Iron County register., 1899-08-24

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toni
There was a look in her eyes as she
spoke, Jack confided TO me, that
made me unable to restrain myself any
longer. 1 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 bat, bat 1 would somehow
become l would spend the whole of
my spare time practicing at the nets.
would hire the best professionals in
England TO bowl to me, on mating. all
the winter. 1 would learn to play for
ward like Raniitsinhii or Palairet; to
play back like Abel or Shrewsbury. Ny
late cuts should be modelled on the late
cuts Of Gunn. Ny driving should be as
the driving of McLaren or Jackson =
Upon my word, Jack" 1 could not
help remarking, you were somewhat
reckless in your undertakings"
so Lucy seemed to think" he ad-
mitted. ''She hinted that promise was
not quite the same thing as perform
ance, and - and - seemed doubtful
whether loved her as much as I said
did,
You had told her you loved her,
then?"
''Of course 1 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 of when re-
ported in cold blood"
''Very 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.''
'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 I myself had sug-
gested. She would not stand out for
my becoming compound Ranjitsinhji-
Palairet Abel Shrewsbury-Gunn
Laren-Jackson. She would be quite
satisfied if l made so against Cambridge
at Lcrd's.''
''Oh. she would ,"
"Yes. If l make my so il 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 1 haven't chance of making
80. But you may prove mistaken, my
dear girl
What! you think you are good
for the runs?''
Il don't say that. But I'm going TO
l., l..
fellow ever made before. Of course. it's
unlikely 1 shall succeed. But worse
buffers than 1 have scored 80 before
now. And. as l say, I'm going TO have
a good try
1T SENS 10 me-" l could not help re-
marking. that if Lucy really cares
about you. it was rather a strange con-
ditiou for her TO impose
l said 10 more. Jack was in too alb
surd a state to argue with. But of
course saw Icy'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 il that
even if Jack did fulfill the condition
which she must have known TO be wild
" improba ble-she could make il 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 beirg played with. made a
joke of. 1t really seemed inconceiyable
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 il. 1 don't
know how much money he spent on
professionals at the nets: but = with
the regular fees. and a trifie of five shil-
lings ION the wicket''-it must have
totted up to a handsome sum. His
friends (none of whom were in 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
bloming bat of himseif?" "'Pon nv
Sam. though, he's beginning TO shape
already. He did stop some teasers
from Attewell in the match yesterday"
Yes. in a style of his own" style be
hanged. He stopped 'em. Ranjy or
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 il. 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 l heard made at
luncheon in Commem. week Of
course. L said nothing. was not
going to give Jack away. But it did
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 a 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
a 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 by COM
piling useful SO against the NJ. c. c. at
Lords helping to put on so for the last
wicket, and knocking off Mead and
Rawlin. So that, after all. his chance