Although Marjorie had been disappointed in Queenie’s failure to participate in the troop’s visit to the hospital, she was not deeply concerned. Of all the girls in the patrol she had shown the least interest in the event; from the beginning she had tried to discourage it. Her doll had been the most carelessly dressed in the exhibition, and she had left almost immediately after the affair itself was over. But Marjorie felt so sure of Queenie that this scarcely troubled her; it was enough to find the others so enthusiastic. Moreover she had not the slightest doubt that Sam MacDonald had passed out of Queenie’s life, so she dismissed the matter from her mind, believing that her absence had been due to a . After all she could not be expected to go in for everything.
She wished, however, that she might hear from her before Saturday—the night of the big basket-ball game that was to decide the League championship. She wanted every one of her players to be on hand, in trim for her position, and she was counting on Queenie to jump center. It would be a wonderful honor for her troop if the team would win; it would give them a among the other troops in the city that no other one act could accomplish so quickly; it would go a long way in establishing them for next year. But Marjorie was well aware that victory was very doubtful; like themselves, Troop One Sixty-one had beaten every team that they had met thus far in the League, but in almost every instance by a greater advantage. She had watched some of their games, and had admired the of their players. Her one hope lay in ’s ability as a coach; he, too, had observed them keenly, and had trained his own team to cope with their tactics.
Marjorie herself would have been glad to play on the team if she had felt that she was needed. But during the last few weeks, she had experienced an increasing sense of , a reduction in energy. Always, she remembered, she had felt a certain weariness of both mind and body as the spring holiday approached, but this year she noticed it to a marked degree. John had perceived it, and had urged her not to play on the team if any one else were available; Lily had remarked about it, even to the extent of begging her to take a week-end off and go home. But she had refused to let down; she was confident that she could stick it out to the end.
The evening of the game arrived, and she drove into the city with Lily. Both girls were keyed to the highest pitch of excitement and .
“I wish you wouldn’t even take your basketball suit,” Lily remarked, as they stepped into the car. “Because if your team is losing, you may be to play.”
“I shall leave it up to Jack,” her companion replied. “If he advises me to play, I’ll do it.”
“Well, I’ll take good care to see him and tell him how you’ve been feeling lately! I’ll fix you!”
“Don’t be mean, Lil!”
“It’s for your own good.”
“We must think of the good of the team tonight—after this match is over, I’ll have all the rest of my life to consider my own good.”
“Much chance!” muttered Lily .
“Well, I don’t honestly think you need worry,” Marjorie assured her. “It’s Queenie who has been practicing with the team, Queenie who has been coached on the signals—she’s the one Jack is depending on.”
“I’m glad of it!” replied the other, letting out her , and giving her attention to the road, as if the matter were concluded.
When the girls reached the hall where the game was to be played, they found it brilliantly lighted in honor of the occasion. From the wide open windows a confusion of laughter and talking floated out; and other visitors could be seen in all the front rooms of the building. It was evident189 that this was to be a big event for the Girl Scouts of Philadelphia.
Marjorie and Lily found Dick and John waiting for them at the entrance, and made their way through the crowd to the gymnasium. There they saw not only bright lights, but decorations as well. The balcony had been divided into two sections; one of which was draped with wide streamers of yellow cheesecloth, with a huge artificial sunflower in the center, the other in blue, with a big cornflower it. It was evident that the visitors were expected to express their preference for either team by sitting in the seats marked by their respective flowers.
“Why, we have a splendid showing!” cried Marjorie , as she looked up and saw half of their section already filled with spectators. “Look, Lil—we have more rooters than the other troop! Do you really suppose we’re so popular?”
“Looks that way!” returned Lily, as much pleased as Marjorie.
“But why, I wonder—when hardly anybody knows us?”
“I think we must have won a lot of friends that first night when you made the girls stick to their principle. Everybody admires good sportsmanship.”
“Well, it’s lovely, anyhow, whatever the reason is. But it means that you people better hurry up and get some seats, or there won’t be any left. Save a place for me, and I’ll be up as soon as I find Jack and get the team lined up.”
Hardly was she outside the door when Goldie and Dot, obviously in a panic, bumped into her.
“Captain!” Dot flung out breathlessly. “Queenie hasn’t shown up!”
Marjorie grasped the excited girl’s arm in sudden alarm.
“Queenie!” she repeated. Then, realizing that she must not allow the girls to lose control of themselves at so decisive a time, she added, “But it’s only ten minutes of eight. She’ll surely come—she always does.”
“But she didn’t go to the hospital with us,” Goldie reminded her.
“Oh, that was different! That wasn’t basket-ball!”
“But suppose she doesn’t come?” demanded Goldie. “What shall we do?”
“Why, I’ll play, of course. The others are all here, aren’t they?”
“Yes, but that leaves us without a single sub. Suppose something happens—five personal on a player, or somebody gets knocked out——”
“We shan’t worry about that till the time comes,” replied Marjorie coolly. “Let’s go into the room, while I get ready. Above all, girls, don’t lose your nerve. We must win tonight!”
They found the other members of the team—Stella, Annie and Sophia gathered together on one191 of the low benches in a corner of the room, talking with the same nervous rapidity as the others had displayed. Marjorie immediately set about her task of them; in a few minutes she had restored their natural good spirits.
Yet for all her own words to the contrary, she was actually alarmed herself at the event which in her heart she believed would prove a , not so much for the team, as for the troop. If she put a tremendous effort by sacrificing herself, she could probably play as good a game that night as Queenie, for what she lacked in energy, she would by superior knowledge and experience. But the effect upon the troop in general would be far more ; if, as she now really believed, Queenie had lost interest in the scouts, the patrol would be without a leader, the girls would be at loose ends.
Eight o’clock struck and both teams assembled on the floor to “warm up.” A reassuring cheer from the balcony greeted their own arrival, and caused the girls to glance up with pride at their well-filled section of the balcony. Marjorie caught Lily’s eye, gazing at her in questioning , but she only nodded and smiled as if nothing had happened. Mr. Richards slipped into the seat that John had saved for her, and waved to her in encouragement.
The whistle blew, the captains shook hands, the players fell into their places. A sudden silence took possession of the spectators as the tossed the ball into the air.
Tense with determination, Marjorie jumped high into the air; but perhaps because she was out of practice, or possibly because she was so tired, she had not timed her jump with the accuracy of her opponent. The other girl was too quick for her; she tapped the ball back to her side-center, who, with the of a tigress, had slipped it into the right position, caught it, and tossed it over to her forward. Marjorie cast a desperate appeal to her guards, hoping that they would the pass. Perhaps they might have succeeded, if Cornflower Troop had not done the unexpected. Instead of the forward’s passing it to her companion under the basket, who was well covered by Stella, she slip............