A SURPRISE TO MANY
Much to the disgust of all the girls, four days of warm sunshine had
melted the snow, spoiled the coasting and made rubbers a first
consideration.
The roads were hidden under inches of slush, the gutters were miniature
brooks, and the ground seemed to be completely covered by a thick
coating of red, oozy mud.
Polly, an empty basket over one arm, was picking her way gingerly along
the back road that led from the farm.
As she came in sight of the gym, Betty met her.
"Hello, where are you going?" she demanded.
"I'm not going, I'm coming," Polly answered.
"Where from?"
"The cottage. I've just been to see McDonald; he's back from the
hospital, you know, and Mrs. Baird sent me over with some fruit for
him."
"Is he better?"
"Yes, but I don't believe he'll ever do any driving again; he's pretty
feeble."
"Good old McDonald! It won't seem right not having him around; he's been
here ever since I can remember, and that's six long years."
Betty gave a sigh to express great age, and resumed: "Do you remember
the night you and he, between you, turned off the power for the lantern
and got us out of a lecture by the Spartan's cousin?"
Polly chuckled. "McDonald was just talking about it. He said: 'Sure an'
Miss Polly, I couldn't be after spoiling your evening, that I couldn't;
so when I got back to the power house, I just let well enough alone, and
all the time all I needed to do was to turn on the switch again.' I told
him about Maud and the dog, and he laughed till he cried. What's doing
this afternoon?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Betty said dolefully. "The coasting's
spoiled, and the gym is packed with girls."
"Then, that's where I'm going," Polly announced, "and you've got to come
with me. Do you realize that February is not so very far away, and that
our sub team is very, very weak?"
"I do," Betty answered, solemnly. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Find out who else can play. Bet, I can't lose either big game this
year. We've just got to build up the team." Polly was very serious.
"I'm worried."
"Who about?"
"Eleanor Trent; she can't get used to girls' rules, and she makes fouls
all the time."
"Who subs for her?"
"Katherine Welbe, and she's no earthly good."
"Come on, then; let's see who's playing now," Betty gave in resignedly.
They went to the gym and sat down in the first row in the gallery. The
game in progress was being played by Freshmen and Sophomores for the
most part, and Jane and Phylis seemed to be doing most of it. They were
both playing jumping centers. It was not very exciting to watch; some
one fumbled or made a foul every other minute and the whistle sounded
incessantly.
"I hoped Maud would be here," Polly said, thoughtfully. "Have you seen
her to-day?"
"Yes, she's up watching Lois paint, I think. You know she draws awfully
well herself. Did you see the pen and ink sketch she did of her little
yellow pup, yesterday? It was great."
The question of the dog had been solved by Polly. She had received
permission from Mrs. Baird--who had laughed heartily at the story--for
Maud to go round to the stable and see him after school hours.
"Yes, she showed it to me," Polly answered Betty's question. "Then Lo
made her let her show it to Miss Crosby. But that's not basket ball."
She returned to the original subject abruptly. "I'll tell you what I'm
going to do, as soon as this game is over. I'll ask Miss Stuart if we
can't have the gym to ourselves for practice."
"Do you mean the big team?" Betty asked. She was not very anxious to
change into her gym suit for so short a time.
"No; I'm going to pick out some of these girls and find Maud and make
her come. Then I'm going to change them around in different positions.
I'll bet I'll find some one that's good at something."
"Well, what do you want me to do?" Betty stood up ready to act. "Go find
Maud?"
"Darling Betty, if you would be so kind," Polly teased. "I'll be--what
is it Maud says?--'no end grateful'; then come back and help me."
Miss Stuart not only granted Polly the permission she asked, but stopped
the game at once. "It will give you more time," she said, "and I'm not
sorry to give up my whistle to you."
When Betty returned with Maud they began.
"I met Fanny on my way over, and I told her you wanted her. I thought
she might as well help, too," Betty said.
"Good! she can watch the guards. You watch the centers and I'll take the
forwards. Maud, I'm going to put you on as a guard; you're so tall."
"Oh, all right," Maud agreed, "what do I do?"
"You keep the ball away from the girls of the other team. Wait till we
start, then I'll show you." Polly, a minute later, blew the whistle and
placed the teams. Jane and Phylis were so excited that they nearly
forgot to jump when she threw the ball up between them.
For two hours and a half they worked. Polly and Betty and Fanny
explaining and showing them how, and now and again getting into the game
themselves.
While they were struggling with clumsy forwards and slow guards, Lois,
who really ought to have been there, was having a very important talk
with Mrs. Baird and Miss Crosby.
"Do you think Polly knows anything about it?" Mrs. Baird asked. "I do
hope not."
"She hasn't the slightest idea," Lois assured her. "Betty just told me
she would be in the gym all afternoon, so there's no chance of her
seeing any of the preparations."
"Hadn't you better fix the table?" Miss Crosby asked. "Here's everything
for it, I think; do the rest of the girls understand?"
"I spoke to Miss Lane about the younger children eating at the Senior
table," Mrs. Baird said. "The girls all know I've told each one." Lois
was gathering up yards of pale green crepe paper as she spoke. "I think
it will be a lot of fun, don't you? And Polly will be awfully
surprised."
The mystery of this conversation was not explained until dinner time
that night.
Polly and Betty came in, hot and tired from playing and just in time to
take a shower and dress before study hour. It is true that Polly might
have noticed that some of the girls were exchanging mysterious glances
behind their desks, had it not been for the fact that a letter from Bob
claimed her attention. She found it on her desk.
"Dear Polly," she read.
"Hark to the joyful news. My foot is all well, and I've started
training. I haven't forgotten what you said, and every time I
think I'm no good I just say: Cheer up, May's a long way off. Wish
me luck.
"Bob."
Polly was so delighted that she spent the rest of study hour trying to
compose a fitting answer, and she was so anxious to tell Lois on the way
to dinner that she didn't realize she was being led into the lower
school's dining-room, until she was at the very door.
"Where are we going?" she asked, turning suddenly.
"Come and see; we're having dinner in here this evening," Lois answered,
as she opened the door and displayed a table decorated with green paper
with a centerpiece of pale pink roses.
Mrs. Baird was standing at one end, and Miss Crosby at the other. The
rest of the places were filled by the girls who had been on the eventful
straw-ride.
Lois led Polly, too surprised to speak, to her place at Mrs. Baird's
right, and there she found a big box tied with green ribbon with her
name on it. Every one was looking at it, and Polly realized in a dreamy
sort of way that she was expected to open it. All she could say was:
"Why, er, what--" she was so astonished.
She opened the box and discovered a bulky chamois bag packed in with
tissue paper. She looked at it, wondering, and then gave an exclamation
of joy, when she discovered that it covered a big silver loving cup. On
one side was engraved the date and the words: "To Polly, in grateful
recollection of her splendid courage," and on the other, the names of
all the girls, Connie's included, who had been on the ride.
Polly looked at it for a long time, without a word. Then she turned,
appealingly, to Mrs. Baird.
"What can I say?" she asked. "I can't think of anything but 'thank you.'
And that's so little. Though if I could only be sure you knew how much I
meant by it, it would be enough. Do say you know," she pleaded, looking
around the table, "because I'm terribly embarrassed," she ended,
laughing.
"Very good speech, Poll," Betty teased from her seat opposite, "and
quite long enough; my soup's cold."
"Betty!" Mrs. Baird tried to look shocked, and failed, because she
simply had to smile.
Then followed the happiest meal imaginable. At the end a big cake, with
Polly's name on it, was brought in, and then everybody told her all over
again how brave she'd been.
"But I wasn't," she insisted. "It was just a simple thing to do--nothing
that really took courage."
"You may be right," Betty told her, "but you'll never find any one to
agree with you."
Polly smiled. "If I do," she said, "will you promise never to mention it
to me again?"
"Yes," Betty said, promptly; "I will."
"All right."
After dinner she led the way, followed by all fifteen girls, straight to
Maud. They found her in one of the class rooms.
"Tell her just what I did," Polly directed.
And Betty described the ride in her most extravagant style. Finally she
displayed the cup.
"Now, what do you think of it?" she ended triumphantly.
Maud's eyes had been wide with interest throughout the recital. She
looked at Polly with perfect understanding.
"By Jove!" she said earnestly, "wasn't it lucky the hill was there. Did
you remember to rub the horses down when you got back, Polly?"
There was a second's silence.
"Yes, and I put blankets on them," Polly answered. Then, turning to
Betty: "Do I win?" she asked, laughing.