THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP
It was a week before Dr. Gale pronounced Grace fit to return to school.
When she did make her appearance, she was hailed with delight by her
schoolmates and made much of. Miss Thompson greeted her warmly. She was
very fond of Grace, and had expressed great concern over the young girl's
accident. It was unusual for a girl to receive so serious an injury during
a game, as all rough play was strictly forbidden.
The principal had kept the members of both teams after school and
questioned them closely. No one had seen Grace fall, nor realized that she
was hurt until she had been discovered sitting on the gymnasium floor.
Miss Thompson had a vague suspicion of foul play on the part of the
juniors, but was unable to find out anything.
"Athletics for girls have always been encouraged in this school," she had
said. "Rough play is disgraceful. If I found that any member of any High
School basketball organization, either directly or indirectly, caused the
injury of an opponent, I should forbid basketball for the rest of the
season at least, and perhaps absolutely. Tripping, striking and kicking
are barred out of the boys' games and will certainly not be tolerated in
those of the girls."
As Grace was returning to the study hall from geometry recitation that
morning, she encountered Julia Crosby. Julia glanced at her with an
expression half fearful, half cunning, as though she wondered if Grace
knew the truth about her fall.
Grace returned the look with one of such quiet contempt and scorn that
Julia dropped her eyes and hurried along the corridor.
"How could she have been so contemptible?" thought Grace.
"I wonder if she'll tell," thought Julia. "She evidently knows I was
responsible for her tumble. My, what a look she gave me. I wonder if that
snippy little Anne Pierson knows about it, too. Very likely she does, for
Grace Harlowe tells her all her business. If they do say anything I'll
take good care no one believes it."
She was so absorbed in her own ruminations that she crashed into the
dignified president of the senior class with considerable force, much to
the glee of Nora, who happened to be near enough to catch the icy
expression on the senior's face as Julia mumbled an apology.
At recess Grace notified the members of the basketball team and their
substitutes that she had called a meeting to take place that afternoon at
three o'clock in the sophomore locker room. "Only the basketball people
are requested to be present," she concluded, "so don't bring any of the
rest of the class."
At three o'clock precisely the last member had arrived. Every girl took
particular pains to be there, for most of them had been at the Harlowe's
on the day that Grace had silenced Miriam.
The meeting promised to be one of interest, for had not Grace Harlowe said
that she would tell them something about the betrayed signals?
"Girls," Grace began, "you all know that although it is against the rules
to allow any outsider to witness our practice, we have always made an
exception in favor of Jessica. You all have perfect confidence in Jessica,
I am sure. Since practice began this fall we have allowed Anne to come to
it, too. You remember I asked permission for her to see the practice game,
because I knew her to be absolutely trustworthy."
Here Nora nodded emphatically, Miriam tossed her head and smiled
mockingly, while the rest of the girls looked a trifle mystified.
"Anne," continued Grace, "did not understand many of our plays, so I
wrote out a list of signals for her, to study and learn by heart, telling
her to destroy them as soon as she was sure she knew them. Unfortunately,
she lost them, and at once told me about it. She felt very unhappy over
it; but I told her not to worry, because I never supposed their loss would
make any difference.
"When the game was well under way and the juniors began to block our
plays, it flashed across me that in some way they had found that list.
Anne, who has a mania for labeling everything, had written 'Sophomore
basketball signals' across the paper; so, of course, any one who found it
would know exactly what the list meant.
"We were warned that the juniors held a meeting at the Omnibus House a day
or so before the game, and that they meant mischief. I never thought,
however, they would be quite so dishonorable.
"I would have told you this before the game, but was afraid it would
confuse and worry you. I am sure that you will agree with me, and absolve
Anne from all blame."
"I don't agree with you at all," flashed Miriam, "and I am glad to have a
chance to speak my mind. I told you before the game that I objected to
Miss Pierson watching our practice, that it was against the rules, but no
attention was paid to what I said. If you had taken my advice the result
would have been far different. I have no doubt Grace believes that Miss
Pierson lost the list, but I am not so easily deceived. I believe she
deliberately handed it over to the juniors, and every loyal member of the
team should cut her acquaintance."
"Miriam Nesbit," cried Nora. "You haven't the least right to accuse Anne
Pierson of any such thing. She is too honorable to think of it, and she
has no love for the junior class either. She isn't even friendly with
them. If any one is to be accused of treachery, I should say that there
are members of the team far more friendly with the juniors than poor
little Anne."
This was a direct slap at Miriam, who winced a little at Nora's words.
"Well," said Marian Barber quickly, "it stands to reason that no member of
the team would be foolish enough to help the enemy. I don't know anything
about Miss Pierson, but I do know that I overheard Julia Crosby telling
some girl in her class that the sophomores could thank one of their own
class for their defeat."
"When did you hear her say that?" queried Miriam sharply.
"Yesterday morning. I was walking behind her, and she was so busy talking
she didn't notice me."
"You girls can draw your own conclusions," said Miriam triumphantly. "That
simply proves what I have said."
"That simply proves nothing at all," exclaimed Grace Harlowe, who had been
too angry to trust herself to speak. "You are making a very serious charge
against Anne without one bit of ground on which to base your suspicions.
You have always disliked her because she won the freshman prize, and you
know nothing whatever against her."
"No," said Miriam scornfully, "nor anything to her credit either. Who is
she, anyway? The daughter of a strolling third-rate actor, who goes
barnstorming about the country, and she has been on the stage, too. She
has a very good opinion of herself since Mrs. Gray and certain Oakdale
girls took her up, but I wouldn't trust her as far as I could see her. Why
should girls of good Oakdale families be forced to associate with such
people? I suppose she wanted to be on good terms with the juniors, too,
and took that method of gaining her point."
"That is pure nonsense," exclaimed Nora. "Don't you think so, girls?"
But the other girls made no reply. They were thinking hard. Suspicion
seemed to point in Anne's direction. What a pity Grace had been so rash
about taking Anne up if her father were a common actor. Miriam was right
about not caring to associate with Anne. After all, they knew very little
about her. Grace Harlowe was always picking queer people and trying to
help them.
"I think we ought to be very careful about taking outsiders into our
confidence," firmly said Eva Allen, one of the team. "I didn't know Miss
Pierson had ever been an actress." There was a note of horror in her voice
as she pronounced the last word.
"I have always heard that they were very unreliable people," said another
miss of sixteen.
Grace was in despair. She felt that she had lost. By dragging up Anne's
unfortunate family history, Miriam had produced a bad impression that she
was powerless to efface.
"Girls," she said, "you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You know
perfectly well that Anne is innocent. If you wish to be my friend you must
be Anne's also. Please say that you believe her."
"Count on me," said Nora.
But the other sophomores had nothing to say.
Grace looked about her appealingly, only to meet cold looks and averted
faces. Miriam was smiling openly.
"The meeting is adjourned," said Grace shortly, and without another word
she went to her locker and began taking out her wraps. Nora followed her,
but the majority of the girls walked over to the other end of the room and
began to talk in low tones with Miriam.
Grace realized that her team had deserted her for Miriam. It was almost
unbelievable. She set her lips and winked hard to keep back the tears
which rose to her eyes. Then, followed by her one faithful friend, she
walked out of the locker room, leaving her fickle classmates with their
chosen leader.