Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-16

Henry and ask him to entertain the
great champion who has done the club
so great an honor
This proposition was received with
loud cheers and carried mem. con.
Sir Henry, who was member of par
liament for the district, was only too
delighted TO do anything that promised
Il little eclat and popularity, and an
invitation was accordingly sent and
graciously accepted by the great
SmaSher. Time went on with lelden
steps TO the excited Muggletonians.
but at last the day before the great
tournament arrived. TEk champion
was expected at noon, having signified
his wish to see something of the pic
turesque part of Muggleton before set
Ting down TO the serious business of
the hour. Once more Miss Jones had
the delightful task Of telling her bosom
friend the latest news.
Il have just seen him driving UP to
the hall. He is entrancingly handsome
and looks so strong and active l
could have told he was player, and
Il great player, if | had not known it
was he"
What luck you have exclaimed
her friend. rs he at all like his por-
traits in the illustrated papers? They
are often mere vile oaricatures"
The portraits do him no justice at
all, my dear. He is perfectly delight
| full, and l am to play with him in the
doubles. They are to be drawn this
! AFTERNOON. l only hope he won't look
at me much with those lovely dark
eyes or [ shall never be able to play"
Next morning the local papers were
full OF the great event The thoughtful
secretary had not forgotten to send a
detailed account of the draw to the
county papers and others of wider
! circulation, so that all the world might
know, and envy, the good fortune of
| fhe MuggletOn club in securing the
presence Of the player of the day. 1t
would seem, in fact, as though every
member of the club had read all the
accounts in all the papers, for they ap-
peared to be swelling with pride and
Importance as they assembled on the
ground very early. ArTayed in all the
glory of spOtless fiannels on the part
of the men and ON that of the ladies
the smartest costumes that female in
genuity could devise.
1t had been raining hard during the
night but the hot sun and a stiff breeze
had succeeded in drying the courts ,ap-
parenly for the very purpose (as Miss
Jones observed to Augustus HOWisthaO
Of showing to the best advantage the
terrific hard hitting of Smasher, the
redoubtable champion There had been
Il dinner party at the hall the previous
night
All, Mr.. Howisthat," said Miss
Jones, with much mOdesty, you can
not tell how | trembled with fear and
delight wnen [ found it was my lot
to sit next to him at dinner. [ felt
! that all the burden of the conversation
would fail upon me, for Lady POrtli-
man could not be expected to know
much about tennis; indeed, I overheard
| her make 4 dreadful remark about a
bisque, which he either did not hear
or pretended not to, for which l was
very thankful"
well, / could not hear much of his
conversation, seeing / as right at the
other end of the table," rejOined her
| companion in rather an aggrieved tone,
about Tennis
No / think he ina gined we should
have enough tennis during the week,
so he turned the conversation into an
other channel, and talked most de-
| lightfully on every subject. All, there
! he ISL
1t was rather a shock to the NIuggle-
ION tennis players when the mighty
| champion appeared on the ground, for
he was arrayed in a faultleSs, cool gray
suit, carrying his gloves and stick, and
with no suggestion about his costume
of playing tennis. He, however, talked
very affably with his acquaintance
of the night before, especially with
Miss Jones, and displayed great inter
est in the draw" from which he
learned that he was to play Mr.. How
isthat in the first round this afternoon.
Mr.. Pushington suggested that $50
would be a convenient time for the
match, when all the elite of the neigh
borhood will have assembled on the
ground. SmaSher consented tWithout
denlur and then proceeded to discuss
with Miss Jones the merit of the local
players who were contending for the
district events.
"Ah, my dear Bertha" said Miss
Jones to her friend when Mr.. Smasher
! had left the ground and gone up to
the hail for lunch, is the most
perfect gentleman [ ever met. Did You
notice how grave and polite he looked
when we were watching that dread
| full Mrs. KnOckabOut making such an
idiot of herself on the court?"
! How a married woman of her age
and size can play in tournaments, as
she does, I cannot think. She is
disgrace to our club, and / am sure
any one with smaller mind that MI.
Smasher would have laughed outright
when she fell down and went right
Through the net-one of our new nets,
too. Just bought for the tournament"
'Wen," remarked the Muggleton
champion, who had just Joined them,
and was beginning to get rather sick
of the new hero, Il wish he would
wake I'D and show us Il little of his
form. We have not even seen him
toueh 2 racket vet. and however much