arriving
Infants," and she laughed.

Ruth and Helen, with a vivid remembrance of what they had seen at Seven
Oaks, coincided with this suggestion. It seemed very kind of a Junior
to put herself out for them, and the chums told her so.

"Don't bother," said Mary Cox. "Lots of the girls--especially girls of
our age, coming to Briarwood for the first time--get in with the wrong
crowd. You don't want to do that, you know."

Now, the chums could not help being a little flattered by this
statement. Mary Cox was older than Ruth and Helen, and the latter were
at an age when a year seemed to be a long time indeed. Besides, Miss
Cox was an assured Junior, and knew all about what was still a closed
book to Ruth Fielding and Helen Cameron.

"I should suppose in a school like Briarwood," Ruth said, hesitatingly,
"that all the girls are pretty nice."

"Oh! they are, to a degree. Oh, yes!" cried Mary Cox. "Briarwood is
very select and Mrs. Tellingham is very careful. You must know _that_,
Miss Cameron," she added, point-blank to Helen, "or your father would
not have sent _you_ here."

Helen flushed at this boldly implied compliment. Ruth thought to
herself again that Mary Cox must have taken pains to learn all about
them before they arrived, and she wondered why the Junior had done so.

"You see, a duo-room costs some money at Briarwood," explained Miss
Cox. "Most of us are glad, when we get to be Juniors, to get into a
quarto--a quartette, you understand. The primary girls are in big
dormitories, anyway. Of course, we all know who your father is, Miss
Cameron, and there will be plenty of the girls fishing for your
friendship. And there's a good deal of rivalry--at the beginning of
each year, especially."

"Rivalry over what?" queried Ruth.

"Why, the clubs," said Mary Cox.

Helen became wonderfully interested at once. Everything pertaining to
the life before her at Briarwood was bound to interest Helen. And the
suggestion of society in the way of clubs and associations appealed to
her.

"What clubs are there?" she demanded of the Junior.

"Why, there are several associations in the school. The Basket Ball
Association is popular; but that's athletic, not social. Anybody can
belong to that who wishes to play. And we have a good school team
which often plays teams from other schools. It's made up mostly of
Seniors, however."

"But the other clubs?" urged Helen.

"Why, the principal clubs of Briarwo