CHAPTER 15 A FACE AT THE WINDOW

HEARING Vevi shout that she had found something in the sand, the other Brownies quickly gathered about her.

“Why it is a purse!” exclaimed Connie in astonishment. “It’s been on the beach several days too, because it’s water stained!”

“What are the initials on it?” Sunny asked, trying to make them out.

“A-W-A,” Vevi read the letters. “Or maybe its A-M-A.”

“No, it’s A-W-A,” Jane decided. “Say! This pocketbook must belong to Mrs. Allison!”

“That’s right,” agreed Rosemary. “I think her first name is Alice. She lost a purse. Or at least it was stolen from her car.”

By this time, Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon had joined the group. They too, were very much interested in the purse and agreed that it might indeed belong to Mrs. Allison.

“Maybe the money she lost is still here!” Vevi declared. She felt quite pleased with herself for having made such an important discovery.

“Open it and see,” urged Jane impatiently. “Or hand it over to me.”

Vevi unfastened the zipper which was clogged with sand. Inside was a smaller coin purse, a comb and a vanity case. In addition, there were four keys on a metal ring.

“There’s no money here,” Vevi reported, opening the coin container. “Not a penny.”

“Mrs. Allison lost ten dollars,” Connie recalled. “But the purse was taken from her car. How did it get here in the sand?”

Miss Gordon told the Brownies it was her theory that the thief had discarded the pocketbook. After taking it from Mrs. Allison’s car, he had kept the money, throwing the purse away.

“I’d return it to the lady, Vevi,” Mrs. Williams suggested. “Even though the purse is ruined, the vanity case isn’t tarnished. Besides, the keys will be needed.”

“I’ll take it to her just as soon as I get dressed,” Vevi promised. “My, I’m good at finding things! I wish I could find your wristwatch, Miss Gordon!”

“I wish you could too, dear,” smiled the Brownie leader. “However, I never expect to see the watch again. I’m sure it was stolen by the same person who’s been breaking into cars. Even if the watch were found in the sand, it would be ruined after all this time.”

The Brownies soon ran to the beach house to take showers and dress. Vevi and Connie were the first ones to finish wringing out their suits.

“Let’s take the purse to Mrs. Allison now,” Vevi proposed to her little friend. “I know where she lives.”

“So do I,” agreed Connie. “She has a place right on the water.”

Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams told the girls they might go, but not to be gone long.

Mrs. Allison’s rented house was on Flower Street overlooking the bay. All along the wharf sailboats and cruisers had been tied up. Gulls and terns were flying about, now and then alighting on the water or diving into it in search of food.

“That’s Mrs. Allison’s house,” Connie said, pointing to a two-story building which extended out a short distance into the water.

“And it must be her boat tied up beside it!” added Vevi.

The craft which had drawn her gaze was a large cabin cruiser of mahogany. In the sunlight the brasswork gleamed like pure gold.

“My I’d like to take a ride in that boat!” Vevi said wistfully, “wouldn’t it be fun?”

“I wish all the Brownies could go for a spin,” Connie replied.

A plank walk led from shore out over the water to the side of the house. A railing guarded it so that one could not fall.

Before knocking on the door, the children paused to gaze again at the beautiful cruiser. The name “Adventurer” had been painted on it in gold letters. As the waves lolloped gently against the wharf, the boat rose up and down as if it were breathing.

“Let’s climb down there and look at it,” Vevi proposed. “I’d like to see the inside of the cabin.”

“Oh, no!” Connie protested firmly. “It wouldn’t be polite.”

She rapped on the door. Almost at once it was opened by the same lady the children had seen many times on the beach. She was wearing a housedress this time and looked different.

“We’ve found your purse,” Connie told her quickly. “Or rather, Vevi did.”

“But the money’s gone,” Vevi added.

“Why, that is the pocketbook that was taken from my parked car!” Mrs. Allison exclaimed as she saw the faded cloth.

Vevi and Connie told her how they had chanced to come upon the purse buried in the sand.

“It doesn’t matter about the money,” the lady assured them. “I’m happy though, to recover my keys. Wait here, please.”

Leaving the door open, Mrs. Allison went back into the house. When she returned a moment later, she had another pocketbook in her hand.

“I can’t thank you enough for finding my keys,” she said. “Please accept this for your trouble.”

She offered the girls a dollar bill.

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Connie, moving back a step. “We couldn’t take it.”

“We’re Brownie Scouts,” explained Vevi. “Our motto is ‘HOP.’”

“That means, ‘Help Other People,’” explained Connie. “We were glad to help you.”

“I see,” smiled Mrs. Allison, putting away her money. “Well, I certainly appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to in bringing my purse here. Won’t you come in for awhile?”

“Miss Gordon told us not to stay,” Connie replied reluctantly.

“It must be fun living right on the water,” Vevi remarked, unwilling to leave so soon.

“One always has a cool breeze here,” Mrs. Allison returned.

“And you can step right into your boat,” added Vevi. “I’ll bet that would be exciting. If I lived here, I’d go for a boat ride every day.”

Mrs. Allison seemed to guess that Vevi was hinting she would like to go for a spin in the Adventure, for she asked:

“Would you children care to ride in my boat sometime?”

“Oh, yes!” cried Vevi. “When?”

“Not this afternoon, I’m afraid,” the lady replied regretfully. “My husband isn’t here and I hesitate to take the boat out alone. Perhaps we could make it Saturday.”

“Saturday would be fine!” exclaimed Vevi. “Only we’re entering our turtle in the race that day.”

“And the Brownie Scouts may go on a hike in the afternoon,” added Connie.

Mrs. Allison said that Monday or Tuesday would be equally satisfactory.

“We may not be here then,” Vevi told her. “Our vacation is almost over. All the Brownies must return to Rosedale soon. I think we’re starting back Monday.”

“And we do want to ride in your beautiful boat,” Connie declared earnestly. “It would be more fun than anything we’ve done.”

Mrs. Allison asked the children about the time of the turtle race and the hike.

“I know!” she exclaimed. “If you can get up early, we’ll go for a before-breakfast spin. My husband and I will serve breakfast on the boat.”

“Oh, grand!” laughed Connie. “What time shall we come?”

Mrs. Allison asked if seven o’clock would be too early.

“We can get here even earlier,” Connie promised.

“Seven will be early enough,” Mrs. Allison smiled. “You may bring your other friends too, if you like.”

“All the Brownies?” Vevi questioned.

“Yes, and your leaders. We’ll make a party of it.”

“We’ll all be here,” Connie promised.

“By the way, on Saturday the boat probably will be tied up near the pier,” Mrs. Allison said. “So instead of coming here, come to Wharf 5. Do you know where it is?”

“Oh, yes,” Vevi assured her. “Anyway, we know the boat and its name. We’ll be there.”

“Seven o’clock,” Mrs. Allison reminded them again.

Thrilled by the invitation, Vevi and Connie ran back to the cottage to tell the other Brownies of the wonderful outing awaiting them.

“Why, that will make a very nice climax to our vacation,” Miss Gordon declared. “We’ll enjoy the boat ride in the morning. In the afternoon we’ll watch the turtle race. Sunday we’ll have an all-day exhibition of our shells at the ship cottage. Then Monday morning we start for home.”

“Don’t mention that part,” groaned Sunny. “We never want to leave Silver Beach.”

“Not without catching that thief who took your wrist watch,” added Jane. “Can’t we stay just a few days longer?”

“I’m afraid not,” Miss Gordon smiled. “All good things come to an end, you know. But let’s enjoy to the full these last few days.”

“I know one thing I’m going to do before we leave,” Vevi announced mysteriously. “What?” demanded Jane.

“I’m not telling,” Vevi laughed. “It has something to do with turtles though.”

Now the little girl had been very much interested in Captain Tarwell’s story of how huge sea turtles came up on the beach to lay their eggs. Before she left Silver Beach, she very much wanted to see one of the huge creatures. She had made up her mind that on Friday night, when the moon was full, she would slip out of the cottage and watch. But she did not tell anyone what she intended to do.

The next morning after breakfast while the other Brownies gathered shells, Vevi and Connie walked to the ship cottage to feed the pets.

“Animals and birds are a lot of work,” Vevi sighed. “After tomorrow I’ll let Snow White fly away. And as soon as Clover wins the race for the Brownies I’ll put him back in the pond.”

“Maybe Clover won’t come in first,” Connie replied. “I hear some of those hotel boys and girls have some fast turtles. Besides, Clover has been cooped up too long.”

“He should have more exercise,” agreed Vevi, frowning. “It’s hard to look after him properly when he’s here, and I’m at the cottage. But I’ll give him a good work-out today.”

The little girl removed the cover from the dish pan. Clover was sitting on a pile of wooden blocks which had been fixed for him. He stuck out his head and snapped at Vevi when she poked a stick at him.

“He still has plenty of pep, Connie. I think he will win first place in the race, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” returned Connie. “But I’m sure of one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Someone has been taking care of him for you. See! The water has been changed and he’s been fed too.”

“That’s so, Connie! Do you suppose Captain Tarwell did it?”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t think he would want to walk so far uphill just to feed a turtle or a pigeon.”

“Let’s look at Snow White,” Vevi proposed quickly.

The pigeon was in his wicker cage, pecking at a scattering of grain.

“See!” Connie exclaimed. “Snow White has been fed too.”

“Not very long ago either.”

“Then maybe Captain Tarwell is still here.”

Vevi glanced quickly toward the cottage. The front door was closed.

However, as she gazed toward one of the tiny porthole windows which overlooked the back yard, she was startled to see someone standing there inside the house.

For a moment a face was pressed against the thick pane of glass.

Even as Vevi stared, it was withdrawn. For a second, she was a little confused. Had she really seen a face or had she imagined it?

“Someone’s watching us from the house!” Connie exclaimed. She too had seen the shadowy face.

“It wasn’t Captain Tarwell,” whispered Vevi. “It was someone else.”

“Someone we both know,” added Connie. She had seen the face quite plainly. “I don’t think he has any right to be here either. Let’s find out about it, Vevi!”