g on the
blue skirt and blouse, instead of the regulation white. Nineteen girls
with crimson bands and one with white--and that soiled!--would look odd
enough.

It would fairly spoil the picture, Ruth knew. She was worried because of
this, for she did not want to make her mates look ridiculous. Never had
Ruth Fielding been so uncertain about any question since she had been
old enough to decide for herself.

She was really so troubled that her recitation marks were not as high as
they should have been. The teachers began to question her, for Ruth
Fielding's course at Briarwood had been a triumphant one from the start!

"You are not ill, Miss Fielding?" asked Miss Gould. "I am surprised to
find that you are going below your past averages. What is the matter?"

"I am sure I do not know, Miss Gould," declared Ruth. Yet she feared
that the reply was not strictly truthful. She _did_ know; night and day
she was worrying about the new gymnasium costume.

Should she order one, or should she not? Could she buy a little of the
crimson ribbon and put it on her old uniform and thus pass muster? What
would the girls say, if she did that?

And what would they say if she appeared at the exhibition in her old
costume? Was she purely selfish in trying to get out of buying the new
dress? Was her reason for not wishing to break into that roll of coin a
bad one, after all?

Those questions kept coming to Ruth Fielding, and got between her and
her books. Mrs. Tellingham called her into the office early in October
and pointed out to her that, unless her averages increased, her standing
in her class would be greatly changed.

"You are doing no outside work, Miss Fielding?" inquired the principal.

"No, Ma'am."

"I hear you are helping two of the other girls--in a perfectly
legitimate way, of course. It is not taking too much out of you?"

"Oh, no, dear Mrs. Tellingham!" cried Ruth, fearful that her tutoring
would be forbidden.

"You are not working too hard in the gym.?"

"I do not think so," stammered Ruth.

"And _this_ is ridiculous," said Mrs. Tellingham, with a smile. "I do
not think there is a more robust looking girl in my school. But, there
must be something."

"I suppose so," murmured Ruth.

"But you do not know what it is? If you do, tell me."

"I study just as hard, Mrs. Tellingham," said Ruth, non-committally. "I
spend quite as much thought over my books. Really, I think I shall do
better again."

"I hope so.