Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-29
A TENNIS CLUB TALE.

4,
swhatevez shall we do about IL, SAM"
dor said Sam, who was tilted back on .
garden chair, with straw hat resting on his
nose and pipe interfering with the distinct
Ness Of his enunciation; Il" do about what?"
"Oh, you know quite we'll"
"No. Honor. Haven't an idea-
well, you ought to. And If you weren't the
mnss DISC ustingiy lazy, hateful wretch that ever
misguided tennis club elected to the proud
position OF Its secretary, you would know. But
you never know anything by any chance.
Therep
MrA klliEton," said Sam, "this Is not a fit =
ting tone In which to address the holder Of the
exafted situation you have referred to. 1t is
evident you consider that the accident OF kim
ship privileges you to outrage the traditions OF
my ONCE, and import the amenities OF private
life into our official relations. Remember that
You are within the precincts Of the Csvendish
L. I. C., that my feet are, metaphorically, on my
native heath, and my name, for the time being,
Is MacGregor, or anything equally barbarous.
Merge the individual in the official, and do not
insult one whose only fault Is that circum-
stances have made him your brother"
Mrs. Elliston, pretty, dark-eyed, brisk little
woman, whose five years of conjugal felicity sat
lightly upon her, laughed and said:
Now. Sam, don't be absurd. I mean about
the professor and Nellie, of course"
swell, thought you did, Bessie. But you
are so disgracefully abrupt Always were, from
q child / should have thought my precepts
and example for nineteen long years ought to
have done something. So they would, dare
say, eventually, only that before you came to
years of discretion Elliston turned up. Poor
sam thereupon closed his eyes and nodded
his head, pityingly eompassionatingt the sorrows
of the present owner of his small sister. She
only laughed and said:
"But really-I do think some one ought to do
something.
"Nellie-yes. But you know she won't.
Neither OF them will. Nellie is too indignant,
and won't even look at him. He is afraid,
Yes said sam; Il noticed them last even
Ing: Nellie was playing, and had to go for a
not but pick it up and hand it to her. Neither
OF them would look, and their hands were aim
other for a long time before the ball was trans
ferred- laughed
Its shame for you, when they are so
serious. L can't do anything, because she re-
fuses TO speak about him at all. And i can't
help pitying tine poor professor. he looks SO
sad. and wanders about in an unbent way as
il the stifening were all washed out OF him.
He went To- play yesterday, and didn't-really.
Sam. didn't serve single ball in the set that
wasn't a fault."
"Astoundingr' Sam said.
Well. know be isn't very good, but then
shame tor you TO laugh at the poor dear old fell
low. 1 IN sure he feels like murderer-an in
nocent murderer, Of course, who hadn't done
the thing at all, but was suspected instead of
the real person. And then when TOddes went
TO talk To him-you know how he and ToddleS
used 10 get on together-he wasn't able To play
with her one bit, but just sat there as patient
as an image, and let her pull his whiSkers
and everything, without stirring. Now, you
"ThatIl do" said SAM straig htening himself
suddenly.into an attitude of alarmed attention:
arouse him 10 vindictiveness, or even resist
ance. he must be in a bad way. Oh you vicious
question, who was lying on her back in the
grass, and was very young and very soft, and
WAS fair To look upon, and TO all appearance in
nocent of all maleyolent intentions, being en-
plOyed in gazing with wide blue speculative
eyes up into the sky and nurmuring unintel-
hgible infantile secrets to nobody in particular,
wait till your mother is gone, and If don't
commit babycide-"
Leave the child alone SAM" said its pretty
little proprietor, land tell me what you'll do"
sam meditated for few minutes.
Must have time to think of 1T, Bess. Just 60
away a.. and let me be quiet for a few hours. Then
It's likely the ancient will turn up; he to be
back by this evening and we'll talk IL over
with him."
"Ah. I'm glad Mr. Colthurst is coming back.
And it's my belief" said she. turning round as
she went, for parting shot. having Toddles
With her out OF reach of retaliation, "that you
never know what to do about anything until
you've asked hun first. There?' SO saying the
little woman stirred up Toddles TO a trot, and
made good their retreat, without loss.
sam left alone. pondered deeply. 1t was Ger.
tainIy an abOninable miSchance that had come
TO disturb the serenity of their tennis club-a
club that bad heretofore been the sanctuary of
content and good fellowship, wherein envy and
malevOlence and uncharitableneSs had no
place. whose members had always been as
brothers and sisters-more so, even. There had
been girls in il; but they had been content to
speak evil of externals sparing each other;
strife had resulted not therefrom, saving the
strife that battles over a net, and volleys with
Ayres's rather than Armstrong;. And many
passing summer days, days of mirth and OF
knocking and laughter, of friendly contest on
the green sward when the sun was high: and
ing shadows crept, line by line, over the courts
had drawn closer together, men and maids till
the years passed by seemed far away, and the
world. and bitter words, and evil thoughts were
but dream, here in the golden present, where
the works of Mrs. Grundy came not nigh unto
them. and chaperons were not. 1t has been
strange how men had ripened. as it were, in
those DAYS This one, strong and sturdy
imbed. but rough and uncultured, sOftening In
the music of girls voices, and learning with the
teaching of a gentle Una To bear his lion limbs
ever sucking dove of them all. This one, with
punv soul cased in puerile conceits and
thn9 mon , aHec,aiion, as his puny body was
growing SLOWLY, his remotest ancestors
might have done) into semblance of manhood:
with active boys shamins his incapacity into
exertion and shafts OF ridcule, sharp if friendly
Weakening the dormant mind TO consciousness
This one, Colthurst, their treasurer a staid
man OF business, 10 whom the cares of money
seemed To come httingly, changing, too.
Learning. 10 his surprise, that he wasn't old,
neither weakly nor stupid, that business and
dark counting houses and ledgers were not all
of the world that left to him, nor solid
ulAners ana the sleepy smokes OF the club
land his only joys, but that soft turf and the
waited smell OF flowers and the light of mellow
evenings in July were still pleasant to his soul;
that he could talk still-whisper a little nom
Sense eyen-to piece of arch girlhoOd in a
cambria frock as twilight fell, aye! and could
play tennis, and play IL well-he, Septimus
COlthurst, a man of weight in the city-and
enjoy II, too, more, IL may be- than in the old
days.
Faith, he did find all that" Sam Mahon
thought. land found that he was a real decent
fellow, too, and could sing song and tell a
story and chan aud humbug well as any
youngster. And I'm sure he never suspected
himself OF IL. No more did l. the first day
and chimney pot, and that blessed eyeglass liz
his ocular
Mr.. CoIthurst used a single eyeglass which
had earned for him the sobriquet of 1.-The An
Gent Mariner" AT first title of ridicule but
one that had grown to be a name OF kindness
and respect, for in any matter Of doubt or diff
Guilty the Ancient was always appealed to
with confidence. But none Of them had
changed-not one, like the professor. When 1t
had been whispered first that professor was
about To join the club, u real live professor
psund the game OF tennis scientifically az based
upon Recommendations tations of angles a
feeling akin 10 CONSERVATION was aroused. And
when, having been duly eted, Professor
Saxsgon, whose very name was calculated to
inspire awe, first came down 10 the club his
advent was witnessed by eXpectant circle.
prepared 10 be deeply impressed.
They saw little dark man, bearded and
wearing glasses. whose hannels hung loosely
On his spare figure, who seemed Thoroughly
hopelesSly, ashamed of himself and his unac.
a