e what the matter is."

He went, and left the house in a turmoil of excitement. Helen and Ann did
not wish to go to Briarwood and leave Ruth; but Mrs. Tellingham commanded
them to. Much to his delight, Curly was kept out of his school to run
errands.

Ruth got a nap on the lounge in the sitting room, and felt better. The
doctor returned at nine o'clock in the forenoon and by that time the sick
girl's face was so swollen that she could scarcely see out of her eyes.
Her hands and wrists were puffed badly, too.

"Where has she been?" demanded Dr. Lambert.

Ruth told him what they supposed had happened to Amy the day before and
where she had been found late at night.

"Humph!" grunted the medical practitioner. "That's what I thought. Effect
of the _Rhus Toxicodendron_. Bad case."

This sounded very terrible to Ruth until she suddenly remembered something
she had read in her botany. A great feeling of relief came over her.

"Oh! poison-ash!" she cried.

"Good land! Nothin' but poison ivy?" demanded Mrs. Sadoc Smith.

"Poison oak, or poison sumac--whatever you have a mind to call it. But a
bad case of it, I assure you. I'll leave more of the cooling draught; and
I'll send up a salve to put on her face and hands. Don't let it get into
the poor child's eyes--and don't let her tear off the mask which she will
have to wear."

"Then there is no danger of scarlet fever," whispered Ruth, feeling
relieved.

CHAPTER XXIII

PUTTING ONE'S BEST FOOT FORWARD

Amy Gregg's escapade created a lot of excitement at Briarwood Hall.
Inasmuch as it affected Ruth, the whole school was in a flutter about it.

Helen and Ann had come to the Hall, late for breakfast, and spread the
news in the dining hall. They were both sure, by Ruth's actions and the
doctor's first noncommittal report, that Amy had some contagious disease.
Curly had made a deal of the sore throat Amy had confessed to.

"And if that's so," Helen said, almost in tears, "poor Ruth will be
quarantined for weeks."

"Why, Helen, how will she graduate?" gasped Lluella.

"She won't! She can't!" declared Ruth's chum. "It will be dreadful!"

"I say!" cried Jennie, thoroughly alarmed. "We musn't let her stay there
and nurse that young one. Why! what ever would we do if Ruthie Fielding
didn't graduate?"

"The class would be without a head," declared Mercy.

"It would be without a heart, at least--and a great, big one overflowing
with love and tenderness," cried