at thing in your elbow the funny
bone?" asked Heavy, mighty serious.

"No," said Belle, rubbing the elbow vigorously.

"Why, it's what makes folks 'laugh in their sleeves,'" chuckled the
plump girl.

"Oh, dear me! isn't she smart?" groaned Lluella.

"Almost as smart as my Cousin Bill," said The Fox, breaking into the
conversation. "He won't be called 'Willie' and he'll answer only to
'Bill,' or 'William.'

"'William,' said the teacher one day to him in school, 'spell "ibex."'

"Bill jumps up and begins: 'I-b----'

"'Stop! stop, William!' cries the teacher. 'Where did you learn such
grammar? Always say, "I am."'

"And do you know," chuckled Mary, "Bill sat down and gave up spelling
the word--and he doesn't know how to spell 'ibex' yet!"

The sun had set, when they got out at the end of the Cedar Walk. Ruth,
who had sat beside Nettie Parsons, went with her to the principal's
office and introduced her to Mrs. Grace Tellingham.

Later Ruth joined her chums in the old West Dormitory. There were two
quartette rooms side by side, in which were hatched most of the fun and
good times that happened at Briarwood Hall. In one were Ruth, Helen,
Mercy, and Ann Hicks, the girl from the west. The other had long been
the room of The Fox, Heavy, Belle Tingley, and Lluella Fairfax.

Ann Hicks, right from Silver Ranch, was on hand to greet Ruth and the
others, she having arrived at Briarwood the day before. She brought
greetings from her Uncle Bill, Bashful Ike and his Sally.

The crowd quieted down at last. The last guilty shadows stole from room
to room, and finally every girl sought her own bed. Ruth and Helen
shared one of the big beds in their room, but they did not go to sleep
at once. They could hear the quiet breathing of Mercy and Ann, but the
chum's eyes were still wide open.

"That Nettie Parsons is a much nicer girl than I expected," whispered
Helen.

"That is something I want to talk with you about," said Ruth, quickly.

"What?"

"Nettie Parsons. At least, something about her Aunt Rachel."

"Oh! the necklace," laughed Helen. "Are you really interested in it,
Ruth?"

"She offered five thousand dollars' reward for it," continued Ruth,
breathlessly. "She really did. And the reward still stands."

"Why, Ruthie!" exclaimed Helen, astonished. "Do you mean to say----"

"This is what I mean to say," said Ruth, with energy. "I mean that I'd
love to win that reward. I believe I know what has become of the pearl