"But there is a letter to be recovered?"

"Ye-es."

"Is this it?" asked Mrs. Tellingham, suddenly thrusting under Ruth's
eye a very much soiled and crumpled envelope. And it had been
unsealed, Ruth could see. The superscription was to "Mademoiselle
Picolet."

"It--it looks like it," Ruth whispered. "But it was sealed when I had
it."

"I do not doubt it," said Mrs. Tellingham, with a shake of her head.
"But the letter was given to me first, and then the envelope. The--the
person who claims to have found it when you dropped it, declared it to
be open then."

"Oh, I do not think so!" cried Ruth.

"Well. Enough that I know its contents. You do not?"

"Indeed, no, Mrs. Tellingham. I may have done wrong to agree to
deliver the letter. But I--I was so sorry for her----"

"I understand. I do not blame you in the least, child," said Mrs.
Tellingham, shortly. "This letter states that the writer expects more
money from our Miss Picolet--poor thing! It states that if the money
is not forthcoming to an address he gives her before to-day--to-day,
mind you, is the date--he will come here for it. It is, in short, a
threat to make trouble for Miss Picolet. And the person finding this
letter when you dropped it has deliberately, I believe, retained it
until to-day before bringing it to me, for the express purpose of
letting the scoundrel come here and disturb Miss Picolet's peace of
mind."

"Oh, how mean!" gasped Ruth, involuntarily.

"Mean indeed, Ruth," said the Preceptress, gravely. "And you have
yourself experienced some ill-usage from the person who has played spy
and informer in this matter, since you have come to Briarwood Hall. I
understand--you know that little can go on about the school that does
not reach my ears in one way or another--that this same person has
called you a 'tattle-tale' and tried to make your friends among the
girls believe that you played traitor to them on a certain occasion. I
have told Miss Cox exactly what I think of her action in this case,"
and she tapped the letter before her. "She has shown plainly," said
Mrs. Tellingham, with sternness, "that she is a most sly and
mean-spirited girl. I am sorry that one of the young ladies of
Briarwood Hall is possessed of so contemptible a disposition."

CHAPTER XXV

GETTING ON

It was a frosty night and snow lay smoothly upon the campus. Only the
walks and the cemented place about the fountain were cleaned. Tony
Foyle