FAIR PLAY AND NO FAVORS.
Phyllis Moore accepted her defeat with the easy grace which was hers.
Her freshman supporters were not so ready to give in. They gave up the
ghost with marked displeasure. Forty-five members of the class had voted
for her. They had shown open and hearty disapproval of Elizabeth
Walbert. The other three officers were more to their liking, but the
Sans' electioneering had left a rift in the freshman lute which promised
plenty of discord later on. Though every member of the class had
attended the picnic as a matter of courtesy, the finer element had been
privately weary of the affair before the afternoon was over. The Sans'
efforts to mould the freshmen to their views merely resulted in
amalgamating stray groups to one solid formation. A fact they were
presently to discover.
The election of officers had occurred much later than was the rule. The
excitement attendant upon it had hardly died out before the freshman
frolic loomed large on their horizon. With the sophomore class almost
entirely free from snobbish influences, the dance promised to be an
occasion of undiluted enjoyment. The humbler freshmen off the campus
were the first to receive invitations from the sophs. Those sophs who
still clung to the Sans were only a handful. The freshies of Elizabeth
Walbert's faction found that the majority of them would be without
special escort unless the juniors or seniors came to their rescue.
Rallied to duty by Alida Burton and Lola Elster, the Sans magnanimously
stepped into the breach. They, in turn, brought certain of their junior
and senior allies to the aid of the escortless. It was a sore point,
however, among a number of freshmen who had voted for Miss Walbert that
the sophomores had passed them by for mere off-the-campus students. It
served as a quiet lesson by which a few of them afterward profited.
Eager to regain her lost laurels, Natalie Weyman was insistent that Lola
and Alida should ask the entertainment committee to give another Beauty
contest.
"What do you take me for?" was Lola's derisive reply when Natalie asked
her for the third time to try to bring the contest about. "I'd just as
soon ask Prexy Matthews to dye his hair pink as to ask those snippies to
give a Beauty parade. Kiss yourself good-bye, Nat. You didn't win it
last year. Nuff said."
Whereupon Natalie took pains to confide to anyone who would listen to
her that she thought Lola Elster the rudest, slangiest person she had
ever had the misfortune to meet.
Marjorie could not recall a festivity for which she had worked hard
beforehand and enjoyed more than the preparation for the freshman hop.
Going to the woods to gather the spicy, fragrant pine boughs and
gorgeous armfuls of autumn leaves and scarlet mountain ash berries for
decorations was purest pleasure. No less did she revel in the hours
spent in beautifying the gymnasium in honor of the baby class. Everyone
concerned in the labor was so good-natured and jolly that an atmosphere
of harmony permeated the big room and hovered over it on the night of
the frolic.
Even the Sans appeared to imbibe a little of that genial atmosphere and
behaved at the frolic with less arrogance than was their wont when
appearing socially. Leslie Cairns alone of them flatly refused to be
present. She wheedled Joan Myers into escorting Elizabeth Walbert to the
dance and remained in her room in a magnificent fit of sulks. She was
too greatly inflamed against Marjorie to endure going where she would be
in close touch with her for an evening. She therefore amused herself
that evening in planning the cherished move she intended to make against
Marjorie.
"Perhaps I ought not say it, but I had a good deal better time tonight
than at the frolic last year," Muriel confided to her chums between
yawns. Discipline being lax they had gathered in Ronny's and Lucy's room
after the dance for a cup of hot chocolate and sweet crackers.
"I know I had," emphasized Marjorie. "Everyone seemed to go in for a
good time tonight."
"The Sans unbent a little, didn't they?" commented Jerry. "That was
because their boss stayed away. Those girls might become civilized in
time without Leslie Cairns on the job."
"They were a little more gracious," agreed Ronny. "I don't know how the
rest of you feel about it. I am glad the frolic is over. I am tired. We
have been stirred up ever since we came back to college. First over Miss
Remson's trouble. Next came the Sans' move to grab all the freshmen.
Then Kathie's accident, and after that the commotion over the freshie
election. We were all keyed up to quite a pitch over that on account of
Phil. Now the dance is over. What next? Nothing, I fondly hope. I am
going to lead the student life, provided I am allowed to do it."
"You forget basket ball," reminded Muriel.
"I am going to try to forget it," retorted Ronny so wearily that her
tone elicited a chorus of giggles. "I don't play the game, thank my
stars!"
"I shall, if I have a chance," Muriel asserted. "How about you,
Marjorie?"
"I am going to try for a place on the team this year," Marjorie
announced in a purposeful manner. "I hope we get a fair try-out. I
really want to play. I like Professor Leonard's appearance. Helen had
quite a long talk with him the other day. He is a seasoned basket ball
player. He played center on a western college team the whole four years
of his college course. He is going to arrange for a series of try-outs
to be held next week. He thinks each class ought to have its own team.
The seniors never play, though."
"Since those are his sentiments, they sound as if he were strictly on
the square," approved Jerry. "I mean, he is a real basket-ball
enthusiast. The real ones won't stand for unfairness."
"Miss Reid will be a cipher in b. b. plans this year and I am good and
glad of it," exulted Muriel. "Professor Leonard looks to me like a
person who wouldn't show favoritism. He certainly has lots of the right
kind of energy."
Muriel's opinion of the young professor of physical culture proved
correct. On Monday following the freshman dance, a notice appeared on
the official bulletin board stating that on Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday afternoon of that week basket-ball try-outs for
freshman, sophomore, junior and senior teams, respectively, would be
held at four-thirty o'clock in the gymnasium. It bore the pertinent
signature: "James Leonard, Director Athletics and Gymnasium."
Freshmen and sophomores hailed it with delight. The juniors were not so
enthusiastic, though it was noised about that there would be a junior
team composed of Sans, if they could manage to make it. The seniors from
the height of their dignity smiled tolerantly but refused to commit
themselves.
Determined to be in touch with the game from the very beginning, Muriel,
Jerry and Marjorie attended the freshman try-out. Ronny begged off on
account of a chemical experiment she was anxious to make. Lucy declared,
that, if she attended the sophomore try-out on Tuesday she considered
that a sufficiency of basket ball.
Under the expert and impartial direction of Professor Leonard, the
freshman try-out was conducted with a snap and precision which left
nothing to be desired in the minds of those students who had yearned for
fair play. It brought confusion to a certain clique of freshmen, headed
by Elizabeth Walbert, who had reckoned on some of their particular
friends carrying off the honors and being appointed to the team. The
despatch with which the aspirants were made up into squads and tried
out against each other was a joy to witness. The energetic director
weeded out the defective players in short order. His searching eyes
missed not a movement, clever or bungling. The five girls finally picked
to play on the official freshman team were a survival of the fittest.
Among them was Phyllis Moore. Further, she was given the position of
center and roundly complimented by the director for what he termed her
"whirlwind" playing. This triumph pleased boyish Phyllis far more than
winning the class presidency could have done. Barbara Severn, the
Baltimore freshie, who Marjorie had looked out for on her arrival at
Hamilton, won the position of right guard, and was also praised for her
work.
Once the team was chosen the director put them through fifteen minutes
of snappy play. Their fast and nimble work elicited rousing cheers from
the large audience of students who had dropped in to witness the
try-out.
"Isn't it great that both Phil and Barbara won?" bubbled Robin Page.
Half a dozen Silverton Hall girls had joined Marjorie's group after the
try-out, preparatory to giving the successful aspirants a special
ovation as soon as they should leave the floor. "Phil and Barbara are
awfully chummy, so they'll be pleased to the skies."
"I think they are a great combination," returned Jerry. "They are our
catches. We hooked them when we went freshie fishing. I like the way
they look after Anna Towne, too. She is lucky to have them for pals."
"Phil is very fond of her, you know," smiled Robin, "and Barbara is a
dear. She is a real Southern aristocrat. She has the gentlest, kindest
ways and the sweetest voice! She and Phil are the really great hopes of
the freshman class, I think."
"You know what the Bible says about the little leaven leavening the
whole lump." Jerry spoke with sudden seriousness. "Maybe Phil and
Barbara will turn out to be the particular kind of leaven the freshies
need. I suppose they wouldn't feel especially complimented at being
classed as a 'lump,' but then what they don't hear will never hurt
them," she added, her serious face breaking into its irresistible little
grin.
"I only hope we do as well tomorrow as Phil and Barbara," Muriel said
irrelevently, her brown eyes fixed in some trepidation on the alert
director. "That man's eyes seem to be everywhere at once. Nothing gets
by him."
"We will have to hustle if we expect recognition from him, I know that.
There are some fine players among the sophs, too. You know how well that
team chosen after the fuss with Miss Reid could play. I think Robin is
a better player than I," Marjorie turned to Robin with a smile.
"No, siree! I have heard marvelous reports of your playing," differed
Robin with energy.
"You have a bitter disappointment ahead of you tomorrow then," retorted
Marjorie. "You'll probably see me relegated to the scrub, sub or dub
class."
"I prophesy all three of you modest violets will make the team. The real
exhibition will be on Thursday afternoon. The strenuous Sans and the
dictatorial director; or, what's the use without Miss Reid? They will
learn a few points of the game before he gets through with them. I
wouldn't miss that try-out for a good deal." Jerry was deriving an
impish satisfaction from the prospect of the Sans' encounter to come
with Professor Leonard.
The next afternoon brought a large and interested audience to the
gymnasium. Robin Page had many well wishers in all three of the upper
classes. Leila and Vera also headed a goodly company who were anxious to
see Marjorie and Muriel make the team. The Sans came in a body to cheer
Lola Elster and Alida Burton on to victory. They had attended the
freshman try-out and seen a team selected which contained not one of
their allies. They had also learned that Professor Leonard was not to be
deceived for an instant. Only the fairest kind of fair play would be
acceptable to him. Leslie Cairns was confident that Lola Elster would
make the sophomore team. Of the skill of her junior chums as players she
was openly doubtful. She rudely hooted at their avowed intention to
enter the lists.
"You girls are punk players, one and all. Why make simpletons of
yourselves tomorrow?" she inquired of Joan and Natalie. "You need at
least a month's drill to put you in trim. Proffy Smarty Alec will chase
you off the floor."
"You're so hateful, Les," bitterly complained Joan. "We stand as good a
chance as can be at the junior try-out. I happen to know that we Sans
are almost the only juniors who are going to try for the team. Some of
us will be picked. He's a fine coach. He will soon put our team in good
form."
"Go to it and be happy," Leslie laughed. "You will so enjoy being ragged
every three minutes by that conceited tyrant. I am not going to throw
cold water on your fond hopes, but don't cry if he can't see you as a
junior team."