Polly's First Year at Boarding School

  CHAPTER XIX

  FIELD DAY

  Field Day arrived and with it the excitement known to any girl who hasplayed in a big game of basket-ball.

  "Oh, Polly, I'm so thrilled!" exclaimed Lois, putting her arm around herchum and dancing wildly down the corridor. "I'm glad my family isn'tcoming."

  "So am I," Polly answered, thinking of Bob. "If we could only get achance to play!"

  "Hush! I don't even dare think of such a thing!"

  "Well, I do, and I'll bet anything that the big team girls can't passthe ball as fast as you and Betty and I can."

  "They can't. I watched last practice game and they made some dreadfulmistakes with the signals. By the way, how is 'it' this morning?"

  "Fine, Betty took some food to the cellar right after breakfast. Thedarling's really getting fat."

  "Here comes Bet now. Oh, Betty, here we are!" Lois called as the thirdmember of the trio appeared at the other end of the corridor.

  "Thank goodness, I've found you," Betty answered. "All substitutes arewanted in the gym. Louise is waiting for you; hurry up."

  The above conversation took place in Freshman Alley about ten o'clock inthe morning. Throughout the entire school the game was the one subjectthat was being discussed. The girls had pinned the Seddon Hall colors onthe fronts of their sailor suits, and the long green and white ribbonsgave the required holiday effect.

  In the gym the more ardent admirers of the team were busy with thedecorations. The big Seddon Hall banner almost covered one end of theroom and the other walls were hung with small school flags andstreamers. Angela and Connie, both seated on the floor, were carefullypolishing the handsome silver loving cup.

  It was upon this scene of preparation that Betty, followed by Polly andLois, entered.

  "Here they are," she announced to Louise who, with the rest of the team,was waiting for them at the other end of the gym. "I've found them atlast."

  "That's good; I guess we are all here now," Louise replied. "I wanted totell you that the Fenwick girls get here at 12.05. The teams andsubstitutes are all to have luncheon in the younger children'sdining-room. We will have to entertain them and show them around, ofcourse, but, girls, don't talk too much; remember, they may be trying topump. I guess that's all I wanted to say," Louise finished, "except,"she added miserably, "to remind you all to do your very best for thehonor of dear old Seddon Hall."

  "Of course we will!" shouted the team, and Madelaine Ames, jumping upfrom her seat, asked excitedly:

  "Who's the finest captain in the world?"

  "Louise Preston," came the hearty response.

  Louise, to cover her confusion, called Betty to her and asked if "it"had been fed.

  "Fed! It's been stuffed," Betty assured her. "But who has the bow forits neck?"

  "I have it in my room," answered Helen Reed. "If you'll come with meI'll give it to you." And the two girls left the gym.

  It had been decided that the big team should march into the gym first,followed by the substitutes, Betty leading the still mysterious mascot,and Polly and Lois carrying the huge Seddon Hall banner.

  The girls left the gym to await the arrival of the visiting team afterLouise had finished talking to them. At quarter past twelve theyarrived, and at the first sound of the carry-all's approach, the SeddonHall girls started cheering, and Louise, as captain, stepped forward towelcome them.

  Lois, Betty and Polly moved a little to one side in order to get a goodlook at their opponents.

  "That girl's a giant," whispered Lois, pointing at one of the Fenwickgirls. "I'll bet she plays home."

  "Seems to me they are all giants," Betty grumbled. "I suppose that'stheir mascot in that basket; well, it can't beat ours."

  "Why, there are only nine of them," pointed out Polly excitedly. "Thatmeans only three 'subs.' What luck!"

  "Come here, you three," called Louise from the driveway. "Some more ofour substitutes," she explained as the trio shook hands all around.

  As they all stood exchanging greetings, Mary Reeves whispered in Polly'sear, as she pretended to fix her hair ribbon:

  "It's all over for us."

  The girls finally sauntered off in groups to inspect the gym and lockerrooms or to look around the grounds. Polly, Lois, and Betty hadundertaken to entertain the three visiting subs and were taking them inthe direction of the woods.

  "Have you a mascot?" asked one of them, a fair-haired girl of aboutfifteen.

  Polly told her that they had, and then abruptly changed the subject byasking:

  "Have you had to substitute often this year?"

  "No, I haven't, but May has," answered the Fenwick sub.

  "Do tell us about it," Polly inquired.

  May was only too anxious to have her turn in the conversation.

  "It was just before Easter," she began, "and we were playing theWhitehead team. I came in the second half; the score was a tie and wecouldn't make a point. The other team had a free throw on account of ourfoul and Jane--she's our forward--told me to watch, and when she threw herbraid over her right shoulder, to throw high. Well, I watched and did asshe told me, and we made a goal."

  "How terribly exciting!" murmured Lois without changing a muscle of herface. "And you just won the game by a single point?"

  "Yes, it was thrilling," May agreed. "Of course if Esther hadn't had tohave gotten out of the game, we would have made more points; they knoweach other's signals so well."

  "And signals make such a difference," Betty remarked, giving Polly's arma surreptitious pinch.

  Polly smiled in reply and in a few minutes excused herself.

  "There is something rather important that I must attend to beforeluncheon," she explained.

  Fifteen minutes later, on her way to the dining-room she slipped a noteinto Louise's hand.

  "Read it when you are alone," she whispered, and this is what Louiseread:

  "The two forwards signal with their braids. Over the right shoulder,means throw high. Tell Madelaine and Mary to watch."

  The game was scheduled to start at 3 o'clock sharp and by 2.30 the teamswere all in their suits and the gym was filling up with the girls andthe faculty. At the stroke of three the Fenwick team entered and marchedto the opposite side of the gym, and came to a halt under a banner ofyellow and white, their school colors. Two of their substitutesfollowed, carrying a white satin cushion on which sat a tortoise-shellcat with a big white bow on its neck. On close inspection it wasdiscovered to have six toes on one paw, and was therefore very lucky.

  As they entered, the Seddon Hall girls gave them a cheer and then sangthe welcoming song, written by Angela for the occasion. There was justenough time for every one to quiet down before the home team appeared.Louise Preston led, carrying the ball, then came Florence Guile; theywere the two forwards and were followed in turn by Mary Reeves andMadelaine Ames, the guards, and Grace Hampton and Alice Wentworth, thecenters.

  At sight of them the school set up a mighty cheer that stopped abruptly,however, as Betty, with a little brown monkey perched on her shoulder,entered, at the head of the substitutes.

  The mysterious secret of the mascot was out. Seddon Hall had had manyand varied animals for mascots in its time, but never before had a livemonkey attended one of the Field Day games. It was fully ten minutesbefore the teams were able to take their places on the floor, so greatwas the school's delight. Had the organ grinder who had lost his petwitnessed this scene he might have felt recompensed for his loss.

  When at last Miss Stuart could command silence, she blew the whistle,tossed up the ball, and the game was on.

  From the very first it seemed to Polly, Lois and Betty, watching fromthe side lines, that they must face defeat. After the first toss-up, theFenwick center caught the ball, passed it up the floor to her forward,and before the Seddon Hall girls could realize it, a goal was won.

  After three unsuccessful attempts to get the ball away from heropponent, Grace Hampton lost her nerve and started to cry. She was agood player when all went
well, but once unnerved she was practicallyuseless for the rest of the game.

  In the middle of a scrimmage the ball rolled out of bounds, and MissStuart called time for a minute.

  "Get ready to get in the game, Polly," whispered Louise hurriedly. "Youmay be needed."

  Polly tore off her sweater and waited. The game, after the minute's timewas up, began again. Alice Wentworth played too hard in her attempt tosupport Grace and fouled for roughness. As the Fenwick forward preparedto throw for her basket, Louise asked to put in a substitute. Grace leftthe floor in tears and Polly took her place.

  She played like a little fury for the rest of the first half, but to nopurpose, for Alice Wentworth was now thoroughly wild and could give herno support.

  "What is the matter with that girl?" groaned Betty, stamping with rage."Can't she understand a straight signal! Oh, if they'd only let me in!"

  "I can't do it all," Polly cried desperately as she dived for the ballnear the line where Lois and Betty sat.

  "You've got to," Lois answered. "How much longer will this half last?"she asked, turning to Betty.

  "Long enough to leave no chance for us. Oh, Lo, they've made anotherbasket!" And Betty wrung her hands in despair.

  After a few minutes more of desperate struggling to keep the ball awayfrom the other team, Miss Stuart blew the whistle, and the first halfwas over. The score was 5--0 in the Fenwick team's favor.

  The school cheered half-heartedly, and under Connie's vigorousleadership, they sang to each member of the team in the vain hope ofencouraging them. Polly was completely out of breath and Lois made herlie flat on her back and Betty forbid her talking.

  After a doleful fifteen minutes the whistle blew again and the secondhalf started. Up went the ball, and despite Polly's frantic efforts tostop it, it flew straight in the direction of the wrong goal. The factthat Madelaine and Mary knew the Fenwick signals helped considerably,for they managed to keep them from getting some baskets which they mightotherwise have made. The ball seemed to be always at their end of thefloor.

  To the girls on the side lines it looked hopeless, when suddenly thingsbegan to happen. Alice fouled three times for roughness and was put outof the game.

  "Thank goodness," Polly whispered as Betty took her place. "Don't forgetthe old signals."

  Up went the ball again, but when it came down, it was in Polly's hands.A cry went up from the school. Betty raised her arm and put up twofingers, and Polly threw her the ball, low, swift, and straight as adie. Betty bounced it to the line and threw high to Florence, who, asshe afterwards declared, was dreaming, for the ball struck her full onthe nose, and in a second her handkerchief was covered with blood.

  Time was called and although Florence insisted that she would be allright in a minute, Miss King made her leave the floor. Louise calledLois to take her place.

  "Now to show them some real playing," Betty exclaimed excitedly.

  From the second the ball touched Polly's hands after the toss-up until,by a few swift passes, Louise had thrown it in the basket, the Fenwickteam never had a chance at it. It sped like lightning from Polly toBetty, to Lois, to Louise. Seddon Hall had never seen such passing, andthe girls showed their appreciation by prolonged cheers.

  Time after time they repeated the same thing. Without doubt they hadfound themselves, and the Fenwick team seemed powerless to stop them.

  "Yi! That's the way to do it!" shouted Betty as Louise made her fifthbasket and the Fenwick captain asked to put in a substitute for center.But substitutes were of no avail; nothing could stop the Seddon Hallteam. Once in a while the ball would trickle towards one of the Fenwickforwards, only to be batted back by Mary or Madelaine into Polly's orBetty's waiting hands. Once there, it was but a few swift passes, andLouise would throw it triumphantly into the basket.

  Not one goal could the other team make after the first half, and when atlast the game ended, the score was 9--5 in Seddon Hall's favor.

  When the final whistle blew there was a mad rush, and the girls on theteam were hoisted high on the shoulders of the delighted school. Someone threw the big green and white banner around Louise and put therather frightened mascot into her arms, and singing and cheering wildly,they carried her to the other end of the gym before the table whereonthe silver cup had been placed.

  Polly, Lois and Betty escaped as soon as the excited girls would letthem, and jumping out of their gym suits they met, a few minutes later,in Roman Alley.

  "Oh, but that was a game!" gloated Betty. "Why did it ever end!"

  "I nearly died of joy when you came in," Polly exclaimed. "And when Lotook Florence's place, well--" But Polly could find no words to expressher feelings.

  "I'll bet those Fenwick girls had the surprise of their lives. I heardNora Peters rubbing it in to her friend that wrote her that letter. Andas for mascots, wasn't their cat stupid when compared to our darling?"Lois demanded gleefully.

  "Oh, there you are!" called Louise's voice from the top of the stairs."Make room for us," she added as she came down, followed by Mary andMadelaine.

  "We were just talking about the game, naturally," explained Lois. "Youcertainly can make baskets, O mighty Captain," she added, bowing lowbefore Louise.

  "I?" questioned Louise. "You know very well I had nothing to do with thegame. You three saved the day; how am I going to thank you?"

  "It was certainly a relief when you came in," sighed Madelaine. "Maryand I were almost all in."

  "I'd given the game up for lost," Louise continued, putting her armaround Polly and Lois and smiling gratefully at Betty, "until youstarted those wonderful passes. You must have done an awful amount ofpracticing that I didn't dream of," she added.

  The three girls looked at one another and grinned foolishly, and Bettysaid:

  "Certainly not!'

  "Wasn't that a wonderful catch Mary made?" asked Lois.

  "Yes; but did you see the high one Florence stopped?"

  "Poor old Florence; how's her nose?"

  "That Fenwick center almost killed me."

  And a thousand other questions were asked and answered, and to thesplash, splash of the water as it ran in their tubs, the victorious teamplayed the game over again in words.