Miss Heath was behind her friend as they climbed the steps of the stadium, but happening to pa.s.s Betty and Carolyn, she gave Carolyn a meaning smile and reached for Betty's hand to give it a squeeze.

"She can't _say_ anything, to gloat over our victory, of course," said Carolyn, "but I can't help be mean enough to be gladder because that other teacher was so _sure_ we were defeated!"

"What about the Don now, Betty?" asked Peggy. "If he isn't so 'slick' as some of the boys in dressing up, he was 'slick' in winning the game for us, wasn't he?"

"Oh, the Don's all right!" said Betty. And just then she felt a hand at her elbow. It was Ted, who thus boosted her up a few steps, telling her that the plan was to make "them" feel secure and then "spring Don." "So long, girlsgood game, wasn't it?" Ted finally inquired, leaping up the rest of the way and again joining the boys.

A tired but happy Betty clung to the straps of the crowded street car on the way home. Doris was riding home in an automobile, with the little daughter of a neighbor, but d.i.c.k grinned at Betty from the far end of the car and joined her when they left it at their corner.

"Say, did you ever see a fellow as heavy as that foreign fellow looks run like that? But he isn't quite as slippery as Freddy. They might have caught him if they hadn't been so surprised. What became of Doris? I didn't see her there at all. I hope she didn't miss it."

"No; Marie's folks were there, with her and Marie, and I saw Doris getting into their car while we were waiting for the street car."

"Just to think! We're the champions of the scholastic what-you-call it.

Didn't I _yell_, though at the last shot, when the last quarter was over and the game ours!"

CHAPTER IX: SHOWING OFF LYON HIGH

The game that won the championship for the Lyon High team pa.s.sed into history without much effect upon Betty's relations to any one. It must be said that the Lyon High boys and girls could not always forbear to mention their victory in the presence of their rivals from the other school and were immediately dubbed too "c.o.c.ky" over the "accident" or "trick" which permitted the result. But argument died out in the interest of other things and the football season closed at the usual time.

The next bit of excitement for Betty was the visit of her friends from home. "_Please_ arrange," she wrote to Janet, "to come in time to visit the school on Wednesday at least. Of course, I could take you to see the buildings; but it will be so much more interesting for you to see them full of all of us. And I can introduce you to the girls and everything.

"You must meet Carolyn and Peggy, that I've told you about, and then there are such a lot of other nice girls; and we'll probably have an auditorium session Wednesday morning with something or other that you would enjoy seeing go on. It isn't going to hurt you to miss a day or two of school_please!_ Get the teachers to let you make it up and tell 'em why."

In consequence, two bright-eyed and inwardly excited girls descended from their car at the railway station, to find Mr. Lee meeting the crowds that were hurrying along with their bags inside by the long train; and Betty was close to the iron gates, watching with eager look to catch the first glimpse.

Betty had not known Sue as intimately as Janet, but she had always liked her and Sue belonged to her Sunday school cla.s.s as well as to her cla.s.s in school. At any rate Sue was as warmly received as Janet and tongues went rapidly indeed on the way home.

"Tell me everything," Betty had said, and in reply Janet had suggested that Betty "show them everything." But the sights had already begun, for Mr. Lee went home by a roundabout way to drive through one of the most beautiful parks, from which they could see the river and its scenery and villages on the other side. He also drove past the high school which Betty attended and Betty was quite satisfied with the exclamations of her friends.

"I met Father down town," Betty explained, "for I went right down after school, with some of the girls, and we had a soda. Then I went to Father's office and waited for him to be ready. Did you girls miss much school?"

"Only this afternoon, and tomorrow, of course," Sue answered. "Janet's father drove us to Columbus, so we caught this train."

"It's pretty yet, isn't it?" remarked Janet, looking about at the trees and bushes in the park, "and not a bit of snow."

"We had a wee bit one day; but you can notice quite a difference, one of the girls said, between the climate here and where we used to live."

"Doesn't that sound awful, Janet?" asked Sue, "where she _used_ to live!"

"But then you couldn't visit me here, you know," Betty hastened to say, and Janet smilingly replied "Sure enough."

"Anyhow, you still _own_ your house and the lot next to it, don't you?"

queried Sue.

"I guess sodon't we, Father?" answered Betty, who did not pay much attention to business affairs, and Mr. Lee nodded a.s.sent as he drove rapidly along the boulevard, now homeward bound.

"Do you know, Betty," said Janet a little later, when they were almost home, "I never was inside of an apartment house!"

"I never either," laughed Betty, "till I came here; but we don't live in a real apartment house. Ours is what they call a 'St. Louis.' And don't you know when one of the girls called it thather own place, I meanI thought she said she lived in St. Louis! I didn't like to ask her to explain how she lived in St. Louis and went to school here, so I kept still and afterwards heard somebody else speak of a St. Louis flat!"

"I'm going to keep still, too," said Janet, with some firmness. "You shan't be ashamed of your friends from the 'country.'"

Mr. Lee spoke now, with a kind smile. "Betty isn't one to be ashamed of two such nice girls, and moreover, girls, I think that you may vote for the country, or at least the lovely little village that is still home to us, when you see how every one except the wealthy must live in the city.

I own to my wife that there are some conveniences and advantages. She rather likes it now. But it's pretty crowded and unless you like that, the small town is better. Fortunately we live away from the street cars, a few squares, so you may be able to sleep at night."

"Mer_cee_," exclaimed Janet. "But I shan't mind not sleepingI'm not sure I could anyway. Just to think of being here with you, Betty!" and Janet squeezed Betty's arm in antic.i.p.ation.

"Here we are," cried Betty just then, and Mr. Lee, driving in, ordered them facetiously to "pile out."

They "piled," while d.i.c.k and Doris, still disappointed that they, too, had not been permitted to meet Janet and Sue, came running out, followed by Amy Lou, whose mother was trying to hold her back or at least to throw something around her to protect her from the frosty air. "O, Janet, it's going to be such a glorious Thanksgiving!" exclaimed Sue in Janet's ear, as she followed her up the steps and into the house. And Betty was crying to the welcoming mother, "O, Mother, they can stay over Sunday and don't care if they miss school on Monday!"

"Well, isn't that fine," warmly responded the hostess. "I'm glad, too, to see the girls from the old home and thankful to have room enough to tuck you away. Take the girls back to your room, Betty, and have them get ready for dinner. Doris, you may set the table if you will, and Betty will help me take up the dinner presently."

This was the beginning. On Wednesday morning, Betty took her guests to school with her, for Janet, particularly, wanted to visit a few of the cla.s.ses. Sue told Betty that she could "dump her any place" if she liked. Impressed with the numbers and the apparent complexity of the system, the girls visited one or two cla.s.ses, met Betty's home room teacher and the others, in a hasty way between cla.s.ses, and then waited for Betty in the auditorium or the library, where there was much to interest them.

There was an auditorium session, with a few exercises appropriate to the Thanksgiving season and then a brief organ recital by a visiting organist, whom the princ.i.p.al had secured for a real treat to the entire school.

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad that you heard our big organ," said Betty as she took them to the library to leave them there while she went to her last cla.s.s before lunch.

"And it was great to see that immense room filled with n.o.body but high school pupils, and their teachers, of course," added Janet, "onlyonly, I believe, Betty, that I'd be too confused. Some way, I like the little old high school at home, and we have such a pretty building, even if it is small."

"Oh, you'd get used to it," Betty a.s.sured Janet. "I have, and still, there's something in what you say, of course. Now I'll be right up to take you to lunch; it's on the floor just above the library, you know, and I'm going to bring Carolyn and Peggy along so we'll sit together at lunch and talk. Don't you think they're sweet?"

"Peggy's a perfect dear," promptly Sue replied, "and Carolyn is too nice for words, simply adorable."

After this tribute, the girls followed Betty into the library, where Betty spoke to the librarian in charge and took them to a seat at one of the tables. "You can look at the books, if you want to," she whispered.

"I spoke to Miss Hunt, so it will be all right."

The time did not drag, for boys and girls were coming and going, or sitting at the tables to read or examine books. The girls felt a little timid about investigating any of the shelves, but the pleasant librarian came to speak to them and to suggest where they might find books of some interest. Accordingly, each with a book spent a little while in reading, though, it was hard to put their minds on anything requiring consecutive thought.

And now bright faces peeped in, for Janet and Sue sat not far from the door. Betty was beckoning and leaving the books upon the table, the two guests joined Betty, Carolyn, Peggy and Kathryn Allen, whom they had not met.

"This is Kathryn Allen, girls," said Betty in the breezy, hurried way made necessary by the rapid movement of events. "I've told her who you are. Let's hurry in and see if we can get places together. Mary Emma Howl and said she'd try to save places for us at that table by the window that we like. She's in line now. Look at that long line already!

I'm glad we happened to have first lunch, Janet, since you're here."

"What is 'first lunch,' Betty? Do you have to take turns?"

"Yes. There are several periods. Father says that that is the only thing he doesn't like about this school, that there isn't enough time to eat without swallowing things whole. But it isn't as bad as that, really; and most generally we don't try to eat a big meal. Still, things are so good, and you get so hungry, you know, especially if you can't eat a big breakfast."

"I don't like all your stairs," said Sue, "but I suppose it can't be helped. I guess your mother's rightyou need wings."

"Oh, you get used to where rooms are and it isn't so bad. Of course, the building does spread out awfully and up the three stories and bas.e.m.e.nt.

And by the way, we can eat all we want to this time, for I saw Miss Heath and told her that I had company, and if I was a little late to the first cla.s.s would she give me a chance to make it upand she was in an awful hurry and said, maybe without thinking, that I could."