Two spots of angry color appeared high up on Miss Davis's lean face as
she viewed the waiting six. It came to her that she was in for a lively
scene. Setting her mouth firmly, she approached them. Addressing herself
to Marjorie, she opened with: "I sent for _you_, Miss Dean; not your
friends."
"I asked these girls to come here." Ellen Seymour turned an unflinching
gaze upon the nettled instructor.
"Then you may invite them into one of the dressing rooms for a time. My
business with Miss Dean is strictly personal."
"I am quite willing that my friends should hear whatever you have to say
to me." Marjorie's brown head lifted itself a trifle higher.
"But _I_ am not willing that they should listen," snapped Miss Davis.
"Then I must refuse to listen, also," flashed the quick, but even
response.
"This is sheer impudence!" exclaimed Miss Davis. "I sent for you and I
insist that you must stay until I give you permission to go. As for
these girls----"
"These girls will remain here until Marjorie goes," put in Ellen,
admirably self-controlled. "Everyone of them knows already why you wish
to see Marjorie Dean. She knows, too. We have come to defend her. I, for
one, say that she _shall not_ be dismissed from the team. Her teammates
say the same. It is unfair."
"Have I said that she was to be dismissed from the team?" demanded Miss
Davis, too much irritated to assert her position as teacher. Ellen's
blunt accusation had robbed her of her usual show of dignity.
"Can you say that such was not your intention?" cross-questioned Ellen
mercilessly.
Miss Davis could not. She looked the picture of angry guilt. "I shall
not answer such an impertinent question," she fumed. "You are all
dismissed." Privately, she determined to send for Marjorie the next day
during school hours.
"Very well." Ellen bowed her acceptance of the dismissal. "Shall we
consider the matter settled?"
"Certainly not." The words leaped sharply to the woman's lips. Realizing
she had blundered, she hastily amended. "There is no matter under
consideration between you and me."
"Whatever concerns Marjorie's basket ball interests, concerns me. If you
send for her again she will not come to you unless we come with her. Am
I not right?" She appealed for information to the subject of the
discussion.
"You are," was the steady reply.
"This is simply outrageous." Miss Davis completely lost composure. "Do
you realize all of you that you are absolutely defying your teacher?
Miss Dean deserves to be disciplined. After such a display of
discourtesy I refuse to allow her the privilege of playing on the junior
basket ball team." Miss Davis continued to express herself, unmindful of
the fact that Muriel Harding had slipped away from the group and out of
the nearest door. Her temper aroused she held forth at length, ending
with: "This disgraceful exhibition of favoritism on your part, Miss
Seymour, shows very plainly that you are not fitted to manage basket
ball in this school. I shall replace you as manager to-morrow. You, Miss
Dean, are dismissed from the junior team. I shall report every one of
you to Miss Archer as soon as I leave the gymnasium."
"I believe she is on her way here now," remarked Ellen with satirical
impersonality. "Muriel went to find her and ask her to come."
"What!" Miss Davis betrayed small pleasure at this news. Quickly
recovering herself she ordered: "You may go at once."
"Here she is." Ellen nodded toward a doorway through which the principal
had just entered, Muriel only a step behind her. The senior manager's
eyes twinkled satisfaction.
"What seems to be the trouble here, Miss Davis?" The principal came
pithily to the point.
"I have been insulted by these disrespectful girls." Miss Davis waved a
hand toward the defending sextette.
"That is news I do not relish hearing about my girls. I wish every
teacher in this school to be treated with respect. Kindly tell me what
reason they gave for doing so."
"I sent for Miss Dean on a personal matter. She insisted on bringing
these girls with her. I requested them to leave me alone with Miss Dean.
They refused to do so. I dismissed them all, intending to put off my
interview with Miss Dean until to-morrow. Miss Seymour took it upon
herself to tell me that Miss Dean would not come to me to-morrow unless
accompanied by herself and these girls. Miss Dean declared the same
thing. Such conduct is unendurable."
"These young women must have strong reason for such peculiar conduct, or
else they have overstepped all bounds," decided Miss Archer impassively.
"What have you to say for yourself, Ellen? As a member of the senior
class I shall expect a concise explanation."
"We have a very strong reason for our misbehavior." Ellen put a
questioning inflection on the last word. "Briefly explained, it is this.
Miss Davis has been influenced by certain persons to dismiss Marjorie
Dean from the junior basket ball team. Because the juniors lost the game
the other day by two points, the blame for it has been unjustly placed
upon Marjorie. At practice yesterday she did not play as well as usual.
These are, apparently, the very shaky causes for her dismissal. I shall
not attempt to tell you the true reasons. They are unworthy of mention.
As her manager I refused to countenance such unfairness. So did her
teammates. They will agree with me when I say that Marjorie is one of
the best players we have ever had at Sanford High. We are all in
position to say so. We know her work. So we came with her to defend her.
I admit that we took a rather stiff stand with Miss Davis. There was no
other way."
"What are your reasons for dismissing Miss Dean from the team?" Still
impassive of feature, the principal now addressed Miss Davis.
"I have received complaints regarding her work," came the defiant
answer.
"According to Ellen these complaints did not proceed from either herself
or her teammates. If not from them, whom could it interest to make
complaint?" continued the inexorable questioner.
"The members of the junior class are naturally interested in the team
representing them," reminded Miss Davis tartly.
"How many members of the junior class objected to Miss Dean as a
player?" relentlessly pursued Miss Archer.
Miss Davis grew confused. "I--they--I decline to talk this matter over
with you in the presence of these insolent girls," she hotly rallied.
"A word, girls, and you may go. I am greatly displeased over this
affair. Since basket ball seems to be such a trouble-breeder, it might
better be abolished in this school. I may decide to take that step.
Desperate diseases require desperate remedies. You will hear more of
this later. That will be all at present."
With the feeling that the gymnasium roof was about to descend upon them,
the six girls quitted the battlefield.
"Don't you ever believe Miss Archer will stop basket ball," emphasized
Muriel Harding when they were well down the corridor. "She knows every
single thing about it. I told her in the office. I told her, too, that I
knew Rowena Farnham and Charlotte Horner were mixed up in it. They've
had their heads together ever since the game."
"I would have resigned in a minute, but I just couldn't after the way
you girls fought for me," Marjorie voiced her distress. "If Miss Archer
stops basket ball it will be my fault. I'm sorry I ever made the team."
"You couldn't help yourself." Ellen Seymour was rapidly regaining her
cheerfulness. "Don't think for a minute that Miss Davis will be able to
smooth things over. Miss Archer is too clever not to recognize
unfairness when she meets it face to face. And don't worry about her
stopping basket ball. Take my word for it. She won't."