"The lines are awfully faint," Eleanor said, dejectedly. She was looking hard at the big broad-shouldered girl it would be her duty to guard.
Polly glanced from one face to the other. Even Lois' and Betty's reflected apprehension. She sighed.
"Remember," she said, as they took their places, "we're playing for Seddon Hall."
When the first whistle blew she felt that she was facing a sure defeat and she tried valiantly to keep her glance from straying in the direction of the silver cup. But, as the game progressed, she discovered that, though her team was heavily handicapped, the only danger that they really had to face was surprise. For they had expected to fight, and fight hard for every point, and they were totally unprepared for the unexplainable collapse of the opposing team. From the very start, the ball was theirs. It took time for them to recover from the shock before they could use their advantage. Before the end of the first half, Whitehead had put in four substitutes.
"What can be the matter?" Lois demanded between halves. "Why, they're not putting up any fight at all."
"They're all sick," Betty said. "Both the centers have terrible colds. It's a shame."
The second half was a repetition of the first, and Seddon Hall won an easy victory.
Polly felt that she had not really earned the cup when it was presented to her at the close of the game.