She grew brighter and more self-possessed as the term advanced.  Her lessons, too, she attacked with more assurance.

A few days after Thanksgiving Ruth received a letter in Aunt Alvirah’s cramped hand-writing which assured her that Uncle Jabez would make no objection to her accepting the invitation to go to Cliff Island for the holidays.

“And I’ll remind him of it in time so’t he can send you a Christmas goldpiece, if the sperit so moves him,” wrote Aunt Alvirah, in her old-fashioned way.  “But do take care of yourself, my pretty, in the middle of that lake.”

In telling Belle how happy she was to accept the invitation for the frolic, Ruth diffidently put forward her request that Mr. Tingley give Jerry Sheming a job.

“I am quite sure he is a good boy,” she told Belle.  “He has worked for my uncle, and Uncle Jabez praised him.  Now, Uncle Jabez doesn’t praise for nothing.”

“I’ll tell father about this Jerry—­sure,” laughed Belle.  “You’re an odd girl, Ruth.  You’re always trying to do something for somebody.”

“Trying to do somebody for somebody, maybe,” interposed Mercy, in her sharp way.  “Ruth uses her friends for her own ends.”

But Ruth’s little plot worked.  A fortnight after Thanksgiving she was able to write to Jerry, who had found a few days’ work near the school, that he could go back to Cliff Island and present himself to Mr. Tingley’s foreman.  A good job was waiting for him on the island where he had lived so long with his uncle, the old hunter.

CHAPTER X

AN EXCITING FINISH

Affairs at Briarwood went at high speed toward the end of the term.  Everybody was busy.  A girl who did not work, or who had no interest in her studies, fell behind very quickly.

Ann Hicks was spurred to do her best by the activities of her mates.  She did not like any of them well enough—­save those in the two neighboring quartette rooms in her dormitory building—­to accept defeat from them.  She began to make a better appearance in recitations, and her marks became better.

They all had extra interests save Ann herself.  Helen Cameron was in the school orchestra and played first violin with a hope of getting solo parts in time.  She loved the instrument, and in the evening, before the electricity was turned on, she often played in the room, delighting the music-loving Ann.

Sometimes Ruth sang to her chum’s accompaniment.  Ruth’s voice was so sweet, so true and tender, and she sang ballads with such feeling, that Ann often was glad it was dark in the room.  The western girl considered it “soft” to weep, but Ruth’s singing brought the tears to her eyes.

Mercy Curtis even gave up her beloved books during the hour of these informal concerts.  Other times she would have railed because she could not study.  Mercy was as hungry for lessons as Heavy Stone was for layer-cake and macaroons.