“She hasn’t done anything,” returned Lily, sullenly.
“How about the gym. business——”
Bobby Hargrew began it, but Laura shut her off by a prompt palm laid across her mouth.
“You be still, Bobby!” commanded Nellie Agnew.
“You’re all just as unfair to Hessie as you can be,” said Lily with some spirit. “And now this woman from West High had to pick on her——”
“Don’t talk so foolishly, Lil,” said Dora Lockwood. “You know very well that Hester has been warned dozens of times not to talk back to the referee. Mrs. Case warns her almost every practice game about something. And now she has got taken up short. If it wasn’t for what it means to us all in this particular game, I wouldn’t care if she never played with us.”
“Me, too!” cried Jess, in applause. “Hester is always cutting some mean caper that makes trouble for other folk.”
“We can’t possibly win this game without her!” wailed Dorothy.
“I’ll do my very best, girls,” said Roberta Fish, the substitute player at forward center.
“Of course you will, Roberta,” said Laura, warmly. “But we can’t teach you all our moves in these few moments—Ah! here is Mrs. Case.”