Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-05-16
EVEN In
THE DARK
.AcA ERALDINE MAYHEM

| StllullOnS or pleasure seekers that seize
communities by the neck of their rea.
son ana compel it to become Il rage.
Every one in Fcnchcstrr who had not
given II ping-pong party delayed not II
moment IN doing 50, ana one after an
other they followed in quick success.
sion, to be crowned at last by Mr..
Maplcton. Il hacheor-the richest man
in all FenchcSter-wh issued invita-.
tons for 4 ladies' Tournaments, for
which was to he given valuable
prize. This prize rumor soon stated
| TO be Il diamond ring of seemingly un-
necessary value-exccpt in the eyes of
the local jcwcler, who had parted with
| it,
Now it was for this that Geraldine
was cnviCd for her reputation. Lionel
Maplcton. though mddle-aged man.
was a matrimonial acquisition, and
| Geraldine was known OF all possible
candidates, to he his favorite. 1t was,
moreover. surmsed, reported. and, in
some eases, proved. that the diamond
ring, when won, rs it undOubtc 'ly
would be by her would be placed on
Gcraldincs finger by Mr. Mapcton in
the eyes Of all the people not only as n
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 cars
of thc person Eiost concerned in them,
most inrallbly do arrive at length at
that destination.
When, a day or two before the tour
namcnt, Geraldine did hear it. she
wished that ping-pong had never been
Invented. The position that it put her
In was this, and 1t was certainly for
her an unrnvahlc one. Her people
were not remarkably well off. there
fore her mother had urged her some
time before to encourage Mr. Napoleon
as much rs possible. pointing out to
her the great advantages that such a
union would bring to her family.
To all this Geraldine had said moth.
Ing, for only that evening she had
learnt truly what love meant: had not
spoken it, had not heard it. had only
found it-not in words. hut in dcclara-
ton in anothcr's eyes: but Wilfrid
Lawton's prospects were almost nil,
and, therefore. he kept silence; but
Geraldine understood.
1t was hocausc of all this that she
was confronted with one Of the first
double turnings in Ter life: whether
she should do her best to win the tour
namcnt ana gain 4 diamond ring and n
lich husband. or lose and reap the love
Of 4 man to whom all her heart went
out in leciprocnlion. Up to the moment
Of the first game she had not decided.
There were Il lot Of people there:
competitors in their legions. all dressed,
If not 10 win. at least to look their
best in losing; Old ladics-mostly
mothers, curious TO see the final re-
suits ana greed, of their daughters
succesS-and young men. silent sup
porters Of some individual girls play:
in fact. almost .he whole OF Fcnchcs-
ter was there.
Lionel Maplcton greeted them all
with the same alfabIity, though to
everybody present it seemed that lie
smiled more graciously ut Geraldine as
he led her to the table for the first
game in the tournament. Then ii all
commenced. At first Geraldine's in
stincts of winning were strong within
her, ana she played to the best Of her
ability. winning the game easily
amidst the solicitations TO the loser
and the congratulations of Lionel Ma
pleton. which made her snuddcr when
she thought Of what it would be at
the end when she won.
For the next two games she was n
bye, lis,cning TO her mothers congra-
tulations. and wishing that the whole
thing was over and that she had lost.
AT last her turn came again, and
again ale won, and following that, yet
again; now she was certain to be in
the semi-fnal, and every one was say
ing already that the tournament was
hers.
In a breathless silence she played The
semi-hnal though she herself seemed
callouS of winning, and, accordingly,
her strokes told one after the other.
for her opponent. though Il good play
cr was stricken with nervousness. and
again and again the little cclluloid ball
fell off the table, as point by point
Geraldine brought the game up to her.
self. Frequently she was applaudcd
for her strokes; and Mr.. Mapleton. I'M
able to keep still in his excitement
walked in and out between the special
tors, unable to conceal his evident de-
sire that size should succeed.
Even as the games were, each of
them almost brought to deuce and
vantage for Miss Rorthwick was Ger
allinc's most dreaded combatant, the
latter succeeded in winning: and, with
the clapping OF many hands. she sat
down to rest for the final game Of the
tournament.
Tho other girl who had, ny being a
bye, been left for the final. was short,
unpleposScSSng. plain to Il degree. and
wore glasses to add 20 her lack of i'll
tcrcst. 1t certainly was scarcely her
luNllI. hU', as Is 'np WHY III IH' NbIIu,
her supporters Were few in number:
moreover. she was Door player and
f.. Geraldine every one knew ii to be
q fore@Onc conclusion.
Many more visitors had come in
since the tournament had begun, and
rs Geraldine stood up to play the final
game Il pair of black eyes from the
back Of tho spectators gnHCd into hers,
and she read in them despair, pride.
but deepest of all, the great love that
she had seen there once before. In
that moment, rs she took up her racket
to begin the game her mind had de-
cidcd. and her course of action showed
more plainly thal words could have
done what that decision was.
vt times she played brilliant strokes,
Us though to show the assembled com.