ss."

"Poor little Anne," said Jessica, "she is always worried over something or
other."

"Now see here, Anne," said Grace, "just because you lost a letter last
term and had trouble over it, don't begin to mourn over those old signals.
No one will ever see them, and perhaps you haven't lost them. Maybe you'll
find them at home."

"Perhaps I shall," said Anne brightening.

"Now smile Anne," said Nora, "and forget your troubles. There is no use in
crossing bridges before you come to them."

This homely old saying seemed to console Anne, and soon she was eagerly
watching the work of the team, her brief anxiety forgotten.

That night she searched her room, and the next day gave her desk in school
a thorough overhauling, but the list of signals remained missing.

The sophomore players with their substitute team met that afternoon in the
gymnasium. It was their last opportunity for practice. Saturday they would
rise to victory or go down in ignominious defeat. The latter seemed to
them impossible. They had practised faithfully, and Grace had been so
earnest in her efforts to perfect their playing that they were completely
under her control and moved like clockwork. There was no weak spot in the
team. Every point had been diligently worked over and mastered. They had
played several games with the freshmen and had won every time, so Grace
was fairly confident of their success.

"Oh, girls," she cried, wringing her hands in her earnestness, "don't make
any mistakes. Keep your heads, all of you. I am convinced we are better
players than the juniors, even if they did get the pennant last year. For
one thing I don't think they work together as well as we do, and that's
really the main thing. Miriam, you missed practice yesterday. You are
going to stay to-day, aren't you?"

Miriam nodded without replying. She was busy with her own thoughts. She
wished she could hit upon some way to humiliate Grace Harlowe. But what
could she do? That was the question. The members of the team adored their
gray-eyed, independent young captain, therefore she would have to be very
careful.

She had been steadily losing ground with her class on account of her
constant association with the juniors, and the slightest misstep on her
part would jeopardize her place on the team. She had a genuine love for
the game, and since she couldn't play on the junior team, she concluded it
would be just as well not to lose her place with the sophomores. In he