"Oh, you fooled me perfectly! I hadn't an idea!"

"I thought it was you, and then you had changed your voice so that I was not sure."

"You gave yourself away when you used that funny expression about Jean.

I'd heard you say that before."

"Yes, and when you wrinkled up your forehead I knew _you_!"

Such were some of the merry expressions.

Betty was quite impressed; but she looked all around, as best she could without seeming to look, to see if she could see the Pirate of Penzance.

But he was nowhere to be seen and much else engrossed her attention, her pretty place card, the little Hallowe'en souvenir at each plate, the good supper, light but savory, and the general jollity. Betty had scarcely given a thought to Lucia, except to wonder if a pretty Italian peasant could be Lucia. But she found herself at the same table with Lucia, who was in a beautiful costume as the Queen of Sheba. Real jewels flashed on her neck and arms and Betty wondered how she dared wear them.

"Are you all over your being bitten by the snake, Lucia?" someone asked.

"Oh, yes. I want to forget it. It didn't make me sick at all, though Mother kept me at home from school for several days. She wasn't sure what sort of a snake it was, you see, so she had everything attended to.

I'm going on hikes and everything just the same, though I'll not try to pick a flower without looking. That serpent ought to have been in winter quarters and wasn't."

"Are you going in for athletics?"

"Some of it. I'm going to swim, like Betty Lee, and then I ride, though I may not enter their course here. I play hockey on the ice, but I don't know about it here. You have regular cla.s.s teams, don't you, and have to be elected in some way before you can be on one?"

"Yes, in a way you're chosen."

"Well, I'm not an applicant for anything." Lucia smiled but tossed her head up a little proudly, and a look was exchanged between two of the soph.o.m.ores. If Lucia played hockey in Switzerland, she might not be a bad person to have on the team. Perhaps she could be persuaded to "try out" for it. They would get her to play on a "scrub team" some time for fun.

But what was that junior saying?

"What is a mere hockey team to the Queen of Sheba?"

CHAPTER XII: BEATING THE JUNIORS WITH LUCIA

Life went on in such a rush! It always did, but that was half the fun now, Betty thought. At home little was demanded of her except the regular little duties, given to each of the children and expected more by their father than their mother, though for her benefit.

Athletics started off with a boom, pep meetings, the new football team on the platform, the organization of the girls' teams, all sorts of try-outs and some scheming. Alas, the seniors who had been on last year's champion football team left such a hole that it was hard to fill with material good enough to make a winning team. And oh, how sad it was when a series of defeats made the championship out of the question for Lyon High. At least they must beat the Eagles, and the coach tried to prepare them for that almost final game. But no! Betty, who sat beside Louise Madison, loyal enough to see the great game of the year by her beloved high school, and they shook their heads sadly at each other as the time pa.s.sed first with no score at all on either side for the first half, then with the Lions unable to "hold them" and the Eagles scoring both by forward pa.s.ses and "straight football." It was awful, Louise said, but "Maybe the Lions have it coming to them," said Louise. "And it isn't good for a high school to get too c.o.c.ky. We've got about all the cups there are--so let the Eagle scream this time!"

It was so romantic! Here was Ted again, coming around to talk to Louise, and Louise, more flirtatious and self-conscious than she had been before University days, being just as charming as she could. But Ted paid just as much attention to Betty and was as gallant as ever to both of the girls. Lucia, also, came in for her share of attention, as she sat next to Betty in the big stadium and heard all the comments with the greatest interest or amus.e.m.e.nt as the case may be.

"Oh, your football is so exciting," she said. "It makes me think of the bull fights in Spain!"

"Yes, and you used to have thumbs down in your Roman theatres, too,"

mischievously added Ted.

"We have a big picture of the Coliseum at home," said Peggy, behind Lucia, and Lucia turned to give Peggy a glance of amus.e.m.e.nt.

"We had lions, then," she added.

"Lions, rah!" said Ted Dorrance, but the tiresome last plays were on now. Time was nearly up and there was no hope for the Lions, even if they should score. Lyon High rooters began to rise, wearily, and gather up rugs, cushions or newspapers to take their departure.

This game took place just a week before the final hockey matches between the cla.s.ses. Lucia and Mathilde had "made" the hockey team. Betty had been hurt a little in the try-out, and Peggy insisted that Mathilde did it on purpose, but Betty refused to believe it and played happily on what they themselves called the "scrub team," the team which played with its own team to prepare them for the contest, also to have able material on hand in case it was necessary or best to put in subst.i.tutes. Betty was always keen about whatever game she played, but she really cared for excellence in its proper sense only in swimming.

"Don't worry, Kathryn," she said to Gypsy. "Whether Mathilde intended that or not doesn't matter, I'll watch after this and somebody has to be on the second team, so why shouldn't it be I? Moreover, I had everything to learn about hockey, after all, and I think Mathilde has played."

"She said she has, but I don't believe it. There's favoritism. Mathilde for some reason stands in with one of the athletic teachers and I saw her talking with the others that day. I'm not going to tell you who she is, though. Do you mind?"

"I'd rather not know, though of course I'm curious. Tell me after the match!"

But all things considered, Betty began to want to do well. "Let's beat the first team, girls," she said to her girls just before the last practice game, and beat the first team they did, though scolded for it.

"Now don't let the fact that the second team beat you discourage you at all, girls," said the athletic teacher who had watched the game. "It was a close game and let it make you all the more careful against the other teams in your cla.s.s contest. I'm not favoring one team more than another; but I want to encourage every one to do its very best."

"The freshman team hasn't had enough practice," said Carolyn in the gym before the games. The girls were putting on their customary equipment and donning sweaters, for it was cold though clear outside, with the ground hard, yet free from snow. Unless it rained, the climate in which Lyon High rejoiced was good for outdoor sports almost until Christmas.

"So I think that the freshmen will be out of it and the juniors and soph.o.m.ores play against each other at the last. The seniors are too sure and they have some weak material. I've been watching their practice games."

Carolyn was not playing, but "terribly interested," she said. Many soph.o.m.ore rooters were on hand when the games were played, and sure enough, it was the juniors against the soph.o.m.ores at the last. Mathilde was. .h.i.t by one of the hockey sticks early in the games and Betty took her place, much to Mathilde's discomfiture. Her "hated rival" played along with the daughter of a countess, whose friendship Mathilde so much wanted to have for herself, and only for herself.

"Good, Betty," said Lucia, when Betty was put in. "I'm sorry for Mathilde, but she makes so many wild plays and isn't quick enough. Now let's beat the juniors all to pieces, as you girls say!"

Fast and furiously went the game. The juniors expected to win, yet they were never taken unaware. It was a fair and excellent game, the athletic directors said, yet the soph.o.m.ores did win and Lucia threw her arms around Betty after it was over. "I'm going to tell my uncle how you played, Betty!" she exclaimed. "I wanted Mother to come and see me do something, but she wouldn't. She only hoped I wouldn't get hurt and it wouldn't turn out like the hike! How's that for a mother that came over here on purpose to make an American out of me?"

"Did she, honestly, Lucia," asked Betty, hugging Lucia in return.

"Of course she did and I like it now, only I shall always want my father, too."

"Well, you write him that you were 'the n.o.blest Roman of them all,'

according to me, and I _know_!"

"I will, Betty," and Lucia's smile was a happy one. "Come on," said she, "let's go and comfort poor Mathilde."

"That is dear of you, Lucia, and I would, only it would look too much like crowing over her because I was put in in her place. Besides, she'd be happier anyway for you to think of her--by yourself."

Lucia's dark eyes surveyed Betty thoughtfully. "You always think of everything, Betty. How do you do it? I like you, Betty Lee!" and Lucia turned to find Mathilde, who was limping away with a small group of soph.o.m.ores.

"You're pretty nice, yourself, Lucia," Betty sent after her, and Lucia waved a deprecatory hand.

CHAPTER XIII: LIGHT ON THE SORORITY QUESTION

Betty had to decide what she would do about "sororities." She had discussed them frankly with a few of the girls, those she knew well, perfectly sincere girls and her good friends. Outside of that little circle she had been careful what she said. She had been included with Lucia, Mathilde, Carolyn and Peggy in attentions from the juniors of the Kappa Upsilons. That there was a small addition to that "chapter" in process of being made among the soph.o.m.ores she knew. If the other girls joined, especially Carolyn, would it make a difference in their friendship? Yet Kathryn, while she had been invited to Marcella's party, that glorious Hallowe'en party, had received no further attention.

Perhaps it was a matter of numbers.

Now Marcella had come right out and asked her what she thought of Kappa Upsilon and whether she had any objection to a high school sorority that "really complied with the rules you know."