esident of the Fussy Curls, she is likewise honorary member of the
S. B.'s."

"That is so," admitted Helen.

"Heavy, herself," pursued Mary Cox, "Belle and Lluella, who have all
backslid from the Upedes, and yourself."

"But you've been invited," said Helen, quickly.

"Not much. I tell you, if you and Belle and Lluella had not joined her
S. B.'s you wouldn't have been numbered among Heavy's house party.
Don't fool yourself on that score," and with another unpleasant laugh,
the older girl walked on and left Helen in a much perturbed state of mind.

CHAPTER II

THE FOX AT WORK

Ruth Fielding, after the death of her parents, when she was quite a young
girl, had come from Darrowtown to live with her mother's uncle at the
Red Mill, on the Lumano River near Cheslow, as was related in the first
volume of this series, entitled, "Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill; Or,
Jasper Parloe's Secret." Ruth had found Uncle Jabez very hard to get
along with at first, for he was a miser, and his kinder nature seemed
to have been crusted over by years of hoarding and selfishness.

But through a happy turn of circumstances Ruth was enabled to get at
the heart of her crotchety uncle, and when Ruth's very dear friend,
Helen Cameron, planned to go to boarding school, Uncle Jabez was won
over to sending Ruth with her. The fun and work of that first half at
school are related in the second volume of the series, entitled "Ruth
Fielding at Briarwood Hall; Or, Solving the Campus Mystery."

In the third volume of the series, "Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp; Or, Lost
in the Backwoods," Ruth and some of her school friends spend a part of
the mid-winter vacation at Mr. Cameron's hunting lodge in the Big Woods,
where they enjoy many winter sports and have adventures galore.

Ruth and Helen occupied a "duo" room on the second floor of the West
Dormitory; but when Mercy Curtis, the lame girl, had come to Briarwood
in the middle of the first term, the chums had taken her in with them,
the occupants of that particular study being known thereafter among the
girls of Briarwood as the Triumvirate.

Helen, when deserted by The Fox, who, from that first day at Briarwood
Hall, had shown herself to be jealous of Ruth Fielding, for some reason,
went slowly up to her room and found Ruth and Mercy there before her.
There was likewise a stout, doll-faced, jolly girl with them, known to
the other girls as "Heavy," but rightly owning the name of Jennie Stone.