CHAPTER XIX
THE GREAT GAME
It was a pitched battle from the very beginning.
The junior team was in splendid trim, and they played with great finishand judgment; but the sight of Grace, one side of whose face was tingedwith blood that had risen to the surface from the deep scratch, seemed tospur the sophomores to the most spectacular and brilliant plays.
Only one girl lagged, and was not in her usual trim. It was Miriam Nesbit,whose actions were dispirited and showed no enthusiasm. Her shooting wasso inaccurate that a wave of criticism spread over the audience, and themembers of her own class watched her with deep anxiety. When the firsthalf ended, however the sophomores were two points to the good.
"Grand little players!" cried Hippy, expressing his joy by kicking bothfeet against the wooden walls as hard as he could, while he clapped hishands and roared with all his might.
"The gamest little team I ever saw," answered Reddy.
But David, who had resumed his seat beside them, made no reply. He rosepresently and went to find his sister, who was sitting somewhat apart fromthe other girls in gloomy silence.
"What's the matter with you, sister?" he asked gently. "You are notplaying as well as usual. I expected you, especially, to do some fine workto-day. On the contrary, you have never played worse."
Miriam looked at her brother coldly.
"Why should I help them when they have dishonored me?" she demandedfiercely.
"How have they dishonored you, Miriam?" asked David.
"By making me the last in everything; putting me at the foot," she said,stifling a sob of anger.
David looked at his sister sorrowfully. He saw there was no reasoning withher in her present state of mind; yet knowing her revengeful spirit, hedreaded the consequences.
"Miriam," he said at last, speaking slowly, "perhaps, some day, you willlearn by experience that the people who give a square deal are the onlyones who really stay at the head. They always win out; and those who arenot on the level----" He stopped. A sudden suspicion had come into hismind.
"You don't mean to say that it was you who----"
But he didn't finish. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away. Inone glance he had read Miriam's secret. Now he understood that look ofwild appeal, baffled rage, mortification and disappointment, all jumbledtogether in her turbulent soul.
"Did she really want it so badly as all that?" he thought, "or was it onlyher insatiable desire never to be beaten?"
In the meantime, Grace, surrounded by a circle of her school-fellows, wastelling them the history of her imprisonment. Miss Thompson and Mrs.Harlowe had made their way across the floor to the crowd of sophomores;Mrs. Harlowe to find out whether her daughter's cheek had been seriouslycut, which it had not, and the principal to ask a few questions.
"Did it look like a trick, Grace?" she asked when she had heard the story.
"I hardly know, Miss Thompson. I feel certain that I left the door openwhen I went in. The janitress may have locked it without seeing me."
"Perhaps," answered Miss Thompson thoughtfully, "but the rule of lockingthe larger classrooms after school hours has never been followed that Iknow of. There is really no reason for it, and it might cause some delayin the morning, in case Mrs. Gunby were not around to unlock the doors."
"You will have to send a bill to father for all the broken glass," laughedGrace. "I shouldn't have been here at this moment if I hadn't done somesmashing."
Miss Thompson smiled.
"You were perfectly right to do it, my dear. It was an exhibition of goodjudgment and great courage. As for the bill, certainly the victim of anemploye's stupidity should not be held accountable for costs. But we won'tdisturb you now with any more questions. You deserve to win the game and Ihope with all my heart you will."
There was still a little time left and Grace determined to improve thoseshining moments by having a talk with Miriam.
Miriam never looked up when Grace approached her. Her dark brows were knitin an ugly frown and her eyes were on the floor.
"Miriam, aren't you glad I got out of prison in time?" asked Gracecordially.
"I suppose so," answered Miriam, looking anywhere but at Grace.
"Is there anything the matter with you to-day?" continued Grace.
"No," answered Miriam shortly.
"Your playing is not up to mark. The girls are very uneasy. Won't you tryto do a little better next half?"
There was a childlike appeal in Grace's voice that grated so on Miriam'snerves, at that moment that she deliberately turned and walked away,leaving Grace standing alone.
"Wait a minute, Miriam," called Nora, who, with some of the othersophomores, had been watching the scene. "You aren't ill to-day, are you?"
"No," replied Miriam angrily.
"Because, if you are really ill, you know," continued Nora, "your sub.could take your place. Anna Ray can play a great deal better game than youplayed the first half."
Miriam turned on Nora furiously, and was about to make one of her mostviolent replies, when the whistle blew and the girls flew to their places.
Julia Crosby and Grace smiled at each other in the most friendly fashionas they stood face to face for the last time that season. There wasnothing but good-natured rivalry between them now.
The referee balanced the ball for an instant, her whistle to her lips.Then the ball shot up, her whistle sounded and the great decisive lasthalf had begun.
Grace managed to bat the ball as it descended in the direction of one ofher eager forwards who tried for the basket and just missed it. Thejuniors made a desperate attempt to get the ball into their territory, butthe sophomores were too quick for them, and Nora made a brilliant throw togoal that caused the sophomore fans to cheer with wild enthusiasm.
It was a game long to be remembered. Both teams fought with adetermination and spirit that caused their fans in the gallery to shoutthemselves hoarse. The juniors made some plays little short of marvellous,and five minutes before the last half was over the score stood 8 to 6 infavor of the sophomores.
"This game will end in a tie if they're not careful," exclaimed Hippy."No, Nora has the ball! She'll score if anyone can! Put her home, Nora!"he yelled excitedly.
Nora was about to make one of the lightning goal throws for which she wasnoted, when like a flash Miriam Nesbit seized the ball from her, andattempted to make the play herself. But her aim was inaccurate. The ballflew wide of the basket and was seized by a junior guard. The tie seemedinevitable.
A groan went up from the gallery. Then a distinct hiss was heard, and asecond later the entire sophomore class hissed Miriam Nesbit.
Miss Thompson rose, thinking to call the house to order, but sat downagain, shaking her head.
"They know what they are about," she said, for Grace herself did not knowthe game any better than the principal. "It was inexcusable of Miriam,inexcusable and intentional. In attempting to gratify her own vanity shehas prevented her side from scoring at a time when all personal desireshould be put aside. She really deserves it."
But the score was not tied after all, for the junior guard fumbled theball, dropped it and before she could regain possession of it, it wasspeeding toward Marian Barber, thrown with unerring accuracy by Grace. Upwent Marian's hands. She grasped it, then hurled it with all her might,straight into the basket. Five seconds later the whistle blew, with thescore 10 to 6.
The sophomores had won.
The enthusiastic fans of both classes rushed out of the gallery and downthe stairs to the gymnasium. Two tall sophomores seized Grace and making achair of their hands, carried her around the gymnasium, followed by therest of the class, sounding their class yell at the tops of their voices.
The story of Grace's imprisonment and escape out of the third story windowwent from mouth to mouth, and her friends eagerly crowded the floor in aneffort to speak to her. There were High School yells and class yells untilMiss Thompson was obliged to cover her ears to deaden the noise.
Miss Thompson made her way through the crowd to where Grace was standingin the midst of her admiring schoolmates. The principal took the youngcaptain in her arms, embracing her tenderly.
Surely no one had ever seen Miss Thompson display so much unrestrained andcandid emotion before. There were tears in her eyes, her voice trembledwhen she spoke.
"It was a great victory, Grace, I congratulate you and your class. Youhave fought a fine, courageous battle against great odds. Many anothergirl who had climbed out of a third-story window, without even a rope tohold by, would have little strength left to play basketball much less towin the championship. I am very proud of you to-day, my dear," and shekissed Grace right on the deep, red scratch that marred her cheek.
"She is a girl after my own heart," Miss Thompson was thinking, as shehurried to her office. "Grace has faults, of course, but on the otherhand, she is as honest as the day, modest about her ability, unselfish andwith boundless courage. Certainly she is a splendid influence in aschool, and I wish I had more pupils like her."
It was with difficulty that Grace extricated herself from her admiringfriends and, accompanied by her chums, made for the locker room to donstreet attire.
Now that it was all over the reaction had set in, and she began to feel alittle tired, although she was almost too happy for words. She walkedalong, dimly alive to what the girls were saying.
Nora was still upset over Miriam Nesbit's lawless attempt to score, andsputtered angrily all the way down the corridor. "I should think MiriamNesbit would be ashamed to show her face in school, again, after thisafternoon's performance," Nora declared.
"Did you see what David did?" queried Jessica.
"Yes, I did," said Anne.
"What was it?" asked Grace, coming out of her day dream.
"The minute the girls began to hiss Miriam, he got up and walked out ofthe gymnasium," Jessica replied. "I believe he was so deeply ashamed ofwhat she did that he couldn't bear to stay."
"Well, he found Grace, and rescued her in time for the game," said Anne."That must be some consolation to him. I don't see how you got locked in,Grace. Are you sure you didn't close the door after you. It has a springlock, you know."
"I thought I left it open," mused Grace, "but I might have unconsciouslypulled it to."
"It is very strange," replied Anne, in whose mind a vague suspicion hadtaken root. Then she made a mental resolve to do a little privateinvestigating on her own account.
When Grace reached home that night she found two boxes awaiting her.
"Oh, what can they be?" she cried in great excitement, for it was notevery day that she found two imposing packages on the hall table, at thesame time, addressed to her.
"Open them and see, little daughter," replied Grace's father, pinching herunscratched cheek.
The one was a large box of candy from her classmates, the contents ofwhich they helped to devour the next day.
The other box held a bunch of violets and lilies of the valley. In thiswere two cards, "Mrs. Robert Nesbit" and "Mr. David Nesbit."
"Poor old David!" thought Grace, as she buried her nose in the violets."He is trying to atone for Miriam's sins."