CHAPTER XXI
MANY THINGS HAPPEN
It was, of course, hard to tell by merely seeing them taken what thepictures about the old Red Mill would be like; but Ruth and Helen bothacted in them as "extras" and were greatly excited over the film, onemay be sure.
The director, not the cross Mr. Grimes this time, assured Ruth that hewas confident "Crossed Wires" would make good on the screen. Hazel Grayplayed the lead in the picture, as she had in "The Heart of a SchoolGirl," and Ruth and Helen were glad to meet the bright little screenactress again.
Miss Gray seemed to have forgotten all about Tom Cameron and Ruth, forsome reason, felt glad. She ventured to ask Helen if her twin was stillas enamored of the young actress as he had seemed to be the year before.
"Why, no," Helen said thoughtfully. "You know how it is with boys; theyhave one craze after another, Ruthie."
"No. Do they?" asked the other.
"Yes. Tom made a collection of the photographs of a slap-stick comedianat first. Then he decorated his room at Seven Oaks with all the pictureshe could find of Miss Gray. Now, when I was over there with father theother day, what do you suppose is his chief decoration on his roomwalls?"
"I haven't the least idea," Ruth confessed.
"Great, ugly, brutal boxers! Prize-fighters! Awful pictures, Ruth! Isuppose next he will make a collection of the photographs of burglars!"and Helen laughed.
The chums were whisked back to Ardmore, having been absent five days.They were so well prepared in their recitations, however, that they didnot fall behind in any particular. Indeed, these two bright-minded girlsfound it not difficult to keep up with their classes.
Even Jennie Stone, leisure loving as she naturally was, had no realdifficulty in being well to the front in her studies. And she had becomeone of the most faithful of devotees of gymnastic practice.
Ardmore's second basket ball five pushed the first team hard; and JennieStone was on the second five. As the spring training for the boatsopened she, as well as Ruth and Helen, tried for the freshmeneight-oared shell. All three won places in that crew.
Jennie was still somewhat over-weight. But the instructor put her at bowand her weight counted there. Ruth was stroke and Helen Number 2. Aspractice went on it was proved that the freshman crew was a very wellbalanced one.
They more than once "bumped" the sophomore shell in trial races, andonce came very near to catching the junior eight. The seniors andjuniors began now to pay more attention to the freshman class;especially to those members who showed well in athletics.
Because of their characters and their class standing, several of theinstructors besides Miss Cullam, the mathematics teacher, were thefriends of the Briarwoods. Miss Cullam had shown a warm appreciation ofRuth Fielding's character all through the year. Not that Ruth was aprize pupil in Miss Cullam's study, for she was not. Mathematics was theone study it was hard for Ruth to interest herself in. But when the girlof the Red Mill had a hard thing to do, she always put her whole mind toit; and, therefore, she made a good mark in mathematics in spite of herdistaste for the study.
"You are doing well, Miss Fielding," Miss Cullam declared. "Better thanI expected. I have no doubt that you will pass well in the year'sexaminations."
"And you won't be afraid that I'll crib the answers, Miss Cullam?" Ruthasked, laughing.
"Hush! don't repeat gossip," Miss Cullam said smiling, however, ratherruefully. "Even when the gossip emanates from an old cross-patch of ateacher who gets nervous and worries about improbabilities. No. I do notbelieve any of my girls would take advantage of the examination papers.Yet, I would give a good deal to know just where those papers and thatvase went."
"Has nothing ever been heard from Miss Rolff since she left Ardmore?"Ruth asked.
"No. Not a word. And it is hard on the sororities, too. Heretofore, thegirls have enjoyed the benefits of the associations for three years._You_, I am sure, Ruth, would have been invited by this time to join oneof the sororities."
"And I should dearly love to," sighed Ruth. "The Kappa Alpha. It looksgood to me. But there are other things in college--and out of it, too.Oh see, Miss Cullam! Here is what I wanted to show you," and the girl ofthe Red Mill brought forth a large envelope from her handbag.
They were talking together in the library on this occasion, it being aSaturday afternoon when there was nothing particular to take up eitherthe teacher's time or the pupil's. Ruth emptied the envelope on thetable.
"See these photographs? They are stills taken in connection with my newscenario. I want you to see just how lovely a place the old Red Mill,where I live, is."
Miss Cullam adjusted her eyeglasses with a smile, and picked up thetopmost picture which Mr. Hammond had sent to Ruth.
"That's dear old Aunt Alvirah herself feeding the chickens. She doesn'tknow that we took that picture of her. If I had said 'photograph' to thedear old creature, she would have been determined to put on her best biband tucker!"
"That's the back yard. Isn't it, dear? Who is that on the porch?"asked Miss Cullam.
"On the porch? Why, _is_ anybody on the porch? I don't remember that."
Ruth stooped to peer closer at the unmounted photograph in the teacher'shand.
"Why! there _is_ somebody standing there," she murmured. "You can seethe head and shoulders just as plain----"
"And the face," said Miss Cullam, with strange eagerness.
"Oh, I know!" cried Ruth, and she laughed heartily. "Of course. That'sMaggie."
"Maggie?"
"Yes. The girl who helps Aunt Alvirah. And she's quite an interestingcharacter, Miss Cullam. I'll tell you about her some day."
"Yes?" said Miss Cullam, reflectively.
"Now, here is the front of the old house----"
"Allow me to keep this picture for a little while, will you, MissFielding?" broke in the teacher, still staring at the clearly exposedface of Maggie on the porch.
"Why, yes, certainly," responded the girl, curiously.
"I wish to show this girl's face to somebody else. She seems veryfamiliar to me," the mathematics teacher said.