The record-union., 1898-09-26
THE WINNING OF MABEL.

Not SO very long ago 1 met girl
with whom I shortly fell desperately
On love. She came to live where / Live
at Bigham, in Surrey. She was tad
and stalwart; not, indeed, ungracefA,
but the reverse of slyph-uke. Her
complexion was an olive brown, slight
ly weather beaten; her nose vas Ro-
man, and bespoke self-win and SELL
confidence So did her bright, blacK
eyes, which met you fearlessly. 30
did her firm, compressed lips, and her
square, withal shapely chin. Her voice.
without being in the least dlscorodnl'
was loud and resolute. Altogether, sie
gave you the impression of being d
self-reliant young lady, accustomed 10
look after herself, and eminently ca
pable Of holding her own in any con-
1uncture
She came to live at Bigham, ana
brought her mother with her-she hao
a mother who was MabePs opeolelll
servant-for two cogent reasons, 10
wit: The excellence of the Blghaih
roads for cycling, and the excelence
of the Bigham links for golf Maoei
was an adept at both pastlmes' aIlS
the whole devotion of her nature was
given to them-especially to golr. le
was on the links that l saw her LOT
the first time in the act of driving from
the tee The finished and workman
like ease Of her swing at once struck
me. had never seen a girl swing SO
before.
You know how most girls SWING;
how, even in the best Of them their
style is cramped and jerky how sell
dom they achieve so much as an idea
of the follow through. Mabel, how
ever. had achieved the thing itself. She
swung like a Professor. From seeing
her drive that one ball, I felt immedi-
ately that here was a girl worth know
ing.
1t was not many days ere this privf-
lege was accorded me. I was intro
duced to her in the drawing-room of
mutual friend. The common bond of
golf at once drew US together. We
spent an agreeable half hour talking
unqualified shop. I really enjoyed 1t;
so, l think, did she.
That was the beginning of our ac-
quaintance. It soon ipened into
friendship-a golf friendship. I played
many exciting matches with Mabel
I could just give her a half, and on
those terms she downed me quite as
often as I downed her. Of course,
when you play very level with per-
son, you like playing with that person
better than with any one else. For
this reason 1 liked playing with Ma
bel.
But it was not to be supposed that
To- J11J Il
She had other men friends-golf
friends; and in particular, Sandy Rob
son. Sandy Robson was a Scotchman
Il beg the fellows pardon, a Scots
man-and a conceited ass to boot. Be
cause he had learned golf north of the
Tweed he considered himself in a diff
ferent class from any of us south
ern players. But f1attered myself that
] was just as good as he was. I chal-
1enged him one day to a big match
for a FIVE We brought it off. He
won, two up, and mighty cocfh-a-hoop
he was.
That defeat, however, ranked less
than the fact that he was always cut
ting in with Mabel in front Of me, and
securing her for his opposite in a
match when I wanted to secure her
for mine Mabel, with half, gave
me so a much better game than any
body else did that it was really deuced
annoying. Besides, I didn't like the
idea of her being out alone so often
with that Scotch cad.
He happened TO come into the CLUB
one evening and to find me the sole
occupant of the smoking-room. I knew
that he had just been playing match
with Mabel, and the fact annoyed me.
I acknowledged the Scotchman's pres
ence with the most chilling of mods.
But he was evidently disposed to be
chatty, and my coldness didn't put him
off Drawing up his chair close to
mine, he lit his pipe and began to talk.
I've just had sech gran match VII
Miss Mabel" he said.
You seem to have a great many
gran matches WI Miss Mabel" I re-
piled, with cutting sarcasm.
Sandy laughed.
True mon," he admitted. And so,
for the matter O. thot, do you yoursel."
Perhaps" I said, frigidly.
He puffed his pipe violently for sevr
eral minutes, then he exclaimed, with
some suddenness:
Look here, mon; dinna ye think it's