Evening star., 1929-06-30

Ss Tennis @ s GSs but n ssS r e r. that %
4 set from him he and Johnny have 9 eIarTsI over
from the poor He and Rs sister
on n nsr nd there Ee 50 pees ldk ecee 5 e
sensson q e s sse new EE Mad6s sv opsy S
@ s%ss. :'n pay aes W
isrss crowd they play SCI. and: . the surprise
derful piayer and Sesss paSe Before ssartns
to es Because I Knows th % SRo f hn
Just returned from several years n France is star
that he Is being humiliated
THE crowd around the court on which Dave
Shade was actually being beaten was grow
ing larger all the time. Dave was popular, but
he was so good that every one rather enjoyed
seeing him beaten. And the sight was alf the
more pleasant because his conqueror was mere
girl
But Dave was very far from enjoying 1t. He
had been sure winner for so long Further
more, he realized how foolish he must look,
after his announcement to the spectators that
he was just giving this girl lesson He could
not get the humiliation out of his mind, and
SO as the second set started he went completely
to pieces.
Madge, evidently coached by Betty in the
proper way to treat the young man, who was
her opponent, was absolutely merciless. She
saw that he was faItering, and she pressed her
advantage to the limit. Saying not word ex-
cept to announce the score from time to time,
she welded her racket with ali the skill she
possessed and Dave swamped beneath a
bewildering assortment of drives, chops and
lobs.
His face became fiery red His mouth was set
in half snarl He hit the ball so viciously at
times that he drove it clear out Of the incosure.
The spectators, seeing how he was taking his
beating, looked pityingly or scornfully at him.
some of them began to laugh bit at his awk-
ward playing.
Betty had been watching her brother breath
lessly, but now she was hanging her head. How
ashamed of him she was! How she hated to
have these people see that he could not bear to
lose! And 1t was she who had brought this
about, hoping that Dave would rise to the oc-
casion and show that he was made of the right
stuff, after all. But now she would have to write
to Johnny Albert and tell him that all of their
plans had failed.
The score was SO in favor of Madge. Dave
took the balls to serve what every one thought
was the last game. His anger had fled, leaving
him dazed with shame. He was dirnly aware that
across the court the girl he had admired, had
become pitiless enemy, regular machine for
his destruction. With no strength or spirit he
seTved-doubles. On the second point he made
feeble effort to handle Madge's singing re-
turn of his service but netted the ball.
And then, with the score at love 80 he hap
pened to see Betty as he picked ball from the
sideiine He had been hating his sister for bring
ing this humiliation upon him, and he was
startled out Of his daze to see her sitting with
bowed head. looking almost as though she were
going to cry. What was wrong with her?
He looked quickly at Madge, who was waiting
for his next service. It was not his imagination
her face also was sad. She wasn't enjoying
her victory-she felt shamed and Inundated
because of him! Then. strangely, his mind fash
ed back to the North Side Tennis Club, to the
day when Johnny Albert had beaten him, and
he had been suspended The boys had felt sorry
for him then, too-he saw that now.
Suddenly the significance of these things
burst upon him. Oh, what mucker he wasl
What rotten sportl He glanced around at the
spectators. Pity again. and contempt.
Dawes shoulders went back. The sunlight
now seemed Of different color to him. The