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The members of the Upedes who had been so pleasant with them at the evening meeting seemed rather chary of speaking to Ruth and Helen how; and, anyway, the chums had enough to do to get their boxes unpacked and their keepsakes set about the room, and to complete various housekeeping arrangements.
Sarah came out bluntly with: "When are we going to form our club, Ruth Fielding? I think we should do it at once. I've told both the Forwards and the Upedes that I am not in the market. I guess they'll let me alone now." "I think they will," said Helen, sharply. "At least, the Upedes don't want you, Miss." "You seem to knew exactly what they do want," said Sarah, good-naturedly.
Of course, this was the first real opening of the school year since that auspicious occasion; but the effect of the new society and its teachings upon the whole school was marked. Rivalries had ceased to a degree. The old Upedes, of which The Fox had been the head, no longer played their tricks. The Fox had grown much older in appearance, if not in years. She had had her lesson.
The Upedes were much more friendly to Helen than to herself, and Helen was vastly interested in Mary Cox, Belle Tingley, Lluella Fairfax, and some of the other livelier members of the Up and Doing Club. But, after a while Helen strolled into her own room and mingled with the Infants who had there assembled. They had come almost to their full strength.
Ruth was not so much hurt over losing such girls for friends, for she could not honestly say she had liked them at the start; but that they should so misjudge and injure her was another matter. She said nothing to Helen about all this; and Helen was as firmly convinced that Mary Cox and the other Upedes were jolly girls, as ever.
They heard that the Upedes were to have a picnic at a grove upon the shore of Lake Triton on the Saturday week, and that Old Dolliver and his ramshackle stage, and another vehicle of the same caliber, were engaged for the trip. "But beware of black marks, girls," warned Mary Cox.
The Upedes are the Up and Doing Club. The Fussy Curls are the F. C.'s." "The F. C.'s?" questioned Ruth. "What do the letters really stand for?" "Forward Club, I believe. I don't know much about the Fussy Curls," Mary said, with the same tone and air that she used in addressing the little French teacher. "You're a Upede!" cried Helen, quickly.
They disembarked with their bags and parcels, while Tony Foyle appeared to help Old Dolliver down with the heavier luggage that was strapped upon the roof and in the boot behind. Mary Cox continued to line out the doggerel, inventing some telling hits as she went along, while the Upedes came in strongly on the refrain.
"I believe your head has been turned by that Madge Steele because she's a Senior," declared Helen, laughing, yet not at all pleased with her friend. "And the F. C.'s are probably a fussy crowd. All the teachers belonging to the club too. I'd rather belong to the Upedes a real girls' club without any of the teachers to boss it."
"We won't keep the older girls out of it, if they want to join," laughed Sarah. "And there has to be a beginning to everything," rejoined Phyllis Short. "I don't believe those Upedes have many more members than are right in this room to-night," said Ruth, quietly. "How many do we number here twenty-six?" "Twenty-six, counting your room-mate," said Sarah.