nasty to your playmates."

"Well, I've got to eat," groaned Heavy. "If you knew how long it seemed
from luncheon to supper time----"

Despite all Ruth Fielding could do, the girl from Silver Ranch felt
herself a good deal out of this nonsense and joviality. Ann could not talk
the way these girls did. She felt serious when she contemplated her future
in the school.

"I'd--I'd run away if it wasn't for Uncle Bill," she whispered to herself,
looking out of the window at the hundreds of girls parading the walks
about the campus.

Almost every two girls seemed chums. They walked with their arms about
each other's waists, and chattered like magpies. Ann Hicks wanted to run
and hide somewhere, for she was more lonely now than she had ever been
when wandering about the far-reaching range on the Montana ranch!




CHAPTER VII

"A HARD ROW TO HOE"


Since Ruth Fielding had organized the S.B.'s, or Sweetbriars, there had
been little hazing at Briarwood Hall. Of course, this was the first real
opening of the school year since that auspicious occasion; but the effect