Ruth Fielding at Briarwood Hall; or, Solving the Campus Mystery

by Alice B. Emerson

  CHAPTER V

  "THE DUET"

  Helen, by this time, having recovered her usual self-possession, wastalking "nineteen to the dozen" to their new friend. Ruth was not inthe least suspicious; but Mary Cox's countenance was altogether toosharp, her gray eyes were too sly, her manner to the French teacher hadbeen too unkind, for Ruth to become greatly enamored of the Junior. Itdid really seem very kind of her, however, to put herself out in thisway for two "Infants."

  "How many teachers are there?" Helen was asking. "And are they all aslittle as that Miss Picolet?"

  "Oh, _she_!" ejaculated Mary Cox, with scorn. "Nobody pays anyattention to her. She's not liked, I can tell you."

  "Why, she seemed nice enough to us--only not very friendly," saidHelen, slowly, for Helen was naturally a kind-hearted girl.

  "She's a poverty-stricken little foreigner. She scarcely ever wears adecent dress. I don't really see why Mrs. Tellingham has her at theschool at all. She has no friends, or relatives, or anybody that knowsher----"

  "Oh, yes she has," said Helen, laughing.

  "What do you mean?" inquired Mary Cox, suspiciously.

  "We saw somebody on the boat coming over to Portageton that knew MissPicolet."

  "Oh, Helen!" ejaculated Ruth, warningly.

  But it was too late, Mary Cox wanted to know what Helen meant, and thestory of the fat man who had played the harp in the boat orchestra, andwho had frightened the French teacher, and had afterward talked soearnestly with her on the dock, all came out in explanation. TheJunior listened with a quiet but unpleasant smile upon her face.

  "That's just what we've always thought about Miss Picolet," she said."Her people must be dreadfully common. Friends with a ruffian whoplays a harp on a steamboat for his living! Well!"

  "Perhaps he is no relative or friend of hers," suggested Ruth, timidly."Indeed, she seemed to be afraid of him."

  "He's mixed up in her private affairs, at least," said Mary,significantly. "I never could bear Miss Picolet!"

  Ruth was very sorry that Helen had happened upon this unfortunatesubject. But her chum failed to see the significance of it, and thegirl from the Red Mill had no opportunity of warning Helen. Mary Cox,too, was most friendly, and it seemed ungrateful to be anything butfrank and pleasant with her. Not many big girls (so thought both Ruthand Helen) would have put themselves out to walk up to Briarwood Hallwith two Infants and their baggage.

  Through breaks in the cedar grove the girls began to catch glimpses ofthe brown old buildings of Briarwood Hall. Ivy masked the entire endof one of the buildings, and even ran up the chimneys. It had been cutaway from the windows, and they showed brilliantly now with thedescending sun shining redly upon them.

  "It's a beautiful old place, Helen," sighed Ruth.

  "I believe you!" agreed her chum, enthusiastically.

  "It was originally a great manor house. That was the first buildingwhere the tower is," said Mary Cox, as they came out at last upon themore open lawn that gave approach to this side of the collection ofbuildings, which had been more recently built than the main house.They were built around a rectangular piece of turf called the campus.This, however, the newcomers discovered later, for they came up in therear of the particular dormitory building in which Mary declared theirroom was situated.

  "You can go to the office afterwards," she explained, kindly. "You'llwant to wash and fix up a little after traveling so far. It alwaysmakes one so dirty."

  "This is a whole lot better than the way poor Tom was received at hisschool; isn't it?" whispered Helen, tucking her arm in Ruth's as theycame to the steps of the building.

  Ruth nodded. But there were so many new things to see that Ruth hadfew words to spare. There were plenty of girls in sight now. Itseemed to the girl from the Red Mill as though there were hundreds ofthem. Short girls, tall girls, thin girls, plump girls--and the veryplumpest girl of her age that Ruth had ever seen, stood right at thetop of the steps. She had a pretty, pink, doll-like face which wasperpetually a-smile. Whereas some of the girls--especially the olderones--stared rather haughtily at the two Infants, this fat girlwelcomed them with a broadening smile.

  "Hello, Heavy," said Mary Cox, laughing. "It must be close to supperbell, for you're all ready, I see."

  "No," said the stout girl. "There's an hour yet. Are these the two?"she added, nodding at Ruth and Helen.

  "I always get what I go after," Ruth heard Mary say, as they whisked inat the door.

  In the hall a quiet, pleasant-faced woman in cap and apron met them.

  "This is Helen Cameron and Ruth Fielding, Miss Scrimp," said Mary."Miss Scrimp is matron of our dormitory, girls. I am going up, MissScrimp, and I'll show them to their duet."

  "Very well, Miss Cox," said the woman, producing two keys, one of whichshe handed to each of the chums. "Be ready for the bell, girls. Youcan see Mrs. Tellingham after supper."

  Ruth stopped to thank her, but Mary swept Helen on with her up thebroad stairway. The room the chums were to occupy (Mr. Cameron hadmade this arrangement for them) was up this first flight only, but wasat the other end of the building, overlooking the campus. It seemed along walk down the corridor. Some of the doors stood open, and moregirls looked out at them curiously as they pursued their way.

  Mary was talking in a low voice to Helen now, and Ruth could not hearwhat she said. But when they stopped at the end of the corridor, andHelen fitted her key into the lock of the door, she said:

  "We'd be delighted, Miss Cox. Oh, yes! Ruth and I will both come."

  Mary went away whistling and they heard her laughing and talking withother girls who had come out into the corridor before the chums werewell in their own room. And what a delightful place it seemed to thetwo girls, when they entered! Not so small, either. There were twosingle beds, two dressing tables, running water in a bowl, two closetsand two chairs--all this at one end of the room. At the other end wasa good-sized table to work at, chairs, a couch, and two sets of shelvesfor their books. There were two broad windows with wide seats underthem, too.

  "Isn't it just scrumptious?" cried Helen, hugging Ruth in her delight."And just think--it's our very own! Oh, Ruthie! won't we just havegood times here?"

  Ruth was quite as delighted, if she was not so volubly enthusiastic asHelen. It was a much nicer room, of course, than the girl from the RedMill had ever had before. Her tiny little chamber at the Red Mill wasnothing like this.

  The girls removed such marks of travel as they could and freshenedtheir dress as well as possible. Their trunks would not arrive at theschool until morning, they knew; but they had brought their toiletarticles in their bags. These made some display--on Helen's dresser,at least. But when their little possessions came they could make theroom look more "homey."

  Barely had they arranged their hair when a gentle rap sounded at thedoor.

  "Perhaps that's Miss Cox again," said Helen. "Isn't she nice, Ruth?"

  Her friend had no time to reply before opening the door to the visitor.It was not Miss Cox, but Ruth immediately recognized the tall girl whomMary Cox had addressed as Madge Steele. She came in with a frank smileand her hand held out.

  "I didn't know you were going to come to my corridor," she said,frankly. "Which of you is Miss Fielding, and which is Miss Cameron?"

  It made the chums feel really grown up to be called "Miss," and theyliked this pretty girl at once. Ruth explained their identity as sheshook hands. Helen was quite as warmly greeted.

  "You will like Briarwood," said Madge Steele. "I know you will. Iunderstand you will enter the Junior classes. I have just entered theSenior grade this year. There are lots of nice girls on this corridor.I'll be glad to introduce you after supper."

  "We have not been to the office yet," said Ruth. "I believe that iscustomary?"

  "Oh, you must see the Preceptress. She's just as nice as she can be,is Mrs. Tellingham. You'll see her right after supper?"

  "I presume so," Ruth said.

/>   "Then, I tell you what," said Madge. "I'll wait for you and take youto the Forward Club afterwards. We have an open meeting this evening.Mrs. Tellingham will be there--she is a member, you know--so are theother teachers. We try to make all the new girls feel at home."

  She nodded to them both brightly and went out. Ruth turned to her chumwith a smile.

  "Isn't that nice of her, Helen?" she said. "We are getting onfamously---- Why, Helen! what's the matter?" she cried.

  Helen's countenance was clouded indeed. She shook her head obstinately.

  "We can't go with her, Ruth," she declared.

  "Can't go with her?"

  "No."

  "Why not, pray?" asked Ruth, much puzzled.

  "We can't go to that Forward Club," said Helen, more emphatically.

  "Why, my dear!" exclaimed Ruth. "Of course we must. We haven't got tojoin it. Maybe they wouldn't ask us to join it, anyway. You see, it'spatronized by the teachers and the Preceptress herself. We'll be sureto meet the very nicest girls."

  "That doesn't follow," said Helen, somewhat stubbornly. "Anyway, wecan't go, Ruth."

  "But I don't understand, dear," said the puzzled Ruth.

  "Why, don't you see?" exclaimed Helen, with some exasperation. "I toldMiss Cox we'd go with her."

  "Go where?"

  "To _her_ club. _They_ hold a meeting this evening, too. You know,she said there was rivalry between the two big school clubs. Hers isthe Upedes."

  "Oh! the Up and Doings," laughed Ruth. "I remember."

  "She said she would wait for us after we get through with Mrs.Tellingham and introduce us to _her_ friends."

  "Well!" gasped Ruth, with a sigh. "We most certainly cannot go toboth. What shall we do?"