Polly's First Year at Boarding School Part 36

WANTED: A MASCOT

"There will be a meeting of the big team and subst.i.tutes in cla.s.sroom A at 2 o'clock this afternoon. Please be prompt," read Lois, standing in front of the bulletin board. She had finished her last exam. and was free for the rest of the week.

It was Thursday and just one week before Commencement. Mrs. Baird believed in having the examinations over before the excitement of the last days gave the girls something else to think about.

School continued, however, until three days before the close. The teachers took that time to go over the papers with the girls and have a general review.

Lois, still gazing at the notice, caught sight of her chum leaving the schoolroom and called to her:

"Hey, Polly, come here and look at this."

"Hum! Wonder what it's all about," mused Polly after she had read it.

"Do you know?"

"Final preparation for Field Day, of course. Oh, Polly, if we'd only get a chance to play!" sighed Lois.

"No such good luck. You may, but I've had my chance. Why couldn't I have waited and sprained my ankle for this game, when I'm not needed!"

grumbled Polly.

"What! And missed Commencement! Poll, you're crazy!"

"Well, perhaps I am. Anyhow, let's go down to Senior Alley and see if we can find Louise," suggested Polly. "I want to know what's up."

They found Louise in her room and began at once to question her.

"What are we going to have a team meeting for?" demanded Lois.

"Are any of the big team sick?" Polly added eagerly.

"I never knew such inquisitive children," answered Louise. "I knew you'd be here the minute you'd seen the notice. Can't you possess your souls in patience until 2 o'clock?"

"No, we can't possibly. Go on and tell us, _please_," begged Lois, putting both arms around Louise's neck and ruffling her hair. "We won't open our mouths," she promised.

"You know we love you an awful lot, and you might give us a tiny hint,"

teased Polly. "Besides, we won't go till you do."

"Imps," declared Louise, and pulling the girls down on the bed beside her and putting an arm around each, she continued: "Listen to me: to get rid of you, I'll tell you part, not all, mind, of what we are going to discuss."

"Well, go on; don't stop," prompted Polly and Lois, as Louise stopped for breath.

"Of course you know that Flora Illington's place is not filled so we have to decide definitely on another subst.i.tute to play center and-"

"You'll choose Betty," finished Polly, with a rush.

"Will you tell her today?" demanded Lois excitedly. "Oh, I am glad!"

And to show their entire approval of the idea, both girls threw their arms around their poor defenseless captain and hugged her until she called for help.

"Woh!" she exclaimed when they had finally let her go. "If I had known how you were going to treat me, I never would have told you; you've pulled my hair all down, wretches."

"Never mind that; you can put it up again. Tell us when you are going to tell Betty," urged Lois.

"We'll have to vote on it as a matter of form, but of course she'll get it. But promise me you won't breathe a word about it until I say you may."

"We promise; but won't Betty be thrilled!" laughed Polly.

The luncheon bell interrupted them and they left Louise madly fixing her hair, to join the line.

At the table Betty asked:

"What are you two so quiet about?"

Polly and Lois exchanged smiles.

"You'll see soon enough; it's about you," Polly told her, and for fear too much had been said, Lois added:

"It's something terrible!"

Betty stopped in the act of putting some tomato catsup on her croquette to demand:

"Which exam. have I flunked, or is it all of them?"

"Worse than that," answered Lois. "But you'll soon know."

At 2 o'clock the teams met in cla.s.sroom A and Betty's name was put up for subst.i.tute, and as Louise had prophesied, every one voted yes. The girls all adored Betty and had been sorry to see her left out in the first election on account of the fouls she always made. But now when her name came up again and they remembered the plucky fight she had made the day of the Indoor Meet, they were only too delighted to welcome her as one of the "subs."

"Hadn't we better call her in for the rest of the meeting?" suggested Louise. "Polly, will you go and find her? Don't tell her what she's wanted for; just bring her here."

A few minutes later Betty arrived, looking very apprehensive, and Louise told her with all due form and ceremony that she had been chosen to fill Flora's place on the team.

Betty's delight knew no bounds. The girls cheered her and were very strenuous in their congratulations. It was fully fifteen minutes before the meeting came to any sort of order. When things did finally quiet down, Louise, as captain, took the chair.

"Field Day is not two weeks off," she began. "You all know that we are going to play the Fenwick School again this year and we must win."

Then looking at Polly, she added: "Please be careful and don't get any broken ankles or arms, for you may all be needed. Remember, they beat us last year."

"That was because we played on their floor and it was strange to us,"

spoke up Florence Guile. She had played in the game the year before and felt she must defend the team's honor. "This year we play here and we will win; you see if we don't."

At this point Nora Peters, one of the Juniors who was not on the team, knocked at the door. She had a letter in her hand and she spoke hurriedly to Louise.

"I am awfully sorry to disturb you," she said, "but I've just had a letter from one of the Fenwick girls, and I thought it might interest you. It's about the team."

"Good! Read it to us!" exclaimed half a dozen voices.

"This is the important part," began Nora as she read: