They struggled forth, Jane Ann coming last to help the lame girl—­just a mite.  Then the two parties of school friends came together like the mingling of waters.

One was a very plump girl with a smiling, rosy face; one was red-haired and very sharp-looking, and the other two balanced each other evenly, both being more than a little pretty, very well dressed, and one dark while the other was light.

The light girl was Belle Tingley, and the dark one Lluella Fairfax; of course, the red-haired one was Mary Cox, “The Fox,” while the stout girl could be no other than “Heavy” Jennie Stone.

The Fox came forward quickly and seized both of Ruth’s hands.  “Dear Ruth,” she whispered.  “I arrived just this morning myself.  You know that my brother is all right again?” and she kissed the girl of the Red Mill warmly.

Belle and Lluella looked a bit surprised at Mary Cox’s manifestation of friendship for Ruth; but they did not yet know all the particulars of their schoolmates’ adventures at Silver Ranch.

Heavy was hurrying about, kissing everybody indiscriminately, and of course performing this rite with Ruth at least twice.

“I’m so tickled to see you all, I can’t tell!” she laughed.  “And you’re all looking fine, too.  But it does seem a month, instead of a week, since I saw you.”

“My! but you are looking bad yourself, Heavy,” gibed Helen Cameron, shaking her head and staring at the other girl.  “You’re just fading away to a shadow.”

“Pretty near,” admitted Heavy.  “But the doctor says I shall get my appetite back after a time.  I was allowed to drink the water two eggs were boiled in for lunch, and to-night I can eat the holes out of a dozen doughnuts.  Oh!  I’m convalescing nicely, thank you.”

The girls who had reached the school first welcomed Jane Ann quite as warmly as they did the others.  There was an air about them all that seemed protecting to the strange girl.

Other girls were walking up and down the Cedar Walk, and sometimes they cast more than glances at the eight juniors who were already such friends.  Madge had immediately been swallowed up by a crowd of seniors.

“Say, Foxy! got an infant there?” demanded one girl.

“I suppose Fielding has made her a Sweetbriar already—­eh?” suggested another.

“The Sweetbriars do not have to fish for members,” declared Helen, tossing her head.

“Oh, my!  See what a long tail our cat’s got!” responded one of the other crowd, tauntingly.

“The double quartette!  There’s just eight of them,” crowed another.  “There certainly will be something doing at Briarwood Hall with those two roomsful.”

“Say! that’s right!” cried Heavy, eagerly, to Ruth.  “You, and Helen, and Mercy, and Jinny, take that quartette room on our other side.  We’ll just about boss that dormitory.  What do you say?”

“If Mrs. Tellingham will agree,” said Ruth.  “I’ll ask her.”