ed Ruth Fielding
exceedingly.

The thought of it now, however, was but momentary. Naturally she was
vitally interested in what was about to be done to her by the party of
hazers.

"I am pained," said the girl sitting on the table, "that one of the
neophytes comes before us with a bigger mouthful than she can swallow.
If she understands fully that a single word above a whisper--or any
word at all unless she is addressed by the Sisters--will be punished by
her being instantly corked up again, the gag may be removed. Do you
understand, Neophyte? Nod once!"

Ruth, glad to get rid of the unpleasant mouthful on any terms, nodded
vigorously. Immediately her captors let go of her arms and one of them
pulled the "stopper" out of her mouth.

"Now, remember!" uttered the girl on the table, warningly. "A word
aloud and the plug goes back." Helen giggled again, but Ruth didn't
feel like laughing herself. "Now, culprits!" continued the leader of
the hazing party, "you must be judged for your temerity. How _dared_
you come to Briarwood Hall, Infants?"

"Please, Ma'am," whispered Helen, who seemed to think the whole affair
a great lark, "our guardians sent us here. We are not responsible."

"You may not so easily escape responsibility for your acts," hissed the
girl on the table. "Those who enter Briarwood Hall must show
themselves worthy of the high honor. It takes courage to come under
the eye of Mrs. Tellingham; it takes supernatural courage to come under
the eye of Picolet!"

"If she wasn't out of the house to-night you may believe we wouldn't be
out of bed," murmured another of the midnight visitors, whom Ruth was
quite sure was Belle Tingley.

"And I hope you made no mistake about _that_, Miss!" snapped the girl
on the table. "_You_ went to her door."

"And knocked, and asked for toothache drops," giggled another of the
shrouded figures.

"And she wasn't there. I pushed the door open," muttered the other
girl. "I know she went out. I heard the door open and shut half an
hour before."

"She's a sly one, she is," declared the girl on the table. "But,
enough of Picolet. It is these small infants we have to judge; not
that old cat. We say they have shown temerity in coming to
Briarwood--is it not so, friends and fellow members--ahem! is it not
so?"

There was a responsive giggle from the shrouded figures about the room.

"Then punishment must be the portion of these Infants," declared the
foremost