"Wretch!" thought Grace. "How disagreeable she is. She was born too late.
She should have lived in the middle ages, when plotting was the fashion.
She is anything but a credit to her class and dear old Oakdale High
School."

Grace's rather vehement reflections were cut short by the approach of Miss
Thompson, who stopped to say a word of cheer to the girls before taking
her seat in the gallery.

"Well, Grace," she said, "this is a rather bad day outside, but still
there will be a few loyal souls to cheer you on to victory. May the best
man win. You must put forth every energy if you expect to conquer the
juniors, however. They have held the championship a long time."

"They will not hold it after to-day if we can help it," answered Grace.
"We feel fairly sure that we can whip them."

"That is the right spirit," said Miss Thompson. "Confidence is first
cousin to success, you know."

"Was there ever a teacher quite like Miss Thompson?" asked Nora as the
principal left them to take her seat in the gallery.

"She is a dear," said Marian Barber, "and she's on our side, too."

"There's the referee now!" exclaimed Grace. "Now, girls, make up your
minds to play as you never played before. Remember it's for the honor of
the sophomores."