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Page 53
CHAPTER XVIII
AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
One more excitement was to quicken the pulses of the sophomores before
they settled down to that long last period of study between Easter
holidays and vacation.
The great, decisive basketball game with the juniors was now to take
place.
Grace, in conclave with her team, had gone over her instructions for the
hundredth time. They had discussed the strong points of the juniors and
what were their own weak ones.
Miriam Nesbit was sullen at these meetings; but in the practice game she
had played with her usual agility and skill, so the girls felt that she
was far too valuable a member of the team for them to mind her humors.
"Everybody is coming to-morrow to see us play," exclaimed Nora in the
locker-room, at the recess on Friday. "I don't believe the President's
visit would create more excitement, really," she added with a touch of
pride.
"Did you know," interposed Anne, "that the upperclass girls are calling
Grace and Julia Crosby 'David and Jonathan'?"
This was also an amusing piece of news at which the other girls laughed
joyously. In fact, there was no such feeling of depression before this
game as had affected the class when the first game was played. The
sophomores were cheerful and confident, awaiting the great battle with
courage in their hearts.
"Be here early, girls," cautioned Grace, as they parted after school that
day. "Perhaps we may get in a little practice before the people begin to
come."
Grace hurried through her own dinner as fast as she could, on the eventful
Saturday.
"I shall be glad when this final game is over, child," exclaimed Mrs.
Harlowe anxiously, "I really think you have had more athletics this winter
than has been good for you, what with your walking, and skating, dancing,
and now basketball."
"You'll come, won't you, mother?" cried Grace, seizing her hat and rushing
off without listening to Mrs. Harlowe's comments. "We are sure to win,"
she called as she waved her a good-bye kiss.
There was no one in the school building when Grace got back; that is, no
one except the old janitress, who was sweeping down the corridor, as
usual. The other girls had not been so expeditious and Grace found the
locker-room deserted.
With trembling eagerness she was slipping on her gymnasium suit and
rubber-soled shoes, when she suddenly remembered that she had left her tie
in the geometry classroom. She had bought a new one the day before, placed
it in the back of her geometry and walked out of the classroom, leaving
book, tie and all behind.
"I'll run up and get it right away, before the others come," she said to
herself.
Running nimbly up the broad stairway, she entered the deserted classroom
and hurried down the aisle to the end of the room where she usually sat
during recitation.
"Here it is," she murmured, taking it out of the book and tying it on.
Then, sitting down at the desk, she rested her chin in her hands. The
quiet of the place was soothing to her excited nerves, and since it was so
early she would rest there for a moment and think.
Grace might have dreamed away five minutes when she heard the distant
sound of voices below.
"Dear me," she exclaimed, laughing, "they'll scold me for not being on
time. I must hurry." So she hastened up the aisle to the door, which was
shut, although she had not remembered closing it after her.
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