demerit, and
before the Christmas Holidays, for being the prime mover in this orgy,
I am told about," said Mrs. Tellingham, bitingly. "I understand there
are some extenuating circumstances in the case of Ruth Fielding. She
will have one-half mark against her record--to be worked off, of
course. And, young ladies, I hope this will be the last time I shall
see you before me for such a matter. You are relieved for classes."

Two unexpected things happened to Ruth Fielding that morning. As they
came out from breakfast she came face to face with Mary Cox, and the
older girl "cut" her plainly. She swept by Ruth with her head in the
air and without returning the latter's nod, and although Ruth did not
care much about Mary Cox, the unkindness troubled her. The Fox had
such an influence over Helen!

The second surprising happening was the receipt of a letter from Mercy
Curtis, the lame girl. Dr. Davison's protege wrote:

"Dear Ruth:

"Mrs. Kimmons, next door, is trundling her twin babies--awfully homely
little mites--up and down her long piazza in my wheel-chair. To what
base uses have the mighty fallen! Do you know what your Uncle
Jabez--Dusty Miller--has done? He had waiting for me when I got home
from the sanitarium a pair of the loveliest ebony crutches you ever
saw--with silver ferrules! I use 'em when I go out for a walk. Fancy
old miserable, withered, crippled me going out for a walk! Of course,
it's really a hobble yet--I hobble-gobble like a rheumatic goblin; but
I may do better some day. The doctors all say so.

"And now I'm going to surprise you, Ruth Fielding. I'm coming to see
you--not for a mere 'how-de-do-good-bye' visit; but to stay at
Briarwood Hall a while. Dr. Cranfew (he's the surgeon who helped me so
much) is at Lumberton and he says I can try school again. Public
school he doesn't approve of for me. I don't know how they are going
to 'rig' it for me, Ruth--such wonderful things happen to me all the
time! But Dr. Davison says I am coming, and when he says a thing is
going to happen, it happens. Like my going to the Red Mill that time.

"And isn't old Dusty Miller good to me, too? He stops to see me every
Saturday when he is in town. They miss you a lot at the Red Mill,
Ruthie. I have been out once behind Dr. Davison's red and white mare,
to see Aunt Alviry. We just gabbled about you all the time. Your
pullets are laying. Tell Helen 'Hullo!' for me. I expect to see you
so