The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-24
A TENNIS ROMANCE.

else how much her son was capable OF ieet
ing. No one, You see. thought OF love II
connection with Francis. lie was "nice,
of course. How he wished sometimes h'
wasn't. Then. AT least. people would nav,
some definite feeling about him. lie wasn't
stunid at all. Indeed. he had always
learned easily and been near the top OF his
classes both in schools and at his university
An his comrades liked him well enough -
no one ever thought OF detesting him. lie
had very clear mind, approaching Drill
liancy. and he could talk fairly well-as
we'll as most Of the men he knew. lie was
inst ordinarily well looking, but who cares
IL a man Is handsome or not' And o
all things deliver US from pretty man
But Francis Robinson wasn't naturally q
person YOU would take to- as the phrase
goes. lie couldn't help IL, and your Ger
tainly couldn't either
He had fallen in love, | said. He had
shown good taste in his choice-far more
taste than sense. most people would have
said. For who wants 10 nourish or encour-
ace a hopeless atiectiony The girl wa-
pretty, and she was bright, very attractive
i'm every way. Why shouldn't he iall III
love with her il he wanted 10, pray: But
why should he, DO YOU think he could hope
for a return Of his regard:
He sat down determincdly one day in the
privacy Of his own room 10 decide the mat
Ter. He put il before himself rs lmpariially
as he could He was used 10 cOmmuning
with and consulting himself. for he had
never had a friend dear enough TO open his
heart TO- Thisis the way he put the case
he was studying for the bar, so the express
ion fits:
IL am young. ! am not handsome, but |
don't think that need count. have money
enough now to support wife well and
hope to earn more soon. am in sound
health, mentally as wei! as physically. !
am not dull. | can and Will make mark
in the world. | love Alice Starr. Why
should not make her care for me? | am
certain she cares for no one else. Very
well, l am not worthy of her, but no man
il or ever will be. and il she will marry me
| will make my lite such that she need
never be ashamed Of any act in it. How
am 10 convince her OF this; If | should
tell her now she would think me mad. and
Justly. First must do something worthy
Of notice, that is sure. can't write. |
never could excel that way. II Will be
some time yet before | can hope to distin-
guish myself in court. WHAT can dO:"
There he had 20 leave the problem. and for
some time il remained uns0Ned. What
could he do; lie asked himself again and
again. This thought Of the law court most
naturally REQUIRED TO him. since that was
his avOcation in life. Suddenly, one day.
a
street in HarwintOn, his native town. he
saw something that gave him his great idea.
lie refined his horse so quickly that that
peaceful animal was profoundly surprised.
and doubtless pOndered, with equine CRAWL
~. the why and wherefore OF il IN his stable
aiterward.
"By Joye" thought and almost said
Francis Robinson, Il have it. I'll win my
laurels in one kind of court. anyway. She
il ~ fal "a MI 1 ts.4f
10 be champion of this town in that. with
such an aim, ! am more of an idiot than !
think am"
Which shows that at least be had some
self-cOnfidence. lie went TO work i'm
mediatey. lie played tennis a little, Of
course, but had never devoted much time or
thought to it. Perhaps this was partly due
lately to the fact that he was not member
of Alice Stars club. "Alice Stars club"
l say adyisedly, for she was the leading
spirit as well as the best PLAYER in il. Fran
els knew he could get into the club, other
wise known as the especial" if he tried,
but first he must play well. For over a
month he devoted hours each day 10
practice with his racket and ball, at first in
tete-a-tete with the side of the house and
then with any one he could lure into his tolls.
lie had a fine court made on his own lawn,
the better to entice people 10 practice.
With his determination he succeeded
finely, and when he applied for admittance
10 the Special he knew he was up to any
member in ii unless ii were Alice starr.
lie might have waited a little longer, but
he was getting impatient, and people were
getting tired Of being beaten. He was adj
United to the club easily enough. | have
said that no one disliked him, and if mem
bers didn't want to play with him they
needn't. 1t is a fact worthy of notice that
every individual who had been practiced on
and OF late badly beaten had forgotten 10
mention the fact. Ii was just beastly luck
anyway, and on his own court, too. 30
there was no general impression of his good
playing, as there might have been If his
partners had been more generous in giving
10 the world their scores
\ day or two after he had been enrolled
as member Francis walked into the
grounds one afternoon just as play was at
Its height. The 1--WE courts were all Occu-
pied just then, but soon, one being left,
man who thought ii was shame Robinson
shouldn't have game his first day, you
know, asked him To play. Robinson gladly
consented, though he knew that Graves did
not do much at it. At any rate it was a
start, and he beat his adversary straight
set with provoking cOolIess. Graves had
walked up little by this time, and calling
10 a passing friend he said
al say, Fairfield, don't you want tO play;
! am no use to-day and Robinson's been
knocking me all out"
Fairfield assented: "Well. yes. he would
have a try''-with smile that plainly said,
"We'll see how small fry like Robinson
will show you up on my playing" for he
was one OF the best men in the club. To his
surprise, however, he found himself unac-
countably beaten at every game. He got
aroused, then angry, but il was only the
worse for him. Robinson simply played
better than ever. At last, after two sets,
one RObinsOn's straight and the other g.
he became Disguised and said
"Well, I'm down on my luck, too.
think won't play any more. That serve
Of yours is very clever, Robinson"
BY the time they stopped almost every one
was getting tired, and a group in which
Alice starr was standing had been watch
ing them for some time. Robinson turned
TO her and said: Wont YOU try one. Miss
Starr ! IL seems pity TO stop as soon.
Single or double as you PREFER
Alice was by no means ayerse to display
ing her excellent work and she was never
weary, so they chose Il court. To the salts
faction Of both, no one else cared to play.
Every one watched them, as theirs was the
ouly court occupied. To every ones sur
prise-especially 10 Fairfield -RObinson's
good luck seemed TO stand by him. How
provoking 1t WAS, Alice would get vantage
80 easily, then lose the game. She grew
more and more astOnished as the game went
on. II Mr.. Robinson had only seemed TO
try 70 play, But he didn't. lie stood
around as easily az possible and didn't even
seem 10 exert himself al all, but just reach |
ed out lazily and returned the most difficult |
balls.
Jupiter" said jamie Wright, whose chief |
occupation In life was 10 make supposedly |
witty comments on other peoples actions; |
Jupiter. | never saw a fellow play like /
that. II looks as IL he stood IN one place
and reached out in all directions regular
octopus. don't you known And that is the
way Francis pretty soon became known as
Octo Robinson.
All the young people walked up town to-
gether. Francis felt that 10 walk with Al
Ice would seem rather triumphant TO her, so
lac contented himself with talking 10 her
dearest friedd, Janet Gray. At some COM
plimentary remark OF hers he answered
"fou mustn't forget, Miss Janet, that all
my life almost have practiced In ball
playing. There's nothing In the world like
that-especially amateur with ali its tricks