Penelope would have liked to have asked her brother more concerning Renée's guardian but he began to talk of something else. Often, as she and Renée sat or walked together, she allowed to creep into her thoughts a rosy day-dream of that time when the officer would come to claim his ward!
Pat upset her entire family with her preparations for the all-important game! She must have her dinner early in order that a sufficient time for proper digestion might elapse before her bed hour! As authority on this point she quoted rules which seemed to have been laid down by their tyrannical captain. She must have eggs, too; for her supper, and could not dream of eating the steam pudding, rich with dates and raisins, which Melodia had prepared. It would surely lie heavily in her stomach, make her restless all night and stupid and sluggish the next day! A nice custard--Pat detested custards--she must have!
Then for ten minutes early the next morning the chandeliers of the house rattled in their brackets and the pictures danced on the walls--not an earthquake, only Pat, guard of the Yellowbirds, "just loosening her muscles" in a process of gymnastics that included everything she had ever heard of!
As the hour of the game approached the gymnasium of the Lincoln School was a-flutter with color and noisy with life. Enthusiastic rooters from Troop Nine, gaily decked with the green, gold and black colors of the Wasps, were packed solidly against one side of the room. Equally brilliant and boisterous were the upholders of the Yellowbirds! As they sang their troop songs they waved small yellow flags and strands of ribbon.
An older girl from Troop Nine acted as umpire and Captain Ricky as referee. Peggy's face was a comical mixture of sternness and entreaty as she whispered a few last commands to her team. Pat, outwardly proud and calm, was inwardly quaking! What if she should fail at any moment! As the game began she was seized with a terrible giddiness--the room swam about her, she saw only a ridiculous composite of eyes and noses and mouths and color against the dancing walls! Her feet were heavy like lead and a long way from her!
Afterwards Pat could not have told at what time or why this curious sensation left her! She only knew that suddenly everything cleared and she felt that the only thing in the whole wide world that mattered was keeping the alert forward, whom she was guarding, from throwing a basket! And the faces and colors that had whirled a moment before faded and left these two alone, in deadly combat!
The cheering that had been constant suddenly ceased; the circle of spectators sat with bated breath while the ball passed backward and forward, now a basket thrown for the Wasps, in another moment one for the Yellowbirds. Occasionally a particularly good play would bring forth a loud shout only to have it hushed immediately in the suspense of watching. Renée and Aunt Pen sat side by side. Aunt Pen had played basketball in her college days; now she watched eagerly, admiring the splendid guarding of the Wasps as generously as Peggy's swift center work. Renée just sat very still, saying over and over to herself: "Oh--oh--oh!" with her eyes fastened upon Pat's every move!
At the end of the first half the score stood twenty-four to twenty-six in favor of the Wasps. Peggy had a whispered word with Keineth who was playing forward. Her guard was a girl a head taller than she; a little overwhelmed by this Keineth had been slow in one or two of her plays!
The second half went on with quick, even play, that now and then drew forth shouts of approval from the spectators. The Yellowbirds scored four baskets only to have the Wasps, with brilliant team work, recover their lead with four baskets! The Wasps' center shot the ball with a low throw to her forward. As she caught it the linekeeper sharply pounded the floor with an Indian club. "Over the line," the referee declared. "Yellowbirds have an unguarded throw!" Patricia was given the ball. Renée shut her eyes--she could not watch! But she knew when Aunt Pen sprang to her feet that her Pat had not failed. With a movement quick as lightning she had passed the ball to the other guard who in turn had shot it back to center! And while Aunt Pen was still on her feet Peggy had thrown it to Keineth who, with a low, lithe movement of her body, ducked the wildly waving arms of her guard and threw a basket!
"A tie! Now for the test!" whispered Aunt Pen, clutching Renée's hand so hard that it hurt.