“It won’t do for you, young lady, to go gallavanting into the woods with Curly another day,” said Helen, holding on to Ruth.  “You’re neither to hold nor to bind after such an expedition.  I say, girls, let’s all go with Curly next time.”

Amy had been very sullen ever since the evening before.  Now she snapped:  “I guess Curly didn’t want her—­or any of us.  Ruth just forced herself upon him.  He doesn’t like girls.”

“Bless the infant!” said Ann.  “What’s got her now?”

“Jealous of our Ruth, I declare!” laughed Helen.

Amy burst out crying and ran ahead, nor did the older girls see her at the breakfast table.  Ruth was sorry about this.  She had only then begun to win Amy Gregg’s confidence, and now she feared that the girl would be angry with her.

That day, however, Ruth was too happy to think much about Amy Gregg.

Recitations went with a rush.  Miss Brokaw even was disarmed, for all Ruth’s quickness and coolness seemed to have returned to her.  She did not fail once and the strict teacher praised her.

Besides, there was a long conference with Mrs. Tellingham and Mr. Hammond.  The scenario of “The Heart of a Schoolgirl” was to be filmed at once.

“We will do our best to release it for first presentation in six weeks,” the producer said.  “And I assure you that means some quick work.  You girls,” he added, to Ruth, “must do your prettiest when we take the pictures here.  Your physical culture instructor will drill you in marching, and forming the tableaux we require.  Your exposition of the legend of the Marble Harp is a clever bit of invention, Ruth, and in the picture will make a hit, I am sure.”

Of course Ruth was proud; why should she not be?  But her head was not turned by all the flattering things that were said to her.

The girls adored her.  The fact that they were all working in unison toward the rebuilding of the dormitory, removed from the daily life and intercourse of the big boarding school one of its more unpleasant features.

It was only natural that there should be cliques among two hundred girls.  But now rivalries were put aside.  All were striving for the same end.  Some of the girls interested various societies in their home towns to hold fairs and bazaars for the benefit of Briarwood Hall.

Personal appeals were made directly to every girl on the alumni list—­and some of those “girls” now had girls of their own almost old enough to attend Briarwood.

By these methods the dormitory fund was swelled.  In the results from the moving picture drama, however, was the possibility for the greatest help.  Mrs. Tellingham risked rebuilding the dormitory on the same scale as the burned structure, because of Mr. Hammond’s enthusiasm over Ruth’s achievement.

The days of early spring passed in swift procession now.  It seemed that the longer the days grew, the faster they seemed to go.  There were not hours enough in which to accomplish all that the girls, who looked toward graduation in June, wished.