Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05

! at Gordon's answer! She had been so afraid
| that he would go away or, as she expressed it.
do something desperate" and not play in the
| tournament that she was becoming very
| nervous. She had told her two admirers the
evening before of her strange decision and
| how she was to let Gordon know of it had been
| a great source of anxiety to her. She felt sure
| that he would enter the tournament because of
his love for her, and she knew now that her
| plan had succeeded. and that he was going to
| play for her, and she very happy; but her
| conscience reproached her little for having
| made her lover suffer so.
| The great day had now arrived on which the
question as to who was the champion of Ran
| gers should be decided. The sun shone down
| in all his glorious radiance and the air was
cooled to just the right temperature by gentle
| breeze from the north. The courts were in
perfect condition, there having been slight
rain during the night to lay what little dust
| there happened to be upon their surface All
| the village and the folks for miles around
were assembled near them, some in the car
riages which had brought them others sitting
on long benches placed there for the occasion,
| others again standing. The young ladies of
| the town, OF course, occupied front seats and
| formed conspicuous feature in the landscape
| with their bright costumes and pretty faces
| Now and then covert glances would be aimed
| by those around at one particularly pre tty face
which nodded and smiled at the players as they
walked to and fro or batted u ball across the
| net IN practice. The owner of this face, though
| apparently Indifferent to such chances, was
nevertheless a little nervous and embarrassed
| for 1t was generally known that she was to wed
| the fortunate winner OF the match. shout of
applause now drew the attention of all to the
players and the contest for the prize in singles
had begun. Gradually the number of PLAYERS
was reduced to four. These were the two
| devotees Of Jessie and their opponents One
| of them beat his antagonist an outsider and n
| fair player; the other was defeated by Gordon
| who now met the former to decide the match.
| The excitement was intense. No one had sup
posed the pseudo Mr.. Smith could play such
| tennis, and now that the championship and the
| girl lay between him and the best player in
town the spectators could hardly contain them
| selves and looked at Jessie often as at the
players. She was almost wild. OF course Cor
don would beat, but suppose he should get
| hurt; perhaps he was out of practice and
| could not play as well as he used.
| Her heart beat quicker and she watched
| with constrained quiet each stroke of the two
men. Gordon knew his skill and now displayed
it. His adversary. playing his best. nothing
| to him, and game after game was callefin his
| favor. He was required to win three sets in the
| finals-and he had already won two and was
slipped and he turned his ankle, crying out
| with pam. There was a general murmur of
| dismay and some of the yanquished players
helped him to his feet. He glanced over at
jessie She was trembling from head to foot;
but the look OF pain and disappointment in her
face revealed all to him. He saw dimly how il
| WAC, and hc seemed inspired with new strength
and purpose. He rested q few moments and
resumed his play. His foot hurt him severely,
but he kept at it. His opponent gained q little
on him at FIRST. Yet when the score had