Jane Allen, Center

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER XIX--TEAMS AND TEAMSTERS

  "But we must attend to our practice, Judith, this very afternoon I havecalled for a full team. We are to meet the girls of Breslin, and nopersonal worries must be allowed to interfere with the duties of ourteam. You know, Judy dear, no one is more anxious than I to have dearlittle Helen's tangle straightened out, and I am going to it with allthe wild and wooley in my make-up," Jane almost smiled, but there was aqualified twist at her mouth corners, and such an effect had often beencalled an ingrowing smile, id est: A smile fraught with fury.

  "Oh, all right, Janey!" assented Judith. "I, like you, dear, am anxiousto vanquish both foes, to wit: Breslin and Marian, but I am not so keenfor practice. Janey, do you think I could work up a little water on theknee, or housemaid's ankle, or something like that, just for thisafternoon? I have the prospect of the loveliest hike--out to Blighty ourponey England, you know. I would love to go, but, of course, if I mustmake baskets for the sophs----"

  "You really must, Judith. I will take no excuse positively. Besides,Judy dear, we are to have an audience this afternoon, and do you thinkI will stand for our team being minus our tall, striking, beautifulJunoesque----"

  "Perfect thirty-six! Halt! All right, Jane. I shall be on hand.Consider the bid accepted," and Judith flounced out in mock pomp, herlimited skirt confines yanked out, in comic imitation of the sweepingcourt costume.

  Basketball fever had set in with epidemic proportions. Every minute inthe day available, or capable of being snatched, was occupied with thelittle blue book guaranteed to give all the rules, all the officialinformation, all the strategic signals, and all the game of girls'basketball, visionary and actual, the only omission noticeable beingball and basket.

  Last year's uniforms of green were decided upon as an economic measure,the war price of wools, and the actual scarcity of such materialsputting a ban on the commodities usually used in college athleticcostumes.

  Jane had lined up her team, all pledged to run to the gym directlythree thirty was dismissed. Grazia St Clair was one of the mostpromising forwards, and she had already proven her prowess. She couldduck and dodge and sprint and "shoot a basket" while her companions ofthe team were extricating themselves from each others' stockings.Judith occupied the critical position of standing center, and all herwisdom coupled with her indomitable push, earned the rather mystifyingtitle of Towser. It was "get 'em, Towser!" and "shake 'em, Towser!"until Judith felt a peculiar interest in the very bones, inadvertentlyleft on her dinner plate.

  It was to be expected that Marian Seaton would occupy a place on theopposition team within Wellington. After many difficult meetings and"pow-wows" it was finally "amicably" agreed that two teams be formedfrom the juniors and sophs. The coach and managers were from the seniorlines as were the referee and umpire.

  On the first or Team One, Jane and her followers were placed, while thesecond, or Team Two, included Marian, Antonia Dexter, otherwise Tony,Mildred Jennings, Martha Rutledge, Dolorez Vincez and Molly Igo, allnew girls with the exception of Marian. Just what ability this teampossessed was a matter of interesting speculation for Team One. Allworked hard and earnestly and every day was Field Day in the gym!

  The epidemic spread alarmingly, until teams called respectively theSubs, the Scrubs, the Grubs and even the Dubs, fell into line, asnaturally as birds following on the wing, and lonely indeed was theWellington, who boasted not of her place on some of the many teams andteamsters. Helen took readily to the sport, and with Dickey Ripple andWeasie Blair, she worked enthusiastically with the Scrubs until thenight of her interview with Jane, after that she lost heart. AllWellington seemed engulfed with the wave of basketball and that thecircumspect faculty did not fall victims to the peril of the wilysphere can scarcely be affirmed with confidence. Weasie Blair declaredshe heard Mrs. Weatherbee arguing with Miss Rutledge on the differencebetween a personal foul and a technical foul, and Gloria Gude insistedher chemistry prof talked "dribbles" when she meant molecules.

  On this particular afternoon Jane marshalled her forces, and not takingno for an answer from Judith, who preferred a hike to practice, hadsucceeded in getting a full team on the floor. As class president Janefelt it her duty to keep up the morale of her constituents in allsports. Massing for basketball might have been considered an obligationof captain or other official, although Jane assumed it willingly, thusleaving the upper class girls free for a more interesting part in thesport.

  As the teams lined up some new rules just issued, were explained by theofficials. They related principally to rulings and duties of scorersand referees and were quickly disposed of. All of the girls declaredthe old rules plenty good enough, and sufficiently complicated,nevertheless, the official guide for collegiates was their standard,and in spite of opposition the more complicated lines finally becamepart of the day's lesson. It was towards the end of the second half atthis practice game that poor Judith met her Waterloo in the way of aturned ankle. It seemed like Fate of course, as Judith had joked aboutthe desirability of acquiring some small accident to relieve her of theday's obligations, nevertheless the ankle had a very poor sense ofhumor, for it hurt, and Judith crumpled in a miserable little heap ofblue serge and groans.

  "Don't try to stand on it, Judy dear," cautioned Jane with a show ofsome anxiety in her voice.

  "Stand on it!" wailed Judith. "I don't believe I shall stand on thatfoot while I live. It hurts badly enough to last all my mortal life."

  "A mere trick," whispered Dorolez Vincez to Marian Seaton.

  "Hush!" cautioned the wise Marian. "Better not--let them hear you saythat. They are all half cocked, ready to go off at any moment," and thetwo opposition leaders, arm in arm, left the crowd gathered around theill-fated Judith.

  "All the same," Dolorez insisted, "they will take that as an excuse toput in a stronger sub. See if they don't. Stearns will not be able toplay the Breslin game, and like as not our noble Jane (this with asneer) will see to it that some upper class girl with skill, instead ofgiggles, takes the forward. I propose, Marian, that you be prepared tofight for disqualification, if they try that little time trick."

  "Oh, I don't believe they will, Dolorez." Even Marian was surprised atsuch suspicion. "You must have had a lot of experience? You are notreally a professional, are you?"

  "Oh, no!" and the foreign girl laughed derisively. "I have played alot, but I am a junior here, am I not?"

  "Yes, of course," Marian assented. Nevertheless there was a note ofuncertainty in her voice.

  "Of course we are going to beat them," went on the South American girl."It is a good fight always, when we have two teams in one division. Ihave a little trick up my angel sleeve that they never could guess."

  "But, Dolorez," cautioned Marian, "our rules are very strict, and wemust conform to them. I want to beat the Jays of course, but we have todo it openly. We will never succeed with any trick where Jane Allen isconcerned."

  "Oh, my! Since when has she won you over?"

  "She has not won me over! In fact, I despise her more than ever, but Iknow we have got to meet facts, and that is a fact beyond dispute. Ifwe want to hand the game to the Jays, all we have to do is to try on afew tricks. It would start them off like a match to gasoline. We wouldsurely go up without smoke. No, Dolorez, I have been here for threeyears, you know, and I must admit some of the peculiar qualificationsof our little red-head. They are to be counted on when a real fight isin the air."

  "Oh, all right, captain," and Dolorez smiled the queer smile that evenMarian did not relish. "Just as you say. But we must beat the Jays,"and it seemed to Marian the black eyes flashed dangerously, andbetrayed more animus than might be safely dealt out in basketball.

  Meanwhile Judith was being comforted and consoled with so many kinds ofsympathy that Jane insisted she be carried back to her room and allowedto suffer in peace.

  "I wanna die! I wanna die!" wailed the afflicted one. "I can't go tothe dance, and I can't kick any more----"

  "Oh, yes, you can," Dozia Dalton,
who had carried her head, put in."You will kick, Judith, after the bugle blows!"

  "And think of all the fudge you will get!" Grazia reminded her. Graziawas supporting the "intact leg."

  "And you may have my Yale pillow, that is inspiring enough to givethrills in the dullest hour," offered Dicky Ripple.

  "Oh, yes, I know, it is lovely of you all," Judith managed toarticulate, "but you have got your old ankles to fall back on. But takethe advice of a friend--don't fall."