splendid gymnasium scene pleased the girls, and views of the hand-ball,
captain's-ball, tennis and basket-ball courts, with the girls in action,
were bound to be spectacular, too.

These typical boarding school scenes closely followed the text of Ruth's
play. Hazel and Ruth were in them all; and on the tennis court Hazel and
Ruth played Helen and Sarah Fish a fast game, the former couple winning by
sheer skill and pluck.

Ruth naturally had to neglect some duties. Discipline was more or less
relaxed, and she lost sight of Amy Gregg.

One evening the smaller girl did not appear at Mrs. Sadoc Smith's after
supper. Of late the other girls had let Amy Gregg alone and Ruth had
ceased to watch her so carefully. But when darkness fell and Amy did not
appear, Ruth telephoned to the school. Miss Scrimp, who answered the call,
had not seen her. It was learned, too, that Amy had not been at the supper
table. Nobody had seen her depart, but it was a fact that she had
disappeared from Briarwood Hall sometime during the afternoon. Nor had she
been near Mrs. Sadoc Smith's since early morning.

CHAPTER XX

A CLOUD ARISES

While Mrs. Smith and Helen and Ann Hicks were "running around in circles,"
as Ann put it, wondering what had become of Amy Gregg, Ruth did the only
practical thing she could think of.

She hunted up Curly.

"Old Scratch!" ejaculated the boy. "I haven't seen Amy to-day. Sure I
haven't! No, Ma'am!"

"Not at _all_?" asked Ruth. "And don't you know where to look for her?"

"Oh, she'll take care of herself," said the boy, carelessly. "She isn't as
soft as most girls."

"But Mrs. Tellingham will be awfully angry with me," Ruth cried. "I was
supposed to look out for her when she came over here."

"Shucks!" exclaimed Curly. "Amy didn't want to be looked out for."

"That doesn't absolve me from my duty," sighed Ruth. "Haven't you the
least idea where she's gone?"

"No, Ruth, I haven't," the boy declared earnestly. "If I had I'd tell
you."

"I believe you, Curly."

"She and I haven't been so friendly," admitted the boy, in some
embarrassment, "since you went fishing with me that time."

"Goodness me! she's not jealous?" cried Ruth.

"I don't know what you call it," said Curly, hanging his head. "It's some
foolish girl stuff. Boys don't act that way. I told her I'd take her
fishing, too--if she'd get up early enough." Here Curly began to laugh.
"You can bet, Ruth, that wherever she is, she got the