because of her shrewdness. Ruth had not cared for this particular society and, in time, she and most of the other new pupils formed the Sweetbriar Club. Helen Cameron, loyal to her first friends at the school, had not fallen away from Mary Cox and joined the Sweetbriars until this very evening, which was, as we have seen, the evening before the final day of the school year,
Ruth Fielding took the head of the table when the girls sat down to supper and the other officers of the club sat beside her. Helen was therefore separated from her, and when the party broke up late in the evening (the curfew bell at nine o'clock was abolished for this one night) the chums started for their room in the West Dormitory at different times. Ruth went with Mercy Curtis, who was lame; outside the dining hall Helen chanced to meet Mary Cox, who had been calling on some party in the East Dormitory building.
"Hello, Cameron!" exclaimed The Fox. "So you've finally been roped in by the 'Soft Babies,' have you? I thought that chum of yours—Fielding—would manage to get you hobbled and tied before vacation."
"You can't say I wasn't loyal to the Upedes as long as there was any society to be loyal to," said Helen, quickly, and with a flush.
"Oh, well; you'll be going down to Heavy's seashore cottage with them now, I suppose?" said The Fox, still watching Helen curiously.
