Mrs. McGuire was preparing lunch as the three Brownies stomped into the kitchen.
“Oh, here you are, Vevi,” her mother said. “I’ve telephoned everywhere, trying to find you.”
“For lunch?” the little girl asked. “I’m terribly hungry. And so are Connie and Jane. Please, may they stay?”
“Of course,” agreed Mrs. McGuire. “But it wasn’t because of lunch that I called you. While you were gone we had a visitor.”
“No, dear, it was a woman named Mrs. Gabriel.”
Hearing the name again, Vevi had a queer feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t imagine what she had done wrong. It must have been something very dreadful, though, or the woman wouldn’t keep trying to find her.
“What did she want, Mother?” Vevi asked in a faint voice.
“She said you had taken something from her car. A bag of valuable tulip bulbs.”
Vevi became very indignant when she heard the purpose of Mrs. Gabriel’s call.
“Why, how could she accuse me of such a thing?” she asked, deeply hurt. “I never took anything in my life.”
“I told Mrs. Gabriel that,” declared Mrs. McGuire. “She was quite demanding and rude. You did ride in her car, Vevi?”
“Yes, Mother. She offered me a lift from Windmill Farm. I think she asked me a million questions. Then she made me get out and walk part of the way.”
“Of course not. Only the bag of tulip bulbs Hanny gave me.”
“I don’t think I did,” Vevi said. “I will show you the bulbs.”
For safe keeping, the little girl had stored the bag in the basement. Quickly she brought it upstairs.
Mrs. McGuire untied the strings and peered into the bag.
“Tulip bulbs all look alike to me,” she said. “If you are sure these are yours, Vevi--”
“Then forget Mrs. Gabriel,” advised Mrs. McGuire. “To tell you the truth, her accusation annoyed me. I offered to pay her for any bulbs she thought she had lost, but that did not satisfy her. Nor would she give me her address so that I could call her after talking to you, Vevi. I am afraid she is a trouble maker.”
No more was said about the bulbs. Jane and Connie stayed for lunch. After the dishes had been done, Mrs. McGuire went next door to talk with Connie’s mother.
“If we are going to plant tulips we will have to do it right away,” Jane announced. “It is nearly time for me to go home now.”