“An excellent idea,” agreed Miss Gordon. “I was about to propose the same thing myself. I also want to ask the caretaker about those markings on the trees.”
A cheerful fire blazed on the hearth inside the stone gatehouse.
As the Brownies shuffled in, the superintendent, Charlie Karwhite, poked at a log to stir up the flames.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around to smile at the girls. The six were dressed exactly alike in pinchecked Brownie uniforms, stout hiking shoes, and beanies on their heads.
“Well, well,” he said in a friendly way. “A delegation! Anything I can do for you?”
Mr. Karwhite, a man well past middle age, had supervised the metropolitan park for seven years.
The heavily wooded tract was less than a mile from the outskirts of Rosedale. Stone fireplaces had been built in the area and many trails marked. For the most part, however, the park remained in its natural state.
Circling around, the Brownies enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
Miss Gordon explained that the troop had hiked through the park. “A few minutes ago we had a most unusual experience,” she added.
Sensing that the teacher had something interesting to report, Mr. Karwhite put his poker away and listened attentively.