When No One Was Looking by Rosemary Wells

play Ruth Gumm tomorrow,” said Jody. “What’s in the box, Julia?”
    “Well, it doesn’t seem like the right time for it,” said Julia, staring at Kathy’s snow-white face. “I just brought it over for a laugh, but nobody seems to be in the mood for a laugh.”
    “I am,” said Jody, and she unwrapped the parcel herself. “What in creation is this?” she asked. “It looks like the Cro-Magnon man at the Museum of Science.”
    “It’s supposed to be me,” said Julia. “Miss Greco made it. We just went over to pick it up at her house. You never saw such a mess in your life. Cats, cat food, dust all over the stairs, broken dishes.” Cast in attractive bronze, the head gazed out at them from its box. “But the funniest thing is,” Julia went on, “I could never figure out about Miss Greco’s heads until tonight. She has this son, or relative. His name is Sam. He’s very scary-looking. All her heads look exactly like Sam. Kathy, where are you going?”
    “Algebra,” said Kathy.
    “But wait! We’ll drop you off. Mom’s outside.”
    “It’s okay,” said Kathy. “I’ll run over.” And she left instantly, with no books.
    The following evening Mrs. Chan brought Kathy to her front door. Hearing the car in the driveway, Kathy’s mother came running out with a ten-dollar gift certificate from the photo shop in her hand. Kathy cringed. She could see that Mrs. Chan was insulted—she had given Kathy a ride as a part of an exchange of kindnesses. She had been on her way to Boston anyway. She did not want to hurt Mrs. Bardy’s feelings too much, and so she just smiled and returned the gift certificate, saying she didn’t have a camera. When Mrs. Chan drove away, Kathy told her mother that it was tacky to pay people for favors.
    “And I know,” said her mother, “just where you pick up words like tacky and ideas like that.”
    “Mrs. Chan took me because Susie promised me a ride. The Chinese are very big on promises, Mom. By trying to give her that money you made her lose face.”
    “It wasn’t money,” said her mother, opening the front door. “Now how did you do?”
    “I won.”
    “I knew it!” Her mother’s face exploded in a wide grin. “Kathy won!” she yelled to the rest of the family, who were in assorted places in the house.
    “Mom, you embarrassed me in front of Mrs. Chan. Now she’ll tell Susie, and Susie will tell Peachy Malone, and she’ll ...
    Kathy’s father trotted down the stairs and into the living room. He put his cigarette in an ashtray, spread his arms, and hugged Kathy in midsentence, “You’re my girl,” he said. “I knew you could do it. I knew it. I knew you’d just go out there and beat the daylights out of that silly girl.”
    “Dad,” Kathy said, but he went on.
    “I knew it when I saw your face at the table last night, honey. After I told that Jigger Marantz story. There’s nothing like a good story to show a good example. You did just what Walter Johnson, a big grown-up man, couldn’t do. You went out and overcame fear. You went out there and said can do, and you made it happen all by yourself because you knew you were the one who had to do it. From this day on, honey, I know you’ll never let anyone get a whammy on you. This calls for a drink!”
    “Dad,” said Kathy.
    “Yes, honey, come on in the kitchen. Mom’s got dinner almost ready. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to send for tickets tonight for the next Yankee game at Fenway, and I’m going to take you and Oliver. You deserve a celebration for what you did. I’m—”
    “Dad, please,” said Kathy. She went into the kitchen after him and waited for him to pour a glass of whiskey. “Dad,” Kathy said, “Ruth didn’t show today. I didn’t do anything big. I beat Alicia this morning, but I was so jumpy it took me three sets to do it—ten match points! I waited for Ruth at two o’clock, but she didn’t show. I told the umpire I wouldn’t take a default even after an