ay that they were,
and the game went on. A few minutes later he sent an easy catch, and
darting forward Helen caught the ball.

"How about playing with girls now, Master Hal?" she cried. "I suppose
you will own that you are fairly out this time?"

But he did nothing of the sort.

"Pooh!" he said contemptuously; "that was a pure fluke. Any one could
have caught that; and so it does not count either. I am not going out."

"Oh, I say," Jim said in a remonstrating tone, "is that the way you
play at your school?"

"Of course, it is not," said Hal. "Don't be a donkey, Jim. How often
am I to tell you that this is not a regular game, but just a sort of
knock up, you know?"

"In which you get all the knocking up," Helen said indignantly.

Hal laughed.

"Now, don't get into a temper, Helen. I don't see what girls want to
play cricket for. It is not a girls' game. All they are good for is
just to field, and that sort of thing."

At that Helen fairly choked with anger, Drusie opened her eyes very
wide, and Jim lay down on the grass and laughed quietly to himself.
Considering that both his sisters had been toiling on his behalf for
the last half-hour, it certainly was very cool of Hal to make such a
speech.

[Illustration: Jim and Helen]

"I knew how it would be," Helen exclaimed passionately, as soon as she
could find her voice; "and I warned you two others, only you would not
listen. I knew perfectly well that Hal was not going to let us go in,
and I call it downright unfair, and I for one am not going to field for
him any more.--And you say," she added, turning indignantly to Hal,
"that girls can't play cricket. Well, they can. Father says himself
that Drusie plays awfully well for a girl, and I suppose he ought to
know."

"For a girl," Hal said slightingly; "yes, that is just it."

"Please don't quarrel," Drusie said quickly. "You may stay in if you
like, Hal, and I will bowl for you.--Jump up, Jim, and go and be
wicket-keeper."

With a scornful sniff for what she considered to be great weakness on
Drusie's part, Helen returned to her place, where, in spite of her
declaration that she did not intend to play any more, she continued to
field.

For a girl Drusie did bowl remarkably well, and Hal would have been the
first to own it, had he not perceived a sort of triumphant "told you
so" expression on Helen's face, which annoyed him greatly, and made him
withhold the praise which Drusie would have b