The Girls of Central High at Basketball; Or, The Great Gymnasium Mystery Read online

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  THE BALL ROSE AND FLEW DIRECTLY AT THE BASKET.]

  THE GIRLS OF CENTRAL HIGH AT BASKETBALL

  GERTRUDE W. MORRISON

  1914

  CONTENTS: CHAPTER I--HESTER IS MIFFED CHAPTER II--THE KERNEL IN THE ATHLETIC NUT CHAPTER III--JOHNNY DOYLE CHAPTER IV--"THERE'S GOOD STUFF IN THAT GIRL" CHAPTER V--HESTER AT HOME CHAPTER VI--THE FIRST GAME CHAPTER VII--THE SECOND HALF CHAPTER VIII--THE ROUND ROBIN CHAPTER IX--ANOTHER RAID CHAPTER X--MOTHER WIT AND THE GRAY MARE CHAPTER XI--HEBE POCOCK CHAPTER XII--"OUT OF IT" CHAPTER XIII--THE WIND VEERS CHAPTER XIV--RACING THE FLAMES CHAPTER XV--THE KEYPORT GAME CHAPTER XVI--UPHILL WORK FOR THE TEAM CHAPTER XVII--HEBE POCOCK IN TROUBLE CHAPTER XVIII--MOTHER WIT TO THE RESCUE CHAPTER XIX--AT LUMBERPORT CHAPTER XX--WINNING ALL ALONG THE LINE CHAPTER XXI--WHAT HESTER DID CHAPTER XXII--WHAT MR. BILLSON COULD TELL CHAPTER XXIII--CLIMBING UP CHAPTER XXIV--HESTER WINS CHAPTER XXV--THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED

  CHAPTER I

  HESTER IS MIFFED

  The referee's whistle sounded sharply, and the eighteen girls ofCentral High engaged in playing basketball, as well as an equal numberstrung along the side lines, stopped instantly and turned their eyeson Mrs. Case, the physical instructor.

  "Hester Grimes! you are deliberately delaying the game. I havereprimanded you twice. The third time I will take you out of the teamfor the week----"

  "I didn't, either!" cried the person addressed, a rather heavily builtgirl for her age, with a sturdy body and long arms--well developed in amuscular way, but without much grace. She had very high color, too,and at the present moment her natural ruddiness was heightened byanger.

  "You are breaking another rule of the game by directly addressing thereferee," said Mrs. Case, grimly. "Are you ready to play, or shall Itake you out of the game right now?"

  The red-faced girl made no audible reply, and the teacher signalledfor the ball to be put into play again. Three afternoons each weekeach girl of Central High, of Centerport, who was eligible forafter-hour athletics, was exercised for from fifteen to thirty minutesat basketball. Thirty-six girls were on the ground at a time. Everyfive minutes the instructor blew her whistle, and the girls changedplaces. That is, the eighteen actually playing the game shifted withthe eighteen who had been acting as umpires, judges, timekeepers,scorers, linesmen and coaches. This shifting occupied only a fewseconds, and it put the entire thirty-six girls into the game, shiftand shift about. It was in September, the beginning of the fall term,and Mrs. Case was giving much attention to the material for theinter-school games, to be held later in the year.

  Hester Grimes had played the previous spring on the champion team, andheld her place now at forward center. But although she had been twoyears at Central High, and was now a Junior, she had never learned thefirst and greatest truth that the physical instructor had tried toteach her girls:

  "_Keep your temper!_"

  Since spring several of the girls playing on the first team of CentralHigh had left school, graduating as seniors. The work now was to whipthis team into shape, and finally Mrs. Case and the girls themselves,voting upon the several names in their capacity as members of theGirls' Branch Athletic League, had settled upon the following rosterof names and positions as the "make-up" of the best-playing basketballteam of Central High:

  Josephine Morse, goal-keeper Evangeline Sitz, right forward Dora Lockwood, left forward Hester Grimes, forward center Laura Belding, jumping center Lily Pendleton, back center Dorothy Lockwood, right guard Nellie Agnew, left guard Bobby Hargrew, goal guard

  The basketball court of Central High was located in the new Girls'Athletic Field, not far from the school building itself, andoverlooking beautiful Lake Luna and the boathouses and rowing course.At the opening of Central High this fall the new field and gymnasiumhad first come into use.

  The athletic field, gymnasium and swimming pool were the finest in theState arranged for girls' athletics. They had been made possible bythe generosity of one of the very wealthy men of Centerport, ColonelRichard Swayne, and his interest in the high school girls and theirathletics had been engaged by one of the girls themselves, LauraBelding by name, but better known among her schoolfellows and friendsas "Mother Wit."

  The play went on again under the keen eye of the instructor. Mrs. Casebelieved most thoroughly in the efficiency of basketball for thedevelopment and training of girls; but she did not allow her chargesto play the game without supervision. Lack of supervision byinstructors is where the danger of basketball and kindred athleticslies.

  The game is an excellent one from every point of view; yet within thelast few years it has come into disfavor in some quarters, and manyparents have forbidden their daughters to engage in it. Like bicyclingin the past, and football with the boys, basketball has suffered "ablack eye" because of the way it has been played, not because of thegame itself.

  But the Girls' Branch played the game under sound rules, and under thekeen oversight of the instructor engaged by the Board of Education ofCenterport for that purpose. Basketball is the first, or one of thefirst vigorous team games to become popular among women and girls inthis country, and under proper supervision will long remain a favoritepastime.

  The rules under which the girls of Central High played the game weresuch as brought into basketball the largest number of players allowed.Whereas there were often in the games on Central High courts onlyright forward, left forward, center, right guard and left guard, withpossibly a jumping center--these games being engaged in by the girlsfor their own amusement--in the regular practice and when therepresentative team played the teams of other schools, the girls onthe field numbered nine upon a side.

  Thus conforming with the new rules, Mrs. Case, and the physicalinstructors of the other highs of Centerport and the neighboringcities, made the interest in basketball more general and enabled agreater number of ambitious girls to gain coveted positions on thefirst team.

  Suddenly Mrs. Case's whistle stopped the play again. And as the bustleand activity subsided, two girls' voices rose above all.

  "You just see! It's only Hester who gets scolded----"

  "It's not so! If she'd play fair----"

  "Miss Pendleton and Miss Agnew are discussing something of muchimportance--much more important than the game," said the referee,tartly.

  "Well, she said----" began Nellie Agnew, who was usually a very quietgirl, but who was flushed and angry now as she "looked daggers" atLily Pendleton, who was Hester Grimes's chum.

  "That will do, Nellie!" exclaimed the instructor. "You girls evidentlyhave not taken to heart what I have been telling you. The only way toplay this--or any other team game--is to work together and talk aslittle as possible. And by no means allow your tempers to becomeheated.

  "We have formed a new line-up for the fall series of games with Eastand West High, and the highs of Keyport and Lumberport. It would betoo bad to change the make-up of the team later; but I want girls onour champion team, who play the first class teams of other schools,who know how to keep cool and to keep their mouths shut. Now! don'tlet me have to repeat this again to-day at least. Time!"

  Hester Grimes turned and gave Nellie Agnew an angry look and then wenton playing. The girls officiating at the lines changed with the actualplayers. Later they shifted again, which brought the first team intothe field once more with the ball.
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br />   When the practice was over Mrs. Case stopped Hester Grimes before shecould run off the field. She spoke to her in a low voice, so that noother girl could hear; but she spoke firmly:

  "Hester, you are making a bad impression upon the teachers as well ason the minds of your fellow pupils by your indulgence in bad temper."

  "Nobody else calls me down for it but you, Mrs. Case," declared thebig girl, bitterly.

  "You are a good scholar--you do not fail at your books," Mrs. Casecontinued, quietly. "You do not have occasion in the classroom tooften show your real disposition. Here, in matters of athletics, it isdifferent. Your deportment does not suit me----"

  "It never has, Mrs. Case," exclaimed the red-faced girl. "You havecriticized me ever since you came here to Central High----"

  "Stop, Hester! How dare you speak that way to a teacher? I shallcertainly report you to Mr. Sharp if you take my admonition in such aspirit. I have finished with you. If you do not show improvement indeportment on the athletic field I shall shut you out of practiceentirely."

  The instructor spoke sharply and her face was clouded. She was a verybrisk, decisive woman, and she considered that she had been patientwith Hester Grimes long enough.

  Hester was the only daughter of a very wealthy wholesale butcher, andfrom her babyhood had been indulged and given her way. She was one ofthose girls who fairly "boss" their parents and everybody around theirhomes. She had bought the friendliness of some weak girls by herdisplay and the lavish use of spending money. Perhaps, however, LilyPendleton was really the only girl who cared for Hester.

  Most of the girls who had been relieved from basketball practice hadrun in to change to their street clothing. On the lower floor of thegymnasium building was the swimming pool, shower baths, and dressingroom, besides the lockers for field materials, the doctor's andinstructor's offices, and the hair-drying room. Above was thegymnasium proper with all the indoor apparatus allowed by the rules ofthe Girls' Branch.

  Each girl had her own locker and key, the key to be handed in at theinstructor's office when she left the building. When Hester came intothe long dressing room there was a chatter of voices and laughter.There was no restriction on talking in here.

  Lily met her chum at the door. The former was naturally a pale girl,rather pretty, but much given to aping fashions and frocks of grownwomen.

  "I'd like to box that Bobby Hargrew's ears," she said, to her angrychum. "She was just saying that you'd queer the team again before yougot through. She's always hinting that you lost that last game weplayed East High last spring."

  "I'll just fix her for that--the mean little thing!" snapped Hester,and being just in the mood for quarreling she stalked over to wherelittle Clara Hargrew was talking to a group of friends, among whomwere Nellie Agnew and the Lockwood twins.

  "So you're slandering me, as usual, are you, Miss?" demanded Hester,her face very fiery and her voice very loud.

  "Meaning me?" demanded Bobby, shaking her curly head, and grinningimpishly at the bigger girl.

  "Who else would I mean, Miss?" pursued Hester.

  "I couldn't slander you, Hessie," said the mischief-loving Bobby.

  "You are a trouble-maker all the time, Bobby Hargrew----" began theolder girl, but Bobby broke in with:

  "If I made anywhere near as much trouble as you do about thisgymnasium, Hessie, I'd talk soft."

  "Now, Bobby," cautioned Nellie Agnew, laying a quick hand upon thesmaller girl's arm and drawing her away.

  But Hester, quite beside herself, lifted her palm and struck at Bobby.Perhaps the agile girl dodged; or maybe Nellie deliberately steppedforward. Anyhow, the stroke intended for Bobby landed full uponNellie's cheek. Hester was strong and her hand heavy. The print of herpalm left a white patch for a moment upon the plump cheek of thedoctor's daughter.

  "Now you've done it, Hessie!" cried Bobby, angrily. "See what you'vedone!"

  "I didn't----" began Hester, rather startled by the result of her blow;but the tears of anger and pain had sprung to Nellie's eyes and foronce the peacemaker showed some spirit.

  "It served you just right! You're always interfering," flashed outHester.

  "You are a bad and cruel girl," said Nellie, sobbing, but more inanger than pain.

  "Bah! you run and tell Mrs. Case now. That will be about your style."

  "I shall tell my father," said Nellie, firmly, and turned away thather enemy might not exult longer in her tears.

  "And he's our physician and I guess he'll have something to say aboutyour actions, Hessie!" cried Bobby Hargrew. "You're not fit to playwith nice girls, anyway."

  "And you're one of the 'nice' ones, I suppose, Miss?" scoffed Hester.

  "I hope I am. I don't lose my temper and queer my team-mates' play.And nobody ever caught me doing mean things--and you've been caughtbefore. If it wasn't for Gee Gee favoring you, you'd have been askedto leave Central High before now," cried Bobby.

  "That's so, too," said one of the twins, quite as angry as Bobby, butmore quietly.

  "I should worry!" laughed Hester, loudly and scornfully. "What if Idid leave Central High? You girls are a lot of stuck-up ninnies,anyway! I hate you all, and I'll get square with you some day--you justsee if I don't!"

  It was perhaps an empty threat; yet it was spoken with grimdetermination on Hester Grimes's part. And only the future could tellif she would or would not keep her promise.