me of the series, Ruth and Helen and many of their
chums graduated from Briarwood Hall. Immediately after the graduation
the girl of the Red Mill and Helen Cameron were taken south by Nettie
Parsons and her Aunt Rachel to visit the Merredith plantation in South
Carolina. Their adventures were fully related in the story immediately
preceding the present narrative, the tenth of the "Ruth Fielding
Series," entitled, "Ruth Fielding Down in Dixie; or, Great Times in the
Land of Cotton."

Home again, after that delightful journey, Ruth had spent most of the
remaining weeks of her vacation quietly at the Red Mill. She was engaged
upon another scenario for Mr. Hammond, in which the beautiful old mill
on the Lumano would figure largely. She also had had many preparations
to make for her freshman year at Ardmore.

Ruth and Helen were quite "young ladies" now, so Tom scoffingly said.
And going to college was quite another thing from looking forward to a
term at a preparatory school. Nevertheless, Ruth had found plenty of
time to help Aunt Alvirah during the past few weeks.

She had noted how much feebler the old woman was becoming. Therefore,
she was determined to win Uncle Jabez to her plan of securing help in
the Red Mill kitchen. The coming of the girl, Maggie, though a strange
coincidence, Ruth looked upon as providential. She urged Uncle Jabez to
agree to her proposal, and the very next morning she sounded Maggie upon
the subject. The strange girl was sitting up, but Aunt Alvirah would not
hear to her doing anything as yet. Ruth found Maggie in the
sitting-room, engaged in looking at the Ardmore Year Book which Ruth had
left upon the sitting-room table.

"Pretty landscapes about the college, aren't they?" Ruth suggested.

"Oh yes--Miss. Very pretty," agreed Maggie.

"That is where I am going to college," Ruth explained. "I enter as a
freshman next week."

"Is that so--Miss?" hesitated Maggie. Her heretofore colorless face
flushed warmly. "I've heard of that--that place," she added.

"Indeed, have you?"

Maggie was looking at the photograph of Lake Remona, with a part of
Bliss Island at one side. She continued to stare at the picture while
Ruth put before her the suggestion of work at the Red Mill.

"Oh, of course, Miss Fielding, I'd be glad of the work. And you're very
liberal. But you don't know anything about me."

"No. And I shouldn't know much more about you if you brought a dozen
recommendations," laughed Ru