Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-28
succesaea, am afraid. in being sickly, and an

succeeded, am afraid. in being sickly, and an
swered:
"Net at all, Miss Delavel; am sure you could
have done ever so much better" But Miss Tossy
only shook her racquet at me from her own
court, and said: "And said you didn't
play!"
'sBut protest." I got no further for
Miss Minnie was on the eve of sending a serve
to me. May the heavens be praised! both that
and the next serve went into the net, and the
game stood love-thirty.
You see," said my partner. "Minnie was
trying to give you an extra difficult service. "
| Oh, baseness of deceit again! tried to look as
| though were quite ready for the most puzzling
serve in Minnie's repertoire. What madness!
| In what century had I left my brains! I kneto
| should never hit another ball. and yet I weakly
sought to gain temporary credit in Miss Tossy's
| eyes.
The next serve my partner missed. and we
were ffteen-thirty. It was again my turn.
tried to be resigned, but I was horribly agi-
| tated. Miss Minnie had determined to try me
| with what 1 afterward learned is called "lob y
The ball rose slowly In the air. describing lofty
| parabOic arch. 1t seemed actually to hang in
| the air. l could hear my heart beating, for
| felt that supreme moment had come. l must
either hit that ball or live forever an impostor in
| the eyes of the incest girl had ever seen.
| drew my breath quickly; felt alternately hot
and cold; sort of mist rose over my spectacles.
AS the bali fell smOte desperately at it, with
ga energy that was far too agitated to con-
| troll.
shout Of laughter from the spectators
| brought me to myself with a jerk. Whittier
| the ball had gone did not know but from the
direction in which the people were all looking,
| it seemed to have flown into a shrubbery about
| one hundred yards behind our opponents. Miss
| TOssy turned to me.
"Why, Mr.. I.ancey, are you always so severe
upon lob faults It's too bad of YOU taking such
| swipe. Fault, Minnie!"
UGracous noyyars thourht T sethov +bipl 7
| meant to put it out of court" thought they
were laughing at me. but it seems my play was
| legitimate joke. l cannot help it now; l
must be tennis-player whether l will or not.
| am like Autolycus in the Winters Tale" III
l have mind to be honest. see Fortune would
not suffer me-" Thanks to Fortune, the next
serve to me was in the net again. and we had
forty to our opponents fifteen. Miss Tossy,
however, again failed in returning the serve to
her. and we stood thirty-forty.
was almost completely callous when knew
that was to take" again. l should probably
find some escape. seemed to be a favorite of
the gods; and though 1 should probably die
young on that account, what mattered it, SO
long as maintained my position as man of
skill in the eyes of Miss Deavel? The ball came
whizzng over, struck the ground near my feet,
and bounced away l should say about foot be-
low my racquet.
"What a shoot, Minnc!" cried my partner. II
see you weren't prepared for that naughty girls
he
didn't understand then what shoot was,
but L saw that somehow my miss had not Sc
rlOusly damaged my reputation as player.
That's Deuce" called out Miss DELAYED.
II beg your pardon!" said l. involuntarily.
"Its deuce; we were thirty-fOrty YOU know
and we scored this time"
was relieved; 1t was technical. term, and
indeed FitZjames had warned me OF it.
play. Tossy!" said Miss Delavel and the ball
! came Swimming over the net. Tossy did play it.
and back it went into the left corner of Miss
MacBrier's court. The latter WAS taken by sur
prise, she Lad not expected to have the return,
and with little shrek she Owed wildly at the
ball.
well taken. Miss MacBrer; but am afraid
It's out. cried Fitziames, who had recently re-
appeared on the scene. while the ball came fly
ing over my head. was resolved now, and
sprang desperately upward, brandishing my
| racquet at the ball. l missed
''Oh. Mr.. Lancey. I thought you were going
to hit it, and it was out of court" said my part
ner
Saved again. it was little short of miraculous.
If had hit the ball should have done wrong.
apparently; and goodness knows had done nv
best to hit it, Well, it was my fate to deceive.
couldn't help it; was doomed to be IT. Ian
cey. the great tennis player" so l said as con-
fidently as l could, 'of course it was. Miss
Deayel. there was no fear of my hitting it''
In one sense it was true enough. but for the
sense it conveyed to my partner-oh, that Miss
Ao9Si stiu anu uOue TO me what MACBETH
said and did to the soldier who told him of the
approach Of Birnam Wood!
That's vantage to u.s. she cried. ~ do be.
lieve we'll win. Go on, Minne." Minnie did 20
on, and was not surprised that my feeble poke
resulted in returning the ball Just between our
adversaries, who each left it alone, under the
impression that the other was about to take it.
THAT makes game' remarked Miss Tossy.
"Ihank you very much; you played awfully
well. in spite OF strange racquet"
ol,,L
my cheek; and even that, l bitterly thought
would be attributed to my exertions and not ia
its true cause, thanks to my miserable good
luck. Just at that moment the luncheon-bel
rang and from henceforth forever thanks be to
the stern punctuaiity of hydropathic establish
ments, and to the unaffected appetite which
every one has at luncheon time inthese places,
was reprieved. We were all apparently disap.
pointed that our set had come to premature
conclusion; but, as the ladies were going to
drive that afternoon, 1t was agreed that We
should finish it on Monday forenoon. the next
day being Sunday. l assured the young ladies
that 1t would give meLuch pleasure. Wretch
that l was. that very moment l had sworn to
myself to devise excuses to avoid ever playing
again.
CHAPTER II.
There Is constant process of change going
on in the positions that the guests occupy al
table in hydrOpathic establishments. The fresh
Colhei s're UNUSUALLY paced at the DOCtOm OF one
size OF one OF the long tables In the dining-hal
ard gradually, as guests of longer standing de.
part, and as they begin to feel what Dr. Chal
mers might have designated the prepulsive
force of new arrival, they work their way to
the top. round it, and by degrees make theil
| way down the other side to the bottom again
Thence they are transferred to another of the
long tables and repeat the process. until they
reach the ultimate limit at the doctors right
| hand. 1t thus happens that while ones right
and left-hand neighbors are always the same
till one or other leaves the house. those who are
opposite are different every day. On this
eyentful day, therefore. it came to pass that
Fitzjames and l. who were on our way ur
the first side of the table, found ourselves al
luncheon directly opposite Miss Scott and
her two charming nieces. who were ON theil
way down the second side. I hardly knew
| whether to be glad or soSrv. for the shadow Of
deceit that hung over me blighted all the pleas
ure might have taken in the conversation of q
bright young girl. OF course lawn-tennis was
one OF the first topics, and / was on the rack
lest should betray myself. FitZjames, however
came TO my rescue and managed to turn the
| talk in other directions, though he assured me
AfferWar1 that 70