by Clair Blank
Chapter XVIII
CAROL SLIDES
The balmy May afternoon saw the baseball game between the Freshmen andthe Sophomores taking place on the athletic field behind Carver Hall.The players were most enthusiastic about this latest undertaking oftheirs. It seemed most of the girls in the school had turned out to seethis tussle between two feminine baseball teams and to hail the victor.
Janet, with supreme confidence in her own ability, had elected herselfpitcher for the Freshmen. The girls had played several games and Janethad been pretty good, if not particularly brilliant. Carol, to supporther pal, was catcher. Valerie was acting first baseman and Madge wasshortstop. Their gymnastics teacher was the umpire and the Freshmen weresometimes suspicious of her friendly feeling toward the Sophomores.However, the nine Freshmen elected "Do or Die!" as their motto and wentinto the game with all the vigor and speed at their command.
But alas, the Sophomores were also good. They had experience added totheir playing ability and for the first three innings scored four runsto the Freshmen's one. Janet, finding herself up against excellentbatting ability, became nervous. Her throws to the home plate were alittle wild and two girls walked to base.
Carol met Janet halfway between the pitcher's mound and the home platewhere the next Sophomore stood swinging her bat.
"Are you good!" Carol scoffed. "I thought you were the world's wonderwoman pitcher. I'm beginning to believe you are the world's worst."
"That's gratitude for you!" Janet sighed. "Here I nearly throw my armout of joint and I get no credit from you."
"I told you to throw them a little low for Agnes and you didn't. Youdeliberately threw the ball at her bat. All she had to do was standstill and let it hit. It cost us another run."
"So what?" Janet said wearily.
"Come on, toots, do your stuff," Carol encouraged. "We've got to strikethis girl out."
"Brackity saxe, saxe, saxe, Brackity saxe, saxe, saxe, Y-e-a, Freshmen!"
The spectators chanted loudly and enthusiastically. Gale and Phyllis ledthe Freshmen rooting section in an uproarious cheer. They yelled withall the abandon of children on a spree.
Janet beamed upon the crowd and swung the ball.
"St-uh-rike one!"
Carol ran out and handed the ball to Janet.
"Swell, pal!" she declared.
Janet beamed again and threw the ball.
"St-uh-rike two!" The Instructor was having as much fun out of the gameas the girls were.
Janet, concentrating on the batter before her, had momentarily forgottenthe girls on first and second base. The Sophomore on second base was anadventurous soul and now she took advantage of the pitcher's absorptionto steal to third. Halfway there Janet saw her and threw the ball wildlyto Madge, the short stop. The Sophomore dived for the base. The basemanreceived the ball from Madge while the Sophomore turned and dashed madlyback toward second. The ball went again to Madge. The Sophomore triedonce more for third base. The runner see-sawed back and forth until shewas finally caught and pronounced out.
The Freshmen were jubilant, especially Janet and Carol. The pitcherreturned to the work at hand and the batter-up was struck out.
The innings went on until the ninth. At that time the score stood twelveto ten in favor of the Sophomores. Janet had been relieved in thepitcher's position by another Freshman. However, in the last inning shereturned.
Somehow the Freshmen managed to keep the score the same. They did notlet the Sophomores score again and the side retired. The Freshmen wereat bat.
"I don't like the wicked look in that pitcher's eye," Janet said as shestood beside Carol watching Valerie at bat.
"You probably won't hit the ball either," Carol pronounced sadly asValerie struck out.
"Is that so?" Janet bristled with indignation. "Maybe I haven't made ahome run this game yet but I've been waiting for a crucial moment."
"It looks like this is it," Carol laughed. "There goes another one ofour girls--out!" She sighed. "Ho, hum, we might as well give in. We needtwo runs, but we'll never make them with only one more girl--and you areit."
Janet frowned on her. "I'll hit that ball if it is the last thing I do!"
Carol's eyes twinkled as she watched Janet take her place before thecatcher.
"She is angry," Madge commented.
"I tried to make her mad," Carol confessed. "When she is stirred up sheplays much better."
"St-uh-rike one!"
Carol made a wry face at Janet. The latter frowned more viciously andgripped the bat securely in both hands. Carol nudged Madgesignificantly.
"She is really cross now."
The spectators were hushed. The game depended on Janet and what she did.
"St-uh-rike two!"
"Woe is me!" Carol murmured. "My psychology didn't work."
"She has one more chance," Madge said. "If she only gets on base andthen someone else makes a run----"
"Two runs to tie the score! It might as well be ten," Carol saidpessimistically.
"Look! Look!" Madge cried gleefully. "She did it! She socked that oldball way out----"
Janet had swung with all her strength and hit the ball squarely, sendingit high into the air over second base. The Sophomore in her effort toget it overshot the mark and fumbled. Janet was away like a shot tofirst base, past first and safe on second!
"I hope I do as well," Carol remarked.
She was the next batter up. The Freshmen were still howling with delightover Janet's hit. The first was a foul ball. The second attempt Carolmissed. But the third time! Like Janet, the necessity for action broughtcool determination and steadied her. She hit the ball a resounding smackthat sent it bounding along the third base line.
Janet was off to third base while Carol sped to first. Both girls weresafe.
Now the game looked particularly bright for the Freshmen. With two girlson bases they had a good chance to even the score. But if one more waspronounced out the game was over and lost. Another Freshman stepped upto the home plate. She was nervous but determined.
Janet took several steps away from third base but kept a wary eye on thepitcher. She simply must get in and score! She looked at Carol.
Carol was edging away from the security of first base. The pitcher waslooking at Carol. Janet went a little farther toward home. Carolsuddenly dived toward second. The pitcher threw the ball to the secondbase. The baseman missed it and it bounded a few feet away. By the timethe ball was secured Carol was safe on second base and Janet had stolenhome.
The Freshmen fans were wild. They cheered lustily. Their team neededonly one run to tie the score now!
The Sophomore pitcher seemed to have lost her grip on the situation. TheFreshman at bat walked to first base. The next girl also walked. Thatforced Carol to third base. What a chance now to tie the score--even towin the game!
Carol watched the pitcher closely. She edged away from the base. Thebaseman followed. It all happened very suddenly. Carol in her exuberanceand confidence in having stolen to second base once, thought she coulddo the same thing again. The pitcher was watching the strange motions ofthe girl at first base when Carol dived for the home plate. Withlightning rapidity the pitcher whirled and tossed the ball. In a cloudof dust and cinders Carol slid into the catcher.
"Out!" the umpire said firmly, indisputably.
The Sophomores were jubilant, their team had won! The Freshmen weredowncast, but they did their best to hide it.
"Of all the dizzy tricks----" Carol derided herself.
"You did great," Janet defended surprisingly. "We gave them a thrillanyway."
"But I had to spoil our big chance," Carol wailed. "If I had onlywaited----"
"What's the difference?" Valerie said gayly. "They only beat us by onepoint."
"And I hit the ball," Janet reminded her friend. "What did you say aboutmy not being able to even see it?"
"I take
it all back," Carol said humbly. Then she bristled withindignation. "I think I was safe at home, and I also think the umpirewas on the Sophomores' side!"
"Tush!" Janet said. "Let's change and join Gale and Phyl."
For all of the other girls' levity Carol was inconsolable. She feltresponsible for the girls losing the game and even though they in no waychided her or scolded she blamed herself.
"It was the best ball game I ever saw," Phyllis declared when they wereall united on the East Campus Dormitory steps. "I never thought girlscould play such good baseball."
"You have no idea what we can do," Janet told her condescendingly. "Youshould see us pull taffy."
"Whoops! How exciting," Madge laughed.
"Exciting or not, it is a good idea," Janet said. She beamed upon Galeand Phyllis. "If you two sorority sisters could find a way to come upand see us tonight we might have a taffy pull."
"We'll be there," Phyllis promised promptly. "Nothing could induce me tomiss it."
"See you tonight then," Carol yawned. "I'm going to get some last minutestudying in on my Geometry. Tomorrow is our final exam."
The other four girls disappeared within the dormitory house while Galeand Phyllis strolled toward Happiness House in the afternoon sunset.
"Let's go see White Star," Phyllis proposed. "We have plenty of timebefore dinner."
White Star was the mount in the stables which Phyllis had chosen for herown when she first started to ride two days before. She had long beforevisited the stables with the other girls and made friends with the blackhorse who had the white star on his forehead from which he got his name.She had ridden, too, that summer in Arizona but just two days ago hadshe begun her proper training at Briarhurst. Every day found herparticipating more and more in the activities which she had at firstpursued when she came to college. Gale, too, did not need to act forPhyllis any more as president pro tem of the Freshman class. Phyllis wasnow able to attend to all the business in which she was involved.
There were no riding classes this afternoon and all the horses were intheir stalls with only one groom on guard. White Star whinnied softly atthe girls' approach. He was a magnificent animal--sturdy, and his satinycoat was smooth and shiny. He nuzzled Phyllis' shoulder with his softnose.
"Get away, old softie," she said smiling. "Want some sugar?"
Eagerly the horse thrust his nose into her hand and secured the whitelump.
"Do you carry a supply of sugar with you?" Gale laughed. "Every time youcome here you have some and White Star knows it. He would follow youback to the sorority house if he could get out."
Phyllis rubbed White Star's forehead.
"He is a great horse," she said, "the only one I'll ride here atschool." She brought forth another piece of sugar from her pocket. "Thatis the last!" she warned.
With a final pat for White Star the girls left the stall. The horse senta soft whinny after them.
"The Dean is a lot more popular with the girls now than she was before,isn't she?" Phyllis murmured. "The new organ in the chapel, these ridinglessons--everything has won the girls over."
It was true. The resentment against the Dean had miraculously faded withthe realization that everything she planned was really for the benefitof the school and the girls there. All trouble had ceased with thedeparture of Miss Horton. Now Briarhurst was the most peaceful andharmonious spot in the world. But sometimes even the most blissful peaceis rudely disturbed.
