mean as The Fox 'useter was,' I suppose,"
added Jennie Stone. "Besides, I fancy the sophs need us freshmen--our
good will and help, I mean. The two lower classes here have to line up
against the juniors and seniors."

"Oh, dear, me," sighed Ruth. "I hoped we had come here to study, not to
fight."

"Pooh!" said the fleshy girl, "where do you go in this world that you
don't have to fight for your rights? You never get something for
nothing."

However, the possibility of trouble disturbed their minds but slightly.
For the rest of the day the trio were very busy. At least, Ruth and
Helen were busy arranging their rooms and unpacking, and Jennie Stone
was busy watching them.

They went to the registrar's office that day, as this was required.
Otherwise, they were in their rooms, after their baggage was delivered,
occupied until almost dinner time. Heavy had been on the ground long
enough, as she said, to know most of the ropes. They were supposed to
dress rather formally for dinner, although not more than two-thirds of
the girls had arrived.

There were in Dare Hall alone as many pupils as had attended Briarwood
altogether. This was, indeed, a much larger school life on which they
were entering.

So many of the girls they saw were older than themselves--and the trio
of girls had been among the oldest girls at Briarwood during their last
semester.

"Why, we're only _kids_," sighed Helen. "There's a girl on this
corridor--at the other end, thank goodness!--who looks old enough to be
a teacher."

"Miss Comstock," said Heavy. "I know. She's a senior. There are no
teachers rooming at Dare. Only the housekeeper downstairs. But you'll
find a senior at the head of each table--and Miss Comstock looks awfully
stern."

Ruth and Helen found the rooms they were to occupy rather different from
those they had chummed in at Briarwood. In the first place, these rooms
were smaller, and the furniture was very plain. As Jennie had warned
them, there were only cots to sleep upon--very nice cots, it was true,
and there was a heavy coverlet for each, to turn the cots into divans in
the daytime.

"I tell you what we can do," Ruth suggested at the start. "Let's make
one room the study, and both sleep in the other."

"Bully idea," agreed Helen.

They proceeded to do this, the result being a very plain sleeping room,
indeed, but a well-furnished study. They had brought with them all the
pennants and other keepsakes from Briarwood, a