“Very decent of Margaret,” remarked Kirsty.  “It’s got me out of a hole, for I couldn’t find anybody else with that special time free.  You’ll do your best I know?”

“Rather!” beamed Winona ecstatically.

Under her tuition the children’s play improved fast.  Kirsty said little—­she was not given to over-praising people—­but Winona felt she noticed and approved.

Among the season’s fixtures perhaps the most important was the match with the Seaton Ladies’ Hockey Club that was to come off on March 7th.  Their opponents possessed a fair reputation in the city, so it would behove the school to “play up for all they were worth,” as Kirsty expressed it.  It would be a glorious opportunity of showing their capabilities to the world at large, and demonstrating that they meant to take their due place in local athletics.

Three days before the event, Kirsty appeared in the morning with the air of a tragedy queen.

“What’s the matter?” queried Patricia.  “You’ve a face as long as a fiddle!”

“Matter enough!  Barbara Jennings is laid up with influenza!  What’ll become of the match I don’t know.  It makes me feel rocky.  Where’s Margaret?  I want to confab.  Did you ever hear of such grizzly luck in your life?”

At five minutes past eleven, when Winona was eating her lunch in the gymnasium, Kirsty tapped her on the shoulder.

“I’ve something to tell you, Winona Woodward.  You’re to play for the School on Saturday instead of Barbara.”

Winona swallowed a piece of biscuit with foolhardy haste.  She could scarcely believe the news, so great was its magnitude.  To be asked to fill a vacant place in the team was beyond her wildest dreams.

“Thanks most immensely!” she stammered, with her eyes shining like stars.

Through the next few days Winona simply lived for Saturday.  To be able to represent the School!  The glorious thought was never for a moment absent from her mind.  She even ventured to tell Aunt Harriet the honor that had been thrust upon her, and was astonished at the interest with which her information was received.

On the Saturday afternoon the High School turned up almost in full force to view the match; juniors were keen as seniors, and the children whom Winona had coached were wild with excitement.  The field was packed with spectators, for the Ladies’ Club had brought many friends.  It was even rumored that a reporter from the Seaton Weekly Graphic was present.  The High School team in navy blue gymnasium costumes, bare heads and close-plaited pigtails, looked neat and trim and very business-like.  “A much fitter set than we showed last year!” murmured Margaret with satisfaction.  All eyes were riveted on the field as the two opponents stood out to “bully” and the sticks first clashed together.  Winona, her face aglow with excitement, waited a chance to run.  A little later her opportunity came:  she dashed into the masses of the opponents’ force, and with one magnificent stroke swept the ball well onward towards the goal.