Evening star., 1927-11-06
RY STEPHEN LEACOCK.

TN the daytime Mr.. Spillikins and
the Little Girl in Green played
tennis. There was a court at
/ ono end of the lawn beneath
the trees, all checkered with
sunlight and mingled shadow; very
beautiful, Norah thought, though Mr..
Spillkins explained that the spotted
light put him off his game. In fact.
it was owing entirely to this ,bad light
that Mr. Spillikins' fast drives, won
derfully though they were. somehow
never got inside the service court.
Norah-the little poor relation of
the Dewberrys-though Mr.. Spillikins
wonderful player. She was glad-in
fact, it suited them both-when he
beat her six to nothing. She didn't
know and didn't care that there was
no one else in the world that Mr..
'pill.kns could beat like that. Once
he even said to her:
"By Cad, you don't play half a
had game. you know. I think, you
know, with practice you'd come on
quite A lot"
After that the games were under
stood TO be more or less the form
Of lessons, which put Mr.. Spillikins
on pedestal of superiority, and al.
lowed any bad strokes on his part
to be viewed as form of indulgence.
Also, as the tennis was viewed in
this light, it was Norah's part to
pick up the balls at the net and
throw them back to Mr.. Spillikins.
He let her do this, not from rude
ness, for it wasn't in him, but be-
cause In such a primeval place as
Castel Casteggio The natural primi
tive relation of the sexes is bound
to reassert itself.
But of love Mr.. Spillillins never
thought. He had viewed it so eager
ly and so often from a distance that
when 1t stood here modestly at his
very elbow he did not recognize it's
presence. His mind had been fash
ioned, as it were. TO connect love with
something stunning and sensational,
with vampyN hats ad slinky dresses
and the luxuriOu consciousness of the
unattainable.
Even at that, there Is no knowing
what might have happened. Tennis.
in the checkered light of sun and
shadow cast by Summer leaves, is a
dangerous game. There came a day
when hey were standing on each
side of the net. and Mr.. Spillikins
was explaining to NOrah the proper
way to hold racket so as to be
able to give those magnificent back
hand sweeps of his, by which he
generally drove the ball into the lake;
and explaining this involved putting
his hand right over NorSh's on the
handle of the racket. so that for just
half a second her hand was clasped
tight in his, and If that half-second
int n q
second it is quite possible that what
was already subconscious in his mind
would have broken it's way triumph
antly to the surface. and Norah s
| hand would have stayed in his--aow
willingly!-for the rest of their two
| lives.
| But just at that moment Mr.. Spill
| likns looked up. and he said in quite
an altered tone.
"By Jove, who's that awfully good
looking woman getting out OF the
| MOTOR"
And their hands unclasped. Norah
looked over toward the house and
said
why, it's Mrs. Everleight. 1
| thought she wasn't coming for an
| other week"
II say" said Mr. Spilillins, strain
| ing his short sight to the ,fttermost.
| what perfectly wonderful golden
hair, eh?"
"Why, its" Norah began and
then she stopped. 1t didn't seem right
i TO explain about Mrs. Everleigh's hair.
| y y
| 'And who's that tall chap standing
beside herr" said Mr.. Spillikins.
st think it's Capt. Cormorant, but
I don't think he's going to stay. Hes