THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP


It was a week before Dr. Gale pronounced Grace fit to return to school.
When she did make her appearance, she was hailed with delight by her
schoolmates and made much of. Miss Thompson greeted her warmly. She was
very fond of Grace, and had expressed great concern over the young girl's
accident. It was unusual for a girl to receive so serious an injury during
a game, as all rough play was strictly forbidden.

The principal had kept the members of both teams after school and
questioned them closely. No one had seen Grace fall, nor realized that she
was hurt until she had been discovered sitting on the gymnasium floor.
Miss Thompson had a vague suspicion of foul play on the part of the
juniors, but was unable to find out anything.

"Athletics for girls have always been encouraged in this school," she had
said. "Rough play is disgraceful. If I found that any member of any High
School basketball organization, either directly or indirectly, caused the
injury of an opponent, I should forbid basketball for the rest of the
season at least, and perhaps absolutely. Tripping, striking and kicking
are barred out of the boys' games and will certainly not be tolerated in
those of the girls."

As Grace was returning to the study hall from geometry recitation that
morning, she encountered Julia Crosby. Julia glanced at her with an
expression half fearful, half cunning, as though she wondered if Grace
knew the truth about her fall.