CHAPTER XV--ANOTHER RIVALRY ON THE FIELD
Eve Sitz had no rival at Central High when it came to putting the shot;but there were plenty of girls who essayed the broad jump--and some didalmost if not quite as well as Eve. Notably Lou Potter, a senior whopracticed assiduously and who had many friends who believed she would,in the end, best the Swiss girl.
"The meet is a long way off yet," said one of Lou's friends to LauraBelding. "That girl you juniors are boosting isn't the only 'hope' ofCentral High."
"Whom do you mean?" returned Mother Wit.
"That girl whose name sounds like a glass of vichy--what is it? Eve----"
"And what about Eve Sitz?" demanded Bobby, who chanced to arrive in timeto hear the senior's remark.
"And here's another fresh one," said the senior, eyeing Bobby coolly."Thinks she is going to grab off the quarter-mile."
"You make me tired!" returned Bobby, promptly. "Is that what you callloyalty to the school? If you've got another girl faster than I am, trother out. I won't stand in her light."
"Nor will Eve interfere with any girl who can beat her in jumping, orput the shot farther," declared Laura, quickly.
"Oh, yes! That's all very pretty talk. But Mrs. Case is favoring you.She is favoring the whole junior class. _We_ weren't doing all theathletic stunts last year when we were juniors--no, indeed!"
"Well, whose fault is it if the junior class stands better in after-hourathletics than the senior?" demanded Bobby, laughing.
"And you pushed yourselves into the basketball team even before you werejuniors," declared the other girl, angrily.
"Come, now!" returned Laura, warmly. "That's not fair at all. If any ofyou seniors had shown any desire to play the game to win, Mrs. Casewould have put you on the first team--you know that. But your class, asa whole, would rather dance, and go to parties, and attend the theatre,and all that. You know very well that Mrs. Case has often called ourattention to the fact that late hours takes the vitality out of us, andmakes success in the gym. and on the field impossible."
"Thanks for your lecture, Mother Witless!" snapped the other girl. "ButI don't care for it. And let me tell you that Lou Potter is going tomake your soda-water champion look cheap."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Bobby, as the older girl turned away. "Do yousuppose we'll be as high and mighty as all that when we get to beseniors, Laura?"
"I hope not--not even if we get to be patriarchs," laughed Mother Wit."But Miss Potter is making a good jump, just the same, Bobby. Eve isn'tgoing to have it all her own way."
"Why, Eve'll beat her easily," declared Bobby, with confidence.
Eve Sitz did not find it so easy to score ahead of all her rivals,however. And Lou Potter's record steadily grew better. Eve knew that shewas doing her very best right along, whereas the senior was creeping up,creeping up--showing almost as good a record as Eve, and still forgingon.
Magdeline Spink, of Lumberport, held the championship for putting theshot, and Eve knew that she had surpassed her score. In the broad jumpit was almost as difficult for the contestants to learn their exactrecord as it was for the sprinters to learn theirs. If Mrs. Casemeasured the distance she kept the record secret.
Some of the seniors, especially those who were backing Lou Potter, beganto make trouble in the meetings of the athletic committee, too.Heretofore no point had been made of the fact that the after-hourathletics were dominated by the junior class of Central High. That itwas the fault of the present class of seniors if they were not incontrol of the League, did not now appeal to the disaffected.
Some of the junior and sophomore girls who, as Bobby said, were inclinedto "toady" to members of the first class, took up cudgels for theseniors, too. Notably Lily Pendleton, who was forever aping the mannersof her elders and always liked to associate with more mature girls.
And so, when there was friction in the committee meetings, Lily usuallysided with the senior members.
"Why don't you stick by your classmates, Lil?" demanded the hot-temperedBobby, one afternoon, when the committee had been discussing plans forthe June meet. It had already been decided that the inter-school fieldday exercises should be held on the grounds of Central High, that beingby far the best field.
"Have I got to stick by you whether you're right, or not, Bob Hargrew?"demanded Lily.
"But we're right--of course."
"I don't think so. The seniors should have their say. We'll want to bosswhen _we_ are seniors."
"They haven't shown much interest in the scoring of Central High inathletic matters until lately," Jess Morse said, quickly. "Why shouldthey want to come in now and run it all?"
"They have the right," declared Lily.
"Don't see it--do you, Laura?" cried Bobby.
"If they only wouldn't try to go against Mrs. Case's wishes sofrequently," sighed Mother Wit, who would have conceded much for peace.
"They don't propose to be bossed by the teachers all the time," declaredLily. "And they're right."
Now, this attitude would have appealed to Bobby Hargrew a few monthsbefore. But she had learned a good bit of late.
"There is no use in our trying to run athletics in opposition to Mrs.Case--or Mr. Sharp," she said.
"Or Gee Gee; eh, Bobby?" added Hester Grimes, slily.
As the girls crowded out of the committee room some of the boys weregrouped at the corridor's end, plainly waiting for their appearance.Chet Belding and Launcelot Darby, his chum, were waiting for Laura andJess. That was a frequent occurrence. No boy ever waited for thefly-away Bobby; but there was with the two chums a tall, thin youthdressed in the most astonishing clothes that ever appeared in thecorridors of a high school.
"Oh me, oh my!" cried Bobby, under her breath. "There's Purt Sweet--andhe looks like a negro minstrel."
"My goodness me! He _is_ dressed to kill, isn't he?" giggled Jess.
For Prettyman Sweet, the sartorial example of Central High, was morethan usually gay upon this occasion. And he was not waiting there bychance, it was plain.
"See! Lily is trotting off with him," laughed Bobby. "They must havepatched up a truce. Oh! and look at that collar!" and the wicked Bobbyleaned far over the banister and sang gaily:
"He wore a collar extra high, He wore a purple vest; He wore his father's patience out-- But why tell all the rest?"
"That saucy child!" exclaimed Lily, looking back. "She ought to bewhipped."
"You never can get even with her, doncher know," drawled Purt, shakinghis head. "Weally, I'd much like to try it; but I don't know what todo."
"And the rest of those girls, laughing, too," snapped Lily. "Jess Morseand Laura are just as bad."
"Well, weally----"
"Oh, if you had half the pluck of a rabbit," scolded Lily, "you'd dosomething to get square."
Now, Lil Pendleton wronged Pretty Sweet. He was not particularly brave,it was true; but he would have done a good deal to "get even" with BobbyHargrew for her sharp tongue. He had been the butt of her jokes for along time and---- Well, it is said even the worm will turn.
The following afternoon a sudden thunder shower kept some of the girlsin the school building after most of the pupils had departed. It was apart of the junior class, and Bobby, as well as Laura and Jess, wereamong those kept by Miss Carrington after the regular session closed.
"I believe she knew we were due at the athletic field this afternoon,"grumbled Bobby, as they stood waiting at the foot of the tower stairsfor the shower to pass.
"What good would it have done us to be at the gym. now?" laughed Laura."This shower has spoiled open air work for the afternoon."
"Bobby doesn't believe Gee Gee ever gives us extra tasks because wedeserve them," said Jess.
"It _did_ seem as though Miss Carrington was particularly harsh to-day,"murmured Eve.
"That's so! She was as cross as two sticks," declared Bobby.
"I believe something is troubling Miss Carrington's mind," said NellieAgnew. "Have you noticed how thin she is getting--and
that she startsnervously at every little thing?"
"She was scared when the thunder began--I was glad of it," declaredBobby.
"Bad girl!" admonished Laura.
"It's her conscience," ventured Bobby.
Eve looked at her and shook her head.
"Oh, I'm not going to say _why_ I think her conscience troubles her,"laughed Bobby.
Nellie was looking out of the window. "I say, girls! it's breaking away,I do believe. And I think there's a rainbow--yes! there's a part of it."
"It is a very small part you see, Nell," laughed Eve.
"Let's go up into the tower," suggested Jess. "We can see it all fromthere."
"Let's," agreed Bobby.
"That's forbidden, you know," said Laura, slowly.
"Oh, dear, Laura! Don't be such a mollycoddle! Nobody's really told usgirls not to go into the tower. And we won't do any damage----"
"Maybe the door is locked," observed Nellie, doubtfully.
But Bobby ran to the solid oak door and tried it. Although there was akey in the lock, the door opened at once to her turning of the knob.
"Come on!" exclaimed Bobby. "You're a lot of scare-cats!"
"I admire your language, Bobs," laughed Jess, following her.
The others went, too. Of course it was forbidden territory, and whyshouldn't they want to go? That was only human nature.
Besides, as they climbed the stairs, through the narrow windows theycaught glimpses of the rainbow and the clouds, now breaking up intogreat beds of vari-colored mist.
"Hurry up!" cried Bobby, in the lead. "It's just wonderful up here."
They had left the door at the foot of the long, winding flight open. Butscarcely had they disappeared when another figure appeared in thecorridor which they had left. Purt Sweet, too, had been kept afterschool by Professor Dimp.
The youth saw the girls ascend the stair. The chance was too obvious toneglect. Although usually taking Bobby's jokes and the others' laughtergood-naturedly, he had been spurred by Lily Pendleton's remarks to adesire to "get square."
And here was opportunity before him. Purt hurried forward, softly closedthe door behind the girls, and turned the key in the lock.