Mildred A. Wirt

“ She was certain that when they reached the oak tree, Jane would say “I told you so.” Already she had been teased too much about wishing for a tree house.
“Girls, let’s not bicker,” interposed Miss Gordon. “I thought we were going on this hike for the fun of it. I’m sure no one expects to find a tree house.”
Veve and Sunny looked at each other and made no response.
“They expect to find one!” teased Jane. “I guess all that wishful dreaming comes from reading books like ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’ Veve figures a tree house will sprout out of the ground, complete with curtains and a fireplace!” ”

“ With an anxious glance at her wrist watch, Miss Gordon warned that it was time to leave.
“We have stayed far too long,” she declared, gathering up the lunch papers. “Unless we hurry, we’ll be caught on the road after dark. That will never do.”
“We may come again soon?” Sunny pleaded. “Tomorrow perhaps?”
“I hardly know what to say,” replied Miss Gordon. “Before I give my answer, I must make inquiries. I do hope though, that this house is truly ours to use.”
Reluctantly, the girls trooped down from the tree house. ”

“ Miss Gordon replied uneasily. “The wind may pay us a return visit. Buckle on your galoshes, kiddies, and let’s be on our way.”
Reluctantly, the Brownies put on their overshoes and gathered up sweaters and jackets.
“Before we go, let’s wish for a little stove or a fireplace!” suddenly proposed Veve. “Then when we come again, maybe it will be here waiting for us!”
“Whoever heard of a fireplace in a tree house!” scoffed Eileen.
“Well, we could have a little stove,” Veve defended her idea. “It would make the house cozy and nice on chilly days.” ”

“ Karwhite?” demanded Sunny, who began to suspect that the carpenter might be hiding something.
“It wasn’t Mr. Karwhite,” replied the carpenter.
“But you do know!” cried Jane. “You could tell us if you would!”
“Yes, I could,” Mr. Vincent replied slowly. “I’m wondering, though, if the fun might not be spoiled.”
“Oh, no!” cried all the Brownies together.
“We’re not children,” added Veve. “It was fun to say that the brownies built our tree house, but we always knew better.”
Sam Vincent stood gazing down at the girls, his eyes twinkling. ”

“ The Brownies knew Miss Gordon was worried because the old lady took so much of her time. She was forced to cancel a Brownie meeting. Unable to take the girls to the tree house, she asked Mrs. Davidson to drive them there in her car.
“Were losing Miss Gordon,” Veve declared one day when the girls were all at the tree house. “It’s Mrs. Myles’ fault too! I don’t think it’s fair of her to take up so much of anyone’s time.”
“Mrs. Myles doesn’t mean to be selfish,” Connie defended her. “She just doesn’t think, that’s all.” ”

“ In this they were right too, for an instant later he said:
“How would you girls like to help Mrs. Myles?”
“HOP is our motto!” chuckled Veve.
Mr. Vincent did not understand what she meant, so Miss Gordon explained that HOP was a code used by the Brownies. The letters stood for “Help Other People.”
“‘DYB’ means ‘Do Your Best,’” supplied Rosemary eagerly. “We make up lots of code words.”
“We’d like to help Mrs. Myles,” declared Connie, thinking how nice the old lady had been about giving away buttons. “How do we go about it?”
“I’m not certain what she needs,” replied the carpenter thoughtfully. ”

“ A Girl Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.
The Scout pin was bestowed upon Eileen, who then was welcomed into the troop by the girl Scouts of the Rosedale Troop.
“I guess I’m a full-fledged Scout now,” she said with a laugh. “Dear me, it seems a Girl Scout must be just about everything!”
The ceremony now was over, and everyone congratulated Eileen. She was glad to have joined the older girls’ organization, but of course she was sorry to bid farewell to the Brownie troop.
“I really should fly down instead of ‘fly up,’” she remarked, gazing ruefully at the tree house. ”

“ Connie tugged at her sleeve. “Dope!” she chided. “The pillow isn’t worth it. Why you could buy a chair with a dollar!”
“I don’t want a chair,” retorted Veve in a voice so loud that persons nearby heard her. “I want that pillow.”
No one else bid. The auctioneer now was hastening to be done with the sale.
“Sold to the little girl in the blue dress!” he called. “Catch!”
180 The auctioneer tossed the pillow directly into her arms.
“I know what I’ll do with this,” Veve declared, well pleased with her purchase. “I’ll keep it in our tree house.” ”

“ But to say the tree house was built by a brownie is downright stupid!”
“I’m not stupid,” Veve retorted. “It’s fun to pretend a brownie did it. And until you can give me a better explanation, I’m going to keep right on saying so! There!”
35 “Girls, girls!” laughed Miss Gordon, who always found it necessary to make peace between Jane and Veve. “We’re certain of one thing. Whoever built the tree house, must have heard our wish. And the person, whoever he or she is, wishes to have his identity remain unknown. ”

“ They slip into the park from somewhere along the road, instead of coming past the gate house.”
“We’ll help you keep watch,” Connie offered.
“Good! If you see them doing any mischief, let me know.”
“You have another park visitor who slips in from the roadway,” contributed Veve. “We don’t know her name, but she drives an old horse with a buggy.”
“Oh, that must be old Minnie Myles.”
“Who is she?” asked Connie.
“A widow who lives in a farmhouse about a half mile from here,” revealed the park superintendent. “She’s an odd one and no mistake! Lives by herself with her chickens and goat. ”

“ Myles.
Now the change in the woman’s manner amazed both Veve and Connie.
At the park, Mrs. Myles had seemed unfriendly to all of the Brownie Scouts. The two girls could not understand why she previously had been so cross unless their questions about the sack had annoyed her.
“W-ell,” hesitated Veve. She very much wanted a piece of the warm bread, but did not wish to appear too eager. From the barren appearance of the kitchen she was afraid the woman might not have very much food for herself.
“Of course you want a slice of bread,” declared Mrs. Myles. “I never met a child who wasn’t hungry. ”

“ Myles needed wood, she could obtain it much nearer her home.
“This forest is filled with mysteries!” laughed Connie.
“Our tree house is the greatest one of all,” agreed Veve, helping to gather up the paper plates. “I’d give a lot to know who built it. Or for that matter, who gave us this luncheon today.”
“The brownies,” chuckled Jane. “Wasn’t that what you said, Veve?”
“I was only joking. I don’t really believe in them. You have to admit though, that it’s queer so many nice things keep happening to us.”
“It wasn’t nice the way those mean boys broke into our playhouse,” Sunny declared. ”

“ She hoped the Brownie Scouts would not be caught by rain en route home.
“It’s coming up fast,” the park superintendent replied, studying the fast-moving clouds. “I doubt we’ll have much rain. But we’re likely to have wind.”
Mr. Karwhite gazed thoughtfully at the four girls, and then asked where the other members of the troop were.
“At the tree house,” Connie told him.
“Better hike back there right away and warn your leader a storm is coming up,” the man advised. “A tree house isn’t the best place to be in a high wind. You may all come to the gate house until it passes over.” ”

“ Vincent apparently did not understand the remark, so the girls told him of the mysterious manner in which their luncheon had appeared.
Veve elaborated too upon their meeting with the group of boys who had pelted Mrs. Myles with walnuts.
“Mrs. Myles?” the carpenter repeated in surprise. “Does she come here to the park?”
“We’ve seen her twice,” revealed Rosemary. “Each time she brought her sack with her.”
“She gathers nuts,” contributed Eileen, aware that the conversation interested the carpenter. “We think she has to have them for food.”
“Her house is run down and she’s very poor,” added Veve. ”

“ After another ten minutes had elapsed, she and Veve and Sunny asked if they might go to the gatehouse to inquire if Mr. Vincent had been seen in the park.
Miss Gordon told the girls they might go and suggested that while there they report to Mr. Karwhite the damage done to their playhouse.
“Don’t be gone long,” she said as the girls started away. “We’re all very hungry.”
At the base of the oak tree, the three Brownies paused a moment to study the cluster of footprints.
“If we followed those, we might trail the persons who wrecked our house,” Sunny suggested. ”

“ Hastening along the trail without seeing anyone, the six girls and their leader soon reached the rustic bridge.
Connie gazed carefully about. No one was within view.
“It’s a trick,” she announced.
“Maybe it isn’t,” insisted Veve. “Someone has been here.”
“That’s so,” agreed Miss Gordon. “I see smoke coming from one of the fireplaces. Someone built a fire there.”
The Brownies walked over to the stone fireplace. The wood had burned down to cherry coals which were exactly right to broil steaks. ”

“ I’d have him build me a tree house!”
“A tree house!” exclaimed Eileen, intrigued by the thought.
“I’d have the brownie build it right here in this oak tree,” Veve went on grandly. “It would be a wonderful little house! With windows and doors and a roof! I’d have curtains and a table and chairs!”
“How would you get up to your tree house?” scoffed Jane. “Fly like the birds?”
9 “Oh, my brownie would build a stairway around the tree trunk. He’d take care of everything!”
“You need a carpenter, not a brownie!” laughed Connie. “Some boys in our neighborhood once built a tree house. ”

“ Through the Field Glass IN leaving the park area, the Brownies again stopped at the gate house to talk to Mr. Karwhite.
The superintendent listened in amazement to their story that a tree house had been built in the branches of the oak.
“Why, I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed.
“Then the house couldn’t have been constructed by park workmen,” remarked Miss Gordon.
“I should say not!” agreed Mr. Karwhite. “We’d be afraid to put up a tree house lest some child climb up and fall. I’ll have it torn down immediately.”
A wail of protest greeted this announcement.
“Oh, no! You can’t!” cried Veve. ”

“ Veve said in satisfaction as they went down the stairway. “If they deliberately disobey now, they’ll deserve to be arrested!”
The Brownies walked a short distance down the trail. As they came to a dividing path, they saw a group of four boys playing in a nearby pond. The youngsters were tossing stones into the water.
“There they are now!” exclaimed Jane. “I’m sure they’re the ones!”
“We can’t be certain,” Miss Gordon said quietly. “Before we can turn anyone in, they must be caught actually damaging our property. Keep walking girls, and don’t look toward the pond.” ”

“ Sunny demanded impatiently.
“TO THE BROWNIES,” Connie began, reading aloud.
“Why, that’s us!” laughed Jane. “What about the food?”
“The message says: ‘EVERYTHING HERE IS FOR SIX LITTLE GIRLS WHO LIVE IN A TREE HOUSE.’”
“That IS us!” shouted Jane. “Hurrah!”
“What a glorious surprise!” yelled Veve, capering106 about. “Especially after our tree house was left in such a mess.”
“Let’s start those steaks to broiling,” urged Jane. “I can eat a dozen of ’em myself.”
“With the lunch we brought from home, we’ll really have a feast,” laughed Miss Gordon. “My, that soup smells delicious!” ”

“ Karwhite maybe,” suggested Eileen.
37 The others, however, did not share her belief that the park superintendent had contributed the furniture.
“I can’t understand it,” Miss Gordon remarked, deeply puzzled. “Girls, where were you standing when you made the wish for table and chairs?”
“At the foot of the stairway by the oak tree,” supplied Veve promptly. “But no one except the Brownies heard the wish.”
“Someone must have,” insisted the leader. “Even though we saw no one near, a person could have been hidden back among the bushes. It gives me a queer, uneasy feeling to think about it.” ”

“ Running along the balcony rail, he leaped into a tree branch. From there he chattered excitedly.
“Mr. Squirrel is annoyed too!” Rosemary declared. “Oh, I wish we could find those boys.”
“They can’t be far from here,” Veve said.
151 “Let’s track them down,” proposed Jane. “We’ll arm ourselves with sticks and—”
“No, girls!” Miss Gordon reproved firmly. “That would never do.”
“If we don’t stop them somehow, they’ll keep on wrecking our tree house,” Eileen protested. “How are we going to catch them?”
“I know!” proposed Veve suddenly. “Why don’t we hide out in the bushes and keep watch? ”

“ Mrs. Myles’ Advice THE moment the car had driven away, Connie turned accusingly upon Veve.
“Now you’ve done it!” she exclaimed. “You’ve invited a man we scarcely know to lunch! And what’s worse he’s expecting a big meal.”
“How’d I know he’d accept?” Veve mumbled.
“The other Brownies may not like it one bit,” Connie went on severely. “And who is going to prepare the lunch?”
“Maybe he won’t come.”
“You hope—” said Connie.
“Why, I think it was nice to invite Mr. Vincent,” interposed Miss Gordon. “Especially after he brought us all into Rosedale. The lunch will be no problem.” ”

“ Anxiously she gazed up at the swaying tree branches.
As she watched, a heavy dead limb came crashing down, falling across the trail.
“The road is close by,” said Miss Gordon, making a quick decision. “We’ll strike for it, and then circle back to the gate house. On the road we’ll be in no danger of having limbs fall on us.”
Taking an off-shoot path, the teacher led the girls to an old-fashioned rail fence. They scrambled over, leaped a ditch and reached the paved main highway.
“At least it’s easier walking here!” gasped Sunny. “But that rain!” ”

“ Myles was deeply embarrassed to find herself in such a situation. Although she did not hear what Veve said to Connie, she knew that the Brownies must be wondering about her.
“It isn’t true that I am stealing nuts,” she said quietly. “Mr. Karwhite gave me permission to take as many as I like.”
“I’m sure he did,” agreed Miss Gordon. “Don’t be disturbed by anything those boys said or did. They are very badly behaved and have caused considerable trouble in the park.”
116 After the Brownies had picked up all of the scattered nuts, they offered to escort Mrs. Myles to her horse and buggy. ”

“ But I know where you might find a great many old buttons.”
“Where?” demanded Veve eagerly.
Mrs. Listerstrom directed the girls to a house farther out into the country, not far from the natural park.
“I don’t think we should go out there today,” said Connie. Now that she had her cameo button she was ready to go home.
“Oh, it isn’t far,” insisted Veve. “We can walk fast. And just think! We might find dozens of buttons!”
Connie allowed herself to be coaxed into making the long hike. ”

“ Myles ever will change her mind.”
190 As the fall days grew a bit sharper, the Brownies visited their tree house every few days. They wished to make the most of their time, knowing that very soon the snow would fly.
“We’ve had such wonderfully good times here,” Eileen said wistfully. “It seems a pity we never learned who built the house for us.”
“Mr. Karwhite could tell if he would,” declared Rosemary. “Whenever I ask him about it, he only smiles and says the secret isn’t his to reveal.”
“After the fifteenth of the month, we likely won’t be coming here again,” Sunny remarked. “Oh, dear!” ”

“ Veve said. “Maybe she might have something to do with this tree house.”
46 “How could she?” demanded Sunny.
“It’s just one of Veve’s crazy notions,” said Jane.
“Maybe it’s not a crazy notion,” retorted Veve. “I guess if we ever expect to learn who built this playhouse, we’ll have to ask a few questions.”
“The woman may live near the park,” Connie said, coming to her friend’s defense. “It’s possible she does know who built the house.”
While the girls talked, Miss Gordon had been looking through the field glass herself. ”

“ Sunny asked. “Let’s come again tomorrow.”
Veve, however, said that would never do. “We16 must obey instructions exactly,” she insisted. “Miss Gordon, may we have another hike through the park?”
“Well, I suppose so, if the others are willing,” the Brownie leader answered thoughtfully. “As for finding a tree house at the end of two days—well, Veve, I think it unwise to build up false hope.”
“At least it won’t do any harm to come,” Veve argued. “Please, Miss Gordon.”
“It’s entirely up to the girls to decide what they wish to do.” ”

“ Several of the girls had extra dishes which they planned to bring.
34 “May we go tomorrow?” Connie pleaded. “The park officials may decide to take the little house down. We want to play in it every minute we can.”
Miss Gordon was very easy to persuade. “Yes, we’ll hike to the park again after school,” she decided. “It isn’t every Brownie troop that has its own tree house!”
“And a mystery with it!” added Jane pertly.
“What’s the mystery?” inquired Rosemary, trudging along beside her.
“Why, how did the tree house come to be in the park?”
“A brownie built it!” laughed Veve. “My wish came true!” ”