The Traveling Brownies
While Connie was trying to explain to the lady about the two watches,
Clem Gregg hurried over, bringing Pickpocket Joe.
Close behind him were the Brownies, the fat gentleman, Miss Gordon and
Connie’s mother.
Seeing the big yellow gold watch, the stout man immediately identified
it as his property.
“And this is my billfold too!” he exclaimed. Rapidly he counted the
money. None of it was missing.
“Miss Gordon, isn’t this your lost wrist watch?” Connie asked the
teacher, showing her the other recovered article.
“Why, it certainly is!” cried the amazed Miss Gordon. “See, my initials
are on the case!”
“How about the Brownie camp money?” Jane interposed hopefully. “Is it
here too?”
The Brownies and Mr. Gregg searched carefully under the seat where the
lady had found the two watches. Miss Gordon’s billfold was not to be
found.
“Pickpocket Joe undoubtedly threw it away long ago and spent the
money,” commented Mr. Gregg. “In my opinion, Miss Gordon, you’re lucky
to recover your watch.”
“I think so too,” agreed the troop leader. “My, how proud I am of Veve,
Connie, and all my girls.”
“Then you’re not annoyed at us for being carried away with the circus?”
Veve asked quickly.
“It was an accident,” smiled the Brownie Scout leader. “A rather
fortunate one for me as matters turned out. Otherwise, I might never
have recovered my wrist watch.”
“All the same, don’t ever ride away with another circus,” interposed
Connie’s mother.
Veve and Connie both assured her that they intended to be very careful
in the future.
Detective Gregg had tried without success to force the pickpocket
to admit he had taken Miss Gordon’s billfold as well as her watch.
However, the man stubbornly refused to answer questions.
“Oh, well,” the detective said with a shrug, “it doesn’t matter one way
or the other. Now that we’ve recovered and identified the watches, we
have a case against you. Come along to jail.”
As Mr. Gregg started to lead the pickpocket away, he thought of an
important matter.
“By the way,” he said, “I suppose you know of the reward for Pickpocket
Joe’s capture. The circus offered it three months ago when he was
giving us so much trouble.”
Now this indeed was news to the Brownies.
“A reward?” echoed Veve. “How much?”
“A hundred dollars.”
The girls considered the offer a very large one. Jane asked Mr. Gregg
who would receive the money.
“The person or persons responsible for capturing Pickpocket Joe.”
“That was Connie,” said Veve promptly. “She saw him first.”
“No, Veve should have the reward,” returned Connie. “Without her, I
never would have had the courage to have trailed Pickpocket Joe. And
she brought help just when we needed it.”
“All the Brownies were responsible for capturing Pickpocket Joe,” Veve
insisted. “It wasn’t any one person.”
“Yes, his capture was a cooperative affair,” admitted the detective.
“As nice an exhibition of team-work as I ever hope to see. All the
same, I can’t give the reward to seven girls. How about splitting it
evenly between Connie and Veve?”
“Oh, yes!” cried the Brownies.
Veve and Connie, rather dazed at the thought of receiving fifty dollars
apiece, did not speak.
“I’ll see that you receive your checks tonight before the circus moves
on,” Mr. Gregg said, starting to take Pickpocket Joe away.
“And may we use the money in any way we like?” Veve asked.
“Sure, if your parents give their okay.”
“Then I know what I’ll do with my money!” cried Veve, her face crinkled
in smiles. “First of all, I am going to pay Miss Gordon for my camp
fee. This really is money I earned myself, isn’t it?”
“Certainly,” laughed the Brownie Scout leader.
“I still have forty-five dollars,” Veve continued, thinking aloud.
“Next I intend to buy myself a Brownie Scout uniform so I’ll have one
to wear to meetings.”
“Splendid!” approved Miss Gordon. “I couldn’t think of a better use for
the money.”
“I still have lots of it left,” laughed Veve. “It was mostly my fault
that Connie and I were carried away on the circus train. So I want to
make up for it by paying for the camping trip.”
“Oh, no!” broke in Connie. “That is what I plan to do with _my_ reward
money! I intend to repay Miss Gordon the amount she advanced to the
troop after Pickpocket Joe stole her billfold.”
“How sweet of you both, and I do appreciate it,” returned Miss Gordon.
“However, I never expected the money to be repaid. This reward money is
your very own.”
“To spend as we like,” added Veve quickly. “And we want to pay for the
camping trip, don’t we, Connie?”
Connie nodded soberly. “The Brownies lost out on some of their fun at
Shady Hollow because of us. So it’s only fair that we use a little of
our money to pay for the trip.”
“Especially when the Brownies helped capture Pickpocket Joe,” added
Veve quickly.
Miss Gordon thought for a moment and then said that she might allow
Veve and Connie to repay the amount that had been lost, but only on one
condition.
“And what is the condition?” inquired Connie.
“That some of the money be used to provide a few days extra camping
time at Shady Hollow.”
“To make up for the days we were with the circus!” Veve cried
instantly. “Oh, I’d like that!”
“So should I,” agreed Connie.
“Your balsam beds are waiting for you at Shady Hollow,” laughed
Belinda. “You’ll have to practice your cooking though, because the rest
of us have improved since you went away.”
The matter of the reward money settled, the girls set off to find Eva
and the other circus children who were to take part in the Brownie
investiture ceremony.
A moment later the circus rider came into the big top, accompanied by
the girls who had decided to join the organization. Altogether there
were five circus children, ranging in age from seven to ten years.
“Workmen will tear down this tent in a few minutes,” Eva explained.
“So we will have the ceremony in one of the dressing rooms. Everything
should be ready by now.”
As the Brownies and the circus girls walked to the nearby dressing
tent, Connie and Veve related the manner in which Pickpocket Joe had
been captured. Eva was greatly impressed by the story.
“Brownies certainly know how to work together,” she declared. “I’m more
than ever glad I’m going to become one.”
Because the hour was so late, Miss Gordon and Miss Whitlock had decided
to make the investiture ceremony a mass affair and quite brief. All the
circus children would be taken into the organization in a group.
Upon reaching the dressing tent, the Rosedale Troop Brownies went
inside. Eva and the other circus girls waited at the doorway until they
were summoned. Finally they were told they might ask for admittance.
“Who comes to the fairy woods?” Connie asked as Eva scratched on the
tent flap.
“Five girls who wish to become Brownies,” replied Eva promptly. She had
been told what to say. “May we come in?”
“Why do you wish to become Brownie Scouts?” inquired the voice from the
darkened tent.
“To form a troop of our own,” answered Eva.
“Then enter the fairy wood,” directed the voice.
Scarcely knowing what to expect, the circus girls tiptoed into the
tent. In the glare of the gasoline lamp they beheld a room which had
been transformed into a bower of beauty.
A thick carpet of artificial grass covered the tent floor. Canvas walls
had been completely hidden with a painted backdrop of forest trees.
Embedded in the mat of grass were five diamond-shaped mirrors, which
had been borrowed from dressing rooms of the circus performers. Behind
the row of mirrors in a semi-circle, sat Connie, Veve and the other
members of the Rosedale Troop.
Briefly Miss Gordon explained the purpose of the Brownie Scout
organization and its aim to help each girl find and develop her
particular abilities so that she might become a happy, resourceful
person.
Then the circus girls were instructed to line up in front of the
mirrors which represented fairy pools.
“Gaze deep into the water at your own reflection,” Miss Gordon said.
“Then--presto-chango!”
As she spoke, Brownies of the Rosedale Troop stepped forward, turning
each circus child so that for a moment her back was to the mirror.
On the heads of the circus girls were clapped Brownie Scout caps which
the wardrobe mistress had bought that very day in the city.
Then the five girls were whirled around again so that once more
they gazed down into the mirror. This time as they studied their
reflections, Brownies appeared to be gazing up at them.
“Now let’s all repeat the Brownie Scout Promise and try to live up to
it,” Miss Gordon said.
“_I promise to do my best to love God and my country, to help other
people every day, especially those at home._”
The circus girls repeated the words, speaking them very clearly. Then
the Rosedale Brownies saluted the new scouts and the ceremony was over.
“Do you suppose we’ll be the first troop of traveling Brownies?” Eva
asked, cocking her new Brownie cap at different angles to see which was
the most becoming.
“I shouldn’t be in the least surprised,” laughed Miss Gordon. “When you
register your troop with national headquarters you might inquire.”
“Having a Brownie troop will be fun,” Eva declared. “I’ll write the
Rosedale Troop members letters reporting how we get along. You must
send me all your ideas.”
“We’ll exchange them,” smiled Miss Gordon. “I’m certain your own troop
will think of many ways to be useful.”
All too soon it came time for the Rosedale Brownies to say goodbye to
their many circus friends. Eva must board the circus train sleeper at
midnight, traveling on to another city. The Brownies, who would spend
the night at a nearby tourist camp, expected to return to Shady Hollow
the next morning.
Eva told the Rosedale Brownies how nice it had been knowing them. “But
I hate to think that soon your car will be traveling one direction and
our circus train another,” she sighed.
“Why not come home with Connie and me?” Veve invited impulsively.
“Thank you,” replied Eva politely. “I have thought it over and I would
rather stay with the circus. Especially now that we have organized a
Brownie Scout troop of our own.”
“But you’ll visit us sometime?” inquired Connie.
“I’ll see you again next year,” promised Eva. “Watch for the circus
when it comes to Rosedale.”
Before Miss Gordon, Mrs. Williams, and the Brownie Scouts were ready to
leave the circus lot, Mr. Carsdale and Clem Gregg came around to shake
hands and bid them goodbye.
The detective had not forgotten to bring the reward money.
With a flourish, he handed Connie and Veve each a check for fifty
dollars, which they in turn gave to Mrs. Williams to keep for them.
“You did a very real service in capturing Pickpocket Joe,” the
detective praised the two girls. “Thanks to you, he’s in jail now where
he’ll make no further trouble for a while.”
“And don’t forget,” added Mr. Carsdale in parting. “When the circus
hits Rosedale next year, you’re all to be my guests.”
“We’ll remind you,” laughed Rosemary, and to this, all the other
Brownies agreed.
The tourist camp where Miss Gordon, Mrs. Williams and the Brownies were
to spend the night, was situated not far from the railroad siding.
Accordingly, the party stopped there briefly to see Eva and to watch
the circus train pull away.
“Are you sorry not to be traveling on with the show, Connie?” asked her
mother.
“Oh, no,” Connie answered honestly. “I would much rather return to
Shady Hollow Camp. Besides, don’t you need me?”
“Indeed I do,” declared her mother, giving her a squeeze. “Neither
your father nor I could manage to get along without you.”
“A circus is interesting to watch,” added Veve thoughtfully, “but for
every day I think it would become rather tiresome.”
“Just the same, it was fun to capture Pickpocket Joe and earn the
reward,” sighed Connie, watching soberly as the circus train pulled
from the siding onto the main track. “I hope we have another adventure
sometime.”
Now you may be sure that many surprises awaited the Brownie Scouts at
Shady Hollow Camp, but of course they could only guess at the good
times in store for them.
The circus train slowly began to pull from the siding. Windows of the
long line of sleepers were dark.
Although the Brownies knew Eva was somewhere aboard, they had no idea
where her berth was located. It made them feel a trifle sad to think
that they wouldn’t be able to wave a last farewell.
“We may as well go now,” suggested Miss Gordon.
“No, wait!” cried Veve.
Suddenly on the darkened circus train, a single light twinkled in one
of the sleepers toward the end of the line. As the Brownies watched, it
winked on and off three times in rapid succession.
“That’s Eva!” cried Connie. “It’s her way of saying goodbye.”
Soon the car rolled slowly past the place where the Brownies stood.
Eva’s smiling face was pressed against the window glass.
“Goodbye! Goodbye!” shouted the Brownies, though they were afraid she
might not hear.
But Eva did. Still wearing her new Brownie cap, she nodded and smiled.
She kept tugging at the window.
Suddenly it flew up and the little circus girl shouted: “See you next
summer! Have a good time in camp!”
The Brownies kept waving until the circus train was far up the track.
Then they turned to walk to the waiting automobile.
“Say, won’t we have tales to tell when we reach home,” remarked Veve.
“All the girls in Rosedale will wish they were Brownies when they hear
what happened to us!”
“Even after we pay for the camping trip, we’ll have some of our reward
money left,” added Connie, linking arms with her friend.
Already the circus train had been forgotten. The Brownies, you see,
were happy just to be going home.
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Transcriber’s Note:
Page 79
was very even tempered, beban _changed to_
was very even tempered, began
Page 95
scoot downstars and open _changed to_
scoot downstairs and open
Page 134
She certanly never had expected _changed to_
She certainly never had expected
Page 162
With a startled exclaimation _changed to_
With a startled exclamation
Page 199
it certanly is _changed to_
it certainly is
Page 208
come home with Connie and Me _changed to_
come home with Connie and me