CHAPTER XXII
CAN IT BE A CLUE?
Ruth gave the matter of Maggie's photograph very little thought. Not atthat time, at least. She merely handed the print over to Miss Cullam andforgot all about it.
These were busy days, both in the classroom and out of it. The warmth oflate spring was in the air; every girl who felt at all the bloodcoursing in her veins, tried to be out of doors.
The whole college was eager regarding the coming boat races. Ardmore wasto try out her first eight-oared crew with three of several colleges,and two of the trials would be held upon Lake Remona.
There were local races between the class crews every Saturday afternoon.Jennie Stone had to choose between basket ball and rowing, for therewere Saturdays when both sports were in ascendency.
"No use. I can't be in two places at once," declared Jennie, regretfullyresigning from the basketball team.
"No, honey," said Helen. "You're not big enough for that now. A fewmonths ago you might have played basket ball and sent your shadow topull an oar with us. See what it means to get thin."
"My! I feel like another girl," said the fleshy one ecstatically. "Whatdo you suppose my father will say to me in June?"
"He'll say," suggested Helen, giggling, "'you took so much away, why doyou bring so little back from college?'"
It was several days before Miss Cullam returned to Ruth the picture shehad borrowed; and when she did she made a statement regarding it thatvery much astonished the girl of the Red Mill.
"I will tell you now, my dear; why I wished to keep the photograph," theteacher said. "I showed it to Dr. Milroth and to several of the othermembers of the faculty."
"Indeed?" responded Ruth, quite puzzled.
"Some of them agree with me. Dr. Milroth does not. Nevertheless, I wishyou would tell me all about this Maggie who works for your aunt----"
"Maggie!" gasped Ruth. "What do you mean, Miss Cullam? Was it becauseher face is in the picture that you borrowed it?"
"Yes, my dear. I think, as do some of the other instructors, that Maggielooks very much like the Miss Rolff who last year occupied the room youhave and who left us so strangely before the close of the semester."
"Oh, Miss Cullam!"
"Foolish, am I?" laughed the teacher. "Well, I suppose so. You know allabout Maggie, do you?"
"No!" gasped Ruth.
Eagerly she explained to the mathematics teacher how the strange girlhad appeared at the Red Mill and why she had remained there. Miss Cullamwas no less excited than Ruth when she heard these particulars.
"I must tell Dr. Milroth this," Miss Cullam declared. "Say nothing aboutit, Ruth Fielding. And she says her name is 'Maggie'? Of course!Margaret Rolff. I believe that is who she is."
"But to go out to housework," Ruth said doubtfully.
"That doesn't matter. We must learn more about this Maggie. Say nothinguntil I have spoken to Dr. Milroth again."
But if this was a clue to the identity and where-abouts of the girl whohad left Ardmore so abruptly the year before, Ruth learned something thevery next day that, unfortunately, put it quite beyond her ability todiscover further details in the matter.
A letter arrived from Aunt Alvirah and after reading it once throughRuth hurried away to Miss Cullam with the surprising news it contained.
Maggie had left the Red Mill. Without any explanation save that she hadbeen sent for and must go, the strange girl had left Aunt Alvirah andUncle Jabez, and they did not know her destination. Ben, the hired man,had driven her to the Cheslow railway station and she had taken aneastbound train. Otherwise, nothing was known of the strange girl'smovements.
"Oh, my dear!" cried Miss Cullam. "I am certain, then, that she isMargaret Rolff. Even Dr. Milroth has come to agree that it may be thatstrange girl. I hoped there was a chance of learning what really becameof those missing examination papers--and, of course, the vase. But howcan we discover what became of them if the girl has disappeared again?"
"Well, it's a very strange thing, I am sure," Ruth admitted. "Of course,I'll write the folks at the Red Mill that if Maggie--or whatever herreal name is--ever turns up there again, they must let me know at once."
"Yes, do," begged the teacher. "Now that the subject has come up again Ifeel more disturbed than ever over those papers. _Were_ they lost, orweren't they? My dear Ruth! you don't know how I feel about thatmystery. All these girls whom I think so highly of, are still undersuspicion."
"I hope nothing like that will happen this year, dear Miss Cullam," Ruthsaid warmly. "I feel that we freshmen all want to pass our examinationshonestly--or not at all."
"That is exactly what I believe about the other girls," groaned theteacher. "But the sorority members admit that Margaret Rolff wasinstructed to remove the Egyptian vase from the library as a part of thestunt she was expected to do during the initiation ceremonies.
"And in that vase were my papers. Of course, the girls did not know theexamination papers were there before the vase was taken. _But whatbecame of them afterward?_"
"Why, Miss Cullam," Ruth said thoughtfully, "of course they must stillbe in the vase."
"Perhaps. Then, perhaps not," murmured the teacher. "Who knows?"