brownie’s honor,” said Connie soberly.</p> - -<p>“Then wait here,” directed Hanny. “I will be back in a minute.”</p> - -<p>She ran off to the house. Vevi and Connie could not imagine what she -was after. Soon she came flying back, something clutched in her hand.</p> - -<p>She opened her fingers to show Connie and Vevi that the object was a -tiny padlock key.</p> - -<p>“Come with me,” she bade her friends. “But you must never, never tell -what I am going to show you. Not until after next week at least. Then -it will not matter.”</p> - -<p>Connie and Vevi became rather excited at the thought of seeing inside -the locked house. They could not guess what Hanny’s uncle kept hidden -there. It made them feel very important to think that Hanny trusted -them enough to let them share her secret.</p> - -<p>“We must hurry,” Connie said, glancing anxiously toward the house. “I -think Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr are about ready to start home.”</p> - -<p>Hanny inserted the key into the padlock and pulled it open.</p> - -<p>“You mustn’t tell anyone—not even the other Brownies,” Hanny warned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">78</a></span> -“We promise,” Vevi said impatiently.</p> - -<p>Hanny pushed open the door and stepped into the dark room. The other -two girls followed quickly behind her.</p> - -<p>“I can’t see a thing!” Vevi complained.</p> - -<p>“Neither can I,” declared Connie, clinging to her friend’s arm.</p> - -<p>“Wait! I will let in a little light,” Hanny said. “But only a little.”</p> - -<p>The room in which the children stood was nearly square, with walls -scarcely more than ten feet in length. There were no windows, only a -small skylight overhead. The latter had been covered with a blanket to -keep out the sunshine.</p> - -<p>Hanny moved the covering so that a crack of light filtered down.</p> - -<p>“There!” she exclaimed. “Now can you see?”</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie looked about them. The walls of the room were lined -with homemade shelves on which were stored large, plump objects which -were difficult to identify in the shadowy light.</p> - -<p>“Onions!” Vevi exclaimed, finally making out their shape.</p> - -<p>She was bitterly disappointed. For that matter, so was Connie.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">79</a></span> -“Not onions,” corrected Hanny. “Look again.”</p> - -<p>“Tulip bulbs?” Connie asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Hanny acknowledged. “Our very best ones are kept here. The -temperature is carefully controlled. Uncle Peter and I call this place -our treasure house.”</p> - -<p>Connie and Vevi were so disappointed they could not say a word.</p> - -<p>For days they had been speculating about the mystery of the little -locked house. They had convinced themselves that this room contained -something very startling and wonderful. And now to learn that it was -only a storeroom for bulbs!</p> - -<p>Hanny seemed to sense how her friends felt. At any rate, she chuckled -as if enjoying their astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Now, I’ll show you the real treasure,” she promised. “Then you will -understand why the secret must be kept.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">80</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_9" id="chapter_9"></a><i><small>Chapter 9</small></i><br /> -HIGH WIND</h2> - - -<p class="noi">MOVING to a shelf on the north wall, Hanny pulled out a canvas bag.</p> - -<p>“Not money?” gasped Vevi. Her interest in the locked room had revived -quickly.</p> - -<p>“This bag contains something which may be as valuable as gold,” Hanny -replied. “It all depends on whether or not Uncle Peter is lucky.”</p> - -<p>The little Dutch girl unfastened the bag and carefully emptied out some -of the contents on the counter.</p> - -<p>“More tulip bulbs!” exclaimed Vevi. “Big ones too.”</p> - -<p>She had never seen such large bulbs. Each one was plump and perfectly -formed. Even Vevi who did not know anything about flower bulbs could -see that these were something very fine.</p> - -<p>“Are these the special bulbs your uncle developed Hanny?” shrewdly -guessed Connie. “Are they the blue ribbon ones?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">81</a></span> -“They’re the bulbs Uncle Peter hopes will win the prize.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you keep them locked up?” questioned Vevi.</p> - -<p>“Because they will be worth their weight in gold if our tulip wins -first prize,” Hanny explained. “There are no other bulbs like these -anywhere in this country or abroad. Uncle Peter says they are the -finest in the world! If we should lose them or if they should rot, we -never could replace them.”</p> - -<p>“Are they bulbs of the Golden Tulip?” Vevi asked.</p> - -<p>“I cannot say,” returned Hanny. “I would like to tell, but I promised -Uncle Peter not to give away the secret.”</p> - -<p>“The Golden Tulip is the most beautiful one I have seen anywhere,” Vevi -insisted. “I think these must be Golden Tulip bulbs.”</p> - -<p>Hanny only laughed and put away the bag. Then she carefully locked the -little house again.</p> - -<p>“I wish the Brownies had a tulip bed,” said Connie after the padlock -had been snapped shut. “Miss Mohr might give us a little plot of ground -at the library.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">82</a></span> -“It is too late to start a tulip bed this spring,” Hanny advised her. -“Bulbs should be planted in the fall.”</p> - -<p>“Then perhaps the Brownies can have a garden next year. Only then -Rosedale may not be having a flower festival.”</p> - -<p>“Next year, if Uncle Peter still has his nursery, I will give you -hundreds of bulbs,” Hanny promised.</p> - -<p>As the children turned away from the little house, they were startled -to hear Jane calling to them from the roadway.</p> - -<p>“Hey, hurry up!” she shouted. “We’ve been waiting nearly ten minutes! -Hurry!”</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie hastily said goodbye to Hanny, reminding her not to -forget the scheduled Brownie Scout meeting at the library. Then they -ran off to join their friends who were ready to start home.</p> - -<p>“Say, where did you girls go anyhow?” Jane demanded suspiciously as -Vevi and Connie rushed up breathlessly.</p> - -<p>“It’s a secret,” chuckled Vevi.</p> - -<p>All the way home, the other Brownies teased her to reveal where she and -Connie had been. But Vevi would not.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">83</a></span> -Not until they were alone again, did the two girls so much as mention -the locked room.</p> - -<p>Both were hopeful that Peter would win the blue ribbon and that his bag -of precious bulbs truly would become a bag of treasure.</p> - -<p>On Wednesday after school all the Brownie Scouts gathered at the public -library to cut and paste tulip decorations for the windows.</p> - -<p>“Where is Hanny?” Rosemary asked noticing that the little girl was not -present. “I thought she was coming today.”</p> - -<p>“So did I,” declared Miss Gordon. “Perhaps she will come later.”</p> - -<p>A door banged just then and in came Hanny. She was quite breathless -from hurrying.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry to be late,” she apologized. “I did not think I could come -at all. My uncle was called away and there is no one at home to look -after things. Even the housekeeper is away.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon said she was happy indeed that Hanny had managed to attend -the meeting. She gave the little girl materials and showed her how to -make paper flowers.</p> - -<p>As the children worked with scissors and paste,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">84</a></span> Miss Mohr told them -about the work of Brownies in foreign countries.</p> - -<p>“Now who remembers the Brownie name in the Netherlands?” she asked the -group.</p> - -<p>Sunny Davidson and Connie Williams both waved their hands. Miss Mohr -called on Sunny to give the answer.</p> - -<p>“They’re called Kabouters and it means little elves.”</p> - -<p>“Now who knows the name that is used for the organization in South -Africa?” the librarian went on.</p> - -<p>No one knew the answer so Miss Mohr told the girls that Brownies in -South Africa were known as Sunbeams.</p> - -<p>She said that in Greece they were called Poulakia or Little Birds.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon then told the Brownies about cut-out dolls they could -obtain. She explained that the figures were dressed in Brownie uniforms -of different countries in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl -Scouts.</p> - -<p>“Now you know that tulip bulbs came to this country from Holland,” she -declared. “Look about in your homes, and at our next meeting report -how<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">85</a></span> many objects you have noticed that have been imported from other -countries.”</p> - -<p>“Our home has almost everything from Holland,” Hanny said. “But I like -best the things you buy in America. I love your big super markets too -where you see so many wonderful foods.”</p> - -<p>So that the little girl would know more about the organization she -intended to join, Miss Gordon explained how the Brownies obtained their -name in English speaking countries.</p> - -<p>“The organization was named by Robert Baden-Powell, who lived in -England,” she told Hanny. “He knew many wonderful stories about the -brownies or ‘little people’ and thought it would be a suitable name for -girls who try to be useful. The founder of the Girl Scouts in America -was Mrs. Juliette Gordon Low.”</p> - -<p>“How can I join?” Hanny asked eagerly. “I want to be a Brownie.”</p> - -<p>“We will have the investiture ceremony as soon as you have attended -four meetings,” Miss Gordon promised.</p> - -<p>After the paper flowers had been made, the girls talked over plans -for a booth at Mrs. Langley’s flower show. Miss Mohr announced that -Peter Van<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">86</a></span> Der Lann had promised the troop all the tulips they wanted, -not only for decoration, but to sell. The mothers would help too, -particularly in the making of tussie-mussie bouquets.</p> - -<p>“I think the festival on Mrs. Langley’s estate will be very nice,” Miss -Mohr told the girls. “The Brownies will wear Dutch costumes, and wooden -shoes. All the money we make will be for our own organization.”</p> - -<p>It was after four-thirty when the meeting finally came to an end. Vevi -and Hanny were among the last to leave the library. Arm in arm they -walked along the street together.</p> - -<p>“I am going to like being a Brownie,” Hanny told her new friend. “Why, -I hope I can attend every single meeting.”</p> - -<p>The children were passing a drugstore window. Vevi stopped to look at -a poster which advertised the coming festival. The placard did not -mention the preliminary show on Mrs. Langley’s estate but told about -the three-day celebration which would follow.</p> - -<p>Vevi was reading the poster when a sudden gust of wind whipped her -Brownie uniform about her knees.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">87</a></span> -At the same instant off went her brown beanie into the gutter.</p> - -<p>“Whoops!” Vevi exclaimed, scampering after the rolling headgear.</p> - -<p>As she snatched the beanie from the street an automobile came to a -jerky halt at the curb. The strange woman Vevi knew as Mrs. Gabriel was -at the wheel. She tooted her horn and glared at the little girl.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you know better than to dash out into the street!” she scolded. -“I might have run you down.”</p> - -<p>Vevi had been a little careless. However, she never had come very close -to the automobile.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry,” she apologized. “That wind—”</p> - -<p>Off went her beanie again, this time almost directly beneath the wheels -of the stationary car. To the annoyance of Mrs. Gabriel, Vevi had to -get down on her hands and knees to fish it out.</p> - -<p>“Do watch what you are doing,” the woman said. “And hang onto that hat!”</p> - -<p>The moment Vevi was safely on the curb, she drove away.</p> - -<p>Hanny had been having a time with her own belongings. The capricious -wind had scattered some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">88</a></span> of her school papers. For several minutes she -was kept busy gathering them up.</p> - -<p>Breathlessly the two girls huddled in the drugstore doorway. As -yet there was no rain but dust was blowing wildly in the street. A -newspaper flew past, plastering itself around a telephone pole.</p> - -<p>“It’s going to blow real hard,” Vevi said, pulling her sweater tight. -“Hanny, you had better come home with me.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t,” the other replied. “O-oh!”</p> - -<p>Vevi looked around quickly, wondering what was wrong. She thought dust -had blown into Hanny’s eyes or that another paper had been swept away.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” she asked for her little friend looked dreadfully worried.</p> - -<p>“The windmill!” Hanny said in a frightened voice. “I left it turned on. -If it pumps very long in this high wind, our tulips may be ruined!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">89</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_10" id="chapter_10"></a><i><small>Chapter 10</small></i><br /> -IN THE HAYLOFT</h2> - - -<p class="noi">THE wind was blowing steadily now, whipping the trees and sending -everyone to cover.</p> - -<p>Hanny and Vevi huddled in the drugstore doorway, not knowing what to do.</p> - -<p>“I should have locked the windmill before I left the farm,” Hanny said, -clutching her hat tightly to keep it from sailing away.</p> - -<p>“Maybe your uncle will get home and take care of it,” Vevi said -hopefully.</p> - -<p>“He has gone away for the afternoon. Oh, Vevi, I will have to get out -there as fast as I can. This wind is not going to let up for a long -while.”</p> - -<p>“I will go with you,” Vevi offered. She did not really want to go. It -was a long walk to the farm and the sharp wind would make the trip -uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, she started off with Hanny down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">90</a></span> the street. The girls -had to duck their heads and bend low. Even then it was hard to keep on -their feet.</p> - -<p>“This is a regular hurricane!” Vevi gasped. “Maybe everything is going -to blow away!”</p> - -<p>Hanny however, was not frightened. She glanced at the sky, studying the -boiling clouds for a minute.</p> - -<p>“It is only a hard wind,” she said. “But it can do much damage at our -nursery. Oh, why did I forget the windmill?”</p> - -<p>Reaching the outskirts of the city, the two girls struck out along the -main highway. Soon they saw a car overtaking them.</p> - -<p>“Here comes someone,” Vevi said, looking over her shoulder. “Maybe we -can catch a ride to the farm.”</p> - -<p>The children moved off the roadway and waited. When the car was fairly -close they could see a woman at the wheel. There were no passengers.</p> - -<p>“It looks like Mrs. Gabriel’s car,” said Hanny. “My uncle would not -want me to ride with her.”</p> - -<p>“Even to save the tulips?”</p> - -<p>“I guess that would be different,” Hanny agreed.</p> - -<p>Both girls waved their arms, trying to attract Mrs. Gabriel’s -attention. They knew she saw them, for she slowed down.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">91</a></span> -“She is going to pick us up!” Vevi cried in relief.</p> - -<p>But Mrs. Gabriel did not stop. She drove past the children, without -paying any attention to their frantic gestures.</p> - -<p>“Why, that was mean!” exclaimed Vevi. “She’ll be going right past the -farm too!”</p> - -<p>The girls bored on into the wind, but walking was most difficult. Vevi -could not keep on her beanie. She carried it in her hand, but her hair -kept whipping across her eyes.</p> - -<p>“We’ll never get there!” she gasped. “This hateful old wind!”</p> - -<p>A loud “toot-toot” sounded directly behind the girls. Startled, they -jumped to the side of the road.</p> - -<p>Another car had come along, driven by a man who was riding with his -wife. He pulled up beside the children.</p> - -<p>“Want a ride?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Do we!” demanded Vevi gratefully.</p> - -<p>The man opened the car door, and the girls slid into the back seat.</p> - -<p>“Going far?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“Only to Windmill Farm,” Hanny said. “Can you take us there?”</p> - -<p>“Sure thing,” the man agreed. “I’m going right past the farm.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">92</a></span> -The car rolled over a bridge. Vevi and <a name="Hanny" id="Hanny"></a><ins title="Original has Connie">Hanny</ins> saw that the -river had been ruffled into high, foamy waves. Along each shore, the -<a name="lowbent" id="lowbent"></a><ins title="Original has lowbent">low-bent</ins> branches of willows were lashing back and forth.</p> - -<p>A few big drops of rain spattered against the car’s windshield.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have a downpour any minute now,” the driver said. “You children -should have your raincoats.”</p> - -<p>The car passed the Mattox nursery. On the driveway, Vevi and Hanny saw -Mrs. Gabriel’s parked automobile.</p> - -<p>“Look at the roof of the greenhouse!” Hanny cried, pointing.</p> - -<p>A portion of the glass covering had been smashed by the wind.</p> - -<p>“It was a little twister all right,” declared the man who had given the -children a ride. “The worst is over now though, I think.”</p> - -<p>“I hope our windmill is all right,” Hanny said anxiously. “It may have -blown down.”</p> - -<p>The car rolled over a rise, and the children were reassured to see the -huge canvas-arms revolving at a furious rate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">93</a></span> -“It’s still there,” Vevi said, greatly relieved.</p> - -<p>“But see how fast the arms are turning,” Hanny declared. “The tulip -fields will be flooded!”</p> - -<p>At the gate to Windmill Farm, the driver stopped the car to let the -children off.</p> - -<p>“Will you be all right now?” he asked. “Or do you want me to come with -you?”</p> - -<p>“I can turn off the windmill myself,” Hanny said.</p> - -<p>She and Vevi thanked the driver and his wife for the ride and ran -through the gate.</p> - -<p>The windmill was groaning and straining under the assault of the -elements. At any moment, Vevi expected to see the canvas-covered arms -ripped to shreds.</p> - -<p>Around and around went the fan-shaped sails, pumping water at a fearful -rate. The irrigation ditches were flooded and Hanny could see that some -of the tulip fields were soaked.</p> - -<p>“I must get the mill stopped first of all!” she cried.</p> - -<p>The little Dutch girl ran to the mill and tried to open the door. The -wind held it back.</p> - -<p>“Help me, Vevi!” she cried.</p> - -<p>Both girls tugged at the door. Vevi lost her beanie again, and this -time she did not try to save it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">94</a></span> -Suddenly the mill door flew back, banging hard. The wind was so strong -it nearly wrenched off the hinges.</p> - -<p>Once inside the mill, the girls were protected. But it was frightening -to hear the wild creak of the pulleys and the heaving and groaning of -the great sails overhead.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Hanny, I’m scared,” Vevi whimpered, huddling against a wall. “This -old mill is about ready to blow over.”</p> - -<p>Hanny was not as nervous as her little friend, for she had been inside -the mill before on very windy days.</p> - -<p>Quickly, she shot levers into place, locking the mechanism.</p> - -<p>“There, I have stopped the mill from pumping!” she exclaimed.</p> - -<p>The girls caught their breath, looking out over the fields through the -open doorway.</p> - -<p>“This wind will snap the stems of our tulips even if the water did not -ruin them,” Hanny said. “Uncle Peter will lose most of his investment.”</p> - -<p>“The wind is dying down some now,” Vevi said. “Maybe the tulips will be -all right.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">95</a></span> -“I am especially worried about the north field,” Hanny went on. “If the -prize tulip is lost, we will have nothing to enter in Mrs. Langley’s -show.”</p> - -<p>“The Golden Beauty?”</p> - -<p>Hanny did not answer. She seemed to be thinking hard.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, without explaining what she intended to do, she bolted out -the open door of the mill.</p> - -<p>Vevi saw the little girl run to the barn. She was inside a minute or -two. Then out she came, carrying a large, empty orange crate.</p> - -<p>“Where are you going, Hanny?” Vevi shouted across the yard.</p> - -<p>In the high wind, Hanny could not hear. But Vevi saw her enter the -north field and dart down the rows of tulips.</p> - -<p>Hanny carefully set the crate down. Then she came flying back to rejoin -Vevi in the mill.</p> - -<p>“Our tulip is still safe!” she exclaimed. “I have covered it with the -box. Now it will be protected even if the other tulips are ruined.”</p> - -<p>Vevi had noticed the place where Hanny had set down the box.</p> - -<p>“It was the Golden Beauty that you covered,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">96</a></span> she said. “I am sure of -it, Vevi. But I will never tell.”</p> - -<p>The old mill was a chilly and uncomfortable place in which to stand. -Hanny said that the barn, directly across the yard, was a much better -shelter from which to watch the storm.</p> - -<p>“Let’s make a run for it,” she urged. “The rain is coming.”</p> - -<p>Together the girls dashed across the open space. Midway there, Vevi -spied her lost beanie snagged against a fence post. She darted aside to -rescue it. Before she could reach the barn, rain began to come down in -torrents.</p> - -<p>“Hurry! Hurry!” Hanny shouted, holding the barn door open for her.</p> - -<p>Vevi dashed in, her Brownie uniform splashed with raindrops.</p> - -<p>For several minutes the rain came in a great sheet. Then abruptly, it -let up.</p> - -<p>“At least we will not have hail,” Hanny declared. “That is what ruins -the plants.”</p> - -<p>Now that the excitement was nearly over, Vevi became interested in the -interior of the barn. She had never seen such a clean place.</p> - -<p>The floor was swept as neatly as a living room. Curtains were at all -the windows. The stalls, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">97</a></span> two Jersey cows contentedly chewed -their cuds, did not have a speck of dust or dirt.</p> - -<p>Vevi sniffed the air. She could smell something sweet and fragrant.</p> - -<p>“What is that odor?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“The haymow,” Hanny told her. “See, the ladder leads up to it.”</p> - -<p>Vevi climbed up to look. “My, this hay looks nice and soft,” she called -down.</p> - -<p>The little girl suddenly realized that the trip from Rosedale and so -much running and hurrying had made her very tired. She snuggled down -into a mound of hay.</p> - -<p>Hanny also climbed the ladder. Seeing Vevi so snug, she curled up -beside her.</p> - -<p>The hay was warm and delightful.</p> - -<p>“I’m sleepy,” Vevi said. “I think I will take a nap. By the time I wake -up, the rain will be over.”</p> - -<p>“It is almost over now,” said Hanny.</p> - -<p>“I think I will take a nap anyhow,” Vevi declared. “Wake me up when it -stops raining.”</p> - -<p>Now Hanny did not intend to fall asleep. After Vevi had closed her -eyes, she lay very still listening to the rain on the barn roof.</p> - -<p>The hay was sweet-smelling and as cozy as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">98</a></span> feather bed. She felt -delightfully drowsy, shut off from all the world.</p> - -<p>Hanny thought she would close her eyes only for a moment. When she -opened them, she was astonished to see that dark shadows shrouded the -haymow.</p> - -<p>Vevi was shaking her.</p> - -<p>“M-m,” Hanny mumbled drowsily. For a moment she could not think where -she was or what had happened.</p> - -<p>Vevi pressed a hand over Hanny’s lips.</p> - -<p>“Sh!” she warned.</p> - -<p>By this time Hanny had come two-thirds awake. She saw Vevi sitting -beside her, hay sticking in her mussed hair.</p> - -<p>“Listen!” Vevi whispered.</p> - -<p>The rain had ceased and Hanny no longer could hear the whistle of the -wind around the corners of the barn. How long had she slept?</p> - -<p>Hanny sat up, rubbing her eyes. Only then did she hear a strange -murmuring sound from the lower floor of the barn.</p> - -<p>“What is that?” she whispered.</p> - -<p>“Someone is down there,” Vevi answered, very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">99</a></span> low. “When I woke up, I -heard two people talking.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe it is Peter come home.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think so Hanny. Besides, there are two people.”</p> - -<p>Their curiosity aroused, the two girls crept to the edge of the hay -loft. Peering down they saw a man and a woman standing in the doorway -of the barn.</p> - -<p>“It is Mrs. Mattox and her husband Joseph,” Hanny whispered. “But why -are they here? They refuse me permission to walk on their property.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Mattox was cleaning mud from her shoes.</p> - -<p>“We should not stand here,” her husband said. “Peter Van Der Lann may -return at any moment, or his little girl.”</p> - -<p>“Let them,” said the wife. “At any rate, it was your idea to visit his -fields to see what the stubborn Dutchman is raising. Now that you have -looked under the box are you satisfied?”</p> - -<p>“The tulip is superior to anything that we can enter in the show.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t agree,” Mrs. Mattox replied. “Our own flower the cherry-rose -candy stick tulip is its equal. We will win the prize, Joseph.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">100</a></span> -“Don’t count on it,” Mr. Mattox said gloomily.</p> - -<p>“We won’t need to win the blue ribbon to have a profitable business. We -have valuable customers. Mrs. Gabriel—”</p> - -<p>“How many times must I ask you not to mention her name?” Mr. Mattox -broke in angrily. “I wish I had never seen her—she may yet be the -cause of me going to jail.”</p> - -<p>“Jail?” his wife echoed. “Joseph, I fail to understand you. When Mrs. -Gabriel first came to talk to you, why you said we would make a mint of -money. Didn’t she give you a large order of bulbs to be imported from -Holland?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and I wish she hadn’t! Don’t forget that woman went first to -Peter Van Der Lann with her proposition. He must suspect what is going -on. If he should turn me in we both might be jailed.”</p> - -<p>In the hayloft, Hanny and Vevi caught nearly all of the conversation. -But they did not understand why Mr. Mattox was so angry at his wife for -mentioning Mrs. Gabriel’s name.</p> - -<p>Hanny made up her mind she would tell her Uncle Peter all about it when -he came home.</p> - -<p>“The rain has stopped,” she heard Mr. Mattox say. “We can go now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">101</a></span> -Never guessing that anyone had listened to their talk, the couple left -the barn. By the time Vevi and Hanny had slid down from the loft, they -were nowhere in sight.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">102</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_11" id="chapter_11"></a><i><small>Chapter 11</small></i><br /> -THE MAN IN GRAY</h2> - - -<p class="noi">WHEN Peter Van Der Lann drove into the farm yard twenty minutes later, -Hanny and Vevi ran to meet him.</p> - -<p>“I came as fast as I could,” the farmer said. “Is everything all right?”</p> - -<p>Finding English inadequate, Hanny spoke rapidly in Dutch, telling him -everything that had happened during his absence.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann did not have much to say until he had inspected the -tulip fields. Although the high wind and rain had flattened many of the -plants, they were not as badly damaged as he had feared.</p> - -<p>“Now that the sun is coming out again, they will straighten up,” he -said. “We will have a good flower harvest, Hanny.”</p> - -<p>The nurseryman did not scold his niece for having forgotten about the -windmill. Instead, he told her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">103</a></span> that she probably had saved the tulip -field by shutting off the water.</p> - -<p>“As for Mr. and Mrs. Mattox,” he said indifferently, “give them no -thought, little Hanny.”</p> - -<p>“But Uncle Peter, they came while you were away to peep under the box!”</p> - -<p>“It does not matter. Before this week has ended, everyone will have -seen our beautiful tulip.”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Mattox spoke of a tulip they are entering in the show, Uncle -Peter. A cherry-rose candy stripe, she called it.”</p> - -<p>“It will not compare with our flower,” declared Mr. Van Der Lann -cheerfully. “Do not worry, Hanny.”</p> - -<p>“She spoke also of a customer, Mrs. Gabriel. And a large order of tulip -bulbs from Holland.”</p> - -<p>The nurseryman became attentive, listening closely as his niece related -the entire conversation overheard in the hayloft.</p> - -<p>“The Mattoxes are welcome to their big order,” he said. “I can tell -you no more, Hanny, except to say that you are never to talk to Mrs. -Gabriel or have anything to do with her.”</p> - -<p>“But why, Uncle Peter?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">104</a></span> -“Do not ask me questions,” he said kindly. “I cannot answer, Hanny. -Mrs. Gabriel is not to be trusted. I have told her never to come here.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann would say no more about Mrs. Gabriel. As it now was -growing dusk, he told Vevi he would take her home in his car.</p> - -<p>“When you see the other Brownies, let them know that their wooden shoes -will be ready for them by tomorrow night,” he said as he dropped her -off at her doorstep. “Also, unless it rains again, there will be tulips -for the booth which is to be decorated.”</p> - -<p>Now that Mrs. Langley’s flower show was close at hand, the Brownie -Scouts dropped all other activities.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon and Miss Mohr had obtained Dutch girl costumes for the -girls. A carpenter on the Langley estate helped out by making a booth -for the organization to use. It was set up on the lawn not far from the -greenhouse where the flowers were to be judged.</p> - -<p>On the day before the show, the Brownies all hiked out to Windmill -Farm. Their wooden shoes were ready for them, and all were a perfect -fit.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann was too busy picking tulips<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">105</a></span> to talk to the children. -He left word with his housekeeper though, that they were to have all -the flowers they needed. Hanny helped the Brownies choose the blooms -they wanted.</p> - -<p>“My, I wish we had a tulip bed,” Vevi remarked. “Miss Mohr, could the -Brownie Scouts have a little plot of ground at the library?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it, and I know just the place,” the -librarian replied. “It will be too late for spring bulbs. However, once -the ground is prepared, you can set out other plants.”</p> - -<p>“I would rather have tulips,” Vevi said, burying her nose in the -crimson bouquet she had gathered. “They are the most beautiful flowers -in the world.”</p> - -<p>“I would like a bed of nothing but Golden Beauties,” declared Connie.</p> - -<p>“How soon can we have our flower bed?” Sunny Davidson asked.</p> - -<p>“I will have the plot spaded and raked tomorrow so that the ground -is even and workable,” the librarian promised. “If you speak to Mrs. -Langley about it, I am sure she will give you plants from her estate.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like pansies,” Rosemary said. “And forget-me-nots.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">106</a></span> -Sunny thought the bed should be planted with marigolds or -late-flowering plants such as asters or chrysanthemums. Connie favored -geraniums, while Jane thought an old fashioned herb garden would be the -most interesting.</p> - -<p>“I just want tulips,” Vevi said again. “The Brownies should have a -tulip garden while the festival is going on.”</p> - -<p>“I wish we had thought of it earlier,” Miss Gordon replied. “Since we -didn’t, I am afraid you will have to forget the tulip bed, Vevi.”</p> - -<p>After gathering armfuls of tulips at Windmill Farm, the girls set the -stems in tubs of water so they would not wilt.</p> - -<p>Just then Mr. Van Der Lann came in from the field. He spoke to everyone -and bestowed a very special smile upon Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“I am driving to the Langley estate now in my truck,” he said. “I will -be glad to take the tubs of flowers there for you.”</p> - -<p>“May we ride too?” Jane asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I have plenty of room,” he assured her. “Jump in.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann was carrying a load of potted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">107</a></span> plants to the estate. -The children had never seen so many beautiful tulips.</p> - -<p>“It will be fun riding with the flowers!” cried Vevi. “I want to sit -beside the Golden Beauty.”</p> - -<p>The choice tulip, however, was not among the other potted plants in the -back of the truck. Vevi was very worried about it until she discovered -that the nurseryman was carrying his best tulips in a special box on -the front seat.</p> - -<p>At the Langley estate dozens of gardeners were hard at work preparing -the grounds for the coming affair.</p> - -<p>The grass was being cut with big power mowers. All of the hedges had -been neatly trimmed. One worker was edging the walks.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann drove his truck close to the greenhouse. While he was -lifting out his flowers, the Brownies went on ahead into the building.</p> - -<p>“My, it’s hot in here!” Vevi exclaimed. “It takes my breath away.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies spied Mrs. Langley telling workmen how to arrange -different flower exhibits. Mr. Piff was there too. The girls saw him -start to put up a poster advertising the Rosedale tulip festival.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">108</a></span> -“No! No! Not in here, of all places!” Mrs. Langley exclaimed. “You will -ruin the artistic effect.”</p> - -<p>“Where shall I put the poster?” the promoter asked. He seemed rather -annoyed by Mrs. Langley’s refusal to let him tack it up in the -greenhouse.</p> - -<p>“Not anywhere on the estate, please.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you want to advertise the festival?”</p> - -<p>“This is a private, non-commercial judging show,” Mrs. Langley -explained. “I can’t have the grounds cluttered with cheap signs.”</p> - -<p>“Cheap signs!” Mr. Piff exploded. “Well, I like that! Let me tell you, -if we don’t advertise, the festival will be a flop. Your money is -invested in it too.”</p> - -<p>“How well I know,” replied Mrs. Langley coldly. “I deeply regret that I -allowed you to talk me into the affair. Your methods—”</p> - -<p>The garden club president did not finish what she had intended to say. -At that instant she saw the tulips which Mr. Van Der Lann had brought -into the greenhouse.</p> - -<p>“Oh, such beautiful flowers!” she exclaimed. “I have never seen more -lovely blooms. And this golden-hued tulip! What is it, Mr. Van Der -Lann?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">109</a></span> -“A new variety I am introducing,” the nurseryman replied politely. “I -call it the Golden Beauty.”</p> - -<p>“It is the showiest flower so far brought in.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Ma’am, for the praise,” said the nurseryman. “I only wish -that you were to be one of the judges.”</p> - -<p>While Mr. Van Der Lann was arranging his display, Mr. and Mrs. Mattox -drove up in their truck. They too had brought many gorgeous flowers for -the judging contest.</p> - -<p>“Look at that rosy-red tulip,” Connie directed Vevi’s attention to -a potted plant which Mrs. Mattox was showing to the garden club -president. “Isn’t it pretty?”</p> - -<p>The tulip which Mrs. Mattox had named Candy Stick, resembled -peppermint. It stood on a tall, graceful stem, its outer petals a -cherry-rose color. Inside petals were a delicate white.</p> - -<p>Vevi was deeply worried when she saw the handsome tulip. For a second -she thought it was a prettier flower than the one Peter Van Der Lann -had developed. Then she decided that the Golden Beauty was the better.</p> - -<p>“They’re both very nice,” Connie said. “I hope<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">110</a></span> though, that Peter’s -tulip wins the blue ribbon tomorrow.”</p> - -<p>After admiring all the lovely flowers, the Brownies helped Miss Mohr -and Miss Gordon decorate the outdoor booth. They put up colored crepe -paper to cover the rough boards and pasted on the tulips they had made -at the library. When the job finally was finished, the Brownies were -very proud of their work.</p> - -<p>“I just hope a wind doesn’t come along tonight and ruin everything,” -Vevi said anxiously. “That would be too mean.”</p> - -<p>“Or a rain,” added Connie, glancing up at the slightly overcast sky.</p> - -<p>“If it should rain, workmen will move the booth indoors,” Miss Mohr -reassured the girls. “I think though, that tomorrow will be fair.”</p> - -<p>Her prediction proved true. The day of the flower show dawned warm and -clear.</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie were up with the birds. Even before breakfast they were -dressed in their Dutch costumes, ready to go to Mrs. Langley’s estate.</p> - -<p>By ten o’clock all of the Brownies, including Hanny, had arrived on the -grounds. First of all, before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">111</a></span> taking turns working at the stand, the -children visited the greenhouse where the tulips were to be judged.</p> - -<p>In addition to the Golden Beauty and the Candy Stripe, other varieties -had been displayed by Rosedale growers. There were groupings of Parrot -tulips, Darwins and hybrids. One section of the room was devoted to -tiny tulips suitable only for rock gardens.</p> - -<p>“Do you think the Golden Beauty will win?” Hanny anxiously asked her -little friends.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” said Vevi loyally.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter says that Mr. and Mrs. Mattox have a very fine tulip,” -Hanny went on. “The judges seem to like it too.”</p> - -<p>Now two men and a lady had been selected to award the prize ribbons. -The three were experts in judging tulips. They wandered back and forth -between the rows of flowers, making notes on paper. Now and then they -whispered together. It was hard to tell though, which tulip they -thought was the best.</p> - -<p>Vevi noticed a tall stranger in a gray suit who had entered the -greenhouse. He seemed to be watching the persons who came in, rather -than looking at the flowers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">112</a></span> -“Who is that man?” Vevi asked, pointing him out to Hanny and Connie.</p> - -<p>“No one I ever saw before,” Connie replied carelessly. “Maybe he is one -of Mr. Piff’s friends.”</p> - -<p>The stranger, however, did not speak to the flower festival promoter -when the latter came into the greenhouse. In fact, the man did not talk -to anyone.</p> - -<p>“Maybe he is a detective,” Vevi decided. “Mrs. Langley may have hired -him to watch the prize tulips.”</p> - -<p>Convinced that this was so, she went over to <a name="ask" id="ask"></a><ins title="Original has asked">ask</ins> -the garden club president about it.</p> - -<p>“No, dear,” Mrs. Langley assured her, “I do not have a detective on the -grounds.”</p> - -<p>“Then who is that man who keeps watching everyone so closely?” Vevi -asked.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Langley turned to glance at the tall man in the gray suit. She had -never seen him before.</p> - -<p>“He probably is from some nearby town,” she told Vevi. “Many persons -are here today that I do not know.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe he is a friend of Mrs. Gabriel,” Vevi speculated.</p> - -<p>She had noticed that the man kept watching both Mrs. Gabriel and the -Mattox couple who had come to the show together.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">113</a></span> -“Who is Mrs. Gabriel?” inquired Mrs. Langley absently. She was not -paying very much attention to the conversation for her mind was on -other important matters.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gabriel is very fond of flowers,” Vevi remarked. “I guess she -must have one of the largest gardens in Rosedale.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you think that, dear?”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Langley knew every interesting garden in the entire city and had -never heard of one maintained by a Mrs. Gabriel.</p> - -<p>“Because Mrs. Gabriel buys so many tulip bulbs.” Vevi replied. “She -tried to place a very large order with Peter Van Der Lann. When he -wouldn’t take it, she went to the Mattox Nursery with her business.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Langley now was listening more attentively to the little girl. -Neither of them noticed that the stranger in gray had moved closer. He -too could hear their conversation.</p> - -<p>“You say Mr. Van Der Lann turned down a very large bulb order?” the -garden club president asked. “Well, that is odd. I wonder why?”</p> - -<p>“He didn’t seem to like Mrs. Gabriel.”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gabriel—” repeated the society woman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">114</a></span> mulling over the name. -“I’m quite sure I never have heard of her, or her garden. Why would she -order tulips at this time of year? Perhaps it was for fall delivery. -No doubt that was it, Vevi. Mr. Van Der Lann turned down the business, -because this isn’t a good time to plant bulbs. Any that were bought now -would have to be held until Fall.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Langley was called away just then and so said no more about Mrs. -Gabriel. However, the man in gray moved over to where Vevi stood.</p> - -<p>“Hello, little girl,” he greeted her. And in a friendly voice, he -asked: “Which lady is Mrs. Gabriel? Is she the one in the darkblue -dress?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no, that is Mrs. Howard,” Vevi answered. “Mrs. Gabriel is over by -the door, talking to Peter Van Der Lann.”</p> - -<p>“The owner of Windmill Farm?”</p> - -<p>Vevi merely nodded and did not answer. She had begun to wonder why the -man asked so many curious questions.</p> - -<p>“Say, you must be a detective,” she declared, after studying him a -moment.</p> - -<p>The man only smiled. He started to ask Vevi another question, but -before he could do so, Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">115</a></span> Langley clapped her hands to attract -everyone’s attention.</p> - -<p>The room became very quiet.</p> - -<p>“The judges are ready to award the prize ribbons,” announced the garden -club president. “Clear the aisles, please. In a moment now, we will -know which tulip is considered the best in the show.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">116</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_12" id="chapter_12"></a><i><small>Chapter 12</small></i><br /> -A FLOWER SHOW</h2> - - -<p class="noi">AN expectant hush fell upon the crowd as Mrs. Langley made her -announcement.</p> - -<p>Everyone watched the three judges, wondering which tulip they would -choose for the first prize award.</p> - -<p>“Oh, they’re stopping beside the candy stripe tulip!” Vevi whispered -nervously to Connie. “That is the flower they are going to choose.”</p> - -<p>Connie thought so too and so did Hanny who stood beside the two -Brownies. Her tense face puckered up and she looked as if she were -about to burst into tears.</p> - -<p>“If Uncle Peter’s tulip doesn’t win, I’ll have to go back to the -orphanage in Holland,” she whispered. “I know it!”</p> - -<p>The judges were now pinning a ribbon on the table where the candy -stripe tulip was displayed.</p> - -<p>“The Mattox flower wins,” Hanny said with a little moan. “Oh, I was -afraid of it. The flower is very beautiful.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">117</a></span> -“But not half as nice as the Golden Beauty,” Vevi declared loyally. “I -don’t see how the judges could make such a mistake.”</p> - -<p>“They haven’t!” cried Connie. “Just look at the color of the ribbon, -you dopes!”</p> - -<p>Hanny and Vevi laughed aloud, so great was their relief. True, the -judges had pinned a ribbon on the Mattox’ table. But it was not a blue -ribbon. Instead, it was red and bore printing which said “Second Prize.”</p> - -<p>“The first prize hasn’t been awarded yet,” Hanny said, breathing -naturally again. “Uncle Peter still has a chance.”</p> - -<p>Again the judges paused, this time beside the table on which stood the -Golden Beauty. They whispered together. Then one of the men pinned the -blue ribbon on Peter Van Der Lann’s choice flower.</p> - -<p>“He’s won first prize!” shouted Vevi. “Hurrah!”</p> - -<p>Hanny couldn’t say a word. Tears streamed down her cheeks. This time, -however, they were tears of happiness.</p> - -<p>Everyone crowded about the nurseryman, offering congratulations. At -once, flower lovers began asking him how they could obtain bulbs of the -Golden Beauty for fall planting.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">118</a></span> -Mr. Piff pushed through the throng to shake Peter’s hand.</p> - -<p>“Congratulations!” he boomed. “Mr. Van Der Lann, you and I will have to -make a deal. I understand you have a good stock of bulbs on hand. Now -that you’ve won first prize, I can arrange to sell them for you at a -fancy price. My commission will be very small—”</p> - -<p>“You will receive no commission from me,” the nurseryman broke in. -He made it plain that he wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the -promoter. “I have already arranged to sell my entire stock to a large -seed house in the East. Now that I have won the blue ribbon, the bulbs -will command a good price.”</p> - -<p>Hanny was so happy over her uncle’s good fortune that she scarcely -could contain her joy. She went skipping over the grounds, telling -everyone about the Golden Beauty.</p> - -<p>“Now you know why I called the locked room our treasure house!” she -said to Vevi. “All those fine bulbs that are stored there will be worth -their weight in gold.”</p> - -<p>“My, I wish the Brownies had a bed of Golden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">119</a></span> Beauty tulips,” remarked -Rosemary Fritche, who had listened to the talk.</p> - -<p>“So do I,” added Vevi wistfully.</p> - -<p>“I will give you some of the bulbs,” Hanny offered.</p> - -<p>“Not of the Golden Beauty?” Rosemary asked in amazement.</p> - -<p>Hanny nodded. “I will give you some of the culls,” she promised. “They -are bulbs that are too small to sell. Each one will bear a flower, but -it will not be large.”</p> - -<p>“That wouldn’t matter,” Vevi said. “When may we have the bulbs?”</p> - -<p>“Come to Windmill Farm when we leave here and I will give you a bag of -them,” Hanny offered.</p> - -<p>Throughout most of the day, the Brownie Scouts remained at the Langley -estate. They took turns working at the flower stand. Tussie-mussie -bouquets sold very well at twenty-five cents each. The girls also -disposed of many tulips.</p> - -<p>When they sold out, Mr. Van Der Lann and Hanny drove to Windmill Farm -in the truck to bring more flowers.</p> - -<p>“My, but the Brownies have made a lot of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">120</a></span> money,” Jane Tuttle remarked, -jingling the coins in the cash box. “Shall we count it?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s,” agreed Vevi. “You start on the nickels and pennies. I will -take the dimes and quarters.”</p> - -<p>The large coins were easy to count. Vevi reported very quickly that -they amounted to ten dollars and forty cents.</p> - -<p>Jane had to count the pennies and nickels twice. She kept getting mixed -up.</p> - -<p>“There are two dollars and a quarter in nickels,” she finally decided. -“I think the pennies add up to a dollar and three cents.”</p> - -<p>“That makes thirteen dollars!” exclaimed Vevi. “The Brownies are rich!”</p> - -<p>“Thirteen dollars and sixty-eight cents,” corrected Connie who was -better at arithmetic than her little friend.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon told the children she would take charge of the money for -them. Sunny Davidson asked what the organization would do with the fund.</p> - -<p>“Will we have a nice party?” she questioned.</p> - -<p>“We could,” Miss Gordon agreed. “I wonder though, if the girls wouldn’t -prefer to do something really worthwhile. Miss Mohr has a suggestion.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">121</a></span> -The librarian’s proposal was that the Brownie Scout troop use some -of its money to send a CARE package of children’s books to a foreign -country.</p> - -<p>“Any country?” asked Vevi.</p> - -<p>“Yes, the girls may make their choice.”</p> - -<p>“Italy,” cried Jane before any of the other Brownies could speak. She -named that particular country just to tease Vevi.</p> - -<p>“No, Holland!” insisted Vevi. “That’s where I want the package to go!”</p> - -<p>Usually, the other Brownies had ideas that were very different from -hers. This time, however, everyone except Jane agreed with her. Because -of Hanny, all the troop members wanted the book package to be sent to -Holland.</p> - -<p>“I’ll vote for Holland too,” declared Jane, changing her vote.</p> - -<p>“That matter is settled then,” Miss Mohr said, well pleased by the -decision. “I’ll take care of the matter.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies had worked hard at their stand and now were tired and -ready to go home. Everyone said the flower show had been a great -success. Hundreds of persons had visited the estate, admiring the -beautiful plantings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">122</a></span> -Mr. Piff and the Mattox couple were the only ones who did not seem -pleased.</p> - -<p>“This flower show was a mistake,” the promoter complained. “The affair -has attracted so many persons that it may hurt attendance at the big -festival later this week.”</p> - -<p>“The festival will be an anti-climax,” agreed Mr. Mattox. “I wish you -hadn’t talked me into contributing so much money.”</p> - -<p>“You made us believe that our tulip would win the prize and that we -would make a great deal from the sale of bulbs,” Mrs. Mattox accused -the promoter. “Now Peter Van Der Lann wins the blue ribbon and he had -nothing to do with the festival! It is unfair!”</p> - -<p>“Was it my fault the judges didn’t choose your tulip?” Mr. Piff -growled. “Let me tell you I’ve had my troubles! Everyone is -complaining—jumping on me—saying I haven’t kept my promises.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe you’d like to get out of the whole mess?” suggested Mr. Mattox.</p> - -<p>“I sure would! I’m fed up with Rosedale and this stupid festival.”</p> - -<p>“You’re fed up! You’re starting to make excuses because you are afraid -the thing will be a flop. Well,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">123</a></span> let me tell you this, Mr. Piff. You -promised that if we put in five thousand dollars, we’d get it back in -bulb sales. You’d better make good!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you make me tired,” Mr. Piff retorted.</p> - -<p>He walked angrily off and the Brownies did not hear any more. A little -later though, they saw the president of the Rosedale Savings Bank -talking soberly to the promoter.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Piff is in trouble with everyone,” Miss Gordon told the Brownies. -“He has obtained heavy contributions from Rosedale businessmen and -flower growers. However, he failed with his publicity, and now the -businessmen are afraid they will lose nearly everything they put into -the affair.”</p> - -<p>Visitors began to leave the Langley grounds. Connie’s mother presently -drove all the Brownies except Vevi, to their homes. Vevi, who wanted to -obtain the bag of Golden Beauty culls, said she would wait until Mr. -Van Der Lann and Hanny were ready to leave.</p> - -<p>The nurseryman loaded his truck with plants and drove to Windmill Farm, -taking both Hanny and Vevi with him.</p> - -<p>“I will have to make one more trip,” he told them after he had -unloaded. “Then I will take you home, Vevi.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">124</a></span> -The two girls decided to wait at the farm until Mr. Van Der Lann -returned. He promised he would be back within a half hour at the latest.</p> - -<p>“Look after everything, Hanny,” he instructed.</p> - -<p>After Mr. Van Der Lann had gone with the truck, Hanny and Vevi had a -snack of cheese and crackers. Then they decided to get the bag of tulip -culls.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure your uncle will not mind?” Vevi asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, he will want you to have them, Vevi. The bulbs are too small to -be sold. He is giving Miss Mohr some Golden Beauty tulips too. Only he -will let her have choice stock.”</p> - -<p>“I guess that is because he likes her better than anyone else,” Vevi -said with a giggle.</p> - -<p>She knew that Mr. Van Der Lann and the pretty librarian twice had been -seen together at the movies. Everyone in Rosedale, it seemed, had -talked about it, saying they made a nice couple.</p> - -<p>“It is getting late,” Vevi said, deciding not to tease her little -friend about Miss Mohr. “I should be starting home.”</p> - -<p>“I will fetch the bulbs,” Hanny offered. “They are in the barn.”</p> - -<p>Vevi went with her to the building. While they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">125</a></span> were inside, Hanny -tossed several ears of corn into the cow’s manger.</p> - -<p>After that she sorted through several bags of bulbs until she found the -one for which she searched.</p> - -<p>“When you plant these, use a little fertilizer with them,” she -instructed. “That will make them grow faster. And press the bulbs down -firmly, so there will be no air pockets.”</p> - -<p>Vevi picked up the bag and started to leave the barn. In the open -doorway she paused and uttered an exclamation of surprise.</p> - -<p>“You have a visitor, Hanny,” she said.</p> - -<p>“A customer?” inquired Hanny. “Not the Mattox couple again!”</p> - -<p>She went quickly to the door. Vevi pointed toward the locked house -where the choice tulip bulbs were stored.</p> - -<p>A man stood at the door, apparently tampering with the padlock. His -back was toward the barn, so the children could not immediately see who -he was.</p> - -<p>As they watched, he moved slightly. Then they obtained a plain view of -his face.</p> - -<p>“Why, it is that same man in gray who attended<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">126</a></span> the flower show at Mrs. -Langley’s!” Vevi exclaimed. “What is he doing here? Why is he trying to -break into the little house?”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">127</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_13" id="chapter_13"></a><i><small>Chapter 13</small></i><br /> -A BAG OF TULIPS</h2> - - -<p class="noi">AS the two girls watched, the man in gray merely shook the padlock, but -did not try to smash it open.</p> - -<p>Hanny and Vevi hurried over to the little house.</p> - -<p>“Why are you trying to break in?” Hanny demanded severely of the -stranger.</p> - -<p>“Just checking,” he replied. He smiled at her in a friendly way, not -acting in the least as if he had been caught trying to steal or do -anything dishonest. “Is your uncle at home, Hanny?”</p> - -<p>“No, he isn’t,” Hanny answered. She was astonished that the man knew -her first name.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing here anyhow?” questioned Vevi alertly. “You’re not -a detective, are you?”</p> - -<p>Once a long while before, the little girl had been carried away with a -circus and during the exciting trip had met a detective. The manner of -this quiet stranger reminded her somewhat of the other investigator.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">128</a></span> -“My name is Frederick Evans,” the man replied. “I’m with the FBI.”</p> - -<p>“The FBI!” gasped Vevi, deeply impressed. “Is that the secret service?”</p> - -<p>“FBI stands for Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m doing a little -investigating.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Evans then began to ask casual questions about Hanny’s uncle and -the various customers who came to his farm. He inquired as to recent -shipments of tulip bulbs from Holland and whether or not Mr. Van Der -Lann had any helpers.</p> - -<p>“Only me,” Hanny replied to the last question. “We did have a hired man -earlier this spring. But now he is working for Mr. and Mrs. Mattox.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Evans next asked if Hanny’s uncle had a customer by the name of -Mrs. Gabriel.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” the little girl returned with emphasis. “She used to come -here, but Uncle Peter told her he did not want her business.”</p> - -<p>“Did he tell you why?”</p> - -<p>Hanny shook her head. She had been made very uneasy by so many -questions about her uncle.</p> - -<p>“I’ll drop around later when Mr. Van Der Lann is at home,” the FBI man -said to reassure her. “He may be able to help me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">129</a></span> -Very shortly the stranger left without explaining why he had come to -Windmill Farm or what he was investigating. Hanny, however, was very -worried.</p> - -<p>“FBI men always arrest people, don’t they?” she remarked nervously to -Vevi. “Why would he come here?”</p> - -<p>“Maybe he thinks your uncle has done something wrong.”</p> - -<p>“Not Uncle Peter,” declared Hanny. “No, it is about Mrs. Gabriel, I -think. Oh, dear, I wish my uncle were here. I’m worried.”</p> - -<p>By this time it was quite late. Mr. Van Der Lann had been gone much -longer than half an hour. Vevi knew she would have to start home at -once if she were to be on time for supper.</p> - -<p>“I must go right away,” she said. “I will see you tomorrow, Hanny. -Thanks a lot for the bag of bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter will take you home if you wait.”</p> - -<p>“I had better go now,” Vevi decided. “My Mother will be expecting me.”</p> - -<p>Hanny walked with her to the gate. The bus did not run very often, so -Vevi set off afoot.</p> - -<p>At first the bag of tulip bulbs did not seem very heavy. But as she -trudged on over the rolling hills,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">130</a></span> it seemed to take on added weight. -Several times she had to stop and set it down on the pavement a moment -to rest her arm.</p> - -<p>“My I wish someone would offer me a ride,” she thought wearily.</p> - -<p>Two cars sped past. The drivers did not appear to notice the tired -little girl.</p> - -<p>Presently, another automobile rolled over a hill, coming from the -direction of the Mattox Farm. Vevi glanced hopefully over her shoulder.</p> - -<p>Noticing that the driver of the car was Mrs. Gabriel she was certain -she would not be offered a ride.</p> - -<p>She was surprised, therefore, when the big powerfully-built automobile -coasted to a standstill beside her.</p> - -<p>“Hello, little girl,” said Mrs. Gabriel in a very friendly voice. “May -I give you a lift to Rosedale?”</p> - -<p>Now Vevi did not like Mrs. Gabriel. She wanted to turn down the ride, -but she was dreadfully tired.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” she accepted politely, “This bag is very heavy.”</p> - -<p>“Tulip bulbs?” asked Mrs. Gabriel, opening the car door.</p> - -<p>“Just some culls that Hanny gave me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">131</a></span> -As Vevi slid into the car, she noticed that canvas bags, very similar -to the one she carried, were piled on the floor.</p> - -<p>“I see you bought some tulip bulbs yourself,” she remarked. “Or were -they given to you?”</p> - -<p>“I bought them,” Mrs. Gabriel answered shortly. “They are special -stock. The shipment I ordered direct from Holland came today.”</p> - -<p>“Are they nicer bulbs than Mr. Van Der Lann’s Golden Beauty?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Van Der Lann!” replied Mrs. Gabriel. “His tulips are greatly -over-rated. Even if he did win a blue ribbon, I prefer to do business -with Mr. and Mrs. Mattox.”</p> - -<p>Now Vevi thought that Mrs. Gabriel could not possibly have bought bulbs -that would produce flowers nicer than the Golden Beauty. However, she -was too polite to say so.</p> - -<p>She dropped her bag of culls down on the floor among the other sacks. -Then, curious to see if the Mattox bulbs were larger than the culls -Hanny had given her, she started to open one of Mrs. Gabriel’s bags.</p> - -<p>“Don’t do that,” the woman reprimanded her sharply.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">132</a></span> -“I’m sorry,” Vevi apologized, drawing back her hand.</p> - -<p>“I can’t have tulip bulbs rolling around loose on the car floor,” Mrs. -Gabriel added.</p> - -<p>Vevi was careful not to touch the bags after that. Nevertheless, she -thought that Mrs. Gabriel was a very disagreeable woman.</p> - -<p>For the first few minutes of the ride, the woman scarcely spoke. Then, -in a much more friendly manner, she began to question Vevi about where -she had been after leaving the flower show.</p> - -<p>“Only to Hanny’s place,” the little girl replied.</p> - -<p>“I saw a car at the gate when I drove by earlier this afternoon,” Mrs. -Gabriel remarked. “It was an automobile I never had noticed there -before.”</p> - -<p>“It must have belonged to the stranger,” answered Vevi carelessly.</p> - -<p>“Stranger?”</p> - -<p>“The same man who was at Mrs. Langley’s flower show. He’s here checking -up on folks.”</p> - -<p>“Checking up on whom?”</p> - -<p>Vevi shrugged and did not answer. She remembered that Hanny had said -she thought the FBI man might be investigating Mrs. Gabriel. But what -could the woman have done wrong?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">133</a></span> -Riding along so comfortably in the big, powerful car, Vevi found -herself liking Mrs. Gabriel a tiny bit. The next moment, though, the -feeling was gone. Mrs. Gabriel spoke very harshly.</p> - -<p>“A Federal investigator, I’ll warrant! The snoop!”</p> - -<p>At the outskirts of Rosedale, Mrs. Gabriel pulled up at the curb.</p> - -<p>“You will have to get out here,” she said shortly. “I can’t take you -any farther.”</p> - -<p>Vevi was surprised for she had expected that Mrs. Gabriel would carry -her at least to within a few blocks of her home. She began to suspect -that the woman had picked her up only so that she might ask questions.</p> - -<p>“Thank you for bringing me this far,” Vevi nevertheless said politely. -“I can walk the rest of the way. It is only six or eight blocks.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel swung open the car door, impatiently waiting for the -little girl to alight.</p> - -<p>“Oh, my tulip bulbs!” Vevi exclaimed, nearly forgetting them.</p> - -<p>She picked up the bag from the floor, and started to thank Mrs. Gabriel -again for the ride.</p> - -<p>Before she could do so, the woman drove rapidly away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">134</a></span> -Vevi watched the car until it was out of sight. As far as she could -see, Mrs. Gabriel did not turn off the main highway.</p> - -<p>“She could have taken me farther, but she didn’t want to,” Vevi thought -resentfully. “She just wanted to get rid of me.”</p> - -<p>Picking up the bag of tulip bulbs, the little girl trudged slowly on -toward home. The sack seemed heavier than ever now.</p> - -<p>Before she had gone half a block, it seemed to her that her arm would -break.</p> - -<p>Vevi paused beside a fence to rest. She noticed that the -<a name="canvas" id="canvas"></a><ins title="Original has canves">canvas</ins> bag had the numerals 67543 stamped on the canvas. Also -in black letters were printed the name of a city in Holland.</p> - -<p>“That’s funny,” reflected Vevi. “I thought Hanny gave me an old bag -without any markings on it. I guess I didn’t notice very well.”</p> - -<p>Picking up the bag once more, she started on. Every few yards she had -to shift it to the other hand. Even so, she began to wish she never had -tried to carry the bulbs home.</p> - -<p>“I should have waited for Mr. Van Der Lann,” she thought. “I never knew -culls could be so heavy.”</p> - -<p>Now the joke actually was on Vevi. Though she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">135</a></span> did not suspect it, the -bag of bulbs Hanny had given her was at this moment being carried away -in Mrs. Gabriel’s car.</p> - -<p>Unknowingly, the little girl had picked up another bag in exchange. The -mistake was certain to cause a great deal of trouble for Mrs. Gabriel, -but of this, Vevi was blissfully unaware.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">136</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_14" id="chapter_14"></a><i><small>Chapter 14</small></i><br /> -MR. PIFF’S TROUBLES</h2> - - -<p class="noi">“MOTHER, how can the Brownie Scouts have a tulip bed—one that will -grow fast?”</p> - -<p>Vevi asked the question at the breakfast table. It was the morning -after Mrs. Langley’s flower show and she still felt rather tired.</p> - -<p>“A tulip bed?” repeated Vevi’s mother absently. She was reading the -paper and not paying too much attention to the conversation. “I am -afraid it is too late for this year, dear.”</p> - -<p>“Hanny gave me a bag of bulbs yesterday, Mother.”</p> - -<p>“Why, that’s fine,” approved Mrs. McGuire. “You can wrap them in paper -and keep them in a cool place until fall.”</p> - -<p>“But I want tulips right away,” Vevi insisted. “How can I make them -grow fast?”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid you can’t, dear. Nurserymen sometimes ‘force’ plants to -bring them to flower earlier or out of season. That however, takes -special skill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">137</a></span> and exact temperatures. Fertilizer, of course, helps to -make plants develop fast.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to force my bulbs,” Vevi announced. “The Brownies have such a -nice bed at the library now. But so far it is only bare ground.”</p> - -<p>“It is too late to plant tulip bulbs this spring,” said Mrs. McGuire. -“The Brownies, I am afraid, will have to be satisfied with late -flowering plants.”</p> - -<p>The information disappointed Vevi. After seeing so many beautiful -tulips at Windmill Farm, she felt she never would be happy to have the -Brownie bed devoted to any other flower. Besides, she was eager to -discover if the Golden Beauty culls really would bloom.</p> - -<p>“Today is the first day of the flower festival,” Mrs. McGuire remarked. -“From all I hear, the affair will not be a success.”</p> - -<p>“I think I will take a book to the library,” Vevi announced. She knew -it would give her an excuse to go down town to see what was happening.</p> - -<p>“Don’t stay long, dear,” Mrs. McGuire advised.</p> - -<p>Vevi felt very light hearted as she tripped along the street. Colored -bunting decorated the lamp posts and hung from overhead wires on Main -Street.</p> - -<p>As Vevi reached the library, a parade went by.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">138</a></span> Hearing the band music, -she paused to watch. The beat and rumble of the drum made her blood -race.</p> - -<p>Not many people were watching the parade, and it did not last long. -There were a few floats and several automobiles carrying flags. Almost -before Vevi knew it, the procession had ended.</p> - -<p>“I don’t call that much of a parade,” said a voice directly behind Vevi.</p> - -<p>She whirled around to see Connie and Jane standing behind her. It was -Jane who had spoken. Both girls wore their Brownie uniforms.</p> - -<p>“My, you startled me!” Vevi laughed. “What brought you girls downtown?”</p> - -<p>“The flower festival,” explained Connie. “Only so far it doesn’t amount -to anything.”</p> - -<p>“Hardly anyone is attending,” declared Jane. “My father says Mr. Piff -has made a mess of the show. Everyone is dissatisfied.”</p> - -<p>The girls went into the library with Vevi who returned her books. -They stopped to chat with Miss Mohr a moment, noticing a bouquet of -beautiful scarlet tulips on her desk.</p> - -<p>“I can guess where those came from!” laughed Connie. “Windmill Farm!”</p> - -<p>“That is right,” agreed the librarian. “Peter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">139</a></span> brought them over -himself early this morning.”</p> - -<p>The Brownie Scouts noticed that Miss Mohr used the name “Peter” instead -of Mr. Van Der Lann. Jane winked at Vevi who <a name="understood" id="understood"></a><ins title="Original has understand">understood</ins> -what she meant. By this time all the Brownies knew that Miss Mohr and -Mr. Van Der Lann were the best of friends. In fact, the couple had been -seen together at several social gatherings.</p> - -<p>“Oh, by the way, girls,” said Miss Mohr. “The Brownie garden has been -spaded and raked. It is ready now for the planting of seeds.”</p> - -<p>“Tulips?” inquired Vevi hopefully. “Hanny gave me a bagful of bulbs. I -have them at home.”</p> - -<p>“Tulips would be nice,” replied Miss Mohr. She was busy checking out a -book and spoke absently. “When the right time comes to plant—”</p> - -<p>“Most of the bulbs in my bag are Golden Beauties,” Vevi told Jane and -Connie. “When they bloom, they will be the best tulips in Rosedale!”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr had finished waiting on another child who had asked for a -special book on frogs. Returning to the Brownies she reported that she -had a special message for Vevi.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gabriel is looking for you,” the librarian said. “She came -here not an hour ago, asking where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">140</a></span> you lived. She said it was most -important that she find you right away.”</p> - -<p>The message astonished Vevi. She could not guess why Mrs. Gabriel would -want to see her.</p> - -<p>“Where does Mrs. Gabriel live?” she asked the librarian. “I could go to -her house if it is important.”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr said she did not have the woman’s address. “It’s odd,” she -added, “but no one in Rosedale seems to know where she lives, or for -that matter, very much about her.”</p> - -<p>“Why does she want to see me, Miss Mohr?”</p> - -<p>“She didn’t say, Vevi. However, she seemed very disturbed about -something.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve been in mischief again, I’ll bet!” teased Jane, pointing an -accusing finger at Vevi.</p> - -<p>“I have not! She gave me a ride part way home from Windmill Farm -yesterday. I was nice as pie to her.”</p> - -<p>Vevi was a little worried to know that Mrs. Gabriel was looking for -her. She could not think of anything she had done or said that would -cause the woman to seek her.</p> - -<p>Leaving the library, the three girls went out to look at the flower -bed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">141</a></span> -The plot was circular, nicely rounded in the center. It had been deeply -spaded and the soil raked until it was nearly as fine as sand grains.</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet my tulips would grow fast here!” Vevi said. “If I plant them -right away, maybe they will bloom by summer.”</p> - -<p>“Dope!” chided Jane. “Tulips only bloom in the Spring.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe it depends on when you plant them,” Vevi argued. “Folks plant -bulbs in the fall for Spring blooms. So if you plant in the Spring, why -wouldn’t the flowers come in summer?”</p> - -<p>“And if you plant in the summer, I suppose the tulips would bloom in -the winter!” Connie joked. “Oh, Vevi!”</p> - -<p>“You heard Miss Mohr say I could plant tulips.”</p> - -<p>“She did, that’s true,” Connie admitted.</p> - -<p>“Those Golden Beauty culls Hanny gave me are something special, don’t -forget,” Vevi argued. “Miss Mohr must know all about them. That’s -probably why she said I could plant them now. Their growing season must -be shorter than for other tulips.”</p> - -<p>“She wasn’t paying much attention to what you said,” Jane recalled -doubtfully. “I don’t think she really heard—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">142</a></span> -“Oh, yes, she did,” Vevi cut in. “Miss Mohr said I could plant tulips, -and she meant it too.”</p> - -<p>“I think pansies would be nicer,” Jane argued. “I saw a pretty basket -of them a few minutes ago on my way to the library.”</p> - -<p>“No pansies,” Vevi said emphatically. “That would cost money. I have -the tulip bulbs and they didn’t cost a penny.”</p> - -<p>Jane and Connie reluctantly abandoned the argument. Having won her -point, Vevi now was eager to plant the bulbs immediately.</p> - -<p>“You’ll need tools,” Jane pointed out “Do you have a trowel?”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, a thing you dig with. We have one at home. Then you ought to have -fertilizer to put with each bulb. I know because I’ve watched my father -plant things lots of times.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go to your house and get the stuff we’ll need,” proposed Vevi.</p> - -<p>Jane protested that she had come down town to see the flower festival. -She was not ready as yet to return home.</p> - -<p>“Let’s look at the flowers quick then,” Vevi urged. “Most of the -exhibits are at the auditorium.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">143</a></span> -The girls walked to the centrally located public building. At the door -they discovered that tickets were required in order to get inside.</p> - -<p>“I don’t have fifty cents,” Vevi announced. “Even if I did I wouldn’t -spend it to see flowers growing in pots. I would rather look at them -free on Windmill Farm.”</p> - -<p>“Anyway, hardly anyone is in the auditorium,” Connie observed, peering -through the open door.</p> - -<p>The girls caught a glimpse of a room filled with all types of spring -flowers. In the center of the hall, an artificial fountain splashed -into a shallow tank where goldfish swam.</p> - -<p>“That fountain isn’t nearly as nice as the one on Mrs. Langley’s -estate,” Jane said.</p> - -<p>“There aren’t many flowers either,” added Connie. “See all the blank -spaces along the wall where there should be exhibits.”</p> - -<p>As the three were peering in, Mr. Piff came along.</p> - -<p>“Children you are blocking the door,” he scolded. “Stand aside so that -folks can get into the auditorium.”</p> - -<p>“There aren’t any folks trying to get in,” Jane replied. “I guess you -aren’t selling many tickets.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff scowled, not liking the little girl’s observation.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">144</a></span> Then he -smiled wryly and admitted that she was right.</p> - -<p>“Do you girls want to go inside?” he inquired. “Pass right on in.”</p> - -<p>“Free?” Vevi asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“Go ahead,” Mr. Piff directed. “What’s the difference? This show is a -flop and everyone knows it.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe more people will come tomorrow,” Connie said kindly.</p> - -<p>“Tomorrow will be worse than today,” Mr. Piff rejoined. “I only hope I -won’t be here to hear the squawks of the business men when they find -out how deep in the hole we’re going to be.”</p> - -<p>“You’re not going away?” Connie asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“No, no, certainly not.” Mr. Piff laughed, but in a hollow sort of way.</p> - -<p>Following the girls into the auditorium, he voiced a steady stream of -complaints.</p> - -<p>“This show would have been a success if it hadn’t been for Peter Van -Der Lann. That stubborn Dutchman hung the sign on me by refusing to -cooperate. Then some of the other growers wouldn’t come into the -scheme. Mrs. Langley put in some money, quite a nice chunk, but a few -days ago, she clamped down the lid. Wouldn’t give me another penny.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">145</a></span> -What was worse, her garden show drew all the customers away from this -one.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies listened to Mr. Piff without saying much in return. They -went over to the fountain to watch the goldfish swim in the basin.</p> - -<p>“Some of the fish are dead,” Vevi said, noticing the ones that floated -on top of the water.</p> - -<p>“Your flowers are wilting too,” declared Jane. “It is too warm for them -in here.”</p> - -<p>As the girls wandered about, looking at the potted tulips, lilies and -other flowers, Mr. Piff talked to workmen. Connie heard the men ask him -about their pay.</p> - -<p>“Don’t worry, you’ll get it when the show ends,” he told them. “Not -before.”</p> - -<p>Refrigerators, stoves and dish washers were being demonstrated in the -hall. The Brownies thought that having such items on sale ruined the -garden effect.</p> - -<p>After awhile, as they were watching a television set, Mr. Piff rejoined -the girls.</p> - -<p>“As I was saying,” he remarked, “this show would have been a success if -it hadn’t been for Peter Van Der Lann. That tightwad didn’t put a cent -into the affair, and he’s profited more than any grower in Rosedale.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">146</a></span> -“You mean because his tulip won the blue ribbon?” Vevi questioned. She -did not like the way Mr. Piff was talking about Hanny’s uncle.</p> - -<p>“Sure,” the promoter replied. “He won the ribbon, and now folks don’t -want to buy any of the bulbs on sale here. They only want stock from -Van Der Lann. He’ll make a fortune—that is, if he has any bulbs to -sell.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he has!” cried Vevi. “Hanny showed them to me. He has a little -room with a padlock on the door. All his Golden Beauty bulbs are kept -there.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, I noticed that little house when I was out at Windmill Farm,” -Mr. Piff said thoughtfully. “So that’s where he keeps his choice bulbs? -I know a grower who would pay plenty to get them. Mr. Van Der Lann, -though, won’t do business with me.”</p> - -<p>The promoter asked the girls a few more questions about Mr. Van Der -Lann’s bulbs. Then, as he started to turn away, he said to Vevi:</p> - -<p>“By the way, did Mrs. Gabriel see you?”</p> - -<p>“Not today,” answered Vevi. “I have been looking for her too.”</p> - -<p>“She was here not an hour ago. For that matter, she came especially to -find you.”</p> - -<p>Vevi asked Mr. Piff if he knew why the woman wanted to see her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">147</a></span> -“I’ve no idea,” the promoter replied. “She was very angry though. Her -exact words were these: that little imp had better return my property -at once, or there will be trouble!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">148</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_15" id="chapter_15"></a><i><small>Chapter 15</small></i><br /> -THE BROWNIE GARDEN</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI’S first thought was that Mr. Piff was joking about Mrs. Gabriel.</p> - -<p>“She didn’t really say that about me!” the little girl protested.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, she did,” Mr. Piff corrected.</p> - -<p>“But I don’t have any of her property.”</p> - -<p>“Then you should see her and tell her so,” the promoter declared. “If -you don’t, she may turn you over to the police.”</p> - -<p>“She couldn’t do that,” Vevi gasped. “She must have me mixed up with -some other person.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies now had lost all interest in the flower show. Vevi wanted -to find Mrs. Gabriel at once to try to clear up the misunderstanding.</p> - -<p>From one booth to another the girls went, asking if anyone had seen -Mrs. Gabriel. Finally they learned that she had left the building more -than a half hour earlier. It seemed useless to try to seek her further.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">149</a></span> -“I am not going to worry about her,” Vevi decided. “I will let her find -me. I am going home to get my tulip bulbs. Let’s plant them right away.”</p> - -<p>“Why not wait until the next Brownie Scout meeting?” proposed Connie. -“Then all the girls can help.”</p> - -<p>Vevi opposed any delay. “No, we must plant them right away,” she -insisted. “Every day counts if they are to bloom this summer.”</p> - -<p>Leaving the auditorium, the girls started for Jane’s home to collect -digging tools and fertilizer.</p> - -<p>They were only three blocks from the Tuttle home when they spied a -group of children coming toward them.</p> - -<p>“What are they carrying?” Connie speculated.</p> - -<p>Each child in the group of six held a double handful of plump, round -objects.</p> - -<p>“Onions,” declared Jane.</p> - -<p>“Tulip bulbs,” corrected Vevi. By this time the children were quite -close.</p> - -<p>The youngsters would have dashed on past with their plunder, had not -Jane stopped them.</p> - -<p>“Say, where’d you get those?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>The children halted, proudly showing the bulbs.</p> - -<p>“We found ’em,” one of the older boys said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">150</a></span> -“Why, those look just like the Golden Beauty culls that Hanny gave me,” -Vevi commented as she gazed at the fistful of bulbs.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got some bigger ones,” announced another child in the group. He -opened his hands to show the girls several large, plump bulbs.</p> - -<p>“They do look like onions,” declared Connie. “In Holland when times -were hard, the people ate bulbs for food. Miss Mohr told me so.”</p> - -<p>Vevi thought that the bulbs, except for a few, looked like extremely -good ones.</p> - -<p>“Where did you find them?” she asked.</p> - -<p>One of the boys indicated the direction from which he and the others -had come. “Down the street a ways,” he said. “They were lying in a -culvert.”</p> - -<p>“Thrown away?” Vevi asked in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Sure. Someone dumped a lot of ’em there.”</p> - -<p>“Are there any more?” Jane asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Scads of ’em.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s get some,” Jane proposed to her friends. “Come on, before -they’re all gone.”</p> - -<p>Forgetting their plan to plant Vevi’s tulips, the three girls raced -down the street.</p> - -<p>A block away, at the street corner, they saw the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">151</a></span> open culvert. Just as -the boys had said, there lay hundreds of tulips, dumped on the street.</p> - -<p>“Well, did you ever!” exclaimed Jane, amazed by the sight. “Who would -throw away valuable tulips?”</p> - -<p>“And so many of them!” gasped Connie. “Tulip bulbs are expensive. Why, -there must be twenty or thirty dollars worth here at least!”</p> - -<p>“Let’s pick them all up,” proposed Jane excitedly. “The ones we don’t -want for our own gardens, we can sell!”</p> - -<p>A few of the bulbs had broken open or had been crushed. Many were in -perfect condition. The girls filled their skirts, not stopping until -they had gathered every bulb.</p> - -<p>“We can take them to my house,” Jane said. “My, but we have a lot of -’em. Enough for a wonderful garden.”</p> - -<p>Vevi noticed a piece of canvas lying in the gutter.</p> - -<p>Putting down her skirtful of bulbs for a moment, she picked it up.</p> - -<p>“Why, this is a bag,” she said in astonishment. “It must have held some -of the tulips.”</p> - -<p>“Someone dumped them here,” Jane agreed. “I can’t understand why, -either. They look like perfectly good bulbs to me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">152</a></span> -Vevi examined the canvas bag carefully. She noticed that it bore -numbers and was stamped “Holland.”</p> - -<p>“That means these are imported bulbs,” she declared. “This empty bag -looks just like the one I have at home. The number is different though.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t think Hanny or her uncle dumped these tulips here?” Connie -asked.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure they didn’t,” Vevi replied. “Maybe it was Mrs. Gabriel.”</p> - -<p>“Why should she do such a thing?” demanded Jane.</p> - -<p>“It seems silly,” Vevi agreed soberly. “All the same, this bag looks -like some she had in her car. She told me her big Holland order had -just been delivered.”</p> - -<p>“It couldn’t have been Mrs. Gabriel,” Jane argued. “If she had just -bought the bulbs, she certainly wouldn’t throw them away.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe they weren’t good enough for her garden,” Vevi speculated. -“She’s real fussy, I guess.”</p> - -<p>The girls stuffed as many bulbs as they could into the empty bag. The -remainder they carried in their hands to Jane’s home.</p> - -<p>“What will we do with so many tulips?” Connie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">153</a></span> asked. “Shall we use -them for the Brownie Scout garden at the library?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” Vevi said in quick protest. “I want to plant my Golden -Beauties there.”</p> - -<p>“But those bulbs are only culls,” Jane argued. “Most of these are nice -big fat ones.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe size doesn’t count,” Vevi replied. “They couldn’t have been much -good, or they wouldn’t have been thrown away.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” agreed Connie, siding with her friend. “Maybe the bulbs -are dead and won’t grow. Besides, Hanny might not like it if we don’t -use her bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“Okay,” Jane consented. “I’ll get the digging tools. We can leave these -bulbs in our garage until we decide where to plant them.”</p> - -<p>An empty shelf along one side of the garage provided a place for the -bulbs. The girls lined them up in neat rows.</p> - -<p>“They do look just like onions!” Jane laughed. “I hope Mother doesn’t -use them for a stew.”</p> - -<p>“All of the bulbs are the same size, large and plump,” Connie noticed. -“That is, all but about twenty or so. Vevi, you don’t suppose—”</p> - -<p>She was intending to ask Vevi if by any chance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">154</a></span> she might have mixed up -one of the bags with Hanny’s culls. Before she could do so, however, -Jane interrupted:</p> - -<p>“If we’re going to plant tulips, let’s get at it!” she urged. “It’s -nearly lunch time now.”</p> - -<p>Jane asked permission of her mother to go to Vevi’s house. Carrying the -digging tools, the girls reached the McGuire home exactly at noon.</p> - -<p>Mrs. McGuire was preparing lunch as the three Brownies stomped into the -kitchen.</p> - -<p>“Oh, here you are, Vevi,” her mother said. “I’ve telephoned everywhere, -trying to find you.”</p> - -<p>“For lunch?” the little girl asked. “I’m terribly hungry. And so are -Connie and Jane. Please, may they stay?”</p> - -<p>“Of course,” agreed Mrs. McGuire. “But it wasn’t because of lunch that -I called you. While you were gone we had a visitor.”</p> - -<p>“Not the minister?” asked Vevi.</p> - -<p>“No, dear, it was a woman named Mrs. Gabriel.”</p> - -<p>Hearing the name again, Vevi had a queer feeling in the pit of her -stomach. She couldn’t imagine what she had done wrong. It must have -been something very dreadful, though, or the woman wouldn’t keep trying -to find her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">155</a></span> -“What did she want, Mother?” Vevi asked in a faint voice.</p> - -<p>“She said you had taken something from her car. A bag of valuable tulip -bulbs.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">156</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_16" id="chapter_16"></a><i><small>Chapter 16</small></i><br /> -MRS. GABRIEL’S ACCUSATION</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI became very indignant when she heard the purpose of Mrs. Gabriel’s -call.</p> - -<p>“Why, how could she accuse me of such a thing?” she asked, deeply hurt. -“I never took anything in my life.”</p> - -<p>“I told Mrs. Gabriel that,” declared Mrs. McGuire. “She was quite -demanding and rude. You did ride in her car, Vevi?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Mother. She offered me a lift from Windmill Farm. I think she -asked me a million questions. Then she made me get out and walk part of -the way.”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t take anything from her car?”</p> - -<p>“Of course not. Only the bag of tulip bulbs Hanny gave me.”</p> - -<p>“Could you have mixed the bags?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think I did,” Vevi said. “I will show you the bulbs.”</p> - -<p>For safe keeping, the little girl had stored the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">157</a></span> bag in the basement. -Quickly she brought it upstairs.</p> - -<p>Mrs. McGuire untied the strings and peered into the bag.</p> - -<p>“Tulip bulbs all look alike to me,” she said. “If you are sure these -are yours, Vevi—”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I am, Mother!”</p> - -<p>“Then forget Mrs. Gabriel,” advised Mrs. McGuire. “To tell you the -truth, her accusation annoyed me. I offered to pay her for any bulbs -she thought she had lost, but that did not satisfy her. Nor would she -give me her address so that I could call her after talking to you, -Vevi. I am afraid she is a trouble maker.”</p> - -<p>No more was said about the bulbs. Jane and Connie stayed for lunch. -After the dishes had been done, Mrs. McGuire went next door to talk -with Connie’s mother.</p> - -<p>“If we are going to plant tulips we will have to do it right away,” -Jane announced. “It is nearly time for me to go home now.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe we shouldn’t plant the Golden Beauties now,” Connie suggested -doubtfully. “Mrs. Gabriel might make trouble if she thinks they are her -tulips.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">158</a></span> -“They’re mine,” Vevi said. “Hanny gave them to me. Anyway, Mrs. Gabriel -didn’t think so much of her precious old tulips or she wouldn’t have -dumped them along the roadside.”</p> - -<p>“Do you really think she did?” Connie asked.</p> - -<p>“That empty bag looked exactly like one I saw in her car.”</p> - -<p>“But your bag—the one Hanny gave you—has the same kind of markings,” -Connie pointed out. “Vevi, maybe you did make a mistake and pick up the -wrong one.”</p> - -<p>“No such thing,” Vevi insisted emphatically. “Anyway, even if I did, -Mrs. Gabriel got another bag of tulips better than her own. Everyone -knows the Golden Beauties are the very best.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” agreed Jane. “Even if there was a mix-up, she came out -with good tulips. I don’t see why she’s making such a fuss.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s plant the Brownie flower bed,” urged Connie who had wearied of -the discussion. “Come on.”</p> - -<p>Carrying the bag of bulbs and Jane’s garden tools, the girls set off -for the library.</p> - -<p>“We ought to tell Miss Mohr what we are doing,” Connie suggested. -“Maybe she will tell us how to do it right.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">159</a></span> -“Oh, anyone can plant tulip bulbs,” Vevi said carelessly. “Hanny told -me how.”</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, the three girls went into the building to find Miss Mohr. -Another librarian told them that she had left twenty minutes earlier -with Peter Van Der Lann.</p> - -<p>“We don’t need anyone to tell us how to plant,” Vevi insisted. “It’s -easy.”</p> - -<p>“I guess it will be all right,” Connie agreed with a troubled frown. -“Only the Brownies may not like it. They may want other flowers in the -bed.”</p> - -<p>“Tulips are the very best,” Vevi declared. “And Golden Beauties are the -nicest bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“The only thing—you aren’t sure you’re planting Golden Beauties,” Jane -teased. “For all you know, they may be Mrs. Gabriel’s tulips!”</p> - -<p>“No such thing,” Vevi insisted, opening the bag. “These are my culls.”</p> - -<p>“What’s a cull?” Jane asked for she was unfamiliar with the word.</p> - -<p>“That means a bulb that isn’t as good as the regular stock,” Vevi -explained. “It will bloom though. Hanny said so.”</p> - -<p>The little girl poured some of the bulbs out on the grass. All were -well-shaped, fat specimens.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">160</a></span> -“Those look like good bulbs to me,” declared Jane. “Connie, don’t they -seem exactly like the ones we found on the road?”</p> - -<p>“They look the same to me.”</p> - -<p>Vevi said nothing. She began to dig a neat hole in the well-pulverized -ground.</p> - -<p>“Tulip bulbs have to be put in deep,” directed Connie. “I know that, -because I heard Mr. Van Der Lann telling Miss Gordon.”</p> - -<p>“I am digging the hole deep,” Vevi replied. “At least six inches. That -ought to be deep enough.”</p> - -<p>She pressed the first bulb down into the spot she had prepared for it.</p> - -<p>“Hey, I thought you said you knew how to plant bulbs!” Jane hooted. -“You’re putting it in upside down!”</p> - -<p>“The sprout end has to be up and the roots underneath,” added Connie. -“Anyone knows that, Vevi.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I wasn’t ready to plant the bulb,” Vevi said, hastily turning it -over. “I was only trying it in the hole to see if I had dug it the -right size.”</p> - -<p>“Let me dig,” Jane demanded, after the first bulb had been planted and -covered with soil. “It takes you too long, Vevi.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">161</a></span> -“I’ll hand you the bulbs,” Vevi offered, willing enough to turn the -harder job over to her friend.</p> - -<p>Jane dug a series of small holes all around the circular bed. She -worked fast and spaced them evenly.</p> - -<p>“Now hand me the bulbs one at a time,” she instructed.</p> - -<p>Vevi dumped them all out of the bag. From the very bottom of the canvas -sack out tumbled a handful of small gray, greasy appearing pellets.</p> - -<p>“What are those?” Connie demanded curiously.</p> - -<p>Picking up one of the hard, round pieces, she rubbed it between her -fingers.</p> - -<p>“It must be fertilizer,” Vevi declared. “Put one in with each tulip -bulb.”</p> - -<p>Jane followed instructions, carefully pressing a pellet at the base of -each bulb. There were not enough of them to finish the task. The last -of the bulbs had to be planted without the “fertilizer.”</p> - -<p>“There! That’s done,” Jane said in relief when the last bulb had been -firmly covered with earth. “I’m tired too! My legs feel as if they will -drop off.”</p> - -<p>“Your neck is all red,” Connie informed her. “I think you are -sunburned.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">162</a></span> -Jane gingerly rubbed her neck which smarted and felt uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>“I hurt all over,” she complained. “Tulips are too much work.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think they are,” declared Vevi, who had dug only one hole. -“Anyway, it is worth while. The Brownies will have one of the nicest -flower beds in Rosedale.”</p> - -<p>“I just hope the other Brownies ’preciate all the work we’ve done,” -Jane muttered. “It’s late and I’m going home.”</p> - -<p>She began to gather up the tools. Her Brownie uniform was smudged with -dirt and so were her sox.</p> - -<p>Vevi and Connie walked along with Jane, helping her carry the tools. -Vevi had picked up the empty canvas bag too, not wanting to leave it on -the library lawn.</p> - -<p>Before the girls had walked three blocks, Jane noticed someone coming -toward them.</p> - -<p>“See who is heading our way!” she directed the attention of her -companions.</p> - -<p>A woman was coming down the street. As she saw the three girls, she -began to walk faster.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">163</a></span> -“It’s Mrs. Gabriel,” Vevi recognized her. “She looks cross too.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel’s high heels were clicking like knitting needles by the -time she came face to face with the trio.</p> - -<p>“Well!” she exclaimed, glaring at Vevi. “At last I’ve found you!”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t been anywhere,” Vevi answered innocently.</p> - -<p>“I want my bag of tulip bulbs,” Mrs. Gabriel announced.</p> - -<p>“<em>Your</em> bag,” said Vevi. “Do you mean my sack of culls that Hanny gave -me?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t try to pretend. When you rode in my car, you were carrying a bag -of bulbs. Either by accident, or on purpose, you left yours behind and -took one of mine. I want it back—now.”</p> - -<p>“I took a bag of tulip bulbs. But I thought it was mine—”</p> - -<p>“You’re carrying the empty sack now,” Mrs. Gabriel fairly screamed. -“Give it to me.”</p> - -<p>She snatched the bag from Vevi’s hand, excitedly examining the numerals.</p> - -<p>“This is the sack!” she cried. “Now where are the contents?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">164</a></span> -“I didn’t mean to mix up the bags,” Vevi apologized. “I thought—”</p> - -<p>“Never mind what you thought,” Mrs. Gabriel broke in angrily. “Just -tell me what you did with the tulip bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see why you’re so excited about it,” Jane said before Vevi -could answer. “You threw all your other bulbs away.”</p> - -<p>“In a culvert,” added Connie accusingly.</p> - -<p>“Why, you insolent, stupid children!” Mrs. Gabriel cried. “Such -arrogance! I want my tulip bulbs. Do you understand?”</p> - -<p>The Brownies never had seen anyone more angry. Mrs. Gabriel seized Vevi -by the arm, squeezing it so hard that the muscle hurt.</p> - -<p>“What have you done with my bulbs?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“Let me go and I’ll tell you,” Vevi answered, trying to pull away. “I -never will when you act so cross.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel dropped her arm. She even forced a stiff sort of smile.</p> - -<p>“There, child, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said in a wheedling -tone. “Just tell me what you did with the contents of the bag.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">165</a></span> -“We planted the bulbs in the Brownie Scout bed at the library,” Vevi -answered. “I didn’t mean to take your bulbs. But you got mine. So -wasn’t it a fair exchange?”</p> - -<p>“A fair exchange?” Mrs. Gabriel cried, her voice shrill. “You planted -the tulips! That bag was worth a small fortune to me. Oh, I could shake -you!”</p> - -<p>Vevi backed away, rather afraid of the irate woman.</p> - -<p>“What did you do with the pellets that were in the bag?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“You mean those little pieces of fertilizer?” Vevi stammered. “We -planted them with the bulbs!”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” gasped Mrs. Gabriel. She started to scold Vevi and then abandoned -the tirade. With a gesture of both anger and despair, she brushed past -the girls and went rapidly away.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">166</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_17" id="chapter_17"></a><i><small>Chapter 17</small></i><br /> -A LIBRARY WINDOW</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI, Connie and Jane watched Mrs. Gabriel until she was out of sight -far down the street.</p> - -<p>“Such a fuss about a few stupid tulip bulbs,” Vevi said. “What’s the -matter with her anyhow?”</p> - -<p>“She’s an old fussbudget,” Jane returned. “Why did that one bag of -bulbs mean so much to her?”</p> - -<p>“She spoke especially of the pellets that were with the bulbs,” Connie -said reflectively. “Whoever heard of setting such store by fertilizer?”</p> - -<p>“Anyway, the bulbs are planted now,” Vevi said with a nervous giggle. -“Do you suppose she’ll try to make me pay for ’em?”</p> - -<p>“She might,” Connie returned. “Mrs. Gabriel said the bulbs were worth a -small fortune.”</p> - -<p>“That’s silly,” Vevi declared. “Even the best tulip bulbs shouldn’t -cost more than a dollar or two a dozen.”</p> - -<p>“Some do, I think,” Connie said. “We must have planted at least four -dozen.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">167</a></span> -“That would amount to eight or ten dollars at least,” Jane computed. -“Vevi, if she decides to make trouble, you’re really in for it.”</p> - -<p>“Pooh! I’m not worried.”</p> - -<p>However, Vevi was only trying to put up a good front. Actually she was -deeply concerned. She knew Mrs. Gabriel might accuse her of taking the -tulip bulbs on purpose.</p> - -<p>The exchange had been accidental, but one that the woman couldn’t seem -to understand. Vevi had less than five dollars in her savings bank at -home. How could she ever pay the sum Mrs. Gabriel might ask? It made -her fairly ill to think of it.</p> - -<p>At the next corner, the girls parted to go to their separate homes. -As Vevi started away alone, Connie reminded her that all the Brownie -Scouts had been invited to take part in a puppet show that evening in -the public library.</p> - -<p>“Don’t forget, Vevi.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be there,” Vevi promised. With a nervous giggle, she added: “That -is, unless Mrs. Gabriel puts me in jail!”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had planned the puppet show as a special -treat for the girls. The Brownies themselves had made scenery and -painted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">168</a></span> the clever figures which were to be used in a dramatization of -“The Brownie Story” by Juliana H. Ewing.</p> - -<p>Using patterns provided by Miss Mohr, the girls had traced them on -stiff cardboard. These they had cut out, pasted and painted. Each -character had a narrow, stiff strip of cardboard at the back which -could be used as a handle to make the figures move in a life-like -manner on the little stage.</p> - -<p>Besides tiny elves, the girls had created a Tailor, his aging mother, -Mary and her little brother, and an Old Owl.</p> - -<p>Vevi was assigned to speak the words of the Old Owl and to handle that -particular puppet.</p> - -<p>Her part had not been hard to learn. Mostly the owl only had to say -“Who-oo,” and “Hoot! Hoot!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be late,” Connie warned as she and Jane bade their friend -goodbye. “After the puppet show we’re to have an investiture ceremony. -Hanny’s to be made a real Brownie.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be on time,” Vevi promised again. “Hoot! Hoot!”</p> - -<p>By seven o’clock that night all the troop members were at the library. -Vevi as usual was the last to arrive. She seemed so fidgety and nervous -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">169</a></span> Connie asked her if Mrs. Gabriel had made any more trouble.</p> - -<p>“What makes you think she will?” Vevi asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“I saw her walking around the library when I came in a few minutes -ago,” Connie revealed. “She was looking at the Brownie flower bed too.”</p> - -<p>“I wish you wouldn’t keep talking about Mrs. Gabriel and her silly -tulip bulbs,” Vevi said, squirming uncomfortably. “I’m not worrying -about her.”</p> - -<p>“Then what is wrong with you?”</p> - -<p>“I’m thinking about my part in the play, that’s all. I’m afraid I may -forget my lines.”</p> - -<p>“Your lines!” Connie laughed. “All you have to do is hold your owl up -in a tree and make bird noises. And you’re afraid you’ll forget!”</p> - -<p>The girls were using a large library table for a stage. In the first -scene, the Tailor and his elderly wife sat by their fireside discussing -Mary and Tommy, who never liked to help with work in the home.</p> - -<p>Connie took the part of the Old Tailor, while Rosemary spoke the lines -of the aged grandmother. Sunny acted the character of Mary, and Hanny -that of the little boy, Tommy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">170</a></span> -The play progressed. In the second scene, Tommy and Mary, eager to find -Brownies who would do all the housework for their family, set off to -the woods to seek advice of the wise old Owl.</p> - -<p>Vevi, thoroughly enjoying her role of owl, hooted and whoo’d and -advised the children that they could find the “Brownies” only by going -to the north side of the pond when the moon was shining.</p> - -<p>“Say these words,” she directed in her most owlish voice: “‘Twist me, -and turn me and show me the Elf; I looked into the water, and saw—’</p> - -<p>“Then,” she further instructed, “at the moment you gaze into the water, -think of a word that will rhyme with Elf, and complete the verse.”</p> - -<p>In the next scene of the playlet, Sunny and Hanny as Tommy and Mary, -were shown at the pond. Gazing down into a circular mirror which -represented the water, they saw their own reflections. Sunny recited:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poem"><div class="verse"> -<div class="line">“‘Twist me, and turn me and show me the Elf;</div> -<div class="line">I looked into the water, and saw—’”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>“Myself,” Hanny completed the rhyme.</p> - -<p>According to the story, the children then knew that they were the -real Brownies. The next and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</a></span> final scene showed them doing cheerfully -the work of the family. The playlet ended with Connie as the old -grandmother, declaring that children were a blessing, not a burden.</p> - -<p>Everyone said the show had been a great success.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t forget my lines either,” Vevi laughed in relief. “Not a -single hoot!”</p> - -<p>The time now had come for Hanny formally to be invested as a Brownie -Scout. She was sent from the room while the other girls gathered in a -circle about the big library table.</p> - -<p>At the proper moment, Miss Gordon told Hanny she might return.</p> - -<p>In the story room, the lights had been switched off. For a minute Hanny -was bewildered as she came in.</p> - -<p>Then Vevi took her hand and led her to the big table. The circular -mirror, which represented a pool of water, had been placed in the very -center.</p> - -<p>“Who comes to the fairy wood?” asked Miss Gordon. “I do,” answered the -little girl. “Hanny.”</p> - -<p>“What do you seek?”</p> - -<p>“To be a Brownie Scout,” replied Hanny earnestly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</a></span> -“Why, Hanny?” asked Miss Gordon. “Why do you wish to become a Brownie?”</p> - -<p>Hanny drew a deep breath. For a second, she couldn’t think of anything -to say. Then the words came with a rush.</p> - -<p>“I want to be a Brownie because I love America!” she cried, her eyes -shining. “I want to live here always. I like Rosedale too and all the -girls.”</p> - -<p>“That is reason enough for becoming a Brownie,” declared Miss Gordon -warmly. “Now gaze into the pool.”</p> - -<p>Hanny looked down into the mirror. Miss Gordon turned her around twice, -and placed a Brownie cap on her head.</p> - -<p>“‘Twist me, and turn me, and show me the Elf;’” recited the other -Brownies in unison.</p> - -<p>“‘I looked into the pool and saw—’”</p> - -<p>“MYSELF,” cried Hanny.</p> - -<p>The ceremony was completed by having the little girl repeat the Brownie -Promise. She gave it word perfect.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon then pinned a Brownie Scout pin on the right-hand side of -her collar. She saluted Hanny and shook her hand, using the special -grasp known only to troop members.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</a></span> -“Am I a real Brownie now?” Hanny asked happily.</p> - -<p>“As real as they come,” declared Miss Mohr, giving her an affectionate -hug.</p> - -<p>“The best part of all is that I am going to stay in Rosedale,” Hanny -told the other girls. “Now that my uncle has won the blue ribbon, he -will make a great deal of money. Already he has had many fine offers -for the Golden Beauty tulip bulbs.”</p> - -<p>All the girls were delighted that Hanny would be able to remain in -Rosedale, and told her so.</p> - -<p>By this time it was five minutes after eight o’clock.</p> - -<p>“Time for the meeting to end,” said Miss Gordon noticing the clock. -“School tomorrow as usual, you know. Little Brownies should be in bed -early.”</p> - -<p>The girls began to put on their jackets and coats. Vevi had left hers -in another room. She went for it but did not immediately return.</p> - -<p>Impatiently, the other Brownies waited.</p> - -<p>“That Vevi!” Jane exclaimed. “She always keeps us waiting!”</p> - -<p>“What do you suppose she’s doing now?” Sunny speculated.</p> - -<p>The room where Vevi had left her jacket was dark. What, the Brownies -wondered, could she be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</a></span> doing so long without a light?</p> - -<p>“Hurry up Vevi!” Jane called.</p> - -<p>There was no answer from the darkened cloak room.</p> - -<p>“She’s holding us up on purpose!” Jane fumed. “Let’s leave without her. -It would serve her right for being such a slow poke.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon, however, would not allow the Brownies to depart without -Vevi.</p> - -<p>“I’ll see what is keeping her,” she offered.</p> - -<p>However, before the Brownie Scout leader could enter the darkened room, -Vevi appeared in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Why, you don’t have your jacket even now!” Jane exclaimed. “Vevi -McGuire! You’re the limit!”</p> - -<p>“We’ve waited an age,” added Rosemary.</p> - -<p>Vevi had a strange expression on her face.</p> - -<p>“What’s wrong?” Connie asked her quickly. “Have you lost something? -Your pocketbook?”</p> - -<p>Vevi shook her head. “I want to show you something—”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Vevi, we’re in a hurry!” Jane exclaimed indignantly. “You’re -always holding us up.”</p> - -<p>“This is important. Someone is digging in the Brownie tulip bed.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</a></span> -“WHAT?” cried the Brownies almost as one person.</p> - -<p>“Come and see for yourselves,” invited Vevi. “You can watch from the -window. All the tulip bulbs are being scattered on the ground!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_18" id="chapter_18"></a><i><small>Chapter 18</small></i><br /> -MAGIC WAYS</h2> - - -<p class="noi">NOW Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had not known that tulip bulbs were -planted in the Brownie Scout flower bed. Vevi, Connie and Jane had been -so busy with the show that they had neglected to mention the planting.</p> - -<p>Therefore, everyone was surprised to hear that the bulbs were being dug -up.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” demanded Jane in great excitement. “Who is wrecking -our flower bed?”</p> - -<p>“A woman,” Vevi informed the group. “I can’t see her too plainly from -the window. Come quick!”</p> - -<p>The Brownie Scouts needed no further urging. With the librarian and -their leader, they followed Vevi into the darkened room overlooking the -lawn.</p> - -<p>“See, down there!” the little girl declared, pointing out the window.</p> - -<p>The Brownies jostled each other in their eagerness to learn what was -going on in the yard.</p> - -<p>A shadowy figure could be seen on hands and knees, industriously -digging up the tulip bulbs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</a></span> Already many of them were scattered -helter-skelter over the grass.</p> - -<p>“Well, of all the nerve!” cried Vevi indignantly.</p> - -<p>“It looks like Mrs. Gabriel,” declared Connie. “At least she has a tall -feather on her hat, just like one Mrs. Gabriel has.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s stop her!” exclaimed Vevi, starting for the door.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon grasped her hand, holding her back.</p> - -<p>“Wait, Vevi.”</p> - -<p>“Wait? But Miss Gordon, our tulip bed is nearly ruined now! She’s -wrecking everything!”</p> - -<p>“And we worked so hard planting those bulbs,” Jane wailed. “It’s the -meanest trick yet.”</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon spoke quietly.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gabriel, I think, is after something more vital than tulip bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“I think so too,” agreed Miss Mohr quickly. “Peter has told me of his -suspicions that a ring may be operating—”</p> - -<p>Now the Brownies were quite bewildered by the talk, not understanding -what the two young women meant.</p> - -<p>“Must we let that dreadful Mrs. Gabriel ruin our flower bed?” demanded -Jane.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</a></span> -“No, indeed,” replied Miss Mohr. “I intend to call Peter Van Der Lann -and the police.”</p> - -<p>“The police?” gasped Vevi. She had not thought of having Mrs. Gabriel -arrested.</p> - -<p>“We must hurry,” urged Miss Gordon, peering out the window again.</p> - -<p>While the teacher and the Brownie Scouts kept watch, Miss Mohr -telephoned the police station. Then she called Hanny’s uncle at -Windmill Farm.</p> - -<p>“Peter is coming as quickly as he can drive here!” the librarian told -the group tensely. “He says we must hold Mrs. Gabriel whatever happens. -He is certain—”</p> - -<p><a name="front" id="front"></a>“Mrs. Gabriel has her flashlight turned on now!” Connie reported from -the window. “She’s examining something she has dug up!”</p> - -<p>“It’s not a tulip bulb either,” added Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“Let’s go down there right now!” Vevi urged, again starting for the -door.</p> - -<p>“No, Vevi!” Miss Gordon checked her once more. “It would only frighten -her away. We must wait for the police.”</p> - -<p>“They’ll never come,” complained Sunny. “It’s been ages now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</a></span> -“Only a minute or two,” corrected Miss Mohr. “Patience.”</p> - -<p>“The police will come,” added the Brownie Scout leader.</p> - -<p>She was right too. In less than ten minutes, the girls heard the high -pitched, whining whistle of a siren.</p> - -<p>“There they come!” cried Vevi. “I’m going down there now!”</p> - -<p>Without even stopping to put on her cap or jacket she darted out the -door. The other Brownies followed after her, in their excitement -stumbling on the stairs.</p> - -<p>Just as the group reached the street, the police car halted at the curb.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel straightened up and then started hastily away. But the -police did not let her escape.</p> - -<p>Quickly they overtook her, grasping her firmly by the arm.</p> - -<p>While one officer held Mrs. Gabriel, another questioned Miss Mohr and -Miss Gordon as to the nature of their complaint.</p> - -<p>“This woman has been destroying library property,” declared Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</a></span> -“We saw her digging up the Brownie Scout tulip bed,” added Vevi. “I -think she has some of our bulbs in her pocket now.”</p> - -<p>“Ridiculous!” snapped Mrs. Gabriel. “I suppose it does seem unusual -for me to be found here digging up tulip bulbs. Nevertheless, I can -explain.”</p> - -<p>“Please do,” invited Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“I bought a large order of tulips, especially valuable stock, from Mr. -Mattox. Unfortunately, in driving home, I offered one of these children -a ride.”</p> - -<p>“Me,” interposed Vevi.</p> - -<p>“She had a bag of worthless bulbs with her—”</p> - -<p>“Not worthless,” corrected Vevi. “They may have been culls but they -were Golden Beauties. Those are the best and most valuable kind on the -market now that Mr. Van Der Lann has won the blue ribbon!”</p> - -<p>“If you’ll keep quiet for a moment, I’ll explain,” said Mrs. Gabriel, -glaring at Vevi. “The child either deliberately or possibly by mistake, -exchanged a bag of my good bulbs for her trash. So tonight I thought to -recover my stock.”</p> - -<p>The two police officers seemed half inclined to believe the woman’s -story.</p> - -<p>“If it were only tulip bulbs you wanted, why<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</a></span> didn’t you come to Miss -Mohr or me?” questioned the Brownie Scout leader.</p> - -<p>“I realize I should have asked permission to dig up the bed,” replied -Mrs. Gabriel glibly. “I hesitated to do so because I didn’t want to -cause trouble.”</p> - -<p>“You set great store by those tulip bulbs,” remarked Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>As she spoke, she glanced about the ground. The bulbs had been -scattered everywhere. In her haste to dig them up. Mrs. Gabriel had -broken many and chopped others in two with her sharp tool.</p> - -<p>“If you valued your tulips so much, why did you dump all the other bags -of bulbs along the roadside?” Vevi demanded.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel ignored the pointed question, so the little girl asked it -again.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman finally replied. -“If you found any bulbs along the road, they must have belonged to -someone else.”</p> - -<p>The police officers had been listening to the talk. Now one of the men -had a question of his own.</p> - -<p>“Lady,” he said, “are you sure it was tulip bulbs you were after?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</a></span> -“Of course! What else?”</p> - -<p>“Sorry,” said the policeman, “but I’m afraid we’ll have to take you to -the station for a complete search.”</p> - -<p>“The idea!” Mrs. Gabriel snapped. “You may look in my purse now if you -like. You’ll find nothing.”</p> - -<p>She offered her pocketbook, which the policeman thoroughly examined. -Inside were toilet articles, a billfold containing nearly two hundred -dollars, a handkerchief and a set of car keys.</p> - -<p>“I saw her put something in her outside coat pocket while she was -digging,” Connie reported.</p> - -<p>One of the officers reached into Mrs. Gabriel’s pocket. He brought out -nothing but an old theater program.</p> - -<p>In the other coat pocket was an old handkerchief. One corner had been -tied into a knot to hold several small objects.</p> - -<p>“What’s this?” commented the policeman, untying the handkerchief.</p> - -<p>The cloth contained four dark-colored pellets.</p> - -<p>“Our fertilizer!” exclaimed Vevi. “Well, what do you know! She was -after our fertilizer, not the tulip bulbs!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</a></span> -Carefully the policeman examined the pellets. He rolled them between -his fingers.</p> - -<p>“You see, they are nothing!” said Mrs. Gabriel. “Now will you let me -go? I’ve had quite enough of Rosedale and Brownie Scouts. I assure you -I’ll leave town promptly and not come back.”</p> - -<p>Before the officers could decide what to do, a car pulled up at the -curb.</p> - -<p>“There’s Peter!” exclaimed Miss Mohr in relief.</p> - -<p>The nurseryman leaped out of his car and came over to the flower bed. -Miss Mohr told him what had happened before his arrival. The policeman -showed him the pellets taken from Mrs. Gabriel.</p> - -<p>“Just as I thought!” Mr. Van Der Lann exclaimed. “These pellets are -uncut commercial diamonds. They were smuggled to this country from -Holland in a shipment of imported tulip bulbs.”</p> - -<p>“Then we planted diamonds, thinking it was fertilizer!” gasped Jane.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann’s disclosure amazed everyone except Miss Mohr. She -was not surprised because the nurseryman earlier had told her of his -suspicion that Mrs. Gabriel was not an honest person.</p> - -<p>Now that Mr. Van Der Lann had revealed that the pellets were uncut -diamonds, the Brownie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</a></span> Scouts became highly excited. Vevi was -especially so, for she knew that Mrs. Gabriel had not had time to dig -up all of the stones.</p> - -<p>“Almost every tulip bulb has a pellet with it,” she revealed. “Why, -this old flower bed is full of diamonds!”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to dig them up!” cried Jane, reaching for Mrs. Gabriel’s -trowel.</p> - -<p>The police, however, would not permit any of the children or the adults -to touch the flower bed. They said they would assign men to sift the -earth and make certain that every uncut stone was recovered.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel realized by this time that it was useless to deny her -guilt.</p> - -<p>“All right, I did smuggle the diamonds in with a shipment of bulbs,” -she acknowledged. “I wasn’t alone in the deal though. If you arrest me, -how about the Mattox couple?”</p> - -<p>“We’ll take care of them, never fear,” the policeman assured her.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Gabriel was taken away to the police station and other men came -to sift the flower bed soil. All the Brownies, Mr. Van Der Lann, the -librarian and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</a></span> Miss Gordon stood by, watching the work. Soon a fairly -large crowd gathered.</p> - -<p>“So Mr. and Mrs. Mattox are mixed up in this smuggling affair,” -remarked a businessman who paused to observe. “Well, that will finish -the flower show.”</p> - -<p>“How do you mean?” inquired Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“The Mattox couple contributed heavily for the affair. If they are -arrested, they will not pay their assessment. Mr. Piff may as well call -it quits.”</p> - -<p>As the digging went on, police talked at length with Mr. Van Der Lann. -He was asked to relate everything he knew about Mrs. Gabriel and her -smuggling activities.</p> - -<p>“I met the woman for the first time a few weeks ago,” the nurseryman -revealed. “She came to Windmill Farm and proposed that I go in with her -on her crooked scheme. At the time I needed money badly, but I refused.”</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter ordered her to stay away from our place,” added Hanny, who -stood beside the nurseryman, watching the digging work.</p> - -<p>“That is true,” agreed Mr. Van Der Lann. “When she learned she could -not do business with me, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</a></span> took up with Mr. and Mrs. Mattox. As to -their part in the affair, I can only guess. My suspicion is that they -cooperated with Mrs. Gabriel fully in importing bulbs which they knew -were only a cover for a shipment of priceless commercial stones.”</p> - -<p>“You and Mr. Mattox have never been good friends,” commented one of the -policemen.</p> - -<p>“That is so,” agreed the nurseryman. “Always Mr. and Mrs. Mattox have -considered me as a business rival. They sought to add my farm to their -own. Of late they have been especially eager to get me out of the -community, fearing no doubt that I would expose their association with -Mrs. Gabriel.”</p> - -<p>“They will make you no more trouble,” the policeman promised. “The -sheriff has been asked to arrest the couple for questioning. Very -shortly they will be taken to jail.”</p> - -<p>The digging work went on. Within an hour every diamond had been -recovered.</p> - -<p>However, the flower bed was completely ruined. Dirt had been scattered -everywhere and only a few of the tulip bulbs were worth saving.</p> - -<p>“Vevi, whatever possessed you girls to plant tulip bulbs at this time -of year?” Miss Gordon questioned.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</a></span> “They should be planted in the fall, -you know, for spring blooms.”</p> - -<p>“We didn’t want spring flowers though,” Vevi explained. “We wanted -tulips right now.”</p> - -<p>“While the flower show is on,” declared Jane.</p> - -<p>Miss Gordon regretfully told the Brownies that seeds or plants would -have to be used if the troop were to have a flower bed that year. Even -if they went to work at once, the bed would not be in bloom for several -weeks.</p> - -<p>The information made all the Brownies unhappy, especially Vevi.</p> - -<p>“I did so want tulips,” she said. “They are the most beautiful flower -in the world. Now I’ve even lost my Golden Beauty culls.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t worry about that,” said Mr. Van Der Lann. “Next Spring I will -give you some choice stock.”</p> - -<p>Vevi thanked the nurseryman, but continued to look unhappy. “I wanted a -tulip bed so badly,” she murmured.</p> - -<p>“So did I,” said Jane. “It was fun catching Mrs. Gabriel and saving the -diamonds, but I’d rather have had a beautiful bed of flowers.”</p> - -<p>“Do all the Brownies feel the same way about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">188</a></span> tulips?” inquired Mr. Van -Der Lann. “Would they rather have them than any other flower?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes!” cried Vevi. “But it is impossible. We will have to wait -until next year.”</p> - -<p>“And that is a million years away,” sighed Sunny.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not,” said Mr. Van Der Lann. He smiled in a most mysterious -sort of way.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” questioned Vevi alertly.</p> - -<p>“Just you wait!” he advised. “Not a year either.”</p> - -<p>Now the Brownie Scouts sensed immediately that their friend had -something special in mind. They teased him to tell what it was.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann only smiled and shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I can guess!” laughed Hanny.</p> - -<p>“Tell us,” pleaded the other Brownies.</p> - -<p>Hanny grinned and would not answer. “It’s a secret,” she chuckled. -“Nurserymen sometimes have magic ways. Just you wait!”</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_19" id="chapter_19"></a><i><small>Chapter 19</small></i><br /> -AN ANNOUNCEMENT</h2> - - -<p class="noi">VEVI awoke late the next morning, feeling tired in every bone and -muscle. Pulling herself slowly up in bed, she peered out the window. It -was raining hard.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear,” she thought. “I did so hope for a nice day.”</p> - -<p>Vevi dressed and went downstairs for a belated breakfast.</p> - -<p>“Mother,” she said, seating herself at the table by the kitchen window. -“Is it really true that Mrs. Gabriel was caught digging up the Brownie -Scout flower bed last night? Or did I dream it?”</p> - -<p>Mrs. McGuire handed her the morning paper.</p> - -<p>“It was true, Vevi. See, the story of what happened is on the front -page. The Brownies are mentioned too.”</p> - -<p>Vevi read every word of the story for herself. The item told of Mrs. -Gabriel’s arrest and confinement in jail. Related also, was the part -the Brownies had played in the capture.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">190</a></span> -“Oh, by the way,” Mrs. McGuire said after the little girl had finished -her breakfast. “Miss Mohr telephoned a few minutes ago. All the -Brownies are to meet at the library directly after lunch. She said -something about an extra special surprise.”</p> - -<p>“But the Brownies had a meeting last night, Mother. Why are we meeting -again so soon?”</p> - -<p>“She didn’t say, dear.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe it is about our flower bed,” Vevi speculated. “I think that must -be it.”</p> - -<p>The little girl helped her mother with the housework. She dusted the -furniture and wiped dishes. Time seemed to pass very slowly. All the -while, she kept speculating upon why Miss Mohr would call a special -meeting of the Brownie troop.</p> - -<p>As soon as luncheon was over, Vevi changed into her Brownie uniform. -Carrying her red umbrella, she splashed along the sloppy streets toward -the library. It was not raining much now, but the gutters ran deep with -muddy water.</p> - -<p>Vevi had not gone many blocks when she had to wait at an intersection -for a traffic light.</p> - -<p>As she stood there, a taxi came up very fast. The light changed and the -cab halted with a screech of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">191</a></span> brakes. It stopped so suddenly beside -Vevi, that she felt her legs being splashed with dirty water.</p> - -<p>She jumped back, very much annoyed at the driver.</p> - -<p>“Sorry,” apologized the cab man, leaning out of the taxi window. “I -shouldn’t have tried to make the light, but my customer is in a big -rush to catch a train.”</p> - -<p>Vevi glanced into the back of the cab and was surprised to see that the -passenger was Mr. Piff.</p> - -<p>“Why, are you leaving Rosedale?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Am I?” he replied. “The flower show is washed up—finished. This rain -was the last straw. I’m getting out of this hick town for good.”</p> - -<p>“Rosedale is nice,” Vevi answered. “It’s not a hick town—”</p> - -<p>She had no chance to say more. Just then the light changed to green -again. The cab sped on, disappearing down the street.</p> - -<p>Crossing the street, Vevi went on to the library. She glanced quickly -toward the flower bed.</p> - -<p>To her disappointment, it appeared exactly as it had the previous -night. Dirt was scattered everywhere on the grass and so were the -broken tulip bulbs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">192</a></span> -“I guess Peter Van Der Lann was joking about magic,” she thought. -“Nothing is changed.”</p> - -<p>All of the Brownies except Hanny had arrived at the library ahead of -Vevi. As soon as she came into the story room, Miss Gordon and Miss -Mohr signaled for silence.</p> - -<p>“Girls,” the librarian announced, “we have all been invited to -Peter’s—I mean to Mr. Van Der Lann’s home for a little outing. This -rain has rather spoiled our plans, but I’m sure we’ll have a fine time -in any event.”</p> - -<p>“Will we have to walk?” Rosemary asked, rather dismayed. “I didn’t -bring my umbrella or a raincoat.”</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr assured the girls that the nurseryman would come for them in -his truck. He was expected at any moment.</p> - -<p>“He’s here now,” reported Connie a moment later. She had been watching -from the window. “He’s driving up in front.”</p> - -<p>“Come girls,” urged Miss Gordon. “We mustn’t keep him waiting.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies put on their coats and went outside.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s stopped raining!” cried Jane, holding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">193</a></span> up her hand to see if -she could catch any drops. “The sun is trying to peek through a cloud.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have a fine day yet!” exclaimed Sunny. “Hurrah for Windmill -Farm!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann helped the children into the truck. Miss Mohr and the -Brownie leader rode up front.</p> - -<p>During the ride to the farm, the nurseryman was in very high spirits. -He declared that everything had gone extremely well for him and for -Hanny.</p> - -<p>“Now that I have won first prize for the Golden Beauty tulip, nearly -everyone wants to buy my stock of bulbs,” he said. “I have arranged to -sell them all to one eastern dealer at a very high price.”</p> - -<p>“I will get to stay in America,” added Hanny happily.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann had arranged a pleasant afternoon for the Brownies at -Windmill Farm. He told the girls they might pick all the tulips they -liked, ride in the dog cart and even in the boat.</p> - -<p>“Not the boat,” laughed Vevi. “It leaks.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I repaired it yesterday,” the nurseryman assured her. “Mr. and -Mrs. Mattox will not annoy you either, should you drift past their -place. The sheriff took them to jail today for questioning.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">194</a></span> -“Then it has been established that they aided Mrs. Gabriel?” questioned -Miss Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Yes, they worked with her in smuggling gems into this country from -Holland. I long suspected it, but could prove nothing and so remained -quiet.”</p> - -<p>“I guess the Brownies were pretty smart to catch Mrs. Gabriel digging -up the tulips!” Vevi chuckled.</p> - -<p>At Windmill Farm, the Brownies found Hanny and the housekeeper busy -in the spic and span kitchen. The room was fragrant with the smell of -baking. Little cakes had been taken from the oven and now were being -beautifully frosted.</p> - -<p>“Why, we must be having a party!” laughed Connie.</p> - -<p>Now the Brownies could not imagine why everyone seemed so happy at -Windmill Farm. Nor could they understand the reason Mr. Van Der Lann -had gone to so much trouble just for them.</p> - -<p>“I think someone is keeping a secret from us,” guessed Connie. “Isn’t -that right?”</p> - -<p>“It could be,” admitted Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“Tell us!” pleaded Rosemary.</p> - -<p>“Later—”</p> - -<p>“Right now!” teased the Brownies.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">195</a></span> -“Shall we tell them?” Miss Mohr asked, turning to Hanny’s uncle.</p> - -<p>“Why keep them in suspense?” he replied. “Let the news be known.”</p> - -<p>“I want to pass the little cakes!” cried Hanny in excitement.</p> - -<p>She made everyone sit in the living room. Then she passed the -refreshments, giving every Brownie one of the delicately frosted cakes.</p> - -<p>Now the girls were not very hungry, having finished their lunches only -a short while before. Being polite, however, they did not mention this.</p> - -<p>Vevi was the first to break open her little cake.</p> - -<p>“Why, there’s a piece of paper in mine!” she exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Read it,” urged Hanny. “I already know the good news.”</p> - -<p>Vevi spread out the strip of paper. Two names had been printed on it. -She read them aloud.</p> - -<p>“Peter Van Der Lann and Miss Mohr!” she exclaimed, not understanding -why the names had been baked into the cake.</p> - -<p>“Peter and I are to be married in a few days,” the librarian announced. -“We decided to have the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">196</a></span> wedding so soon because Peter must go to New -York with his tulip bulbs. We’ll call it our honeymoon.”</p> - -<p>Now the Brownies were delighted to hear that Miss Mohr was to wed. -They were especially glad that Hanny would have someone as nice as the -librarian to look after her.</p> - -<p>“If you are to be married right away, I don’t suppose there will be a -big wedding,” Vevi remarked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, we couldn’t omit that,” smiled the librarian. “We plan a wonderful -church wedding. Hanny is to be the ring bearer. I want all the Brownies -to be there.”</p> - -<p>“As bridesmaids?” Vevi asked quickly.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr explained that Miss Gordon and some of her older friends -would act as maids. She promised though that the Brownies would have a -special pew in the church.</p> - -<p>After refreshments had been enjoyed, the Brownies went outside to play. -Never had Windmill Farm looked so beautiful. The rain had made the -grass fresh and green. Tulips were bent over and heavy with water, but -the bright sun was reviving them.</p> - -<p>“I want to ride in the boat!” declared Connie quickly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">197</a></span> -“I’m going to pick tulips,” announced Rosemary. “A bouquet of nothing -but bright pink ones.”</p> - -<p>“I want to pick flowers too,” declared Jane. “My bouquet will be -purple.”</p> - -<p>Sunny announced that she intended to watch the windmill for awhile and -then ride with Connie in the boat.</p> - -<p>“What will you do, Vevi?” asked Hanny.</p> - -<p>Vevi had been thinking over her choice very carefully.</p> - -<p>“I will ride in the dog cart,” she announced. “I want that old Bruno to -know who is boss!”</p> - -<p>While the others went toward the tulip fields, Hanny and Vevi ran to -the barn to find the dog. They hitched him to the cart. Vevi climbed in -and picked up the reins.</p> - -<p>“Now start him easy,” Hanny instructed. “If he tries to run away again, -I will punish him.”</p> - -<p>The big dog however, seemed to know that with Hanny there, he could not -play tricks. When Vevi said “Giddap!” he moved off at a very slow walk.</p> - -<p>After a minute or two, the little girl wished that he would go faster. -Bruno though, did not feel like trotting or running. He ambled lazily -toward the cheese house and then on past the little house where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">198</a></span> Mr. -Van Der Lann had stored his Golden Beauty tulip bulbs.</p> - -<p>Vevi noticed that the door no longer was locked.</p> - -<p>“I guess your uncle has moved his bulbs somewhere else,” she remarked -to Hanny who was walking along beside the cart.</p> - -<p>“What?” inquired Hanny, not understanding.</p> - -<p>Vevi repeated what she had said, and pointed to the open door.</p> - -<p>Hanny stopped short, staring at it.</p> - -<p>“That door shouldn’t be open!” she cried. “I’m sure Uncle Peter hasn’t -moved the bulbs. We have always kept them there.”</p> - -<p>Hanny ran over to the little house. Vevi dropped the reins and -scrambled out of the dog cart. Thus released, Bruno trotted off toward -the canal. Neither of the girls noticed.</p> - -<p>Hanny had reached the open door. She pushed it back so she could look -at the padlock.</p> - -<p>“It has been broken!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Vevi!”</p> - -<p>Hanny darted into the room where the precious Golden Beauty tulip bulbs -had been stored. Vevi kept close behind.</p> - -<p>It was dark inside though, and she could see nothing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">199</a></span> -Hanny groped for the light switch and finally found it. As she switched -it on, the room was fully illuminated.</p> - -<p>Both girls looked quickly at the wall shelves. All of the tulip bulbs -were gone!</p> - -<p>“Someone has taken them!” gasped Hanny. “A wicked thief has broken in -here and stolen Uncle Peter’s Golden Beauty stock!”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">200</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="chapter_20" id="chapter_20"></a><i><small>Chapter 20</small></i><br /> -SURPRISE!</h2> - - -<p class="noi">THOROUGHLY alarmed, Vevi and Hanny ran as fast as they could to the -house to relate what had happened.</p> - -<p>“Uncle Peter! Uncle Peter!” Hanny shouted, bursting into the house. -“Come quick!”</p> - -<p>“Why, what is wrong?” he inquired. Startled, he rose quickly to his -feet, fearing that one of the Brownies had been hurt.</p> - -<p>“Our tulip bulbs!” Hanny cried. “Did you move them from the little -house?”</p> - -<p>“No, Hanny, I did not.”</p> - -<p>“Then they have been stolen!” Hanny was so excited that she began to -speak in Dutch, telling her uncle of the discovery she and Vevi had -made.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann ran to the storehouse to see for himself.</p> - -<p>“Gone!” he groaned as he too beheld the empty shelves.</p> - -<p>“Maybe it was Mr. Evans who took the bulbs,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">201</a></span> guessed Vevi, remembering -that she had seen the man examining the padlock a few days earlier.</p> - -<p>“No! No! It could not have been he,” insisted the nurseryman. “Mr. -Evans is a federal agent. He was sent here to try to catch the -smugglers. I talked to him only last night and he now has left -Rosedale.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Piff is going away too,” remarked Vevi.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Piff!” exclaimed the nurseryman. “When did you last see him?”</p> - -<p>“Only a minute or two before we came out here in your truck. He was in -a taxi cab.”</p> - -<p>“What made you think he was leaving Rosedale, Vevi?”</p> - -<p>“He said so. He said the show had failed, and he was going away. The -taxi was taking him to a train.”</p> - -<p>“The show was a failure all right,” declared Mr. Van Der Lann. “But -Mr. Piff has no call to go away without making a full accounting to -the townspeople who contributed to his flower fund. He has run up many -debts. Besides, I suspect he may be the one who took my bulbs!”</p> - -<p>“Not Mr. Piff?” echoed Miss Gordon. “How could he do such a thing?”</p> - -<p>“He has been here several times during the last few days,” the -nurseryman revealed. “When he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">202</a></span> saw that his show would fail, he sought -a means of making quick money. He wanted to sell my bulbs for me, but I -turned him down.”</p> - -<p>“Did he know where you kept them, Peter?” asked Miss Mohr.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and he was here this morning while I was at the library. The -housekeeper told me so.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t we stop him from leaving Rosedale?” Miss Gordon asked. She -<a name="looked" id="looked"></a><ins title="Original has look">looked</ins> at her wristwatch, and added:</p> - -<p>“His train may have gone by this time. There is a chance, though, that -we can intercept him.”</p> - -<p>“I will try,” said Mr. Van Der Lann grimly.</p> - -<p>He ran to get his truck. By this time, Connie and Sunny had run up from -the canal. Jane and Rosemary, their arms laden with tulips, raced in -from the fields to see what was happening.</p> - -<p>“Everyone into the truck!” ordered Mr. Van Der Lann.</p> - -<p>The Brownies scrambled in, fairly tumbling over one another in their -haste.</p> - -<p>“Those bulbs represent my entire fortune,” Mr. Van Der Lann declared, -starting off very fast. “I must get them back.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">203</a></span> -Rosedale had only one union station. The nurseryman drove directly -there. Passengers could be seen waiting on the platform. Luggage had -been piled up on a dolly-truck ready to be hauled to the train when it -came in.</p> - -<p>Even as the Brownies leaped from Mr. Van Der Lann’s truck, they heard -the whistle of the approaching engine.</p> - -<p>“Hurry! Hurry!” urged Vevi. “It’s coming now.”</p> - -<p>Passengers were gathering up their hand luggage. The children did not -see Mr. Piff anywhere.</p> - -<p>“He must have taken an earlier train,” declared Miss Gordon anxiously. -“I’m afraid we have missed him.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll look in the depot,” offered Vevi.</p> - -<p>“You don’t need to!” cried Connie excitedly. “There he comes now!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff had left the building and was walking directly toward the -group.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw the Brownies with Mr. Van Der Lann, and stopped short. -He turned as if to move in the opposite direction.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” called the nurseryman.</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff reluctantly obeyed the command.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">204</a></span> -“Well?” he demanded. “What do you want?”</p> - -<p>The train now was very close. Mr. Van Der Lann knew he would have to -talk fast.</p> - -<p>“You cannot leave Rosedale without making an accounting of the flower -show funds!” he told the promoter. “Debts are not paid and you have all -the money.”</p> - -<p>“Try to stop me,” said Mr. Piff unpleasantly. “I’m fed up with this -town. I’m leaving.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no, you are not,” corrected the nurseryman. He spoke quietly but -with firmness.</p> - -<p>By this time the train had pulled into the station. Most of the -passengers already had boarded their cars.</p> - -<p>“Get out of my way!” Mr. Piff said furiously.</p> - -<p>He tried to push past the nurseryman. Mr. Van Der Lann grasped him by -the arm, making the promoter drop one of the bags he carried.</p> - -<p>Vevi snatched it up. Before anyone could stop her, she had opened it.</p> - -<p>Inside were two sacks of tulip bulbs. Vevi knew at once that they were -the Golden Beauties.</p> - -<p>“So!” exclaimed Mr. Van Der Lann. “I thought as much.”</p> - -<p>“Now see here,” said Mr. Piff, still trying to pull<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">205</a></span> away. “I can -explain. It’s true I intended to sell the bulbs to a dealer I know. But -you would have received the full amount, minus a small commission. I -can get you a much better price than you can arrange for yourself.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann paid no attention. He went through the promoter’s -luggage, taking all the bulbs that were his.</p> - -<p>Then he made Mr. Piff turn over all the money he had collected for his -flower show from Rosedale townspeople.</p> - -<p>“Now get on that train and never come back here!” the nurseryman said, -shoving him toward his car.</p> - -<p>“You’re not having me arrested?” Mr. Piff muttered.</p> - -<p>“Get on your train,” the nurseryman ordered again. “And let this be a -lesson to you.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Piff grabbed up his luggage, including the empty handbag, and ran -for the train. He swung aboard. The cars began to move, slowly at first -and then faster and faster.</p> - -<p>“Goodbye, Mr. Piff!” laughed Sunny.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann pocketed the money he had taken from the promoter. He -told Miss Mohr and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">206</a></span> the Brownie Scout leader that he doubted it would -be enough to pay all of the flower show debts.</p> - -<p>“It will cover most of the expense though,” he assured the women. “I -will turn all of this money over to Mrs. Langley or the Chamber of -Commerce president.”</p> - -<p>Now the Brownies were happy indeed that the nurseryman had recovered -the Golden Beauty tulip bulbs. Mr. Van Der Lann assured them that he -would ship the bulbs east that very day so that there would be no risk -of having them stolen again.</p> - -<p>For the troop members, the day had been a thrilling one. During the -next week they had many wonderful times too, going often to Windmill -Farm.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr especially, was kept very busy, planning her approaching -wedding. Often the Brownies went with her to the stores to help her buy -finery. Time was very short, and it seemed there were a million things -to do.</p> - -<p>Then finally, the important day was at hand.</p> - -<p>All the Brownies, dressed in fresh Scout uniforms, arrived early at the -church. An usher escorted them to their seats, a special roped-off pew -at the front.</p> - -<p>“I hope everything goes off well,” Vevi whispered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">207</a></span> nervously to Connie. -“Wouldn’t it be awful if Hanny should drop the ring?”</p> - -<p>“Sh!” Connie warned severely. “The ceremony is starting.”</p> - -<p>An expectant hush had fallen upon the church throng. The organist began -to play a solemn wedding march.</p> - -<p>“Here they come!” whispered Rosemary, twisting around to see. “Oh, how -lovely!”</p> - -<p>Hanny led the stately procession down the carpeted aisle. She was -dressed in white, and carried a basket of flower petals which she -dropped one by one ahead of the bride.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr wore a white satin gown with long train and a veil. Her -flowers were Golden Beauty tulips. She had never been more lovely.</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t Miss Gordon look nice too?” murmured Connie.</p> - -<p>The Brownie Scout leader was dressed in pink, with a large picture hat. -She and the other bridesmaids carried bouquets of tulips also.</p> - -<p>At the proper moment in the ceremony, the ring was produced. Then the -minister spoke the words which made Miss Mohr and Mr. Van Der Lann man -and wife.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">208</a></span> -“There! It’s over!” Vevi whispered. “Now we can throw our rice!”</p> - -<p>As soon as the procession had passed out of the church, the Brownie -Scouts hastened to the exit.</p> - -<p>They were in time to see the bridal party getting into cars.</p> - -<p>“Now for the rice!” chuckled Vevi.</p> - -<p>Each Brownie Scout had brought a small bag filled with rice grains. -Laughing and shouting, they hurled it at the bridal couple.</p> - -<p>Miss Mohr leaned out of the car to speak to the girls.</p> - -<p>“Peter and I will soon return from our honeymoon,” she said. “When we -do, we want you all to come often to visit us at Windmill Farm.”</p> - -<p>“We will,” promised Connie, speaking for all the Brownies.</p> - -<p>“One more thing,” said Miss Mohr. “I have a special request.”</p> - -<p>“What is it, Miss Mohr—I mean Mrs. Van Der Lann?” inquired Vevi -politely.</p> - -<p>“I want all the Brownies to walk past the library when they leave the -church.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">209</a></span> -Now Vevi thought this a most strange request indeed.</p> - -<p>“Past the library?” she repeated, thinking that possibly the librarian -had made a slip of tongue.</p> - -<p>“Yes, dear, it’s a surprise. From Peter.”</p> - -<p>Vevi and the other Brownies were more mystified than ever. Before they -could ask a single question, the cars began to move away.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann opened a paper sack. He began to toss -cellophane-wrapped candies to the children.</p> - -<p>“<i xml:lang="nl" lang="nl">Suikers</i>,” he explained with a smile. “Sugar plums. It’s an old Dutch -custom to throw them at every wedding.”</p> - -<p>The Brownies caught most of the sugar plums. Jane, who was agile, -picked up four, and Vevi captured three. The other girls had at least -one or two apiece.</p> - -<p>The bridal cars rounded a corner and were gone. For just a minute, the -Brownie Scouts felt lonesome.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do now?” asked Sunny. “Go home?”</p> - -<p>“We must walk past the library,” Connie said,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">210</a></span> recalling Miss Mohr’s -final instructions. “I wonder why she asked us to do it?”</p> - -<p>“It is out of my way to go that direction,” declared Rosemary. “Do you -think it would matter if I walk past some other time?”</p> - -<p>“No, we must all go now—together,” Vevi insisted. “Miss Mohr said it -was important.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” agreed Connie. “She spoke of a surprise. One from -Peter.”</p> - -<p>The girls started off, walking in pairs. Vevi and Connie were ahead, -followed by the others.</p> - -<p>“What surprise could Peter have left for us?” Vevi speculated.</p> - -<p>“A package of books perhaps,” Rosemary guessed.</p> - -<p>“He may have given the troop a piece of his fine Delft ware,” Sunny -declared. “I would like that for a gift.”</p> - -<p>Thinking of various possibilities, the girls began to walk faster. Soon -they came within view of the library.</p> - -<p>“How will we know about the surprise?” Jane asked in perplexity. “Are -we supposed to go into the building and ask one of the librarians?”</p> - -<p>“Well, if we aren’t dopes!” suddenly cried Vevi.</p> - -<p>She stopped short and began to laugh.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">211</a></span> -“What’s wrong with you?” demanded Jane.</p> - -<p>“The surprise!” cried Vevi. “One can see it a mile away! It’s a -wonderful one too!”</p> - -<p>The other Brownies were bewildered by the little girl’s words. But only -for a moment.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see it too!” exclaimed Connie.</p> - -<p>She and Vevi both began to run toward the library.</p> - -<p>Then Jane, Rosemary and Sunny joined the race.</p> - -<p>The surprise, everyone now knew, was a beautiful flower bed!</p> - -<p>As the girls <a name="approached" id="approached"></a><ins title="Original has aproached">approached</ins> closer, they could see it plainly.</p> - -<p>The circular bed which Miss Mohr had given to the Brownie Scouts for -their very own, now was a mass of blooms.</p> - -<p>Yellow and gold and brown tulips blazed in the sunlight. The Brownies -never had seen a more gorgeous sight.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s wonderful!” cried Vevi, dancing about the bed. “Just what I -wanted!”</p> - -<p>“It’s our very own too!” added Sunny.</p> - -<p>“Look at the center of the bed,” directed Connie.</p> - -<p>Mr. Van Der Lann had so arranged the tulips that they resembled the -clover-shaped Scout emblem.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">212</a></span> -The letters “G. S.” were spelled out in bright yellow tulips.</p> - -<p>“That stands for Girl Scouts,” commented Jane. “I do wish Mr. Van Der -Lann had made a ‘B’ to stand for Brownie.”</p> - -<p>“All Brownie Scouts fly up to become Girl Scouts when they’re old -enough,” declared Connie. “I like our flower bed just as he made it.”</p> - -<p>“So do I,” agreed Rosemary. “I think this is the nicest surprise our -troop ever had.”</p> - -<p>“The very best,” echoed Sunny.</p> - -<p>“How do you suppose Mr. Van Der Lann made the tulips grow so fast?” -speculated Jane. “Why, it’s almost miraculous!”</p> - -<p>“He couldn’t have planted bulbs, that’s certain,” replied Connie. “I -know! He must have brought potted plants from Windmill Farm!”</p> - -<p>“However he did it, I guess it proves the Brownie Story,” asserted Vevi.</p> - -<p>The other girls asked her what she meant.</p> - -<p>Vevi grinned happily and bent down to sniff the fragrance of a big -yellow tulip. Then with twinkling eyes, she replied:</p> - -<p>“Don’t you see? It’s magic, pure magic!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">213</a></span> -“It does seem almost like it,” admitted Connie.</p> - -<p>“This wonderful surprise proves that elves are still at work,” Vevi -said with a laugh. “They live in Rosedale and everywhere in the world. -And best of all, they serve the Brownies!”</p> - - -<p class="center p120 mt3">THE END</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. Chapter headings have been retained -as published, most with figures, others words. Spelling and hyphenation -have been retained as in the original publication except as follows:</p> - -<ul class="nobullet"> -<li><ul><li>Page 72<br /> -varieties wil be shown <i>changed to</i><br /> -varieties <a href="#will">will</a> be shown</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 92<br /> -Vevi and Connie saw that the river <i>changed to</i><br /> -Vevi and <a href="#Hanny">Hanny</a> saw that the river</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 92<br /> -the lowbent branches <i>changed to</i><br /> -the <a href="#lowbent">low-bent</a> branches</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 112<br /> -went over to asked the garden<i>changed to</i><br /> -went over to <a href="#ask">ask</a> the garden</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 134<br /> -that the canves bag <i>changed to</i><br /> -that the <a href="#canvas">canvas</a> bag</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 139<br /> -Vevi who understand what <i>changed to</i><br /> -Vevi who <a href="#understood">understood</a> what</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 202<br /> -She look at her wristwatch <i>changed to</i><br /> -She <a href="#looked">looked</a> at her wristwatch</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 211<br /> -As the girls aproached closer <i>changed to</i><br /> -As the girls <a href="#approached">approached</a> closer</li></ul></li> -</ul> -</div> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm, by -Mildred A. 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