One week later the Lincoln Award was announced to the pupils of the school. So amazing and unusual was the competition that the school literally buzzed with comments upon it; work for the day was abandoned. Because the award was a substantial sum of money to be spent in an educational way, most of the pupils considered it very seriously.
"Ginny Cox has the best chance 'cause she always has the highest marks and she's on all the teams."
"It isn't just being on teams," contradicted another girl, studying one of the slips of paper which had been distributed and upon which had been printed the rules covering the competition. "It's the number of hours spent in the gym, or in out-of-door exercise. And you get a point for setting-up exercises and for walking a mile each day. And for sleeping with your window open! Easy!"
"And for drinking five glasses of water a day," laughed another.
"And for eating a vegetable every day. And for drinking a glass of milk."
"That lets me out. I just loathe milk."
"Of course—so do I. But wouldn't you drink it for an award like that?"
"Look, girls, you can't drink tea or coffee," chimed in another.
"And you get a point for nine hours' sleep each school night! That'll catch Selma Rogers—she says she studies until half-past eleven every night."
"I suppose that's why it's put in."