l hockey mad here, you know, and I've
made up my mind that you're going to learn to play. It was mostly for
your sake that I came down to coach the K teams to-day. Buck up, now,
and try. You can do it, you know, if you'll only think you can."

Thus adjured, Gerry made an effort. She took her place reluctantly on
the centre-line and began to bully. Much to her own surprise she got
the ball away from her opponent, and on following up her advantage
succeeded in getting it by the centre half also. She lost it then, but
much encouraged by Muriel's approving "Well done, Gerry!" she made
another great effort and retrieved it again. And thenceforward,
although she did not distinguish herself very specially, she took quite
an active part in the game, finding it a good deal easier and much less
painful--even when she did inadvertently stop a ball on her ankle--than
she had expected.

In making her play centre forward, Muriel had hit upon the one plan
which could help her to overcome her nerves. Right in the thick of the
battle there was no time for overmuch thinking, and the sick feeling of
nervousness which had always crept over her hitherto when she stood at
full back, waiting, waiting, waiting for the ball to come, was banished
altogether. Towards the end of the afternoon, Gerry even succeeded in
hitting a goal, much to her own surprise and the surprise of her
fellow-players. It was more by good luck than judgment, but all the
same it served to hearten her spirits immensely, and Muriel's smile of
approval more than compensated for the pain her bruised ankle was
causing her.

"You see you can play all right when you like," said the head girl when
the practice was over. "Are you walking down with anybody? No? Good;
then come and walk down with me. Let's see, now, when's your next
practice? Friday, isn't it?"

"Yes, Friday," answered Gerry, rather hot and breathless from her
exertions, but so pleased at her late performance that she did not mind
that.

"Well, I shall come and coach you again then, and if you do as well as
you did to-day, I shall move you up into J.2. It will be much better
for you than playing amongst all those little kids. But you'll have to
play forward always, never back. I always think you need to be rather
a stolid individual altogether to make a successful back. I can't
think why Kathleen ever put you to play there. Besides, you're cut out
for a forward with those great long legs o