GOODY TWO-STICKS
To tell the truth the young ladies of the West Dormitory who attended
Helen's sub-rosa supper looked pretty blue when the rest of the school
filed out of chapel and left them sticking, like limpets, to their
seats. Mrs. Tellingham looked just as stern as Helen imagined she
could look, when she ended a whispered conference with Miss Picolet,
and stood before the culprits.
"Being out of bed at all hours, and stuffing one's self with all manner
of indigestible viands, is more than a crime against the school rules,
young ladies," she began. "It is a crime against common sense.
Besides, I take a pride in the fact that Briarwood Hall supplies a
sufficient and a well-served table. Fruit at times between meals is
all very well. But a sour pickle and a piece of angel cake at eleven
or twelve o'clock at night would soon break down the digestive
faculties of a second Samson.
"However," she added grimly, "that will bring its own punishment. I
need not trouble myself about this phase of the matter. But that
distinct rules of the school have been broken cannot be ignored. Each
of you who were visitors at the study of Misses Fielding and Cameron
last evening after hours will have one demerit to work off by extra
exercises in Latin and French.
"Miss Cox!"
She spoke so sharply that The Fox hopped up quickly, knowing that she
was especially addressed.
"It is reported to me by Miss Picolet that you spoke to her in a most
unladylike manner. You have two demerits to work off, instead of one."
Mary Cox ruffled up instantly. She flounced into her seat and threw
her book aside.
"Miss Cox," repeated the Preceptress, sharply, "I do not like your
manner. Most of these girls are younger than you, and you are their
leader. I believe you are all members of the Up and Doing Club. Have
a care. Let your club stand for something besides infractions of the
rules, I beg. And, when you deliberately insult the teacher who has
charge of your dormitory, you insult _me_."
"I suppose I'm to be given no opportunity of answering Miss Picolet's
report, or accusation?" cried Mary Fox. "I don't call it fair----"
"Silence!" exclaimed the Preceptress. "You may come to me after
session this afternoon. Miss Cameron may work off a full demerit, and
before the Christmas Holidays, for being the prime mover in this orgy,
I am told about," said Mrs. Tellingham, bitingly. "I understand there
are some extenuating circumstances in the case of Ruth Fielding. She
will have one-half mark against her record--to be worked off, of
course. And, young ladies, I hope this will be the last time I shall
see you before me for such a matter. You are relieved for classes."
Two unexpected things happened to Ruth Fielding that morning. As they
came out from breakfast she came face to face with Mary Cox, and the
older girl "cut" her plainly. She swept by Ruth with her head in the
air and without returning the latter's nod, and although Ruth did not
care much about Mary Cox, the unkindness troubled her. The Fox had
such an influence over Helen!
The second surprising happening was the receipt of a letter from Mercy
Curtis, the lame girl. Dr. Davison's protege wrote:
"Dear Ruth:
"Mrs. Kimmons, next door, is trundling her twin babies--awfully homely
little mites--up and down her long piazza in my wheel-chair. To what
base uses have the mighty fallen! Do you know what your Uncle
Jabez--Dusty Miller--has done? He had waiting for me when I got home
from the sanitarium a pair of the loveliest ebony crutches you ever
saw--with silver ferrules! I use 'em when I go out for a walk. Fancy
old miserable, withered, crippled me going out for a walk! Of course,
it's really a hobble yet--I hobble-gobble like a rheumatic goblin; but
I may do better some day. The doctors all say so.
"And now I'm going to surprise you, Ruth Fielding. I'm coming to see
you--not for a mere 'how-de-do-good-bye' visit; but to stay at
Briarwood Hall a while. Dr. Cranfew (he's the surgeon who helped me so
much) is at Lumberton and he says I can try school again. Public
school he doesn't approve of for me. I don't know how they are going
to 'rig' it for me, Ruth--such wonderful things happen to me all the
time! But Dr. Davison says I am coming, and when he says a thing is
going to happen, it happens. Like my going to the Red Mill that time.
"And isn't old Dusty Miller good to me, too? He stops to see me every
Saturday when he is in town. They miss you a lot at the Red Mill,
Ruthie. I have been out once behind Dr. Davison's red and white mare,
to see Aunt Alviry. We just gabbled about you all the time. Your
pullets are laying. Tell Helen 'Hullo!' for me. I expect to see you
soon, though--that is, if arrangements can be made to billet me with
somebody who doesn't mind having a Goody Two-Sticks around.
"Now, good-bye, Ruthie,
"From your fidgetty friend,
"MERCY CURTIS."
This letter delighted Ruth, and she went in search of Helen to show it
to her. The chums were due at their first recitation in a very few
moments. Ruth found Helen talking with Mary Cox and Belle Tingley on
the steps of the building in a recitation room in which Ruth and Helen
were soon to recite. Ruth heard Belle say, earnestly:
"I believe it, too. Miss Picolet wasn't downstairs in her room at all.
When she caught me she came from upstairs, and that's how I didn't give
any warning. I didn't expect her from that direction and I was looking
downstairs."
"She had been warned, all right," said the Fox, sharply. "It's plain
enough who played the traitor. Nasty little cat!"
"I believe you," said Belle. "And she only got half a demerit. They
favored her, of course."
"But why any demerit at all, if she was a spy for Miss Picolet?"
demanded Helen, in a worried tone.
"Pshaw! that's all for a blind," declared the Fox.
And then all three saw Ruth at the bottom of the steps. The Fox and
Belle Tingley turned away without giving Ruth a second glance, and went
into the building. But Helen smiled frankly on Ruth as her chum
approached, and slipped an arm within her own:
"What have you got there, Ruthie?" she demanded, seeing the open letter.
"It's from Mercy. Read it when you get a chance," Ruth whispered,
thrusting it into her chum's hand as they went in. "It's just as you
said--Dr. Davison is going to bring it about. Mercy Curtis is coming
to Briarwood, too."
Helen said nothing at all about The Fox and her room-mate. But Ruth
saw that the Upedes--especially those who had been caught in the French
teacher's raid on Duet Number 2--whispered a good deal among
themselves, and when they looked at Ruth they did not look kindly.
After recitation, and before dinner, several of the girls deliberately
cut her as Mary Cox had. But Helen said nothing, nor would Ruth speak
first. She saw plainly that The Fox had started the cabal against her.
It made Ruth feel very unhappy, but there was nothing she could do to
defend herself.