e. Mother found it on the floor in the
vestibule this morning. I was still in bed. She sent Nora, our maid,
upstairs with it. You can imagine I didn't stop to finish my nap. I
hurried and dressed, ate about three bites of breakfast and started for
your house as fast as I could travel. I thought you ought to see it
first. What do you make of it?"

"I hardly know what to think." Marjorie's glance strayed from Harriet's
perturbed face to the mysterious letter of warning. "Somehow, I don't
believe it was written for a joke. Do you?"

"No, I don't." Harriet shook her head positively. "I think it was
intended for just what it is, a warning to be on our guard to-day. I'll
tell you something, Marjorie. I never mentioned it before
because--well--you know I've never liked Mignon La Salle since she
nearly broke up basket ball at Sanford High last year, and I was afraid
it might sound hateful on my part, but the girls of Mignon's squad are
as tricky as can be. Twice, in the first practice game we played, I had
my own troubles with them. Once Daisy Griggs nearly knocked me over. She
pretended it was an accident, but it wasn't. Then, in the second half,
Mignon poked me in the side with her elbow. We were bunched so close
that not even the referee saw her. I almost had the ball, but my side
hurt me so that I missed it entirely. Susan Atwell was awfully cross
about something that day, too. I asked her what had happened, but she
only muttered that she hoped she'd get through the game without being
murdered. She wouldn't say another word, but you can guess from what
I've told you that she must have had good reason for getting mad. Did
she say anything to you?"

"No; I wish she had." A flash of anger darkened Marjorie's delicate
features. "The girls of Mignon's team have played fairly enough with me.
They are rough, I'll say that, but, so far they've not overstepped the
rules."

"They know better than to try their tricks on _you_!" exclaimed Harriet
hotly, "or on Muriel, either. Mignon's afraid of you because you are
everything that's good and noble!"

"Nonsense," Marjorie grew red at this flattering assertion.

"It's true, just the same. She's afraid of Muriel, too, because she
knows that Muriel would report her to Miss Archer in a minute. She
thinks she can harass Esther and Susan and me and that we won't dare say
anything for fear Miss Archer will make a fuss. She knows how crazy we
are to play and that we'd stand a good deal of