The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-05

answered:
You 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
all its tricks-to make mans wrist as
Timber as an eel-forgive the compare
son. Miss Starr has not had the advan-
tage of that practice, but she plays mag
nificently-better than l should have
ever thought possible without early
| training"
When Janet, as in duty bound, re-
| peated this conversation to her friend
Alice laughed and said:
"Mr. Robinson is shrewder than I
thought. Little he knows of the hours
| and hours George and / have practiced
curves in the back yard. If it hadn't
been for that never could have played
so we'll"
All the rest of the summer Francis had
chances for games with his star. Har-
winton was in the transition state from
borough to city, and was not yet so large
that every one left it in the pleasantest
season of the year. There were lovely
drives around it, too, and the young peo-
pie of the Special often took them to-
gether. Of course, when Alice saw
Francis SO much at the courts she
thought of him, naturally, as her partic-
ular escort on such occasions, to
:" carry fan and tippet, gloves and shawl.
And yet she did not think of love.
One always stands up for ones heroes,
however unpretending they may be, but
surely am justified in saying that mine
showed great self restraint and wisdom
in keeping so long from telling Alice,
even by look, his secret. Seeing her
almost every day, and often being alone
with her, it was hard indeed to keep
silent respecting his love for her. But
he was succeeding in gaining at least
her unconscious assent to his constant
attention, and that seemed to him long
stride toward his goal.
He had convinced her of his physical
ability, but how to do SO of his mental?
The chance came with the October winds.
The tennis courts must be abandoned,
but must the pleasant intercourse Of the
Special be dropped, too? Certainly not!
The club had very pretty house on the
| grounds, and this could easily be made
| suitable for winter. twas soon in order.
Alice Starr was interested, and as Jamie
Wright remarked: when Miss Starr
does take hold of thing it's got to gor'
Once week the rooms were to be
opened in the evening and twice for
reading and billiards-they had par
ticularly good table in the afternoon. A
club of older people was started for the
benefit of the chaperons and one parlor
was given up to them. One was kept
for dancing for the younger ones, while
up stairs, besides the billiard room, two
dressing rooms were utilized for cards
and other games. In connection with
this, at Alice STAIRS suggestion, de-
batting club was formed. Any member
Of the club was entitled to membership,
and two of the first names on the list
were those of Alice Starr and Janet
Gray This opened the way for other
| girls, and pretty soon it was discovered
that the list held an almost equal num-
Der of mems and girls names. The de-
bates took place once in two weeks and
each time the speakers were appointed
for the next.
Francis Robinson waited eagerly for
his chance. A man and girl supported
each side, and after this an informal dis
cussion by all the members followed,
and, from Octo Robinson's swift, brill
liant little speeches then, much was ex-
pected when he should take leading
paIt. The night came at last when he
heard his name. He was to lead the
negative with Mary Graves against Alice
Starr and Henry Fairfield. The subject
of debate was the following:
| Resolved That women should be allowed equal
| privileges with men at the polls and in public
| office.
Francis had one great advantage in
this-a sincere conviction against it;
that counts for deal everywhere and
most of all when one is unused to max
Ing any given point of view ones own.
| Francis put his whole heart in the work.
All the nrsJ week he Thought about IL,
sacking his brains for novel and con-
vincing argument, and at the beginning
of the second commenced to write. 1t
was perfectly allowable and very gen.
eral to have a written speech, but he
had no such idea as that. How could he
impress everyone by his brilliancy if he
constantly referred to an inglorious
| copy? Just as if he weren't sure what
| he did think!
Alice Starr worked hard, too. She had
never given much thought to the sub
| ject before, not thinking it practical, but
as she studied it she warmed to it more
and more, and by the fatal Wednesday
night was at white heat. She herself had
taken different phase of the idea than
she had thought her opponents likely to
choose and given the more usual view
of it to Fairfield. He, partly through
devotion to her and partly through dis
| like of Octo Robinson, had done his best.
There was an unusually full meeting
on that Wednesday evening, and even
Francis felt little shy. Fairfield
opened the debate with really bright
speech, and the applause was warm at
his eloquent peroration. Then Mary
Graves. She was very quick, and, catch
ing at one or two defective points in
| Fairchild's argument, turned the tide in
her favor. After pause Alice rose.
She, too, had decided to speak without
notes, and her eloquence and fire fairly
carried away her little audience. Fran
els was naturally quick himself, but she
fairly dazzled him tonight, and when
she sat down he felt that he had nothing
to say in answer to her unique brill
fancy. But then, the great Grafton that
he had prepared with so much care!
| Surely that, with its flash of conviction,
would eclipse the fire of Alice Starts
| words.
So he arose and, with an earnestness
that surprised every one, began. His
first few sentences impressed everybody,
but suddenly he looked at Alice Starr.
Her eyes were fixed on him with look
almost of fear-fear lest he should
snatch away the laurel she SO longed
for. At that look he stopped. After a
moments silence he went on for a sem
tence or two, but it seemed that every
idea had fled from him. He looked at
Alice Starr again, paused moment and
then said slowly:
81 hope every one will pardon me.
The unexpected turn Of my opponents
| aro1,uent has inst mt me all ont