Ruth Fielding

Ruth Fielding, a recently-orphaned girl, arrives in Cheslow, New York to live with her uncle, Jabez Potter, at the Red Mill with his housekeeper, Aunt Alvirah Boggs. Ruth is greatly disappointed in the cold reception she receives. Uncle Jabez seems to care very little about her, and all that he has to say is that she must earn her keep. Uncle Jabez grows even more difficult after his cash box disappears during a flood. Ruth becomes friends with Helen and Tom Cameron, who are the children of a wealthy merchant. Ruth also visits a lame girl, Mercy Curtis, at her home. Mercy is a very disagreeable girl who resents her disability and takes it out on everyone else. Ruth kindly endures Mercy's taunts, and even promises Mercy that she can someday come stay with her at the Red Mill. There stood the miller, upright and silent, plying the whip. In time, Ruth's cheery disposition softens Mercy's attitude, and she does visit the Red Mill. Soon, a doctor examines Mercy, and it is determined that she may have hope of recovery after an operation. Uncle Jabez's cash box is found, thanks to Ruth, and Uncle Jabez gradually softens towards Ruth.

Ruth's greatest desire has come true-to attend Briarwood Hall with Helen Cameron. As soon as the girls arrive, they are accosted by Mary Cox, known as the Fox for her cunning. Mary wishes the girls to join her club, the Up and Doing Club. Helen, in particular, is enraptured by Mary's description of her club. Shortly after Mary Cox approaches the girls, Madge Steele informs the girls about her club, the Forward Club. Ruth and Helen's discussion of the clubs begins to drive a wedge between them. Ruth feels that they should be a bit more cautious about their friendships and should make certain that they know just how things are before joining any club. During their first night at Briarwood Hall, the Up and Doing Club scares Ruth and Helen by telling them the story of the haunted Marble Fountain and forcing the girls to leave a goblet at the fountain. "It's a beautiful old place, Helen," sighed Ruth. In time, Ruth decides to form a new club of her own, the Sweetbriars. Helen refuses to have anything to do with the new club, and the two girls grow more distant. In time, the mystery of the fountain is solved, and a near-fatal accident serves to draw Helen closer to her friend.

Mr. Cameron has purchased a winter camp deep in the wilderness near Scarboro, New York. Helen and Tom have received permission to take Ruth and their other friends to Snow Camp for the latter part of their winter break. Before the friends depart, they cross paths with a strange, sullen boy named Fred Hatfield, who comes from Scarboro. Mr. Cameron has a suspicion that the boy is a runaway and decides to take him back to his family in Scarboro. The Cameron party departs for Snow Camp with Fred Hatfield as an unwilling passenger. On a brief stop near Scarboro, Fred jumps off the train, and Ruth impulsively follows. Fred steals a wagon which is parked in front of a store, and Ruth jumps on board. What follows is a harrowing adventure in which the two are nearly attacked by a panther and are later rescued by a crazy hermit. The sharp explosion and the shriek of the panther seemed simultaneous. The hermit takes the two young people to Snow Camp, but Fred disappears just before they arrive. As fate would have it, Ruth encounters Fred Hatfield several more times during their stay at Snow Camp. In the end, Fred is reunited with his family, and Ruth and her friends return from an enjoyable vacation.

As the school year draws to a close, Ruth and her friends plan a trip to Lighthouse Point with Jennie "Heavy" Stone. Mary Cox makes a point of telling Heavy that she has been slighted and that only members of Ruth's club are invited to go on the trip. At Ruth's insistence and under the other girls' protests, Heavy invites Mary along on the trip. On the way home after the last day of school, Mary Cox slips and falls off the boat into the water. Ruth saves Mary, who cannot swim, from drowning. Mary snubs Ruth and refuses to thank her. Later, Ruth returns to the Red Mill and finds that Uncle Jabez has lost a large sum of money by investing it in an old mine out west. Uncle Jabez feels that he cannot afford to send Ruth back to Briarwood Hall for a second year. Ruth leaves for Lighthouse Point with this unpleasant thought uppermost in her thoughts. She was unconscious when they lifted her out. During their stay at Lighthouse Point, a girl named Nita is rescued from a sinking ship. It turns out that Nita has run away from a western ranch, and her real name is Jane Hicks. Before Ruth and her friends leave Lighthouse Point, Jane Hicks is reunited with her uncle, and the Hickses invite Ruth and her friends out to Silver Ranch on a vacation.

Ruth and Helen eagerly await the arrival of Jane Ann Hicks, who is to attend Briarwood Hall this year. The girls experience a great deal of worry when they learn that Jane's train has been wrecked. Jane is fine, but a boy named Jerry Sheming has been hurt. Jerry is taken to the Red Mill where Aunt Alvirah and Ruth care for him. Jerry reveals that he used to live on Cliff Island, but his uncle was cheated out of his land. His uncle lost his treasure box in a landslide, and with it, the papers needed to prove his claim to the island. Uncle Pete lost his mind and entered an insane asylum, and Jerry was forced to leave. Jerry hopes to someday find the treasure box and prove his uncle's claim. Ruth and her friends leave for Briarwood Hall, and Jerry stays behind at the Red Mill. The girls do their best to make Jane Ann fit in and try to keep her from being hazed as a new girl. Unfortunately, Jane Ann has much trouble fitting in with the other girls until she uses her lassoing technique in a rescue. Things gradually get better for Jane. She shot over the yawning edge of the chasm and disappeared. After a time, the girls are invited to Cliff Island for Christmas by Belle Tingley, whose father has purchased the island. Ruth is certain that Mr. Tingley did nothing to cheat Jerry's Uncle Pete, but the man who sold him the island must have cheated Jerry's uncle. Ruth sends word to Jerry to travel to the island and arranges for Mr. Tingley to give him a job. Later, Jerry is ordered arrested by the real estate man and is forced to hide in a cave. Ruth and her friends search the island for some sign of Uncle Pete's treasure chest. In time, the truth is discovered, Jerry is reunited with his uncle, and Ruth and her friends return home after a happy vacation.

Helen and Tom Cameron plan an automobile trip upstream with Ruth Fielding. Soon after the friends depart, they seek shelter from a storm in an old farmhouse and are frightened by a couple of rough-looking gypsies. Ruth hears the men discussing a wealthy old woman, a valuable necklace, and how they will no longer take risks for her. Ruth wonders what it all means. Later, the chums continue on their way, but Tom's car breaks down. He goes for help, leaving Ruth and Helen alone. Some gypsies offer to help Ruth and Helen, but Ruth is suspicious. Helen insists that they accept the gypsies' help and leaves a note for Tom. Unknown to the two girls, the gypsies remove the note, leaving no clue as to where the girls went. Soon after the girls join the gypsy caravan, they realize that they are in danger. The gypsies intend to keep them captive and demand ransom from their families. He pushed Ruth roughly back into her seat. While captive, Ruth sees the valuable necklace, which is in possession of the queen of the gypsies. Later, Helen and Ruth escape from the gypsies and return to Briarwood Hall. Upon their arrival at the school, Ruth learns that a five-thousand dollar reward has been offered for the recovery of a valuable necklace that was stolen from the aunt of a new student. Ruth sorely wants to become independent of her Uncle Jabez, whose allowance is offered so grudgingly. Ruth's thoughts center upon the necklace and her desire to locate it and claim the reward.

Ruth, Helen, and Tom watch a moving picture company film scenes near the Red Mill. As they watch, the starring actress, Hazel Gray, falls into the river and is swept downstream. Ruth and her friends rescue Miss Gray and take her to the Red Mill to recover. The next day, Ruth meets the producer, Mr. Hammond, who promises to read Ruth's scenario when she impulsively confides that she is planning to write one. Soon after the friends return to school, the East Dormitory burns and is a complete loss. All of the girls housed in that building, including Ruth and her friends, lose all of their possessions. It is soon learned that Dr. Tellingham allowed the insurance to lapse, and there is no money to rebuild the dormitory. In the meantime, Ruth submits her scenario to Mr. Hammond and is thrilled when he accepts it. After her scenario is accepted, Ruth gets a wonderful idea about how she can help the school raise money to rebuild the dormitory. In the Italian garden scenes, the seniors and juniors were used. Ruth calls a meeting of all of the students and suggests her idea of writing a moving picture scenario that will be filmed on the campus. The proceeds from the film would go towards rebuilding the dormitory. In this way, all of the girls would contribute to the fund, since they would be the extras in the film. This idea is met with enthusiasm, and Ruth soon gains Mr. Hammond's approval.

Fame is not always an asset-Ruth Fielding ruefully draws this conclusion soon after she and Helen Cameron arrive at Ardmore College. Ruth finds that a certain group of girls, led by Edie Phelps, think that she is full of herself because of her success as a scenario writer. Ruth holds her head high and pretends that their criticism does not bother her. Ruth and Helen are delighted to learn that Jennie "Heavy" Stone has also decided to come to Ardmore. Jennie proclaims that she and her aunt decided that she would continue to gain weight unless she occupied herself in college. Jennie declares that she is going to lose weight. Ruth is puzzled over the behavior of Rebecca Frayne, who refuses to wear a powder blue tam-o'-shanter like the rest of the Freshman Class. Rebecca's behavior quickly brands her as an outcast. "Ashore! Put us ashore!" Ruth gasped. By the end of her first year in college, Ruth learns why Rebecca Frayne maintains such a haughty, sullen attitude and also uncovers the secret behind what happened to an unfortunate girl who was cruelly hazed during the previous school year.

Ruth continues her work for the Red Cross and is soon transferred to a hospital that is on the war front. Ruth faces the very real danger of possible death but soon has a greater concern. Ruth asks a friend whether there is any news of Tom Cameron and learns that he has disappeared in Germany-and is suspected of working for the Germans! Ruth is shaken but certain that Tom would never betray his country. Ruth becomes acquainted with the Countess Marchand and her son, Major Marchand. Ruth trusts the Countess completely, but is suspicious that her son might be working for the Germans. One day, Ruth is walking along a road when a strange note is dropped from a plane. The note states, "Don't believe everything you hear." It is written in Tom Cameron's handwriting. Ruth realizes that Tom must be in on some secret mission in German territory. "Halt!" was the sudden command. Ruth soon has an unexpected ally who has information about Tom. The two concoct a daring plan which requires Ruth to travel into enemy territory in disguise so that Tom can be rescued. Ruth willingly agrees to the plan, but will she make it out alive?

Across the now placidly flowing Lumano where it widened into almost the proportions of a lake just below the picturesque Red Mill, a bank of tempestuous clouds was shouldering into view above the sky line of the rugged and wooded hills. These slate-colored clouds, edged with pallid light, foredoomed the continuance of the peaceful summer afternoon. Not a breath of air stirred on the near side of the river. The huge old elms shading the Red Mill and the farmhouse connected with it belonging to Mr. Jabez Potter, the miller, were like painted trees, so still were they. The brooding heat of midday, however, had presaged the coming storm, and it had been prepared for at mill and farmhouse. The tempest was due soon. The backyard of the farmhouse-a beautiful lawn of short grass-sloped down to the river. On the bank and over the stream itself was set a summer-house of fair proportions, covered with vines-a cool and shady retreat on the very hottest day of midsummer. A big robin redbreast had been calling his raucous weather warning from the top of one of the trees near the house; but, with her back to the river and the coming storm, the girl in the pavilion gave little heed to this good-intentioned weather prophet.

The gray dust, spurting from beneath the treads of the rapidly turning wheels, drifted across the country road to settle on the wayside hedges. The purring of the engine of Helen Cameron's car betrayed the fact that it was tuned to perfection. If there were any rough spots in the road being traveled, the shock absorbers took care of them. "Dear me! I always do love to ride in Nell's car," said the plump and pretty girl who occupied more than her share of the rear seat. "Even if Tom isn't here to take care of it, it always is so comfy." "Only one thing would suit you better, Heavy," declared the sharp-featured and sharp-tongued girl sitting next to Jennie Stone. "If only a motor could be connected to a rocking-chair-" "Right-o!" agreed the cheerful plump girl. "And have it on a nice shady porch. I'd like to travel that way just as well. After our experience in France we ought to be allowed to travel in comfort for the rest of our lives. Isn't that so, Nell? And you agree, Ruthie?" The girl at the wheel of the flying automobile nodded only, for she needed to keep her gaze fixed ahead. But the brown-haired, brown-eyed girl, whose quiet face seemed rather wistful, turned to smile upon the volatile-and voluble-Heavy Stone, so nicknamed during their early school days at Briarwood Hall.

At Jennie Stone's wedding reception, Helen and Tom Cameron are annoyed when Chess Copley is overly attentive to Ruth Fielding. Helen acts like she hates Chess, and Tom is intensely jealous and worried that Ruth may end up with Chess. Ruth is just as interested in Tom as she has always been, but she is discontent with Tom's laziness and wants Tom to prove himself as a man in business. Ruth feels that she must keep her distance from Tom so that he can be successful. Meanwhile, both Wonota and her father, Chief Totantora, are now under contract to Mr. Hammond and plan to appear in Ruth's next film, which is to be filmed in the Thousand Islands. An unscrupulous rival filmmaker, Horatio Bilby, tries to break Wonota and Totantora's contract with Mr. Hammond. In order to thwart Bilby, the two Indians flee over the border to Canada, and their disappearance adds to the cost of Ruth's film and threatens to halt production completely. The cameras whirred while the barge pushed close into shore. Meanwhile, Ruth and Chess continue their friendship and investigate odd happenings at one of the islands. The two friends find themselves in a dangerous predicament as a result of their investigation and must use all of their wits to outsmart the villains.