“First, I want to look inside the cheese house,” Connie said. She opened the door of the building to peer inside. The room appeared empty at first glance. Milk had been poured into the pans, but no one was working there. Connie started to leave. Then she stood very still, listening. She could hear an odd sobbing sound which came from a far corner of the room. There on an old couch lay Hanny! The little girl was curled kitten-fashion into a tight ball. Her hands covered her face and she was trying desperately to smother her loud sobs. _Chapter 5_ HANNY’S SECRET “Why, Hanny!” exclaimed Connie, amazed to see the little girl weeping. “What is wrong?” Hanny had not heard the Brownie Scouts come into the cheese room. She sat up quickly, wiping her eyes and blinking fast. “Why are you crying?” Vevi asked when she did not answer Connie’s question. Hanny shook her head and turned her face toward the wall. All the Brownies felt very sorry for her. “Is it because you have to work hard here at the farm?” Connie asked after a moment. “Oh, no!” Hanny denied, stirred by the question. “I do not work hard.” “Then you must be crying because you never have any fun.” Hanny shook her long yellow braids emphatically. She wiped away the tears and sat up on the couch. “No, no!” she protested. “You do not understand. I am so very happy here. I love America. I love my so good uncle. Everyone!” “Then what is wrong, Hanny?” “I cry because I am sad. My uncle told me today that I may have to go back to my homeland.” “But why?” demanded Jane. “I don’t get it.” “My uncle is heavily in debt,” sighed Hanny. “He owes much money for this farm and all the what-you-call improvements on it. Now the bank men have told him he must pay.” “Oh, don’t you worry,” Vevi assured her carelessly. “Everything will turn out all right.” “Not unless my uncle makes money fast,” Hanny insisted. “If tulip bulbs only sold for five thousand dollars apiece it would be easy.” “Who ever heard of a bulb selling for that price!” scoffed Jane. “Oh, but they did at one time,” Hanny said. “During the tulip-o-mania bulbs sold for great sums.” “What is a tulip-o-mania?” curiously inquired Sunny. “I know!” cried Connie before Hanny could answer. “It was a period in Dutch history when the people went crazy over tulips.” “They lost and made fortunes buying and selling them,” added Hanny. “I will tell you about it.” Forgetting the cause of her tears, the little Dutch girl began to describe the strange period in history. She related that in 1634 the entire Dutch population traded in tulip bulbs. At first everyone made money. Tulips kept selling for higher and higher prices. “Then suddenly, people came to their senses,” Hanny went on. “Instead of paying thousands of _florins_ for a single bulb, no one wanted them at any price. People lost all their money.”