The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-09-01

L
| England to bowl to me, on mating, al
the winter. l would learn to play for
ward like Raniitsinhji or Palairet; tc
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" l could not
help remarlling, you were somewhat
reckless in your undertakings"
80 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 L loved her as much as l said
l did"
''You had told her you loved her
then?"
''Of course L had. 1 sandwiched that
in among the cricket. But l 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"
Every likely" L replied. 'But when
she expressed herself doubtful of the
reality of your love, what did you say
| them"
Il implored her to put me to the test
and see."
sand what did she say to that?"
''She said she would; but she would
be more lenient than to insist on sc
tnS T h1 ~
gested. She would not stand out for
my becoming compound Ranjitsinhji-
Palairet Abel Shrewsbury-Gun
Laren-Jackson She would be quite
satisfied if made so against Cambridge
at Lords"
'Oh, she would ?"
"Yes. If l 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 chance 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 1 shall succeed. But worse
buffers than l have scored so before
now. And, as say, I'm going to have
good try"
1T SENS to me-" I could not help re-
marking, that if Lucy really cares
about you, it was rather strange con-
dition for her to impose"
l 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 it
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 improbable-she could make it out
that it had never been seriously meant
In fact, it was a ''headI-win-tails-yo
lose' sort of an agreement, by which
simple Jack alone was meant to be
bound.
Simple! Ah 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. 1 don't
know how much money he spent on
professionals at the nets; but = with
the regular fees, and trife of five shil,
lings ION the .wicket''-it must have
totted up to handsome sum. His
friends (none of whom were in the Sc
creD could not make it out.
what the dickens has come over the
Tanner? (Such was their regulation
varsity version of Fanshawe's name.
docs he think he's going to make a
blooming 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. RAINY OF
Stoddart couldn't have done more
''Well, l always say that 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 1 heard made at q
luncheon in Common. week. OF
course, 1 said nothing. 1 was not
going to give Jack away. But it die
strike me as little short of marvellous
that he should have taken that condi
ton of Lucy Cleverly's in such deadly
earnest. That he was improving him
self as batsman was beyond dispute
He made 25 not out that week against
Lancashire, playing Mold and Briggs
with considerable nerve. True, his
style, as one of his critics had said, was
| style of his own. But, after all, to
succeed in your own style is a good
deal better than to fail in some one
else's. And that this 25, not out, was
not a. mere fiuke Jack showed nv com.