the manner in which Helen was going to
take her sudden awakening.

Fortunately her chum seemed quite prepared for the visitation. After
her first involuntary cry, she remained silent, and she even smiled
across the footboard at Ruth, who, gagged and held captive, was
certainly in no pleasant situation. The thought flashed into Ruth's
mind: "Did Helen have reason for expecting this visit, and not warn
_me_?"

"Up!" commanded the previous speaker among the white-robed company.
"Your doom awaits you."

Helen put her bare feet out of bed, but was allowed to put her slippers
on. The chums were in their night apparel only. Fortunately the air
breathed in at the open window was warm. So there was no danger of
their getting cold.

The two new girls were placed side by side. Helen was not gagged as
Ruth was; but, of course, she had uttered only that single startled cry
when she awoke. There was great solemnity among the shrouded figures
as the chums stood in their midst. The girl who had previously spoken
(and whom Ruth was quite positive was Mary Cox--for she seemed to be
the leader and prime mover in this event) swept everything off the
table and mounted upon it, where she sat cross-legged--like a tailor,
or a Turk.

"Bring the culprits before the throne!" she commanded, in a sepulchral
voice.

Helen actually giggled. But Ruth did not feel much like laughing. The
ball of rags in her mouth had begun to hurt her, and she was held
tightly by her two guards so that she could not have an instant's
freedom. She was not, in addition, quite sure that these girls would
not attempt to haze their prisoners in some unbecoming, or dangerous,
way. Therefore, she was not undisturbed in her mind as she stood in
the midst of the shrouded company of her school-fellows.

CHAPTER X

SOMETHING MORE THAN GHOSTS

Helen pinched Ruth's arm. It was plain that her guards did not hold
Helen as tightly as they did Ruth. And why was _that_? Ruth thought.
Could it be possible that her chum had had warning of this midnight
visitation?

Not that Ruth felt very much fear of the outcome of the exercises; but
the possibility that her old friend had kept any secret knowledge of
the raid from her troubled Ruth immensely. Since they had come among
the girls of Briarwood Hall--and that so few hours before--Ruth felt
that she and Helen were not so close together. There was danger of
their drifting apart, and the possibility troubl