The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-07-10
even In
TIE DARK

ePVS' II seeuleu 10 ou'slu-
SFoF$ ers to be an enviable one.
In the small, select, and
Belf-interCsted town of Fenchester she
had proved herself to be invinclble in
the game of ping-pong-one of those in
situations of pleasure seekers that seize
communities by the neck of their rea-
son and compel II to become a rage.
Every one in Fenchester who had not
given a ping-pong party delayed not a
moment in doing so. and one after an
other they followed in quick success
sion, to be crowned at last by Mr..
Mapleton, a bachelor-the richest man
in all Fenchester-whO issued invita-
tons for 4 ladies tournament, for
which was to be given a valuable
prize. This prize rumor soon stated
to be a diamond ring of seemingly I'M
necessary yalue-eXcept in the eyes of
the local jeweler who had parted with
it.
Now it was for this that Geraldine
was envied for her reputation. Lionel
Mapleton, though a middle-aged man.
was a matrimonial acquisition, and
Geraldine was known of all possible
candidates, to be his favOrite. 1t was,
moreover, surmised, reported, and in
some cases, proved, that the diamond
ring, when won, as it undoubtedly
would be by her, would be placed on
Geraldine's finger by Mr.. Mapleton in
the eyes of all the people not only as a
token Of her being the best player, but
also as an acknowledgement Of his af-
lection for her.
Such rumors as these, though they
take a long time in reaching the ears
of the person most concerned in them,
most infallibly do arrive at length at
that destination
When, a day or two before the tour
nament, Geraldine did hear it, she
wished that ping-pong had never been
invented. The position that it put her
in was this, and it was certainly for
her an unenviable one. Her people
were not remarkably well off, there
fore her mother had urged her some
time before to encourage Mr.. Mapletou
as much as possible, pointing out tC
her the great advantages that such 6
union would bring to her family.
To all this Geraldine had said moth
ing, for only that evening she hat
learnt truly what love meant; had no
spoken it, had not heard it, had only
found it-not in words, but in declara
ton in anothers eyes; but Wilfri(
Lawton's prospects were almost nil
and, therefore, he kept silence; bu
Geraldine understood.
1t was because Of all this that sh'
was confronted with one Of the frs
double turnings in her life; whethe
she should do her best to win the tour
nament and gain a diamond ring and
rich husband, or lose and reap the low
of a man to whom all her heart wen
cut in reciprocation Up to the momen
of the first game she had not decided.
There We're a lot of people there
competitors in their legions;all dressed
if not to win, at least to look thei
best in losing; old ladies-mOstl
mothers, curious to see the final II
suits and greedy of their daughter!
success-and young men, silent SUI
pOrters of some individual girls play
in fact, almost the whole Of Fenche'
ter was there.
Lionel Mapleton greeted them a
with the same affability, though
everybody present it seemed that /
smiled more graciously at Geraldine g
he led her to the table for the fr'
game in the tournament. Then it a
commenced. At first Geraldine's il
stincts of winning were strong with
her, and she played to the best Of HI
ability, winning the game east
amidst the solicitations to the lost
and the congratulations Of Lionel NJ
pleton, which made her shudder whC
she thought of what it would be
the end when she won.
For the next two games she was
bye, listening to her mothers cOngr
tulations, and wishing that the who
thing was over and that she had lost.
At last her turn came again, al
again she won, and following that, Y
again; now she was certain to be
the semi-fnal, and every one was sa
ing already that the tournament W
hers.
In q breathless silence she played t