“Well, you’re certainly doing wonders with the others,” observed her chum admiringly. “It seems almost like a miracle—in such a short time!”
“Why shouldn’t it?” demanded Lily. “Look at the enthusiasm over that practice game on Saturday night! Every single scout out, all in uniform, and proud as Punch. I think Jack was tickled to death with them, even though we did get beaten.”
“Oh, he expected us to get beaten,” returned her roommate. “But what pleases me more than the interest in basketball is the actual scout progress we’re making. Four second-class scouts out of eight is pretty promising, and if I’m not mistaken, Sophia Ernsberg is going to pass the test before the first League game, so that we’ll have at least one substitute.”
“I wish that game didn’t come before Christmas,” said Lily. “So many things going on here at college—and I’m actually tired.”
“Yes, but I consider it a good thing for the troop. Remember you and I will be away for ten days, and the girls might lose interest if they didn’t have something like that to think about.”
“You have the schedule, haven’t you, Marj? What team do we play?”
Marjorie frowned, as if the prospect were not quite to her liking.
“That’s the worst of it,” she answered, “we play that out-of-town troop—Number Ninety-seven. I understand that they’ve been playing a good while but by boys’ rules. They just organized into a scout troop this fall, and adopted girls’ rules. We are both new troops, you see, but they are experienced players.”
“And you think it would go very hard with our girls if they were defeated in their first game?”
“Yes, especially if their opponents played rough. But I understand that Miss Ainsworth is very strict.”
“Well, then don’t worry about it, Marj. We have one more practice, anyway, before the game.”
The night of the game arrived—the last scout meeting before the Christmas holidays. The troop had arranged to gather at the settlement at half past seven and go in a body to the appointed place, one of the Y. W. C. A. gymnasiums in the upper part of the city. Jack, using his privilege as official coach, decided to go with the girls; but Marjorie instructed all other outsiders to go straight to the hall. She did not want to risk any unnecessary confusion or excitement.
