ng
just like a boy--Oh!"

Out of a cedar clump appeared a crowd of shrieking girls, who began to
dance around Amy and her companion, shouting scornful phrases which were
bound to make Amy Gregg angry. But Mary and her friends this time received
a surprise. Amy ran. Not so the "girl" with her.

This strange individual ran among Amy's tormentors, tripped two or three
of them up, tore down the hair of several, taking the ribbons as trophies,
and sent the whole crowd shrieking away, much alarmed and not a little
punished.

"It isn't a girl!" gasped Helen. "It's Curly Smith. And as sure as you
live he's got on some of Ann's clothes. _Won't_ our Western friend be
furious at that?"

But Ann Hicks was not troubled at all. She had lent Curly the frock and
hat, and when he behaved himself and walked properly he certainly made a
very pretty girl.

He gave Amy's enemies a good fright, and they let her alone after that.

"But, goodness me! what is Briarwood Hall coming to?" demanded Ruth, in
discussing this incident with her room-mates. "We are leaving a tribe of
young Indians here for Mrs. Tellingham to control. Helen! you know we
never acted this way when we were in the lower grades."

"Well, we were pretty bad sometimes," Helen said slowly. "We did not
engage in free fights, however."

"They all ought to have a good spanking," declared Ann, with conviction.

"And I suppose you seniors ought to do it?" sneered Amy, who could not be
gentle even with her own friends.

"I'm not convinced that I sha'n't begin with you, my lady," said the
Western girl, sharply. "I lent those old duds of mine to Curly to help you
out, and you are about as grateful as a poison snake! I never saw such a
girl in my life before."

CHAPTER XVIII

THE FIVE-REEL DRAMA

There was a spark of romance in old Mrs. Sadoc Smith, after all. Ruth read
to her the first part of "The Heart of a Schoolgirl" and to further the
continuation and ultimate successful completion of that scenario, the old
lady would have done much.

Curly looked upon Ruth with awe. He was a devotee of the moving pictures,
and every nickel he could spare went into the coffers of one or the other
of the "picture palaces" in Lumberton. Lumberton was a thriving city, with
both water-freight and railroad facilities besides its mills and lumber
interests; so it could well support several of the modern houses of
entertainment that have sprung up in such mushroom growth all over