The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-01-18
would have sesn What Sv, and that Wa
o. good a. the game.

- good ~ the game.
Nos wasn't n enough 10 taAs the heart
right out Of team 20 loss its csp,sip and
best plsyer--l .a, tho best player, shsis
net coneeit--in the nrss hAlf-minstsf The
nsu eirls, Who had never been In . srsa,
game before, were just jumping out Of
themselves with nervousness. one 81 them,
Lottis Webster, caught the ball clsverly.
lhen ran with 1.-THE ~orst sort OF foul
rhs Hillside pitcher took the ball In the
coolest way for throw In on The foul. Her
arms looked long enough to resch the bss-
lst Tue bali sailed slowly up, struck .hs
i'm Of the basket, testared on the edse,and
dropped back. No goall But near enough
"a the frst tso minutes TO make our girls
lose their beAds completely.
Ellen Brown threw wild, Kate Gilbert
tambied; Hillside made . lively pass,
lever catch; their pitcher had the ball.
Nell Sinclair, jumping 70 block her, slipped
down. The ball went Into the basket. Two
TO nothing.
The rest Of that inning was nightmare
wonder HilIslde didn't score one hundred
Every error Known In the gene We made,
-fumbies, muffs. wild throws, bad passes,
fouls, and We inven,ed several new ones
light on the spot. Yet such WAS our for
uue, Hillside never GOT the ball In again
,Dce.
Az the girls went over TO their bench to
rest, hoped along with than. They
we're so worn out plupgipg round in that
reckless manner they could hardly q p,
and so discouraged they wouldn't say
word.
Suddenly Lance stood up In front OF ~.
She looked taller than ever, and her voice
cut into You like knife.
Thas ball hasn't been down BY our goal
once. You send 1t down there Just once,
and we forwardsll keep 1t there, and win
this game!
Silvia sprang beside her. Yes, just give
Lance and me chance
And she hadn't spoken Lance's name In
liz month";!
That gave the girls once more . little
flicker Of courage, and In II they managed
20 pass the bali down to our goal.
That inning was battle Of giants. Lance
Al d Silyls--for the third forward, an ipef.
fsctivs child, didn't count--against Hill
sides three big gsurds. never expect to
81 such playing again. Silvia and Lance
mad practised against each other so long
hey knew every trick, every movement OF
he other, and they worked together like
The two parts Of = machine.
Silvia few through the air, now down on
he ground and up again before you knew
he'd touched 1t, light ~ kitten. No mat
or how or where Hillside threw the ball,
,he was there first, one slim hand on II be-
fore Hillside could touch it. On her feet
in Il .sh, she'd cry out to Lance with her
eyes Is plainly % II she'd spoken, "Ob,
help me Don't let my fearful effort be
wasted.
And big, slow Lance, from her side Of the
goal square, would answer With look,
| I'm mere, hToW iu
And there she was, right under the ball,
no matter how wild Silvia threw, strong on
her feet and steady, never making foul
oy holding the ball too long or by jam
ming into the guards, though they jumped
and doubled and circled round I'LL you'd
hink she'd have lost her witsscompletly.
Then, che would dart q look at Silvia,
Ready, partner!" and Silvia would fash
back, READY"
You see, Lance was too slow to try for
goal with those guards bothering her aim.
Her plan WAS to get the ball to Silvia, who
would try the throw In. Aud she did try
every time, trusting to Lance to be under
the ball II 1t fell short. But even chain
,ghtning can't score through three noun.
aips-and that's what those guards were
And oil this time the inning WAS flying
by.
Suddenly, at last, the umpire had caught
her, the Hillside guard who kept hitting
he ball out Of Lance's hands. A foul!
Hillside cheered and called and hooted
.n Lance walked to the line-horrid man
ler,.. for 1t was done to rattle her. Just
she poised the ball girl with squawky
voice shrilled out, Remember October
welfthl"
Lances eyes narrowed down to slits,and
her chest went up 10 kind Of big i'gh.
Twas donel Two to one. We weren't
shitewashed.
Somehow the centers had caught the for
wards terrible determination, for Nancy
Brewer sent the ball down into Lsncs's
aapds. Lance had II over to Silv .; Silvia
caught 1t, then clipped, and oil three Hill.
ide guards we're on her.
| saw the timekeeper snap her watch and
tart forward TO stop the play. All Was
yer the inning WAS at an end.
Then / saw Silvia on her feet, and Lance
light beside her. Laucs had seeD the time
Keeper. She spoke out loud. 30 ! heard
her: "Put 1t In, Sil. Qaick! You can "
Sllyias back was to the goal; she had no
ime TO turn. She just swung sidewise,
hot her arm ont over her head, leaped I'll
i locked a. II she WAS going up like .
rocket. and pitched forward into Lancei
arms.
The bali went 10 We had won th ee to
sol 1t Was luck, OF course, but only
u yers like Silva have such luck.
som.bow l got bold u those t~o just b
cond befor. tie school swtJt down upo,
HIN l coolsn't realizs 1t. There ~
,ilvi., her bead on Lsnc.'s shoulder, sot-
oiug, You're lhs beat siri that sver ns
sn!" And Lsncs ws bcgxibg her Ike >
| 49, .,a ,.os.tin, aThtrY thsrv \ didn't