The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-07-10

seml-Gnal. though she herself seemed
callous of winning. and. accordingly,
her strokes told, one after the other,
for her opponent though a good play
or. was stricken with nervousness. and
again and again the little celluloid ball
fell OF the table, as point by point
Geraldine brought the game up 20 her
self. Frequently she was appauded
for her strokes; and Mr. Maplcton, un-
able TO keep still IN his excitement,
walked in and out between the specta-
tors, unable 10 conceal his evident de-
sire that she should succeed.
Even as the games were, each Of
them almost brought 10 deuce and
vantage, for Miss Borthwick was Ger
aldines 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
The other girl who had. by being
bye, been left for the final. was short,
unprepossessing, plain to q degree, and
wore glasses to add TO her lack Of In
terest. 1t certainly was scarcely her
fault, but, as is the way of the world,
her supporters were few in number;
moreover she was a poor player, and
fer Geraldine every one knew it to be
fOregOne conclusion.
Many more visitors had come in
since the tournament had begun, and
as Geraldine stood up TO play the final
game a pair Of black eyes from the
back Of the spectators gazed 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, as she took up her racket
TO begin the game her mind had de-
cided, and her course Of action showed
more plainly than words could have
done what that decision was.
At times she played brilliant strokes,
as though to show the assembled COM
pany that no power OF hers was failing.
Occasionally she would drive the ball
so near the edge Of the table that its
reaching at all was 4 stroke worthy of
applause, and moment by moment
every one in the room realized that in
tentionally she was throwing away the
game which had almost been placed In
her hand. Only twice during the three
setts that were played, Tor she lost the
first two and won the second, did she
look up, and each time the same eyes
were silently regarding her, now with
admiration, and now, as she played a
brilliant stroke, with fear.
Her mother, though she scarcely un.
derstood the game at all, and thought
that deuce was an improper word to
use before ladies, was almost crying
with veXation in the corner where sine
was sitting, for they reported to hei
that her daughter Yves losing.
Geladine played the last sett betrer
though she never forgot, wien, HAVING
won a stroke TO let her opponent Wi!
the following ono ard accordingly IN,
sets stood at one all, aud the CalE2'
four-fve; the next would grant her an
other chance, or lose her everything
One incident entirely decided her
Mr.. Mapleton brought out the diaiaon(
ring and placed it on the mantelpiect
in the room where every ones eyes
r Geraldine's included-could see It. TIL
action disguised her. as ii was so Oh
. viously a species of bribery that sh
threw away every stroke, and lost tn
. last game Of alto love!
1t was soothing to her vanity tha
. the uninteresting girl thought she wa
! the better player. With the best grac
that he could muster, and it was bu
poor, Mr.. Mapleton handed the littl
! velvet case to her, as Geraldine retire
+ to a vacant seat.
= 1t was a few days after the eyenin
of the tournament, when Fencheste
4 was beginning to rest from the breafi
lessness Of its surprise that Geral; t.
+ encountered Wilfrid Lawton as al
was returning from making poor q
O in the parish
Il The long and narrow little lane tha
p led to her garden gate was dark an
= damp with the foggy mist Of evenin
~ that was rising from the earth, an
o she could barely see her way, and S
# she started when a footstep came b
# hind her and a voice pronounced he
name
y; Mr.. Lawtony she exclaimed. "Wh
l, didn't you tell me it was your
il He apologized I'm very sorry" l
Y said, "but l wanted to speak to you"
G. She stopped. what is it," she sal
s and it was with difficulty that 81