CHAPTER XV
A DAWNING POSSIBILITY
"Well, the evening's spoiled anyway," yawned Helen, seeing Ann braidingher hair. "I might as well stop, too," and she closed her books withrelief.
"It's time small girls were on their way to the Land of Nod," said theWestern girl, taking the book from the resisting hand of Amy Gregg."Hullo! it's time _you_ were in bed, girlie, sure enough. Holding the bookupside down, no less! What do you know about that, ladies?"
"Certainly she should go to bed," Helen said sharply. "We're all sleepy.Do hurry, child."
"Speak for yourself, Helen," snapped Amy. "I don't have to mind _you_, Ihope."
"You do if you want to get anywhere in this school--and mind every othersenior who is kind enough to notice you," said Ann. "You've not learnedthat lesson yet."
"And I don't believe _you_ can teach me," responded the younger girl,ready to quarrel with anybody. "Give me back my book!"
Ruth went to her and put her arm around Amy's neck. "Don't, dear, be sofractious," she begged. "We had all to go through a process of 'fagging'when we first came to Briarwood. It is good for us--part of thediscipline. I asked Mrs. Tellingham to let you come over here with us sothat you really would not be put upon----"
"I don't thank you!" snapped Amy, ungratefully. "I can look out formyself, I guess. I always have."
"You're like the self-made man," drawled Ann. "You've made an awfully poorjob of it! You need a little discipline, my dear."
"Not from you!" cried the other girl, her eyes flashing.
It took Ruth several minutes to quiet this sea of trouble. It was half anhour before Amy cried herself to sleep on her couch. The other girls hadboth crept into bed and called to Ruth sleepily to put out the light. Ruthwas not undressed; but she did as they requested.
Then she went to the window and opened it. Nothing had been heard fromabove since Mrs. Smith had looked in at the chamber door. But Ruth wassure the grim old woman was waiting at her grandson's window, in the coldshed bedroom, ready for Curly when he came in.
And Ruth was sure, too, that the boy had not dropped to the ground. _Hewas still on the roof_.
"That was a tictac," Ruth told herself. She had heard Tom Cameron's toomany times to mistake the sound. "And Amy was expecting it. Curly had toldher what he was going to do. And now what will that reckless boy do, withhis grandmother waiting for him and every other window in the houselocked?"
"What are you doing there, Ruthie?" grumbled Ann. "O-o-oh! it's cold," andshe drew her comforter up around her shoulders and the next moment she wasasleep.
Helen never lay awake after her head touched the pillow, so Ruth did notlook for any questioning on her chum's part. And Amy had already weptherself unhappily into dreamland.
"Poor kiddie!" thought Ruth, casting a commiserating glance again at Amy."And now for this silly boy. If the girls knew what I was going to dothey'd have a spasm, I expect," and she chuckled.
She leaned far out of the open window again, and, sitting on thewindow-sill, turned her body so as to look up the slant of the steep roof.
"Curly!" she called softly. No answer. "Curly Smith!" she raised her voicedecisively. "If you don't come here I'll call your grandmother."
A figure appeared slowly from behind a chimney. Even at that distance Ruthcould see the figure shiver.
"Wha--what do you want?" asked the boy, shakingly.
"Come here, you silly boy!" commanded Ruth. "Do you want to get your deathof cold?"
"I--I----"
"Come down here at once! And don't fall, for pity's sake," was Ruth'swarning, as the boy's foot slipped. "My goodness! you haven't any shoeson--and no cap--and just that thin coat. Curly Smith! you'll be down sickafter this."
"I'll be sick if Gran' catches me," admitted the boy. "She's layin' for meat my window."
"I know," said Ruth, as the boy crept closer.
"You telltale girls told her, of course," growled the boy.
"We did not. Ann and Helen don't know. Amy is scared, but she's gone tosleep. _She_ wouldn't tell."
"How did Gran' know, then?" demanded Curly, coming closer.
Ruth told him. The boy was both ashamed of his predicament and frightened.
"How can I get in, Ruth? I'd like to sneak downstairs into the sittingroom and lie down by the sitting room fire and get warm."
"You shall. Come in this way," commanded Ruth. "But, for pity's sake,don't fall!"
"She'll find it out and lick me worse," said Curly, doubtfully.
"She won't. The girls are asleep, I tell you."
"Well, _you_ know it, don't you?" demanded Curly, with desperation.
"Curly Smith! If you think I'd tell on you, you deserve to stay out hereon this roof and freeze," declared Ruth, in anger.
"Oh, say! don't get mad," said Curly, fearing that she would leave him asshe intimated.
"Come on, then--and whisper. Not a sound when you get in the room. And forpity's sake, Curly Smith--don't fall!"
"Not going to," growled the boy. "Look out and let me swing down to thatwindow-sill. Ugh! I 'most slipped then. Look out!"
Ruth wriggled back into the room and almost immediately Curly's unshodfeet appeared on the sill. She grasped his ankles firmly.
"Come in!" she whispered. "That's the boy! Quick, now!"
All this in low whispers. The girls did not stir, and Ruth had no light.She could barely see the figure of the boy between her and the gray lightout-of-doors.
Curly dropped softly into the room. Ruth led him by the hand to the door,which she opened softly. The hall was pitch dark, too.
"You're all right, Ruthie Fielding!" he muttered, as he passed her andstepped into the hall. "I won't forget this."
Ruth thought it might be a warning to him. In the morning his grandmotheradmitted having found the boy curled up in a rug and asleep before thesitting-room fire.
"An' I thought he was out o' doors all the time," she said. "I ought topunish him, anyway, I s'pose, for scaring me so."
Ruth Fielding spent all her spare time (and that was not much, for herstudies were just then very engrossing) in planning and sketching out thefive-reel drama in which she hoped to interest Mr. Hammond, head of theAlectrion Film Corporation. She called up the Lumberton Hotel every day tolearn if the film company had arrived.
At length the clerk told her Mr. Hammond himself had come, and expectedhis company the next day. Mr. Hammond was near and was soon speaking tothe girl of the Red Mill over the telephone.
"Is this the famous authoress of 'Curiosity?'" asked Mr. Hammond,laughing. "I have received your signed contract and acceptance, and thescenario is already in rehearsal. I hope everything is perfectlysatisfactory, Miss Fielding?"
"Oh, Mr. Hammond! I'm not joking. I want to see you very, very much."
"About 'Curiosity?'"
"Oh, no, sir! I'm very grateful to you for taking that and paying me forit, as I told you," Ruth said. "But this is something different--and muchmore important. _When_ can I see you?"
"Any time after breakfast and before bedtime, my dear," Mr. Hammondassured her. "Do you want to come to town, or shall I come to BriarwoodHall?"
"If you would come here you could see Mrs. Tellingham, too, and that wouldbe lots better," Ruth assured him.
"The principal of your school?" he asked, in surprise.
"Yes, Mr. Hammond. One of our buildings has burned down----"
"Oh! I saw that in the paper," interposed the gentleman. "It is too bad."
"It is tragic!" declared Ruth, earnestly. "There was no insurance, and allus girls want to help build a new dormitory. I have a plan--and _you_ canhelp----"
"We--ell," said Mr. Hammond, doubtfully. "How much does this mean?"
"I don't know. If the idea is as good as I think it is, Mr. Hammond," Ruthtold him, placidly, "you will make a lot of money, and so will BriarwoodHall."
"Hullo!" ejaculated the gentleman. "You expect to show me how to make somemoney? I thought you wanted a contribution."
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br /> "No. It is a bona fide scheme for making money," laughed Ruth. "Do run outsometime to-day and let me talk you into it. You shall meet Mrs.Tellingham, too."
The gentleman promised, and kept the promise promptly. He heard Ruth'sidea, approved of it with enthusiasm, and went over with her the brieflyoutlined sketch for "The Heart of a Schoolgirl." He was able to suggest anumber of important changes in Ruth's plan, and his ideas were all helpfuland put with tact. Mr. Hammond and Mrs. Tellingham came to anunderstanding and made a written agreement, too.
Many of the pictures were to be taken at Briarwood Hall. Mrs. Tellingham,on behalf of the dormitory fund, was to have a certain interest in theprofits of the production. These legal and technical matters Ruth hadnothing to do with. She was able, with an untrammeled mind, to go on withthe actual work of writing the scenario.