len in Ruth's ear. "It's
fine! I'm sure we shall have a delightful time at college, Ruthie."

"And some hard work," observed Ruth, laughing, "if we expect to keep up
with them. There are no dunces in this crowd, my dear."

"Goodness, no!" agreed her friend. "They all look as sharp as needles."

There were girls of all the classes at the station, as was easily seen.
Ruth and Helen chanced to get into a seat with two of the seniors, who
seemed most awfully sophisticated to the recent graduates of Briarwood
Hall.

"You are just entering, are you not--you and your friend?" asked the
nearest senior of Ruth.

"Yes," admitted the girl of the Red Mill, feeling and looking very shy.

The young women smiled quietly, saying:

"I am Miss Dexter, and am beginning my senior year. I am glad to be the
first to welcome you to Ardmore."

"Thank you so much!" Ruth said, recovering her self-possession. Then she
told Miss Dexter her own name and introduced Helen.

"You girls have drawn your room numbers, I presume?"

"They were drawn for us," Ruth said. "We are to be in Dare Hall and hope
to have adjoining rooms."

"That is nice," said Miss Dexter. "It is so much pleasanter when two
friends enter together. I am at Hoskin Hall myself. I shall be glad to
have you two freshmen look me up when you are once settled."

"Thank you," Ruth said again, and Helen found her voice to ask:

"Are all the seniors in Hoskin Hall, and all the freshmen at Dare Hall?"

"Oh, no. There are members of each class in all four of the
dormitories," Miss Dexter explained.

"I suppose there will be much for us to learn," sighed Ruth. "It is
different from a boarding school."

"Do you both come from a boarding school?" asked their new acquaintance.

"We are graduates of Briarwood Hall," Helen said, with pride.

"Oh, indeed?" Miss Dexter looked sharply at Ruth again. "Did you say
your name was Ruth Fielding?"

"Yes, Miss Dexter."

"Why, you must be the girl who wrote a picture play to help build a
dormitory for your school!" exclaimed the senior. "Really, how nice."

"There, Ruth!" said Helen, teasingly, "see what it is to be famous."

"I--I hope my reputation will not be held against me," Ruth said,
laughing. "Let me tell you, Miss Dexter, we all at Briarwood helped to
swell that dormitory fund."

"I fancy so," said the senior. "But all of your schoolmates could not
have written a scenario which would have been approved by the Alectrion
Film