human
I declare! ejaculated Bobby Hargrew;
gpt
I'm doing the best I can!
human
Nobody's blaming you, child,
gpt
Not at all, added Laura.
human
I haven't a single complaint to make about your work, Roberta.
gpt
But there's something lacking somewhere,
human
We might as well admit that these Keyport girls are better at basketball than we are,
gpt
My gracious! cried Bobby.
human
They're better than we ever _dared_ to be!
gpt
No! cried Laura.
human
That is not so.
gpt
What's the answer, then, Miss Captain?
human
We must play up to each other, that's all, said the captain.
gpt
Our playing is loose.
human
We're weak in spots,
gpt
And I'm the worst spot,
human
Pshaw! you're not, either,
gpt
You do your very best, Roberta,
human
But that isn't as good as Hester's best,
gpt
Hessie is certainly one mighty good player,
human
And we got rid of her rather hastily,
gpt
Don't wail about that now! cried Josephine Morse, with some asperity.
human
My goodness! I'm only glad she's out of it. And I reckon Laura is.
gpt
I am sorry it seemed best to ask her to get out,
human
Bah! she was more trouble than she was good, declared Jess.
gpt
Let's not weep and wail over what we did.
human
But have you heard what she did last week, girls?
gpt
What now?
human
Remember the day we found her broken down in that new car of her father's on the Keyport road?
gpt
Sure!
human
That was the day of that big forest fire. You know, Chet warned her that the wind was likely to change and blow the fire across the road. Well, she rescued a man from the burning woods and then ran that car all over the hill country up there, warning farmers and other people that the fire was coming. She is a very brave girl,
gpt
Pshaw! don't you weep over Hess Grimes, exclaimed Bobby.
human
You're too tender-hearted, Nell.
gpt
But she _is_ brave,
human
And just as ill-tempered as she can be, put in Jess Morse.
gpt
We're well rid of her.
human
I guess nobody in this world is quite perfect--nor all bad, either, suggested the doctor's daughter.
gpt
And as for Hester, she never let us see her good points.
human
But some mighty mean ones!
gpt
Just the same, sighed Laura,
human
at the other end of the room while this conversation was going on. Now she flung them one malicious
gpt
I told you so!
human
All ready?
gpt
Do your best, girls!