Books with author Alice B Emerson

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 a 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… (Excerpt from Goodreads)

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.

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 sound of the drumming wheels! It had roared in the ears of Ruth Fielding for hours as she sat on the comfortably upholstered seat in the last car of the afternoon Limited, the train whirling her from the West to the East, through the fertile valleys of Upper New York State. This had been a very long journey for the girl, but Ruth knew that it would soon come to an end. Cheslow was not many miles ahead now; she had searched it out upon the railroad timetable, and upon the map printed on the back of the sheet; and as the stations flew by, she had spelled their names out with her quick eyes, until dusk had fallen and she could no longer see more than the signal lamps and switch targets as the train whirled her on. But she still stared through the window. This last car of the train was fairly well filled, but she had been fortunate in having a seat all to herself; she was glad this was so, for a person in the seat with her might have discovered how hard it was for her to keep back the tears.

CHAPTER I:WAITING FOR WORD"I do wish you'd wear a sunbonnet, Betty," said Mrs. Arnold, glancing up from her ironing board as Betty Gordon came into the kitchen. "You're getting old enough now to think a little about your complexion."Betty's brown eyes laughed over the rim of the glass of water she had drawn at the sink."I can't stand a sunbonnet," she declared vehemently, returning the glass to the nickel holder under the shelf. "I know just how a horse feels with blinders on. You know you wouldn't like it, Mrs. Arnold, if I pulled up half your onion sets in mistake for weeds because I couldn't see what I was doing."Mrs. Arnold shook her head over the white ruffle she was fluting with nervous, skillful fingers. "There's no call for you to go grubbing in that onion bed," she said. "I'd like you to have nice hands and not be burnt black as an Indian when your uncle comes. But then, nobody pays any attention to what I say."There was more truth in this statement than Mrs. Arnold herself suspected. She was one of these patient, anxious women who unconsciously nag every one about them and whose stream of complaint never rises above a constant murmur. Her family were so used to Mrs. Arnold's monotonous fault-finding that they rarely if ever knew what she was complaining about. They did not mean to be disrespectful, but they had fallen into the habit of not listening."Uncle' Dick won't mind if I'm as black as an Indian," said Betty confidently, spreading out her strong, little brown right hand and eyeing it critically. "With all the traveling he's done, I guess he's seen people more tanned than I am, You're sure there wasn't a letter this morning?""The young ones said there wasn't," returned Mrs. Arnold, changing her cool iron for a hot one, and testing it by holding it close to her flushed face. "But I don't know that Ted and George would know a letter if they saw it, their heads are so full of fishing.""I thought' Uncle Dick would write again," observed Betty wistfully. "But perhaps there wasn't time. He said he might come any day." "I don't know what he'll say," worried Mrs.Arnold, her eyes surveying the slender figure leaning against the sink. "Your not being in mourning will certainly seem queer to him. I hope you'll tell him Sally Pettit and I offered to make you black frocks."Betty smiled, her peculiarly vivid, rich smile. "Dear Mrs. Arnold!" she said, affection warm in her voice. "Of course I'll tell him. He will understand, and not blame you. And now I'm going to tackle those weeds."