“She’s late for the first time,” observed one of the girls, “but we’ll forgive her under the circumstances.”

“Maybe she’s in the gymnasium,” suggested Anne, hurrying off to look for her friend.  In spite of herself she felt some misgivings and she meant to lose no time in finding her beloved Grace.

The gallery was already half full of people.  Anne moved about looking for David, or some one who could help her.  Just then Mrs. Harlowe appeared at the door.

“Where is Grace, Mrs. Harlowe?” Anne demanded eagerly.

“I don’t know, dear,” answered Mrs. Harlowe “She ate her dinner and went off in such a hurry that I hardly had time to speak to her.  She told me she wanted to get back to meet the girls.”

Anne ran back to the locker-room.

“Grace left home hours ago,” she cried.  “I just felt that something had happened.”

Jessica opened Grace’s locker.

“Grace must be in the building,” she exclaimed “Here are her clothes.”

The girls began to rush about wildly, looking for their captain in the various rooms on the basement floor.

In a few moments a junior came to the door.

“The game will be called in ten minutes,” she said.  “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” answered Nora calmly.  “Be careful,” she whispered.  “Don’t let them know yet.”

Anne ran again to the gymnasium.

“I’ll get David this time,” she said to herself.  “Something will have to be done if Grace is to be found in time.”

David was sitting at one side of the gallery with Reddy and Hippy.

He looked very grave when Anne whispered the news to him.  The place was packed with impatient spectators.  The junior team was already standing on the floor talking in low voices as they waited impatiently for their opponents to appear at the opposite end.

“She must be somewhere in the building,” David ejaculated.  “That is if she has on her gymnasium suit.  Have you looked upstairs yet?”

“No,” replied Anne, “but we have been all through the downstairs’ rooms.”

As they ran up the steps they heard the shrill whistle that summoned the players to their positions.

“Come on,” cried Nora.  “Miriam, you will have to take Grace’s place, and Eva Allen will substitute for you.”

It still lacked a few moments of the toss up; the whistle having been blown sooner to hurry the dilatory sophomores, who seemed determined to linger, unaccountably, in the little side room.

But in that brief time a remarkable change had taken place in the demeanor of Miriam Nesbit Two brilliant spots burned on her checks, and her black eyes flashed and glowed with happiness.  The other girls were too downcast and wretched to notice the transformation.  They walked slowly into the gymnasium and stood, ill at ease and downcast, at their end of the hall.

A wave of gossip had spread quickly over the audience, that sat waiting with breathless interest for the appearance of the tardy sophomore.