The other Brownies thought that she had come upon Miss Gordon’s missing watch. Instead, Connie pointed to a large footprint in the loose sand.
“It was made by a man with wet feet!” she exclaimed. “See, here’s another—and another! Maybe the person who left these prints stole your watch, Miss Gordon!”
“I think not,” replied the teacher, examining the prints. “These marks plainly were made by a bather. See, the trail goes directly down to the sea.”
“And one wouldn’t take a wrist watch into the water,” said Rosemary. “That would be stupid.”
Just then Barney Fulsom, the lifeguard, came over to the group to ask if anything were wrong. Miss Gordon told him about losing her watch.
“It’s been stolen, all right,” Barney said. “That thief gets bolder every day.”
“Then you’ve had other articles stolen here?” inquired Mrs. Williams.
“We’ve had at least a dozen thefts reported during the summer. Several cars have been broken into too, and a couple of cruisers. It’s giving the beach a bad reputation.”
“Can’t police catch the thief?” asked Vevi. “Once when Connie and I traveled with a circus we helped the circus people trap a pickpocket.”
“I wish the Brownies would help me catch this fellow,” replied Barney soberly. “So far we haven’t a single clue.”