“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?”
“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.”
Veve felt much better then. Saying good-bye to Miss Gordon she ran into her home. Connie lived next door, while the teacher resided only a half block farther on.
School examinations occupied the Brownies for the next three days. After that came rain and more rain.
By Friday the weather had turned chilly and no one could be certain whether or not it would be possible to visit the tree house on the following day.
“What will we do about having Mr. Vincent to luncheon?” Veve fretted. “I forgot to ask where he lives so I can’t very well get in touch with him. If he should go to the tree house, and we aren’t there--how embarrassing!”
“You should have thought of that when you invited him,” Connie said severely.
Except for Veve, the Brownies did not worry much about Mr. Vincent. During the week they had become engrossed in making periodic searches for old and decorative buttons.
Rosemary excitedly reported that in her mother’s attic she had come upon an old wedding dress with five embroidered taffeta buttons made in a star pattern.
Her “find” had started the other Brownies on an intensive search.
Jane obtained an opaque glass button, very old looking, and another of clear glass on black pigment foil with gold stripes.
But the button Eileen found on an aged coat cuff was the most interesting of all--the head of a horse on a black background.
“If anyone finds two buttons just alike, I’ll trade,” offered Rosemary.
Connie and Veve felt rather discouraged because they could obtain only modern, uninteresting buttons.
“Don’t give up,” Miss Gordon encouraged them. “Our search has only started, you know.”
Veve and Connie asked their friends for buttons and then tried the homes of strangers. On Friday night after school, they stopped at several places near the outskirts of Rosedale. In each instance the lady of the house regretfully told them that she had only modern buttons.
“It’s no use,” declared Veve, ready to give up.