“I promise to do my best to love God and my country, to help other people every day, especially those at home.”
The circus girls repeated the words, speaking them very clearly. Then the Rosedale Brownies saluted the new scouts and the ceremony was over.
“Do you suppose we’ll be the first troop of traveling Brownies?” Eva asked, cocking her new Brownie cap at different angles to see which was the most becoming.
“I shouldn’t be in the least surprised,” laughed Miss Gordon. “When you register your troop with national headquarters you might inquire.”
“Having a Brownie troop will be fun,” Eva declared. “I’ll write the Rosedale Troop members letters reporting how we get along. You must send me all your ideas.”
“We’ll exchange them,” smiled Miss Gordon. “I’m certain your own troop will think of many ways to be useful.”
All too soon it came time for the Rosedale Brownies to say goodbye to their many circus friends. Eva must board the circus train sleeper at midnight, traveling on to another city. The Brownies, who would spend the night at a nearby tourist camp, expected to return to Shady Hollow the next morning.
Eva told the Rosedale Brownies how nice it had been knowing them. “But I hate to think that soon your car will be traveling one direction and our circus train another,” she sighed.
“Why not come home with Connie and me?” Veve invited impulsively.
“Thank you,” replied Eva politely. “I have thought it over and I would rather stay with the circus. Especially now that we have organized a Brownie Scout troop of our own.”