Marjorie complied with the request. She finished with: “I explained a little about that night we saw her at Baretti’s; assured her we weren’t making fun of her. I asked her to come and see us soon. She said she would. She will know, after she has talked with you about five minutes, Jeremiah, that you are the best old treasure that ever was.”
“Am I so wonderful as all that? Dear me!” Jerry simpered, raising her chubby hands in mock surprise.
“Yes, you are, and you know it.” Marjorie made an affectionate little rush at Jerry and caught her around the waist. In the absence of Captain and General, she sometimes treated Jerry to these sudden, playful proofs of her affection. Nothing pleased Jerry more.
“I won’t have time to write an answer to Miss Hurst’s note,” she said, glancing at the clock. “I’ll do it directly after dinner and mail it before eight-thirty. There is a mail collection at nine. I want it to reach her tomorrow morning. I shall attend practice tomorrow afternoon and see that Miss Forbes has fair play.” The determined glint in Marjorie’s eyes spelled justice to the injured party.
Marjorie did not linger at the dinner table that evening. She hastened upstairs the moment she had eaten dessert and set to work at the letter. Her fountain pen poised thoughtfully over the paper, she considered Miss Hurst’s note for a brief season. Then she wrote:
“Dear Miss Hurst:
“Your letter received. In justice to Miss Forbes I would say that her case has been under observation of the sports committee for the past week. The findings are these—she is a fine and honorable player, conforming to the rules of basket ball in every respect. She is not a disturber, in any sense, and the sports committee must refuse to countenance unfair reports against her. I find her scrupulously truthful. The committee have not been pleased with the churlish treatment which has been accorded Miss Forbes by the other members of the team. We would advocate a marked change on the part of yourself and your team-mates in this direction. Personal spite makes poor team work.
“Yours sincerely,
“Marjorie Dean,
“Chairman Sports Committee.”