The girls began to tease the Brownie leader to take them on the promised hike into the hills.
“This morning?” she asked dubiously.
“Just as soon as we’ve eaten our lunch,” Rosemary pleaded.
The teacher allowed herself to be persuaded. At the cottage beach, the children spread out the lunch. After the meal, they carefully gathered up all the paper plates, disposing of them in a trash can.
“I like this beach much better than the one at the hotel,” Vevi announced. “And I like Barney better than Mr. Curry too!”
All the Brownies said they felt the same way.
“I’m sure Mr. Curry doesn’t mean to be unkind,” Mrs. Williams declared. “He’s had trouble with his son, I understand. The boy ran away for a day or so. I believe he came back again though.”
Lunch over, the Brownies dressed in hiking clothes and stout shoes. With Vevi and Connie leading the party, they all set off at a brisk pace along the paved highway.
“Wouldn’t it be dreadful if we couldn’t find the little house again?” Vevi whispered to Connie. “We’d never live it down!”
“Without the mist, everything looks different,” Connie replied uneasily.