“Is it supper time already?” gasped Connie. “Oh, dear, and we’ve only half explored this wonderful place.”
“Let’s finish up tomorrow if we can,” proposed Sunny as they all trooped down the stairs. “Maybe we can dress up in the old clothes. That would be fun.”
All the Brownies agreed that it would be good sport to put on a style show. Next morning, however, they had so many other interesting things to do they had no time to think of the attic.
In the morning the girls played games in the snow and went coasting again on Hammer Hill.
After lunch, Miss Gordon announced that she would drive to the village in the sleigh.
“Who wants to ride along and help me select the sled for the Stone children?” she inquired.
All of the Brownies were eager to accompany her. However, everyone could not crowd into one sleigh. So in the end, Veve and Eileen were chosen to go with the Brownie leader.
In the village, Miss Gordon attended to several errands. Then she took the girls to a hardware store where they inspected a number of sleds. After much debate, Eileen and Veve settled upon a handsome one which was large enough for two children to ride on at the same time.
While they were waiting for the sled to be carried out to the sleigh, Veve wandered to the rear of the store to look at a construction set.
As she stood there, she chanced to hear the owner of the hardware store talking to another man who was buying a snow shovel.
“Too bad about Stone,” the storekeeper remarked. “I’d help him if I could, but business is slack now and I can’t give him a place here.”
Hearing Mr. Stone’s name mentioned, Veve listened carefully.
“Yes, I’ve heard he’s had no regular work for more than a month,” the customer replied, “Pretty tough on that family of his, especially with Christmas coming on.”
When Veve left the hardware store with Eileen and Miss Gordon, she repeated the snatch of conversation she had overheard.
“I was afraid the Stone children might face a very meager Christmas, and this confirms it,” declared Miss Gordon. “I wish we could give them other things besides just a sled.”
“They must need food and clothing,” said Eileen as she climbed into the sleigh. “And I noticed the youngsters’ mittens were ragged.”