The Girls of Central High on Track and Field Part 17

Heretofore no point had been made of the fact that the after-hour athletics were dominated by the junior cla.s.s of Central High. That it was the fault of the present cla.s.s of seniors if they were not in control of the League, did not now appeal to the disaffected.

Some of the junior and soph.o.m.ore girls who, as Bobby said, were inclined to "toady" to members of the first cla.s.s, took up cudgels for the seniors, too. Notably Lily Pendleton, who was forever aping the manners of her elders and always liked to a.s.sociate with more mature girls.

And so, when there was friction in the committee meetings, Lily usually sided with the senior members.

"Why don't you stick by your cla.s.smates, Lil?" demanded the hot-tempered Bobby, one afternoon, when the committee had been discussing plans for the June meet. It had already been decided that the inter-school field day exercises should be held on the grounds of Central High, that being by far the best field.

"Have I got to stick by you whether you're right, or not, Bob Hargrew?"

demanded Lily.

"But we're right--of course."

"I don't think so. The seniors should have their say. We'll want to boss when _we_ are seniors."

"They haven't shown much interest in the scoring of Central High in athletic matters until lately," Jess Morse said, quickly. "Why should they want to come in now and run it all?"

"They have the right," declared Lily.

"Don't see it--do you, Laura?" cried Bobby.

"If they only wouldn't try to go against Mrs. Case's wishes so frequently," sighed Mother Wit, who would have conceded much for peace.

"They don't propose to be bossed by the teachers all the time," declared Lily. "And they're right."

Now, this att.i.tude would have appealed to Bobby Hargrew a few months before. But she had learned a good bit of late.

"There is no use in our trying to run athletics in opposition to Mrs.

Case--or Mr. Sharp," she said.

"Or Gee Gee; eh, Bobby?" added Hester Grimes, slily.

As the girls crowded out of the committee room some of the boys were grouped at the corridor's end, plainly waiting for their appearance.

Chet Belding and Launcelot Darby, his chum, were waiting for Laura and Jess. That was a frequent occurrence. No boy ever waited for the fly-away Bobby; but there was with the two chums a tall, thin youth dressed in the most astonishing clothes that ever appeared in the corridors of a high school.

"Oh me, oh my!" cried Bobby, under her breath. "There's Purt Sweet--and he looks like a negro minstrel."

"My goodness me! He _is_ dressed to kill, isn't he?" giggled Jess.

For Prettyman Sweet, the sartorial example of Central High, was more than usually gay upon this occasion. And he was not waiting there by chance, it was plain.

"See! Lily is trotting off with him," laughed Bobby. "They must have patched up a truce. Oh! and look at that collar!" and the wicked Bobby leaned far over the banister and sang gaily:

"He wore a collar extra high, He wore a purple vest; He wore his father's patience out-- But why tell all the rest?"

"That saucy child!" exclaimed Lily, looking back. "She ought to be whipped."

"You never can get even with her, doncher know," drawled Purt, shaking his head. "Weally, I'd much like to try it; but I don't know what to do."

"And the rest of those girls, laughing, too," snapped Lily. "Jess Morse and Laura are just as bad."

"Well, weally----"

"Oh, if you had half the pluck of a rabbit," scolded Lily, "you'd do something to get square."

Now, Lil Pendleton wronged Pretty Sweet. He was not particularly brave, it was true; but he would have done a good deal to "get even" with Bobby Hargrew for her sharp tongue. He had been the b.u.t.t of her jokes for a long time and---- Well, it is said even the worm will turn.

The following afternoon a sudden thunder shower kept some of the girls in the school building after most of the pupils had departed. It was a part of the junior cla.s.s, and Bobby, as well as Laura and Jess, were among those kept by Miss Carrington after the regular session closed.

"I believe she knew we were due at the athletic field this afternoon,"

grumbled Bobby, as they stood waiting at the foot of the tower stairs for the shower to pa.s.s.

"What good would it have done us to be at the gym. now?" laughed Laura.

"This shower has spoiled open air work for the afternoon."

"Bobby doesn't believe Gee Gee ever gives us extra tasks because we deserve them," said Jess.

"It _did_ seem as though Miss Carrington was particularly harsh to-day,"

murmured Eve.

"That's so! She was as cross as two sticks," declared Bobby.

"I believe something is troubling Miss Carrington's mind," said Nellie Agnew. "Have you noticed how thin she is getting--and that she starts nervously at every little thing?"

"She was scared when the thunder began--I was glad of it," declared Bobby.

"Bad girl!" admonished Laura.

"It's her conscience," ventured Bobby.

Eve looked at her and shook her head.

"Oh, I'm not going to say _why_ I think her conscience troubles her,"

laughed Bobby.

Nellie was looking out of the window. "I say, girls! it's breaking away, I do believe. And I think there's a rainbow--yes! there's a part of it."

"It is a very small part you see, Nell," laughed Eve.

"Let's go up into the tower," suggested Jess. "We can see it all from there."

"Let's," agreed Bobby.

"That's forbidden, you know," said Laura, slowly.

"Oh, dear, Laura! Don't be such a mollycoddle! n.o.body's really told us girls not to go into the tower. And we won't do any damage----"

"Maybe the door is locked," observed Nellie, doubtfully.

But Bobby ran to the solid oak door and tried it. Although there was a key in the lock, the door opened at once to her turning of the k.n.o.b.