[legendsport]

July 4, 1936: Cranston, RI:

"Good luck, Betsy."

Betsy Barrell heard the well-wishes, and she'd heard many of them already. She automatically began to thank the woman who'd said it this time, turning as she did, and saw it was Annette O'Boyle. So it came out something like, "Thaaa....nks, Annette. You too!" The last tacked on with as much fake enthusiasm as she could muster.

For her part, as usual, Annette was the very definition of confidence. Betsy couldn't wait to wipe that smirk off her face. Of course, after that they would in all likelihood be team mates, so she'd need to amend her thinking. But until the end of this, the United States Olympic Trials, were over, Annette was an opponent - and an annoying one at that.

"I don't suppose your brothers are here," Annette asked, her gaze straying into the stands.

"Sure, some of them are," Betsy replied, knowing full well which brothers Annette had meant - and also full well that those brothers were not there - it being not only baseball season, but Independence Day as well. Both Tommy and the Kings and Bobby and the Keystones were playing double-headers.

Annette brightened briefly, then saw the smirk on Betsy's face. "Oh... stop," she said. "I know they're playing today," she said.

"Then why'd you ask?" Betsy snapped.

Instead of answering, Annette put a finger on her chin as if thinking and said, almost as if talking to herself, "I suppose it must be the older brothers... Jack and... Roland is it? Too bad they're married." Then she looked Betsy in the eye and added, "I wonder if they're both..." a pause, "happily married." She put particular emphasis on the word 'happily.'

Betsy's teeth were practically grinding and if looks could kill....

"Ah... I'm just trying to get your goat. I need every edge when it comes to racing you, Barrell," Annette said, smiling sweetly.

So, now it was 'Barrell' Betsy thought. The gloves were definitely off. "Tell me something, Annette," she said matter-of-factly.

"I suppose that would depend on what you ask," Annette replied. She wasn't going to make it easy - and that was no surprise.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What... running track? Because I'm good at it," Annette replied.

Betsy's temper flared. "No... not that. Why are you toying with Tom's emotions?"

Annette smirked again and she said, innocently, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"You know all too well what I mean. If you're interested in him, then say so. Don't torture him for your own amusement."

Annette put a thoughtful look on her face, one that Betsy was sure was a put-on. "I'm not torturing him. I told him I'd prefer to date Bobby. He didn't take it well, but he sends me flowers and telegrams and when the Kings are in Chicago he shows up at my doorstep with more flowers. He even brought me candy until I told him I don't eat that stuff. I'm in training after all."

"And you've never told him straight out to just stop. You know Bobby's not interested in you," Betsy said, a note of satisfaction in the last sentence.

Annette frowned now and she said, "Yes, he told me so. He's dating that ditzy Lucy Traynor. I can hardly stand seeing her around campus, let alone listening to her when I see her in Grover Hall." She pitched her voice high and said, "Oh, Bobby is soooo sweet, and soooo handsome." Her voice returned to its normal timbre, leavened by a good dose of hostility as she finished, "I'd like to throttle her."

Betsy raised her eyebrows at this outburst. "I'd say it's to Bobby's benefit to be with her and not you," she pointed out and then said, "And as far as my brother Tommy goes... show him some respect. I've never seen him so... over the top about anyone." This last was more for Tom's benefit as it galled her to say anything even peripherally nice about Annette, particularly to her face. "He's a good man and lord knows what he sees in you, but please, stop tormenting him. Either tell him to go away for good, or give him a real chance."

Annette's face softened a bit - but just a bit. "Oh, all right," she snapped. "He does deserve some credit for his persistence. Maybe I'll let him take me out the next time he's in Chicago."

"Thank you," Betsy said.

"They're in town this coming week. I believe Tom should be pitching against the Cougars on Thursday..." Annette said. Then she waggled her fingers at Betsy, whose mouth had dropped open, and she walked away.

Betsy stared after her a moment, wondering if all of this was truly just to throw her off-balance. Maybe she needed to rethink her assessment of Annette O'Boyle.

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As Betsy had said, her baseball playing brothers Dan, Tom, Fred, Bobby and Harry were not on hand. And as Annette had guessed Jack and Rollie were there, as well as their parents. Gloria and Deuce were in also in attendance - Deuce only because he'd suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at Burlington in May and was done for the season and like his sister staying with his grandparents for the summer. He'd had surgery and his arm was in a sling as he sat beside his grandfather who was, as usual, giving him advice on pitching. Advice to which Deuce was barely listening.

When the meet started, all eyes turned to the track here at the home stadium of the Ellery College Bruins. Betsy was competing in both the 100 meters and the discus. Annette, who Rufus kept an eye on, knowing how much Tom seemed to care for her, was also in the 100 and was in the high jump as well.

"That Annette is a fine-looking young lady," Rufus told his wife. Alice gave him an icy stare. He shrugged and told her, "She is. Giving me the evil eye ain't gonna change that fact, either." Alice huffed out a frustrated breath and turned her eyes back to the track.

It turned out to be a long but very rewarding day for the Barrells. Betsy won easily in the heats, the semis and the final of the 100 meters. Her time of 11.7 seconds in the finals was an American record and nearly a half-second better than Annette's 12.1. The four-woman relay, announced at the end of the meet was Betsy, Annette, Lottie Dotson (who was third) and the 1928 Gold medalist in the 100, Lizzie Williams, who finished fifth but raised eyebrows by even competing at all after nearly being killed in a plane crash in 1932.

Betsy also won the discus while Annette won the high jump. And to round it off, Betsy won the shot put as well, though this was not an Olympic event for women, but was part of the program as the Trials doubled as the National Amateur Union championships.

As his daughter hugged - surprisingly - Annette O'Boyle after the 100 meter final, Rufus turned to Alice and said, "Looks like we're going to Germany."

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