All the others are
either down with 'flu or just recovering from it, and Sister won't let
any of them play until they've been up a week. That only leaves us
Marjorie Brown or this new girl--Geraldine what's-her-name. 'German
Gerry' the girls call her, don't they? Have you seen her play--have
you any idea what she's like?"

"No, I've never seen her play, but I shouldn't think she's much good.
Who superintends her team practice? Do you know?"

"Yes, Kathleen Milne. She's right down in the bottom team, you see.
But so's Marjorie, too, for the matter of that. I've asked Kathleen
which is the best, but she doesn't seem to know much about either of
them. Says they are both so rotten that she really doesn't know which
is the worse."

"Kathleen's rather a slacker at hockey herself," commented Monica.
"You can't really wonder her team doesn't do better when they've got
such a slack coach. Can't you get that changed, Muriel? I don't see
why it must always be a prefect who takes charge of the hockey
practices for the lower teams. It would be much better to have
somebody who knew something about hockey--even if it wasn't a prefect.
Don't you think so?"

"Yes, it is rather a bad practice, and I mean to get it altered in
time," agreed Muriel. "Only there's so much to be done, and I've only
been head two terms, you know. Still, I really will see about it as
soon as I can. But that doesn't help me out of my fix over the
dormitory match. Which of those two shall I play? Gerry or Marjorie?"

"I think I should give Gerry the chance," replied Monica thoughtfully.
"Marjorie is such a mite of a thing, and from what Kathleen told you
she doesn't appear to be any better in her play. After all, one player
won't make such a huge lot of difference since you've got ten of the
original team left. You're really rather lucky, Muriel, only to have
one of the eleven down with 'flu."

"Yes, I suppose I am," said the head girl. "Very well, then, it shall
be Gerry. Where do the Lower Fifth hang out this time of the morning?"

"In their sitting-room, I expect, since it's Saturday and there isn't
any prep," said Monica.

Muriel opened the door of her study and hailed a small girl who
happened to be passing.

"Here, Babs, run round to the Lower Fifth sitting-room and tell Gerry
Wilmott I want her in my study. If she isn't there, just hunt about
until you find her. There's a good kid."

"All right, Muriel," said the small gir