Kitty actually smiled. The idea of his going to a doctor was really funny.
The game with Ludlow Academy had started when they reached the corner of Larch Street; they could hear the piping of the whistle and the cries of the players, and once a half-hearted cheer from the Maple Hill supporters. The twins declined an invitation to see the contest, declaring that they must hurry home for fear that Mrs. Binner was worrying about them, and Tad volunteered to go along as escort. Kitty and Rodney turned into Larch Street and hurried toward the field. They had not gone far, however, when Tad shouted to Kitty and they stopped and waited for him.
“I don’t believe I half thanked you, Kitty,” he said earnestly and embarrassedly. “I do though, awfully. What you did was terribly plucky, and—and I certainly do appreciate it. I guess—I guess you saved my life, old man.”
Kitty, to his horror, found himself shaking hands.
“You’re welcome,” he muttered. “Nothing at all, really. Glad I could help. I—er—we’d better get along, Rod. Cotting will be mad. See you later, Tad.”
And Kitty hurried away with evident relief, leaving Rodney to smile at Tad and then follow. Rodney caught Kitty at the gate.
“Seems to me,” said Kitty, “we’d better not say anything about what happened, eh? Might—might make a rumpus. Faculty might stop fellows going to the Rock. Better keep mum, eh?”
Rodney laughed as they entered the field. “Much you care about that, Kitty. All you’re afraid of is that fellows might find out what a blooming hero you are.” Then he added teasingly, “I’m going to tell all about everything, Kitty.”
“If you do,” said Kitty earnestly and convincingly, “I—I’ll lick you!”
Their explanation to Mr. Cotting, which made no mention of the real cause for tardiness, passed muster, although the coach didn’t hesitate to assure them that if it occurred again they’d lose their places. Today, as it happened, their services were not in demand until late in the last period of the contest. They watched the game until the first half ended and then followed the team to the gymnasium and got into their togs. Maple Hill had piled up twenty-one points against Ludlow in those first two ten-minute periods, while Ludlow, with a very weak line, had proved even weaker on attack than defence and had failed to score. But in the third period a miserable fumble by Fuller, who had taken Wynant’s place at right half, gave Ludlow her chance. One of her forwards fell on the ball on Maple Hill’s twenty-two yard line. Two attacks on the ends of the Green-and-Gray line failed of results, and a forward pass struck the ground. On the fourth down Ludlow sent back her quarter to try a field goal. It was an easy task, but the quarter was slow, and the ball was partly blocked and came to earth near the five yard line. Stacey Trowbridge got it on the bound, but before he could run it back he was tackled by a Ludlow end and thrown across the goal line for a safety. Maple Hill was disgusted and Ludlow jubilant. Her two or three dozen rooters on the further side of the field managed to make a deal of noise in celebration of those two points.