The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-31
terest in me-to-to-care" I"
"'Oh, Mr.. Fanshawe, what a ques-

spoke" Jack confided to me, that
made me unable to restrain myself any
longer. ! said my one aim, my one
thought, my one care, in life was to do
what she wished. If she really wanted
me to be a bat, a bat / would somehow
become. / would spend the whole Of
my spare time practicing at the nets.
I would hire the best professionals in
England to bowl to me, on mating. all
the winter. I would learn to play for
ward like Raniitsihhii or Palairet; to
play back like Abel or Shrewsbury. My
late cuts should be modelled on the late
cuts of Gum. My driving should be as
the driving of McLaren or Jackson"
Upon my word, Jack" | could not
help remarking, 9" you were somewhat
reckless in your undertakings"
$50 Lucy seemed to think" he adj
mitted, "She limited that promise was
not quite the same thing as perform
ance, and and = seemed doubtful
whether | loved her as much as l said
did,"
"You had told her you loved her,
them"
"Of course | had. | sandwiched that
in among the cricket. But | have not
repeated it to you," he said, with a
nervous laugh, because = because
the sort of things one says when one is
proposing = don't you know well,
they might sound bit off when re-
ported in cold blood"
Very likely" replied. But when
she expressed herself doubtful of the
reality of your love, what did you say
then?"
II mplored her to put me to the test
and see."
"And what did she say to that?"
'She said she would; but she would
be more lenient than to insist on so
tremendous a test as | myself had sug-
gested. She would not stand out for
my becoming compound Ranjitsinhii-
Palairet Abel Shrewsbury-Gunn- Me-
Laren-Jaokson She would be quite
satisfied if made so against Cambridge
at Lords"
''Oh, she Nould?"
Eyes. If / make my so it will be the
same thing as if she had said yes to my
proposal"
''That was very kind of her." re.
marked.
"Ah, there you go laughing at me.
You think haven't chanc, of making
so. But you may prove mistaken, my
dear girl"
what you think you are good
for the runs?"
81 don't say that But I'm going to
make big effort. Such an effort as no
fellow ever made before. Of course, it's
unlikely l shall succeed. But worse
buffers than | have scored so before
now. And, as ! say, I'm going to have
a good try"
"It sens to me-" I could not help re-
about you, it was rather strange con-
dition for her to impose"
said no more. Jack was in too alb
surd state to argue with. But of
course l saw Lucy's game. 1t did not
suit her to refuse him outright, and so
to drive him from her circle of beaux;
nor yet to accept him. and so commit
herself. She had, therefore, turned il
off in the manner described. And
doubtless she had so managed it that
even if Jack did fulfill the condition
which she must have known to be Wild
ly mprobable-she could make it out
that it had never been seriously meant.
In fact. it was a "head-I-win-tails-yo
lose' sort of an agreement, by which
simple Jack alone was meant to be
bound.
Simple! All, that poor boys Grass,
infantine simplicity. He took it quite
au grand serieux. He never saw that
he was being fooled; that his honest
love was being played with, made a
| joke of. 1t really seemed inconceivable
that anybody could be so blind. Yet SO
it was He applied himself from that
| day forward to the improvement of his
| batting with all the earnestness of one
whose life depended on it. / don't
| know how much money he spent on
| professionals at the nets: but with
| the regular fees, and trifie of five shil-
| lings ION the wichet''-it must have
! totted up TO handsome sum. His
! friends tnone of whom were n. the Sc
cret) could not make it out.
"What the dickens has come over the
| Fanner? (Such was their regulation
varsity version of Fanshawe's name.)
Does he think he's going to make a
| boming bat of himself?" "'Pon my
Sam, though, he's beginning to shape
already. He did stop some teasers
from Attewell in the match yesterday"
"Yes. in style of his own" style be
hanged. He stopped 'em. Ranjy or
Stoddart couldn't have done more
| We'll. always say that a wicket-keep-
er ought to be able to bat if he gives his
mind to it. He's bound to have a good
eye. And no one has SO much practice
in watching the ball from the pitch"
etc.
These remarks | heard made at a
/ luncheon in Conmem. week. Of
course, said nothing. was not
gong to give Jack away. But it did
strike me as little short of marvellous