a chuckle.

The crowd of girls was in the big "quartette" room in the West Dormitory
of Briarwood Hall. The school had reopened only a week before, but all the
friends were hard at work. All but Ann Hicks and Nettie Parsons hoped to
graduate the coming June.

In the group, besides Ruth and Helen, were their room-mates, Mercy Curtis
and Ann Hicks; Jennie Stone; Mary Cox, the red-haired girl usually called
"The Fox;" and Nettie Parsons, "the sugar king's daughter," as she was
known to the school. She was the one really rich girl at Briarwood--and
one of the simplest in both manner and dress.

Nettie was backward in her studies, as was Ann Hicks. Nettie was a
lovable, sweet-tempered girl, who had several reasons for being very fond
of Ruth Fielding. Indeed, if the truth were told, not a girl in the
quartette that afternoon but had some particular reason for loving Ruth.

Ruth's life at the school had been a very active one; yet she had never
thrust herself forward. Although she had been the originator of the most
popular--now the only sorority in the school, the Sweetbriars, she had
refused to be its president for more than one term. All the older girls
were "Sweetbriars" now.

Mercy Curtis, who had a sweet voice, now commenced to sing the marching
song of the school, which had been adopted by the Sweetbriars and made
over into a special sorority song. Sitting on her bed, with her arms
clasped around her knees, the lame girl weaved back and forth as she sang:

"'At Briarwood Hall we have many a lark--
But one wide river to cross!
The River of Knowledge--its current dark--
Is the one wide river to cross!
Sweetbriars all-l!
One wide River of Knowledge!
Sweetbriars all-l!
One wide river to cross!

"'Sweetbriars come here, one by one--
But one wide river to cross!
There's lots of work, but plenty of fun,
With one wide river to cross!'"

"Altogether!" cried Heavy. "All join in!"

"The dear old chant!" said Helen, with a happy sigh.

Ruth had already taken up the chorus again, and her rich, full-throated
tones filled the room:

"'Sweetbriars all-l!
One wide River of Knowledge!
Sweetbriars all-l!
One wide river to cross!'"

"Once more!" exclaimed the girl from Montana, who could not herself sing a
note in harmony, but liked to hear the others. The chant continued:

"'Sweetbriars j