CHAPTER VIII
THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP
It was a week before Dr. Gale pronounced Grace fit to return to school.When she did make her appearance, she was hailed with delight by herschoolmates and made much of. Miss Thompson greeted her warmly. She wasvery fond of Grace, and had expressed great concern over the young girl'saccident. It was unusual for a girl to receive so serious an injury duringa game, as all rough play was strictly forbidden.
The principal had kept the members of both teams after school andquestioned them closely. No one had seen Grace fall, nor realized that shewas hurt until she had been discovered sitting on the gymnasium floor.Miss Thompson had a vague suspicion of foul play on the part of thejuniors, but was unable to find out anything.
"Athletics for girls have always been encouraged in this school," she hadsaid. "Rough play is disgraceful. If I found that any member of any HighSchool basketball organization, either directly or indirectly, caused theinjury of an opponent, I should forbid basketball for the rest of theseason at least, and perhaps absolutely. Tripping, striking and kickingare barred out of the boys' games and will certainly not be tolerated inthose of the girls."
As Grace was returning to the study hall from geometry recitation thatmorning, she encountered Julia Crosby. Julia glanced at her with anexpression half fearful, half cunning, as though she wondered if Graceknew the truth about her fall.
Grace returned the look with one of such quiet contempt and scorn thatJulia dropped her eyes and hurried along the corridor.
"How could she have been so contemptible?" thought Grace.
"I wonder if she'll tell," thought Julia. "She evidently knows I wasresponsible for her tumble. My, what a look she gave me. I wonder if thatsnippy little Anne Pierson knows about it, too. Very likely she does, forGrace Harlowe tells her all her business. If they do say anything I'lltake good care no one believes it."
She was so absorbed in her own ruminations that she crashed into thedignified president of the senior class with considerable force, much tothe glee of Nora, who happened to be near enough to catch the icyexpression on the senior's face as Julia mumbled an apology.
At recess Grace notified the members of the basketball team and theirsubstitutes that she had called a meeting to take place that afternoon atthree o'clock in the sophomore locker room. "Only the basketball peopleare requested to be present," she concluded, "so don't bring any of therest of the class."
At three o'clock precisely the last member had arrived. Every girl tookparticular pains to be there, for most of them had been at the Harlowe'son the day that Grace had silenced Miriam.
The meeting promised to be one of interest, for had not Grace Harlowe saidthat she would tell them something about the betrayed signals?
"Girls," Grace began, "you all know that although it is against the rulesto allow any outsider to witness our practice, we have always made anexception in favor of Jessica. You all have perfect confidence in Jessica,I am sure. Since practice began this fall we have allowed Anne to come toit, too. You remember I asked permission for her to see the practice game,because I knew her to be absolutely trustworthy."
Here Nora nodded emphatically, Miriam tossed her head and smiledmockingly, while the rest of the girls looked a trifle mystified.
"Anne," continued Grace, "did not understand many of our plays, so Iwrote out a list of signals for her, to study and learn by heart, tellingher to destroy them as soon as she was sure she knew them. Unfortunately,she lost them, and at once told me about it. She felt very unhappy overit; but I told her not to worry, because I never supposed their loss wouldmake any difference.
"When the game was well under way and the juniors began to block ourplays, it flashed across me that in some way they had found that list.Anne, who has a mania for labeling everything, had written 'Sophomorebasketball signals' across the paper; so, of course, any one who found itwould know exactly what the list meant.
"We were warned that the juniors held a meeting at the Omnibus House a dayor so before the game, and that they meant mischief. I never thought,however, they would be quite so dishonorable.
"I would have told you this before the game, but was afraid it wouldconfuse and worry you. I am sure that you will agree with me, and absolveAnne from all blame."
"I don't agree with you at all," flashed Miriam, "and I am glad to have achance to speak my mind. I told you before the game that I objected toMiss Pierson watching our practice, that it was against the rules, but noattention was paid to what I said. If you had taken my advice the resultwould have been far different. I have no doubt Grace believes that MissPierson lost the list, but I am not so easily deceived. I believe shedeliberately handed it over to the juniors, and every loyal member of theteam should cut her acquaintance."
"Miriam Nesbit," cried Nora. "You haven't the least right to accuse AnnePierson of any such thing. She is too honorable to think of it, and shehas no love for the junior class either. She isn't even friendly withthem. If any one is to be accused of treachery, I should say that thereare members of the team far more friendly with the juniors than poorlittle Anne."
This was a direct slap at Miriam, who winced a little at Nora's words.
"Well," said Marian Barber quickly, "it stands to reason that no member ofthe team would be foolish enough to help the enemy. I don't know anythingabout Miss Pierson, but I do know that I overheard Julia Crosby tellingsome girl in her class that the sophomores could thank one of their ownclass for their defeat."
"When did you hear her say that?" queried Miriam sharply.
"Yesterday morning. I was walking behind her, and she was so busy talkingshe didn't notice me."
"You girls can draw your own conclusions," said Miriam triumphantly. "Thatsimply proves what I have said."
"That simply proves nothing at all," exclaimed Grace Harlowe, who had beentoo angry to trust herself to speak. "You are making a very serious chargeagainst Anne without one bit of ground on which to base your suspicions.You have always disliked her because she won the freshman prize, and youknow nothing whatever against her."
"No," said Miriam scornfully, "nor anything to her credit either. Who isshe, anyway? The daughter of a strolling third-rate actor, who goesbarnstorming about the country, and she has been on the stage, too. Shehas a very good opinion of herself since Mrs. Gray and certain Oakdalegirls took her up, but I wouldn't trust her as far as I could see her. Whyshould girls of good Oakdale families be forced to associate with suchpeople? I suppose she wanted to be on good terms with the juniors, too,and took that method of gaining her point."
"That is pure nonsense," exclaimed Nora. "Don't you think so, girls?"
But the other girls made no reply. They were thinking hard. Suspicionseemed to point in Anne's direction. What a pity Grace had been so rashabout taking Anne up if her father were a common actor. Miriam was rightabout not caring to associate with Anne. After all, they knew very littleabout her. Grace Harlowe was always picking queer people and trying tohelp them.
"I think we ought to be very careful about taking outsiders into ourconfidence," firmly said Eva Allen, one of the team. "I didn't know MissPierson had ever been an actress." There was a note of horror in her voiceas she pronounced the last word.
"I have always heard that they were very unreliable people," said anothermiss of sixteen.
Grace was in despair. She felt that she had lost. By dragging up Anne'sunfortunate family history, Miriam had produced a bad impression that shewas powerless to efface.
"Girls," she said, "you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You knowperfectly well that Anne is innocent. If you wish to be my friend you mustbe Anne's also. Please say that you believe her."
"Count on me," said Nora.
But the other sophomores had nothing to say.
Grace looked about her appealingly, only to meet cold looks and avertedfaces. Miriam was smiling openly.
"The meeting is adjourned," said Grace shortly, and without another wordshe went to her locker and began tak
ing out her wraps. Nora followed her,but the majority of the girls walked over to the other end of the room andbegan to talk in low tones with Miriam.
Grace realized that her team had deserted her for Miriam. It was almostunbelievable. She set her lips and winked hard to keep back the tearswhich rose to her eyes. Then, followed by her one faithful friend, shewalked out of the locker room, leaving her fickle classmates with theirchosen leader.