pore
over her book. No; Ruth, Helen and Ann could honestly tell Mrs. Smith that
they had not seen Curly.

"Well, the young rascal has slipped out. I went up to his door to take him
some clothes I had mended, and he didn't answer. So I opened the door, and
his bed hasn't been touched, and he went up an hour ago. He's slipped out
over the shed roof, for his window's open; though I don't see how he dared
drop to the ground. It's twenty feet if it's an inch," Mrs. Smith said
sternly.

"I shall wait up for him and catch him when he comes back. I'll learn him
to go out nights without me knowin' of it."

She went away, stepping wrathfully. "Goodness! I'm sorry for that boy,"
said Ann, beginning leisurely to prepare for bed.

But Ruth watched Amy Gregg curiously. She saw the smaller girl flush and
pale and glance now and then toward the window. Ruth jumped to a sudden
conclusion. Curly was somewhere outside that window on the roof!

CHAPTER XV

A DAWNING POSSIBILITY

"Well, the evening's spoiled anyway," yawned Helen, seeing Ann braiding
her hair. "I might as well stop, too," and she closed her books with
relief.

"It's time small girls were on their way to the Land of Nod," said the
Western girl, taking the book from the resisting hand of Amy Gregg.
"Hullo! it's time _you_ were in bed, girlie, sure enough. Holding the book
upside down, no less! What do you know about that, ladies?"

"Certainly she should go to bed," Helen said sharply. "We're all sleepy.
Do hurry, child."

"Speak for yourself, Helen," snapped Amy. "I don't have to mind _you_, I
hope."

"You do if you want to get anywhere in this school--and mind every other
senior who is kind enough to notice you," said Ann. "You've not learned
that lesson yet."

"And I don't believe _you_ can teach me," responded the younger girl,
ready to quarrel with anybody. "Give me back my book!"

Ruth went to her and put her arm around Amy's neck. "Don't, dear, be so
fractious," she begged. "We had all to go through a process of 'fagging'
when we first came to Briarwood. It is good for us--part of the
discipline. I asked Mrs. Tellingham to let you come over here with us so
that you really would not be put upon----"

"I don't thank you!" snapped Amy, ungratefully. "I can look out for
myself, I guess. I always have."

"You're like the self-made man," drawled Ann. "You've made an awfully poor
job of it! You need a little discipline, my dear."

"Not from you!"