he loving kindness of Aunt Alvirah Boggs, the miller's
housekeeper, Ruth's prospects had been poor indeed. But Providence moves
in mysterious ways. Seemingly unexpected chances had broadened Ruth's
outlook on life and given her advantages that few girls in her sphere
secure.

First she was enabled to go to a famous boarding school, Briarwood Hall,
with her dearest chum, Helen Cameron. There she began to make friends and
widen her experience by travel. With Helen, Tom, and other young friends,
Ruth had adventures, as the titles of the series of books run, at Snow
Camp, at Lighthouse Point, at Silver Ranch, on Cliff Island, at Sunrise
Farm, with the Gypsies, in Moving Pictures, and Down in Dixie.

With the eleventh volume of the series Ruth and her chums, Helen Cameron
and Jennie Stone, begin their life at Ardmore College. As freshmen their
experiences are related in "Ruth Fielding at College; Or, The Missing
Examination Papers." This volume is followed by "Ruth Fielding in the
Saddle; Or, College Girls in the Land of Gold," wherein Ruth's first big
scenario is produced by the Alectrion Film Corporation.

As was the fact with so many of our college boys and girls, the World War
interfered most abruptly and terribly with Ruth's peaceful current of
life. America went into the war and Ruth into Red Cross work almost
simultaneously.

In "Ruth Fielding in the Red Cross; Or, Doing Her Bit for Uncle Sam," the
Girl of the Red Mill gained a very practical experience in the work of the
great peace organization which does so much to smooth the ravages of war.
Then, in "Ruth Fielding at the War Front; Or, The Hunt for the Lost
Soldier," the Red Cross worker was thrown into the very heart of the
tremendous struggle, and in northern France achieved a name for courage
that her college mates greatly envied.

Wounded and nerve-racked because of her experiences, Ruth was sent home,
only to meet, as related in the fifteenth volume of the series, "Ruth
Fielding Homeward Bound; Or, A Red Cross Worker's Ocean Perils," an
experience which seemed at first to be disastrous. In the end, however,
the girl reached the Red Mill in a physical and mental state which made
any undue excitement almost a tragedy for her.

The mysterious disappearance of the moving picture scenario, which had
been on her heart and mind for months and which she had finally brought,
she believed, to a successful termination, actually shocked Ruth Fielding.
She could not