Their friend and teacher came in briskly.
“What’s all this? what’s all this?” she cried. “Where is Hester?”
“She took her hat and coat and ran out before we came in, Mrs. Case,” explained Laura.
“Not deserted you?” cried the instructor.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But that is a most unsportsmanlike thing to do!” exclaimed the instructor, feeling the desertion keenly. That one of her girls should act so cut Mrs. Case to the heart. She took great pride in the girls of Central High as a body, and Hester’s desertion was bad for discipline.
“You must do the best you can, Laura, with the substitute,” she said, at last, and speaking seriously. “I will inform Miss Lawrence that you will put in Roberta for the second half, too. Nothing need be said about Hester’s defection.”
“I am afraid we can’t win with me in Hessie’s place,” wailed Roberta.
“You’re going to do your very best, Roberta,” said Mrs. Case, calmly. “You always do. All of you put your minds to the task. Your opponents are only one point ahead of you. The first five-minutes’ play in the first half was as pretty team work on your part as I ever saw.”
“But we can’t use our secret signals,” said Laura.