immediately after lunch. The matches usually began at half-past two, so they hadn't a great deal 46
of time. Kinellan School was arriving by bus at twenty-past two, and the Whyteleafe team had to be at the gate to meet them and welcome them.
Elizabeth could hardly eat any lunch, she was so excited. She stole a look at Robert, and saw that he was looking quite happy. Elizabeth pushed her potatoes to the side of her plate.
"Miss Ranger! I just can't eat any more, I'm so excited!"
"Well, for once you may leave what's on your plate," said Miss Ranger, smiling. "I know what it feels like to be playing in your very first match."
Elizabeth rushed off with the others to change. Then
she went to welcome the Kinellan team, and take them to the field. The y put their clothes in the pavilion there,
"Look-almost the whole School has turned out to
watch!" said Elizabeth to Nora, as she saw the children streaming up from the school,
"And there's Robert too!" said Nora, as she caught sight of Robert coming along with the others,
"Where?" asked Elizabeth in surprise. Then she saw him. Good gracious! Robert had come to watch the
match he had hoped to play in! He had come to watch
somebody play instead of him! The little girl could hardly believe her eyes. She suddenly felt rather small and
ashamed. She knew she wouldn't have been able to do
such a generous thing if she had been in Robert's place.
"I call it jolly decent of Robert to come and watch you play in his place," said Nora. "I think that's a big and generous thing to do. It's funny that a boy able to do a big thing like that should be mean enough to play horrid tricks. It makes me wonder if he really did do them,
after all!"
Elizabeth picked up her lacrosse stick, She had felt so sure Robert wouldn't come near the match, She was quite wrong. And now suppose that, as Nora said, Robert
hadn't done all the things she thought he had-suppose he was being punished unfairly? And all because of her!
It wasn't a very nice feeling.
"Oh well, never mind! I'm jolly well going to enjoy my first match!" said Elizabeth to herself, and she ran Out of the pavilion into the field,
But what a disappointment-it was beginning to rain!
The teams stared up into the sky in dismay. Surely the 47
rain wasn't going to be much? Surely it would soon stop?
It would be too bad if they couldn't play.
The children all crowded into the pavilion to wait, The rain fell more and more steadily. It pelted down. The clouds became lower and blacker-there really was no hope at all!
"I'm afraid the match is off," said Mr. Warlow, "Go to the gym and we'll arrange games for the visiting team,"
The children ran helter-skelter to the school. Elizabeth ran too, sadly disappointed. It was too bad! Her very first match, and the rain had spoilt it!
A voice spoke in her ear. "Elizabeth! Bad luck! I'm sorry!"
The girl turned-and saw that it was Robert who had spoken! He had run off to join the others, so she couldn't answer, Elizabeth stood still, astonished. Robert! Fancy Robert saying that! She simply couldn't understand it, "Elizabeth! Do you want to be soaked to the skin?" cried Miss Ranger's voice. "What are you doing standing out there like that? Come along at once, you silly child!"
And into the school with the others Elizabeth went,
very much puzzled, and not knowing quite what to do about it!
KATHELEEN! OWNS UP.
EVERYBODY was disappointed that the match was off,
especially the players themselves,
The rain poured down all the afternoon, Mr. Johns and Miss Ranger got some games going in the gym, and the
Visitors enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Joan was sorry for Elizabeth's disappointment. She
slipped her arm through her friend's. "Elizabeth, never mind! There's another match next Saturday. Maybe
you'll be able to play in that instead."
"Perhaps," said Elizabeth, "But it really is bad luck that it rained to-day. I've been practising so hard,
of time. Kinellan School was arriving by bus at twenty-past two, and the Whyteleafe team had to be at the gate to meet them and welcome them.
Elizabeth could hardly eat any lunch, she was so excited. She stole a look at Robert, and saw that he was looking quite happy. Elizabeth pushed her potatoes to the side of her plate.
"Miss Ranger! I just can't eat any more, I'm so excited!"
"Well, for once you may leave what's on your plate," said Miss Ranger, smiling. "I know what it feels like to be playing in your very first match."
Elizabeth rushed off with the others to change. Then
she went to welcome the Kinellan team, and take them to the field. The y put their clothes in the pavilion there,
"Look-almost the whole School has turned out to
watch!" said Elizabeth to Nora, as she saw the children streaming up from the school,
"And there's Robert too!" said Nora, as she caught sight of Robert coming along with the others,
"Where?" asked Elizabeth in surprise. Then she saw him. Good gracious! Robert had come to watch the
match he had hoped to play in! He had come to watch
somebody play instead of him! The little girl could hardly believe her eyes. She suddenly felt rather small and
ashamed. She knew she wouldn't have been able to do
such a generous thing if she had been in Robert's place.
"I call it jolly decent of Robert to come and watch you play in his place," said Nora. "I think that's a big and generous thing to do. It's funny that a boy able to do a big thing like that should be mean enough to play horrid tricks. It makes me wonder if he really did do them,
after all!"
Elizabeth picked up her lacrosse stick, She had felt so sure Robert wouldn't come near the match, She was quite wrong. And now suppose that, as Nora said, Robert
hadn't done all the things she thought he had-suppose he was being punished unfairly? And all because of her!
It wasn't a very nice feeling.
"Oh well, never mind! I'm jolly well going to enjoy my first match!" said Elizabeth to herself, and she ran Out of the pavilion into the field,
But what a disappointment-it was beginning to rain!
The teams stared up into the sky in dismay. Surely the 47
rain wasn't going to be much? Surely it would soon stop?
It would be too bad if they couldn't play.
The children all crowded into the pavilion to wait, The rain fell more and more steadily. It pelted down. The clouds became lower and blacker-there really was no hope at all!
"I'm afraid the match is off," said Mr. Warlow, "Go to the gym and we'll arrange games for the visiting team,"
The children ran helter-skelter to the school. Elizabeth ran too, sadly disappointed. It was too bad! Her very first match, and the rain had spoilt it!
A voice spoke in her ear. "Elizabeth! Bad luck! I'm sorry!"
The girl turned-and saw that it was Robert who had spoken! He had run off to join the others, so she couldn't answer, Elizabeth stood still, astonished. Robert! Fancy Robert saying that! She simply couldn't understand it, "Elizabeth! Do you want to be soaked to the skin?" cried Miss Ranger's voice. "What are you doing standing out there like that? Come along at once, you silly child!"
And into the school with the others Elizabeth went,
very much puzzled, and not knowing quite what to do about it!
KATHELEEN! OWNS UP.
EVERYBODY was disappointed that the match was off,
especially the players themselves,
The rain poured down all the afternoon, Mr. Johns and Miss Ranger got some games going in the gym, and the
Visitors enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Joan was sorry for Elizabeth's disappointment. She
slipped her arm through her friend's. "Elizabeth, never mind! There's another match next Saturday. Maybe
you'll be able to play in that instead."
"Perhaps," said Elizabeth, "But it really is bad luck that it rained to-day. I've been practising so hard,
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