Evening star., 1927-05-29

would make the count take his sweat.
er off this afternoon. l shouldn't Won
der. But If he does. it will mean the
end of Johnny's chances. rather than
the end of the counts. For the count
| will do it in a way to get a laugh
from the crowd. and worry Johnny.
| IF Johnny were old enough to stick
| to tennis. and nothing but tennis, no
matter what monkeyshines the cham
pion of the Riviera INDUCES in--well,
that would be different story"
| Muriel paused and looked at Johnny
to see how he was taking it.
| as that all?" he asked.
| That's ALL" Muriel said.
| "Well," Johnny said, maybe you
and Charlie Partridge are right. May
be I'd better let it lay"
! But it gave him to think. And
what he thought was, If he could put
it iover the count he would have her.
Johnny was astonished at how cool
he felt when at last he was out
| there knocking balls about with the
count. He was consciously avoiding
the half-volley he meant to rely on the
moment they began. He knew that
| the count knew he could half.volley.
| But he didn't want to remind him of
| it, and he didn't forget himself once.
| He lust sent back low, easy, flat
| drives. He noticed that the count was
| doing the same thing--not a sugges-
| ton of the spin he always used in
| actual play.
After 10 minutes the umpire called
| the game. Johnny logged over to the
| stand where the umpire sat and pulled
off his sweater. The count stopped
| by and wiped his hands on towel and
| took another racquet. Johnny noticed
| that his hair was thin along the part.
After all, Johnny thought, he's an old
man-he's thirty-four or five-he's S
| long past his best. Let him keep his
| sweater on.
They both played easily for the first
| few games, feeling each other out like
| two boxers who know they are pretty
| evenly matched and in for a long fight.
| When the games in the first set stood
at Sail, Johnny thought it was time
to let loose.
The count was serving--that easy,
| fast twist of his. 1t never had the
same spin twice. But Johnny had
been watching it now, and he thought
he could tell about how much the
count was giving it by keeping his
eye on the facquethead as it struck
| volleyed the counts first ball. John.
ny's knee almost touched the turf as
he got down for it, but he swung just
| as full and free as if he were making
forehand drive and taking the ball
at the top of the bound.
The ball seemed to hit the ground
and the racquet.head simultaneously.
But, of course. it hit the ground first.
The ball cleared the net six inches
and struck just inside the courts s
back-hand corner, a stroke so fast
| that the count didn't get his racquet
| on it. He acknowledged it's perfection
| by putting his hands on his hips and
| staring at 1t.
Johnny smiled to himself, as he
trotted back to take the next service.
The count served, This time; Johnny
| tried the one trick shot in his roper.
| tory. He laid his racquet down, al.
| most touching the turf. and loosened
his grip ever so slightly as the ball
struck it coming up. The ball popped
over the net at a sharp angle, dropped
so close that the count had no chance
| to get in from his base line.
"There," Johnny thought. "that's
| love-thirty and enough trick stuff. I'll
slam the next one."
They had three long rallies, but
Johnny took the game with another of
those half.volleys that shot like a bull.
let for the far corner. He had broken
through the counts service. He had
easily at ca.
Johnny knew that he was fit to
go the limit. 1t was 80 in the shade,
but he was hardly warm yet. And
the ball was doing everything he asked
of it. He took chances, hitting harder
and freer than he had ever hit before.
He took the second set at 7-5.
Whereupon it occurred to Johnny
that he might go straight through,
might take the third set, and win.
But the count knew that as we'll as he.
The count uncorked his cannon. ball
service and aced Johnny with it five
times that set. The count began to
return balls that Johnny thought he
had safely put away. The count
played such a game as no man can
keep up for long, and he took the
set at 6-3.
Johnny studied him when they
came out after the 10.minute rest.
The counts manner was just as in.
souciant as ever. But Johnny knew
he wasn't the same. Johnny felt
he had been going bit himself. How
much more must the count, who was
| old, almost 35, feel it? Johnny ran
| off three games.
Then the count braced amazingly.
He teased Johnny in with soft shots:
he lobbed Johnny back to his base
line; he volleyed to desperate angles.
He had Johnny guessing what he was
going to do next. He took the set at
8-6. They were tied at two sets all.
Johnny felt winded, as he took his
place to receive service for the first
game of the final set. The sweat got
in his eyes: the sweat was running in
little streams down his arms, down
his legs. If he had gone that hard,
the count must be ready to crack. He
knew, hearing the umpire drone the
score, what the count would do. He
| would take his own service. But he
would let Johnny take his service.
Thus he would recuperate for a final
| break through to win.
1.-TWO can play that game" Johnny
| thought.
THEY played that way for eight
games, until the set stood at 4-all.
| Johnny broke through in the ninth
game. He had to break through. The
| score was 5-4 now, and he was serv.
| ing. Johnny took two long breaths,
as he watched the count skip into po.
sition behind the base line.
Let him skip" Johnny thought.
Hes all in, just the same"
Johnny took his time, getting poised
| for that first serve. Johnny had for.
gotten that 5000 people were looking
down on them. Johnny dropped his
| racquet down behind his shoulder, his
eye measuring the distance, and just
| when he was ready to toss up the
ball, the count held up his hand.
Johnny paused. The count grinned
| at Johnny. Johnny waited. wonder
| ing. A murmur ran through the
| stand, like little wind in dry leaves.
Johnny looked up at the crowd.
Everybody was looking at the count
inquiringly.