Under the expert and impartial direction of Professor Leonard, the
freshman try-out was conducted with a snap and precision which left
nothing to be desired in the minds of those students who had yearned for
fair play. It brought confusion to a certain clique of freshmen, headed
by Elizabeth Walbert, who had reckoned on some of their particular
friends carrying off the honors and being appointed to the team. The
despatch with which the aspirants were made up into squads and tried
out against each other was a joy to witness. The energetic director
weeded out the defective players in short order. His searching eyes
missed not a movement, clever or bungling. The five girls finally picked
to play on the official freshman team were a survival of the fittest.
Among them was Phyllis Moore. Further, she was given the position of
center and roundly complimented by the director for what he termed her
"whirlwind" playing. This triumph pleased boyish Phyllis far more than
winning the class presidency could have done. Barbara Severn, the
Baltimore freshie, who Marjorie had looked out for on her arrival at
Hamilton, won the position of right guard, and was also praised for her
work.
Once the team was chosen the director put them through fifteen minutes
of snappy play. Their fast and nimble work elicited rousing cheers from
the large audience of students who had dropped in to witness the
try-out.
"Isn't it great that both Phil and Barbara won?" bubbled Robin Page.
Half a dozen Silverton Hall girls had joined Marjorie's group after the
try-out, preparatory to giving the successful aspirants a special
ovation as soon as they should leave the floor. "Phil and Barbara are
awfully chummy, so they'll be pleased to the skies."
"I think they are a great combination," returned Jerry. "They are our
catches. We hooked them when we went freshie fishing. I like the way
they look after Anna Towne, too. She is lucky to have them for pals."
"Phil is very fond of her, you know," smiled Robin, "and Barbara is a
dear. She is a real Southern aristocrat. She has the gentlest, kindest
ways and the sweetest voice! She and Phil are the really great hopes of
the freshman class, I think."
"You know what the Bible says about the little leaven leavening the
whole lump." Jerry spoke with sudden seriousness. "Maybe Phil and
Barbara will turn out to be the particular kind of leaven the freshies
need. I suppose they wouldn't feel especially complimented at being
classed as a 'lump,' but then what they don't hear will never hurt
them," she added, her serious face breaking into its irresistible little
grin.
"I only hope we do as well tomorrow as Phil and Barbara," Muriel said
irrelevently, her brown eyes fixed in some trepidation on the alert
director. "That man's eyes seem to be everywhere at once. Nothing gets
by him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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