"It"s Eve! It"s Eve!" shouted Bobby, fairly dancing up and down.
Margit Salgo was right behind the country girl. She hurried with her to the dressing rooms, and before the broad jump was called, Eve appeared, cool, smiling, and quite like her usual self.
"Mrs. Case! I protest!" declared Lou Potter, standing before the physical instructor of Central High, as Eve approached. "This is my chance. I demand the right to make this jump."
But the instructor only smiled and shook her head.
"Evangeline is in plenty of time," she said. "You are merely a subst.i.tute, Miss Potter. Are you ready, Eve? Then, take your place with the other contestants. You are Number 3."
News of Eve"s nick o" time appearance had been circulated by Chet Belding when he joined the Central High boys. When it came the girl"s turn to jump she received an ovation that startled the echoes.
And Eve did not disappoint her friends. She carried off the honors of the broad jump by two inches over every other compet.i.tor, beating the record established two years before.
Bobby did equally as well in the quarter-mile race. That was a trial of greater endurance than her winning dash, but she came along ahead of all the other sprinters, and won by a clean two yards.
Then Eve went into the field again and beat the famous Magdeline Spink, of Lumberport, putting the shot, by ten and a quarter inches--making a remarkable score for Central High, and establishing a record for following cla.s.ses to attempt to beat for some years to come.
Of course, the girls as a whole did not know for sure that any of the seniors had had anything to do with Eve"s being abducted to the Varey flat; but because Lou Potter, and others, had been so positive that Eve would not appear, the juniors could not help feeling suspicious.
Had it not been for Laura Belding, ever the peace-maker, friction might have resulted that would have lasted through the remainder of the term and spoiled the graduation exercises for Central High that year.
"We can afford to let the matter rest as it is," said Mother Wit, to her junior cla.s.s friends. "Central High won--we got the winning points--and we stand at the head of our school athletic league. We can be satisfied with our score.
"As far as these seniors go---- Well, the bad ones are not the entire cla.s.s. And, anyway, they will soon be graduated and we shall have no more trouble from them. Let them be an example to us----"
"An example!" cried the irrepressible Bobby. "I guess you mean a horrible example."
"Perhaps. At least, let us remember, when we are seniors, not to do as they have done," concluded Mother Wit.
"If I"m any prophet," said Jess. "We won"t be like them."
"Well, you are no prophet!" cried Bobby. "And don"t talk to me any more about prophets and fortune-tellers."
"Oh-ho!" mocked Nellie. "Bobby no longer believes in the Gypsy Queen!"
"I believe in nothing of the kind. I was a dreadfully foolish girl to pay any attention to that wicked woman. You see, she was wrong. I got into no trouble this term with Gee Gee, after all."
But Bobby said nothing to her friends about the greater fear that she had had for weeks--the fear that her father might bring home a new wife.
She knew now that that had been merely a spiteful guess of the Gypsy Queen, who knew Mr. Hargrew"s circ.u.mstances, and thought it safe to warn his daughter that he might marry again.
"The wicked old witch--that"s what she is!" thought Bobby. "Father Tom would never do that. I am going to be his housekeeper as well as his partner." And nothing in the future could ever make Bobby Hargrew doubt her father"s word.
The girls of Central High--especially the juniors--carried off greater honors after that Field Day; but never did they win trophies that gave them more satisfaction than these.
Eve was sure to make a name for herself in the league in the future; and Bobby had developed into quite a sprinter. Laura Belding looked forward in the next year to developing other girls into all-round athletes who would win points for Central High.
And indeed, they all--girls and instructors alike--looked forward to immense benefit as well as pleasure to be derived from the future athletic activities of the Girls of Central High.
THE END