Anne and Jessica were waiting in the corridor for Grace and Nora.  The two players rapidly changed their clothes and soon the chums were walking down the quiet street.

“Well,” said Jessica, “Miriam has done it at last.”

“She has, indeed,” responded Grace, “and no one begrudges her her glory.  She made a star play and saved the day for us.  She is loyal to the team even if she doesn’t like their captain.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Nora, “I think she might have exerted herself during the first game if she wanted so much to show her loyalty.  She was anything but a star player, then.  I have no faith in her, whatever.  She cares for no one but herself, and that star play was for her own benefit, not because of any allegiance to her team.  She’s up to something, you may depend upon that.”

“Oh, Nora, don’t be too hard on her.  She deserves great credit for her work.  Don’t you think so, girls?” Grace turned appealingly to Anne and Jessica.

“It was a remarkable play,” said Anne.

Jessica made no answer.  She would not praise Grace’s enemy, even to please Grace.

“You may say what you please,” said Nora obstinately, “I shall stick to my own convictions.  The way those girls stood in the corner and whispered during intermission was simply disgraceful.  Mark my words, something will come of it.”

“Oh, here comes David on his motorcycle,” called Anne delightedly.

David slowed up when he saw the girls, alighted and greeted them warmly.  He at once congratulated them on their victory.

“I congratulate you on having a star player for a sister,” said Grace.  “It must run in the family.”  She referred to his late football triumphs.

David flushed with pleasure, more at the compliment paid to his sister than the one meant for him.

“Sis can come up to the mark when she wants to,” he said earnestly.  “I hope she repeats the performance.”  Then he abruptly changed the subject.  That one little speech revealed to his friends the fact that he understood the situation and longed with all his heart for a change of tactics on the part of his sister.

CHAPTER XII

THE WAYS OF SCHOOLGIRLS

The clang of the gong announced the end of school for the day, but some of the sophomores lingered in their locker-room.

They had a very disagreeable communication to make that afternoon, to one of their class, and now that the time had come were inclined to shrink from the ordeal.

“I think Miriam should break the news herself,” observed Marian Barber, “as long as she is to succeed Grace.”

“Miriam isn’t here,” said Eva Allen, “she went home early.  She told me she could not bear to see anyone unhappy.  She is so sensitive you know?” Eva Allen was devoted to Miriam’s cause.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said practical Marian.  “She’ll make a good captain, however, because she has showed more loyalty to the team than Grace has.”