wing the ball into the
wrong basket. This elicited vociferous cheering from junior fans and
spurred their team on to the fastest playing they had done since the
beginning of the game. Needless to say they dropped their unfair tactics
at the last and fought with fierce energy to pile up their score. The
freshmen also picked up on the closing few minutes, but the game ended
24-20 in favor of the juniors.

The losing team made straight for their dressing room, there to relieve
their pent-up feelings. Very soon afterward they were visited by the
sophomore team. They had attended the game in a body and had not been
slow to see that things were all wrong.

"Don't feel down-hearted about it," sympathized Marjorie, as Janet Baird
began bewailing her unlucky mistake of baskets. "We know how things
were. So do lots of others. If the juniors should challenge you to
another game, don't accept the challenge. We sophs hope they will
challenge us. We think they will and try the same tactics with us. Then
we are going to teach them one good lesson. After that we shall ignore
them as a team."

CHAPTER XIX.

A CLAIM ON FRIENDSHIP.

After the sophomore five had heard a detailed account from Phyllis of
what had occurred on the floor, they were more determined than ever on
punishing the three offenders. The awkward hitch in their plans was the
fact that Miss Hale and Miss Merrill, though players on the team, could
not be included in their team mates' misdoings.

"Some one ought to tell those two girls how matters stand," was Ronny's
energetic opinion. "They must have been very dense not to see and hear
for themselves. If they noticed nothing was wrong during the game, they
must surely have heard things since. It's no secret on the campus. Talk
about a good illustration in psychology! It was a deliberate attempt at
retarding action by a malicious irritating of the mind. I think I ought
to cite it in psychology class."

Several days after the game Nina Merrill went privately to Phyllis and
frankly asked her a number of questions. Receiving blunt answers which
tallied with a rumor she had heard, she laid the matter before Ruth Hale
and both girls resigned from the junior team. This put the remaining
trio in a position they did not relish. The senior sports committee
having received the resignations of the two indignant juniors accepted
them without question. They appointed Dulcie Vale and Eleanor Ray, both
substitute players,