Friday evening found the Hall alive with excitement. The girls were divided into factions. Raphael Sloan was the best debater Bentville had had for some time, and while Abner was popular, he was too new to inspire general confidence. Nearly everybody—except the Goose Creek folks—was sure of the boy who had never been defeated.
The chapel was in an uproar when the girls arrived. Occupying the centre and front were delegates from each county to the Mountain Congress. Class colours were everywhere in evidence. Pennants were fluttering, and yell after yell went up when the Governor of Appalachian America—one of the senior boys—took his seat on the platform.
Afterwards the whole thing seemed like a dream to Lalla. Raphael, tall, dark-eyed, with the flush of anticipated victory on his face. Abner, intense, pale at first and somewhat hesitating, but warming up with fiery eloquence toward the last and meeting every argument with growing confidence.
Not once did he fail in the rebuttal, nor even hesitate, and Lalla saw an amazed look creep over Joe Bradshaw’s face as Abner answered with a glibness born of knowledge, sweeping the very foundation from under his opponent’s feet.
There could be but one verdict, and the Goose Creek girls saw Abner hoisted upon strong, young shoulders and borne in triumph around the room. Once more the pennants waved and pandemonium broke loose. This time they joined in the yells. Lalla, in the centre of the circle of girls, never stopped until her voice gave out.
Joe Bradshaw took his roommate’s defeat quite philosophically. He was fond of Abner and Martin, but somewhat puzzled at the former’s quick replies to every argument. “You did splendidly!” he said, wringing Abner’s hand. “Clay County is right to the front to-night.”
Abner gave Lalla a quick glance of gratitude. She was watching him as he talked to Joe and the surrounding boys, not forgetting to wave at the home girls who found it impossible to reach him. Gincy’s eyes were full of tears—proud ones. If her father and mother could only have been here to see Abner beat the best debater in all the mountain counties. It would have rewarded them for every sacrifice.
There was to be a spread in the Industrial Building for the winner. Talitha and Martin held frequent conferences all the next day, and by four o’clock a constant procession of boys and girls were busy carrying parcels, bunting, and branches of pine for decoration, and making the rooms of the Agricultural Department attractive for the evening crowd. It was to be a great event for the Goose Creek folks, and they had prepared accordingly. Pete Shackley guarded the chickens. “I knew Abner’d beat, those roosters have been crowing under my bed for two nights. I toted the box into my room the minute I bought them; there’s no telling where they’d be to-day if I hadn’t.”
Gincy and Mallie kept the door of Number 4 securely locked, but that precaution did not prevent savoury odours from escaping which the boys sniffed eagerly.
“Cake!” exclaimed Martin delightedly. “Tally said Miss Browning was going to let them use the cooking room all day. I smell fruit cookies, too. My, but it’s going to be a spread! I wonder what Piny Twilliger’s doing ’round here; she likes good eating, I suppose.”