"Oh, yes, Judy. I do not mean on the matter of her health. I refer to the way she is always-sort of hiding, and so afraid of strangers. Why does she do that?" the deep frown of vexation clouded Jane's pretty face.

"Of course, Jane, that is queer. But we have her as our special-friend," Judith did not say "charge," "and we are going to see her through. I don't claim to have more brains than you have, but I just want to support yours. I believe we should agree with the freshmen, a.s.sist them with their play, by notifying all the cla.s.ses that Helen the virtuoso, will play original music. This should put the quietus on the gossip, and incidentally const.i.tute a big ad for the show."

Jane rested her pretty head in her hands. Even for one schooled in school troubles, the settling of this perplexity a.s.sumed baffling proportions.

Finally she looked up with an expression of decision. Judith smiled expectantly.

"All right, Judy. We will call the meeting and make the announcement.

Helen has agreed to take part in the play, and we have no reason-apparently-to think she would object to having her part in the program announced. Of course, I shall be careful to announce the entire program."

"Oh, you angel child! Woe is me that my ankle prohibits a jig!" and Judith flung her arms around Jane-Jane regained in apparent happiness and good nature.

CHAPTER XXII-JANE ALLEN: CENTER

The day of the final practice game-that which was to decide which team would have the honor to play the Breslins, found every member of all teams fairly quivering with antic.i.p.ation.

Jane, Judith, Dozia and Drusilla held a little preliminary meeting at which the team's respective places were arranged. Judith, still incapacitated, was to serve as a scorer, and Norma Travers to take her place as forward.

"I am not afraid of any one but Dolorez Vincez," remarked the ever-wise Drusilla. "She has a form all her own."

"Yes, Dol is a wonderful player," agreed Jane. "I wonder where she got such fine training."

"She never speaks of her former school," Dozia commented with a meaning not specified in her actual words.

"What do you mean, Dozia? Have you an idea there is a dark mystery, in the former school days, of the das.h.i.+ng Dol?" asked Jane.

"I would not be surprised if that just about described it, Janey," said Dozia with a wag of her "roped" head. Dozia's braids were the pride of her cla.s.smates, and the despair of Dozia. They were wonderful braids, like the milkmaids of old, and in color a challenging brown. Judith gave them that shade.

"Mercy me!" exclaimed Judith. "Pray, we do not stumble on any more mysteries or our athletics may as well be shelved. It seems to me this year is mostly squabbles and mysteries."

"Well, I did not intend to say anything about it," confided Dozia. "But I am sure, there is something more than queer about Dolorez. Naturally, one hates so to take exception to the girls who are foreigners. It always looks like prejudice."

"Yes, that is the way I feel," said Jane. "But I have noticed Dolorez runs out a lot after dark, and just when the rest of us are busy at books. I heard her remark a couple of times she was hurrying to catch the mailman, but it seems strange she should so often be late with her letters."

"Yes, and did you notice she does not come back quickly?" Dozia asked significantly.

"Oh, well, let us leave Dol to her own troubles. We have enough of our own for this afternoon," suggested Jane. "I guess we have everything arranged. Judith, your limp is perfectly fetching, just needs a stick and an eyegla.s.s."

"Mean thing! When you sprain your throat I shall offer gum drops,"

flashed back Judith.

As a basketball team the girls were first-cla.s.s noise makers, and if there were any other ways of racketing than those operated, Bedlam itself must have held the copyright.

For this, the final tryout, the great gym was crowded with spectators, as well as with the units of the various teams. Teams One and Two were to play for place, and that place was to take up the big game with the Breslins-the event of greatest importance in the whole basketball season.

The players of most interest were the centers: Jane and Drusilla played center for Team One, and Marian and Dolores occupied the ring for Team Two. Jane was jumping center and Marian her opponent.

Little confusion resulted from the application of the new rules, and nothing of spectacular interest occurred until the end of the first half. Then two fouls were called simultaneously-and both on Dolorez Vincez. She had grabbed Minette by the shoulders just as Minette was making a goal, and the next foul came on top of that, called on the same Dolorez, who executed another particularly rough play in which Jane went to the floor. For a moment after this accident there was a standstill-then taking advantage of the foul called, Drusilla caged the ball making the second point, and winning the goal Jane had tried for.

"That was a trick," whispered Judith to Isobel Talmadge, a referee. "I saw her deliberately put her foot out."

"I have my eye on that lady," answered Isobel. "That is not the only trick she has tried this afternoon."

With a tie at the first half the interest waxed to a seething point, and the whistle blew for the last twenty minutes. Every girl seemed in such fine form and exercised such agility that a grand climax was promised when the tie should be broken.

Happy, smiling, good natured and expectant, both teams made a picture the faculty of Wellington had cause to take pride in, and whichever of these teams would win out as first, the second surely would hold a place of high standing.

From the lofts, and over the rails, the older girls were unconsciously climbing to dangerous edges, in the utter disregard of roped-in limits for spectators, and more than one grad and undergrad had taken and offered such innocent bets as flowers and fudge on the possible winner of the second half.

A fumble made by Marian cost the Twos a point, when a foul committed by Norma Travers of Jane's team evened them up again, without either side making a basket.

Time after time the big spherical ball was directly in front of the elusive basket only to be dashed back by an alert opponent.

"Good work!" called the crowd, as Jane tossed the ball clear into the end field, taking advantage of her privilege as center to run from one field to another. The throw had been made from the one bounce allowed, and that she had been able to take in all the privileges occasioned a sensational play.

Cheer after cheer rang out, then came the expectant silence. Some one must "shoot a basket" soon, or the crowd would suffocate from pent-up excitement.

Two more fouls gave each side a free throw, but nowhere near the basket came the much-abused ball.

Finally the ball was in center, Jane jumped for it, pushed it to the floor to comply with that rule, and just as she raised it to throw it with straight aim for the player near the basket, Dolorez waved her hand in Jane's face!

"Foul!" shouted the referee, and "Shame!" roared the crowd.

"Disqualified!" came the sentence from the referee, and Dolorez was compelled to leave the floor. She had been charged with four personal fouls, thus disqualifying her for more play, but in spite of this unenviable record she did not leave the floor without a protest.

Marian, quick to realize that a word from her to an official, when only the captain should speak, might turn her out as well as Dolorez, promptly subst.i.tuted Tony Dexter, but it was too late. The foul allowed Jane's side gave the free throw needed and into the basket went the ball for Wellington. That settled it.

"Jane Allen, Center!" went up a wild wonderful shout. The tie was broken, the game won for Team One, and Jane Allen became official Center for the season of 1920.

"You were by all odds the best player," said Isobel Talmadge, when quiet had almost been restored, and the players regained something of a normal condition. "But what appeared to be real strategy on Marian's team, quickly developed into tricks, all of which measured up for fouls. I am going to call a meeting of the Athletic Board soon. There is something about Dolorez's playing not found on school teams. I wouldn't be surprised if she has been something of a professional."

"Oh, you can't mean it!" breathed Jane. "She is older obviously, but how could she be a professional?"

"Oh, very easily, little girl. But you have won your honors fairly and I congratulate you. We will have a record, after our Breslin Day this year, I am quite sure."

"Thank you," said Jane simply. Judith was tugging at her sleeve and Drusilla dragging at the other arm.

"Oh, come on. The seniors have a spread for us. Such real coffee and sandwiches. Isn't that splendid?" asked Judith, smacking her lips. "But not half as good as our victory at that. Jane, aren't you too proud to walk? Shan't we carry you?"

"Yes, let's!" roared the surrounding girls, and in spite of protests and appeals, Jane was raised to shoulders, then quickly carried to the far end of the gym where the spread was "cast."

It was a good-natured crowd that surrounded the improvised tables, and even the losers took their defeat in the proper spirit, all but Marian and Dolorez. They had left the gym.

"What was the matter with that old basket?" asked the good-natured Tony Dexter. "I was waiting all afternoon for a chance to sub, and just when I got it, 'whoop' in went the ball into the net."