Six weeks had passed since the first meeting of Sunflower Troop, and Marjorie felt more than encouraged with the progress she had made. For the first time since its organization, she looked forward to the meeting with real . Six of her eight girls were registered , and would soon appear in uniform; all of them were interested in basket-ball. Moreover, she brought news to them of the League, and would have a surprise for them in the gift of the gymnasium shoes. On the whole, the evening promised to be .  
She had learned by this time never to count events certainties until they were past; therefore, though she was disappointed to meet Queenie and Stella with frowns on their faces, she was not wholly surprised.
 
“Anything wrong?” she asked, immediately.
 
“I’ll say there is!” stormed the patrol leader. “Gertie and Mame are bagging tonight!”
 
“Gertie and Mame,” repeated Marjorie, with a feeling of relief. “Well, I’m sorry, but after all I didn’t expect them to do much with basket-ball, and we really have enough without them.”
 
114“Knock again, Queenie—nobody home!” laughed the girl, her captain upon the forehead. “Don’t you understand, Miss Wilkinson—we have to have eight scouts to register our troop at Headquarters, and we need them two quitters? How can we get in the League if we ain’t—I mean are not—registered?”
 
Marjorie .
 
“You’re right, Queenie. And we must register soon! It’s almost the middle of November, and we have to be in by December first! What shall we do?”
 
“I’ve a good mind to drop ’em, and get the Ernsberg twins.”
 
“Who are they?” demanded Marjorie, eagerly.
 
“Two kids that live on our street. They’ve never really been in our gang, but they’re dyin’ to. Only thing is, they’re kind a young.”
 
“How young?”
 
“School kids—in Dot’s class at High. Only fifteen, I guess.”
 
“Do they seem interested in scouts?”
 
Queenie her shoulders.
 
“I guess they’d like to do anything I did. And they’d fall hard for you and Miss Andrews.”
 
“Couldn’t we get them without dropping the others?” suggested Marjorie, ignoring the compliment.
 
“We could—but I’m beginnin’ to feel Mame and Gertie is dead ones. Sunflower Troop just naturally has to be up and kickin’!”
 
“Yes, that’s my idea too,” agreed the captain, although she would have expressed it in different language. “Well, I’ll leave it up to you, Queenie—I know you will think of whatever is best. It wouldn’t be putting Gertie and Mame out, because they haven’t shown enough interest to get in yet. And I do think it’s pretty mean not to make an effort to pass the tenderfoot test. They’re keeping the whole troop from appearing in uniform.”
 
Queenie’s eyes blazed angrily; she had not thought of this outcome before.
 
“That decides it, Miss Wilkinson!” she exclaimed. “I’m goin’ a get the kids on the phone this minute, if you’ll hold up the meetin’ for me.”
 
Marjorie , and when Queenie was gone, she and Lily regarded each other in amusement.
 
“She’s a typical political boss!” remarked Lily. “But you can’t help admiring her.”
 
“No, you certainly can’t. Do you remember what Mr. Richards said about her—that he thought she would make something of herself. Now I wonder what ’s opinion will be.”
 
“That will be interesting—he usually sizes people up pretty correctly. I don’t think Dick or John ever gave her a thought.”
 
“Except to be angry at her, that first night,” commented Marjorie. “Come, Lil, let’s go get ready for the meeting; we have a lot to do tonight.”
 
In a few minutes the patrol leader returned, wearing a smile of satisfaction on her face that told116 the officers her quest had been successful, and the troop went through with its usual ceremonies. After the business meeting, Lily took charge of signalling in preparation for the passing of second class tests, and Marjorie turned to her notes about the League.
 
“Do you want to hear about the teams that have entered?” she asked. “I went up to Headquarters today to find out about them, and them down so that I could tell you.”
 
“Sure we want to hear!” cried Queenie, excitedly. “Reel ’em off!”
 
“Well,” began Marjorie, checking off the troops as she mentioned them, “there is Troop Six, from one of the playgrounds. They have a very good coach, I believe, and practice two or three nights a week, outside of meeting.”
 
“So that’s two troops sure of the cup!” observed Queenie.
 
“Two? Which two?” demanded Lily.
 
“Theirs, and ours!” replied the other, coolly.
 
The girls all laughed, and Marjorie continued.
 
“Troops Eighteen and Thirty-five, both from churches. I think they’re rather new at the game——”
 
“Whitewash them!” commented Stella, adopting her patrol leader’s attitude.
 
“Troop Ninety-seven, from one of the suburbs. I understand they’re older girls—farmerettes, I believe.”
 
“Regular Huskies!” was Queenie’s definition of them. “But we’ve got brains, besides muscle!”
 
“And last of all, Troop One-sixty-one, from down in your district, Dottie——”
 
“That’s the High School Troop!” cried the latter, with unmistakable in her tone. “They really going into the League?”
 
“Yes, why not?” asked Marjorie.
 
“Then we might as well lie down and die!” the younger girl informed her. “We’d have about as much chance as a against a Rolls Royce. They’ve been playing together two or three years, and beat every team they play!”
 
This piece of news was received with a from the members of the troop. Queenie, however, was still undaunted.
 
“Now we know who we got a beat!” she said, with the same assurance. “How ’bout an extra practice a week, Miss Wilkinson?”
 
“I’m afraid Miss Andrews and I couldn’t come, much as we should like to,” answered Marjorie, regretfully. “And as yet there aren’t enough girls to get along without us. Maybe later——”
 
The appearance of two freckle-faced girls, dressed exactly alike, and accompanied by a dapper young man put an end to the discussion.
 
“Here comes the twins!” announced Queenie, dashing out of her seat. “And darned if they haven’t got a feller!”
 
All eyes turned upon the young man, who blushed painfully.
 
“You ought a be ashamed to rob the cradle——” Queenie began, mockingly, when a sharp pinch from one of the twins stopped her.
 
“He ain’t with us, Queenie—so shut up!” she whispered audibly.
 
“Oh, beg your pardon,” the patrol leader , .
 
At this moment Marjorie that it was time to take things into her own hands.
 
“Did you wish to speak to anyone in particular?” she asked the stranger, .
 
“Yes&mda............