Ruth Fielding At College; or, The Missing Examination Papers

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26613

Title

Ruth Fielding At College; or, The Missing Examination Papers

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Ruth Fielding, an energetic and independent orphan, navigates her first year at Ardmore College. When her friend Maggie goes missing after a boat accident, Ruth discovers a mystery involving a stolen vase and hidden examination papers. With the help of her chums Helen and Jennie, she solves the sorority initiation scandal and finds her way back to her friends.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Ruth Fielding At College; or, The Missing Examination Papers* by Alice B. Emerson, spirited orphan Ruth Fielding arrives at Ardmore College to join her friend Maggie Rolff. Their arrival is immediately interrupted by a frightening incident on the Lumano River, where a boat drifts dangerously near the mill's rapids. Ruth and her uncle, Jabez Potter, rescue a fainting girl from the vessel. This stranger, who introduces herself as Maggie, is brought to the Red Mill to recover, but her presence at college soon becomes a source of conflict. Upon arriving at Ardmore, Maggie is ostracized by older students who refuse to acknowledge her, treating her as a social outcast. The tension escalates when a mysterious girl, Betty Rolff, appears at college, claiming the new Maggie is actually her sister, Margaret. Betty reveals that the real Margaret was tricked into a sorority initiation ritual involving the theft of an Egyptian vase from the library. Terrified and unable to complete the task, Margaret fled the college in panic, leaving the vase hidden on Bliss Island. Ruth, alongside her friends Helen Cameron and Jennie Stone, investigates the mystery. They discover that the vase was not lost but buried as part of a failed initiation test. The girls locate the vase on the island, only to find it contains the missing examination papers that had been concealed inside it. With the evidence recovered, the college administration clears Margaret's name, resolving the theft and the social scandal. The narrative concludes with the girls enjoying a successful year filled with rowing races, social adventures, and academic triumphs, culminating in a graduation ceremony that marks the end of a perfect year at Ardmore.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Mystery
• College stories