“When will there be a real game?” asked Anne.  “I haven’t heard you mention basketball for ages.”

“Christmas and examinations put a damper on it, but now all the girls are anxious to play and we have challenged the sophomores to play against us the second Saturday afternoon in February.  I am going to play right guard, and Miriam is to play left forward.  A Miss Martin is our center, and two freshmen I don’t know very well are to play the left guard and right forward.  We have a good team.  Miss Martin is a wonder.  You can see us practice if you wish, Anne.”

“Perhaps I will,” returned Anne.  “Who is on the sophomore team?”

“I don’t know,” answered Grace.  “I don’t have much to say to the sophomores.  Most of them appear to dislike me, consequently I shall greatly enjoy vanquishing them at basketball.”

At the dinner table that night a discussion concerning Saturday’s practice game arose, to which Grace and Miriam listened quietly without taking part.

“I suppose I ought to go to this practice game, to see what the freshmen team can do.  I think we can make them look sick and sorry before we are through with them,” drawled Virginia Gaines.

Grace and Miriam exchanged lightning glances.  This was the first intimation they had received that Virginia intended to play on the sophomore team.  Miriam frowned.  She was thinking of the time when she had been Grace’s enemy on the basketball field and off.  The recollection was not pleasant.  It was very unfortunate that they had to oppose Virginia.  Miriam determined to look out for herself and Grace, too, on the day of the game.  Involuntarily her face hardened with resolve.  She set her lips firmly, then glancing in the direction of Virginia she saw Elfreda, who sat next to the sophomore at the table, eyeing her intently.  There was a disagreeable smile on the stout girl’s face as she leaned toward Virginia and made a low-toned remark.  Miss Gaines looked toward Miriam, smiled maliciously, and shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s a danger signal,” decided Miriam.  “She does mean mischief.  I’ll speak to Grace about it as soon as we go upstairs.”  But before they left the dining room the door bell rang.  The maid admitted Gertrude Wells and Arline Thayer, and in the pleasure of seeing them, Miriam’s resolve to warn Grace was quite forgotten.

The practice game ended in an overwhelming advantage for Grace’s team.  The other team behaved good-naturedly over their defeat and challenged the winners to play again the following Saturday.  They promptly accepted the challenge, and, when the second practice game was played, again came off victorious.