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