CHAPTER XXIII A MEMORABLE BATTLE
As the Meadow-Brook Girls neared the grounds they saw that great throngswere there, while a constant stream of spectators poured across thefield. Now that the sun had come out, nearly every one was dressed inwhite. The stand was still nearly empty, the seats there being sold bynumbers, making it unnecessary for the ticket holders to come early inorder to get a seat.
George was waiting for the girls at their tent, to which they wentdirectly and, disappearing within, were seen no more until Jane and Hazelwere called for their match. Their entrance had attracted no attention,however, as little was known concerning them.
"How are the courts?" was Harriet's first question.
"Slippery as a skating rink," answered George.
"It is as fair for one as another," reflected Harriet, nodding. "I don'tknow that I mind it particularly. Not very nice for white shoes, though,is it?"
"Now you may go out," said the guardian. "We must get the girls ready. Iwill let you know as soon as we have finished."
George promptly stepped outside. In front of the tent stood Charlie Mabieon guard. George directed him to permit no one to come near the tentuntil the guardian had notified him they were ready, and then only thefriends of the party. There was little left to be done in the dressing.They took off their muddy shoes, putting on tennis shoes in place of theothers.
There was but little talking in the dressing tent, but outside a greatwave of conversation rose, reaching the tent in a confused murmur. Thegirls were rather pale, but this might be the result of the trying nightthrough which they had passed. Harriet pulled herself together and begana series of cheerful remarks. She soon had her companions laughing, andby the time they had finished their preparations the color had returnedto their faces and each had found her voice.
Mr. Disbrow was their first caller. He turned Harriet toward the lightthat shone through the tent opening and gazed quizzically down into hereyes.
"Just a wee bit nervous, eh? You will get over that when you get to work.It is perfectly natural. Everyone feels nervous before going into atournament. Why, when I am going into a match I am so nervous that Ican't talk without breaking down, but the moment I feel the grip of theracquet in my hand and see the net before me I want to shout for joy. Ah,life is worth while when you are facing a hard-hitter across the net, andthere leaps into your heart a savage determination to drive him from thecourt, a defeated man. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way.Sometimes you are the fellow who gets driven off, but it is the spirit,almost as much as the skill, that wins games. No one with a faint heartever won anything except defeat."
"Have you theen that beautiful cup thith morning?" questioned Tommyeagerly.
"No, I did not come over that way," answered P. E. laughingly.
"I hope it ith thtill there," was the little girl's anxious remark.
"You may depend upon it. Later in the day it will be brought over to thegrounds so that it may serve as an encouragement to the contestants.Don't lose yourself gazing at it while you are playing," he warnedjokingly.
"Have you seen the other teams?" asked the guardian.
"Yes, they are thick as flies on a summer's day. They are literallyswarming about the place. But there will be a thinning out soon. I wasnot misinformed regarding the Scott Sisters. They are fine championshipmaterial."
"Aren't we?" demanded Harriet quickly.
"You will be in time."
"Yeth, in about two hourth from now," answered Tommy. "But I do withh Iwath not tho weak in my kneeth. Why, do you think, am I tho weak in mykneeth, Mr. Dithbrow?"
"You imagine that. Forget all about it. Think of the beautiful cup andthe weakness will leave your knees," he advised.
"Yeth, I have notithed that. I----"
"Time to go out," called George cheerily, poking his head into the tent."All fit and fine, I see. There's going to be some lively work prettysoon. Jack Herrington says this is going to be a rattling tournament. Youknow where your courts are. Now go in and win. Good luck to theMeadow-Brook Girls."
"We are going to," answered Harriet Burrell, but her voice, though havinglost none of its determination, seemed rather weak to Captain Baker.
Already the teams were taking their places in their respective courts andan air of tense expectancy was beginning to be noticeable over the greatthrong of spectators. It was all confusion to the girls. They did notappear to see any one individually, and in their ears was that confusedmurmur that they had heard while in their tent.
George led Jane and Hazel to their respective courts, Miss Elting andDisbrow accompanying them at a short distance behind. The trim figures ofthe Meadow-Brook Girls clad in their dark blue serge uniforms attractedno little attention as the two stepped into the courts where they were toplay. Pressing close against the ropes, anxiously twirling their hats intheir hands, were the boys of the Tramp Club, so nervous that they couldscarcely control themselves. Harriet and Tommy also came out to watchthis first match of their companions.
The linesmen were in their places at the sides of the courts, the refereesat in his high chair, where he commanded a clear view of the court overwhich he was to make decisions. Tommy laughed and poked Harriet in theribs with her racquet.
"Doethn't he look funny in hith high chair?" she chuckled. "Jutht like ababy. They ought to give him a bib and tucker."
"Sh-h-h-h!" The referee was instructing the players as to what wasexpected of them. This finished, the sides tossed for the courts andservice. In the case of the Meadow-Brook team the toss was won by theiropponents, giving the opponents the service, the right to serve the firstball, a considerable advantage and one that frequently leads to victory.
The team opposed to Hazel and Jane were Miss Sprague and Miss Collins,the famous Riversides. Each girl was larger than either Hazel or herteammate, but to Disbrow's keen eyes the two Riverside girls did notappear to be in the fittest condition. They were a little too stout, itseemed to him.
"Play!" called the referee.
Jane and Hazel stood in position, Jane apparently all ready to return thefirst ball that went over the net. Disbrow uttered a sigh of relief as hesaw the lack of force with which Miss Sprague served the ball. Surely hispupil would send it back in the approved "smashing" manner. But Janestood as if rooted to the spot; her first experience of playing before acrowd of onlookers had given her an unprecedented attack of "stagefright." She partially recovered when the ball was on its second bounce,but then it was too late, for the Meadow-Brooks had lost the first point.And so it was throughout the six games that followed. Both Hazel and Janeplayed more like wooden automatons than like the strong, agile girls theywere known to be. Their opponents were weak players, but they had enteredtournaments before and therefore had more self-confidence than theMeadow-Brook Girls. In nearly every game either Jane or Hazel wouldmanage to get a point or two, but Miss Sprague and her partner succeededin getting six games before Disbrow's pupils had won any, and thereforewere credited with the first set of the match.
The Tramp Boys had cheered the girls whenever they had the slightestexcuse, but they were too despondent to offer any real encouragement tothe defeated teammates as they made their weary way to the dressing tentfor a seven minutes' rest. Even Disbrow could not conceal hisdisappointment, for he knew the Meadow-Brook team had not played as wellas they had done in practice. Jane realized this, too, and just beforethey reached the court for the second set she whispered to Hazel in avery decided tone, "This set we _must_ win. You know perfectly well thatwe can play better than those girls. If we lose, it will be a disgrace toMr. Disbrow, and if we make use of all he has so patiently taught us, weshall not lose. Come on, let's 'thhow' him, as Tommy would say."
The next set told a very different story. Miss Collins and Miss Spraguehad become over-confident because they had won the first set so easily;the Meadow-Brook spirit had asserted itself once more, with the resultthat Jane and Hazel had three games to the
ir credit almost before theyknew it. The Tramp Boys were yelling with delight, but the Englishman'steam were so intent on the business at hand that they were hardlyconscious of the din. The second set they won easily, the final scorebeing 6-2 in their favor. In the third decisive set of the match everypoint marked a long struggle, and the Riversides had to fight for everypoint they gained. The games stood 5-2 in their favor when Jane caughtsight of Disbrow's tense, excited face and tightly clasped hands. Thatwas enough.
"Remember P. E.," she whispered to Hazel, and thereafter they played withsuch vim that they brought the score up to 5-5 or deuce. Wild yells fromonlookers greeted this feat. However, the longer training and greaterpoise of the Riversides told in the end, for in their eagerness to returnone of the balls, Jane and Hazel both rushed for it, collided in themiddle of the court, and the ball passed swiftly by them.
"Game and set for the Riversides!" called out the referee.
Recovering quickly from their collision, Hazel and Jane jumped gracefullyover the net and shook hands with their opponents, almost before any onerealized that the match was over.
When the Meadow-Brook Girls made their way back to the tent this timethey heard congratulations for their plucky playing on all sides, andfriendly sympathy for their bad luck. Disbrow was delighted with theshowing they had made, and as he had not expected them to win, he wasreally proud of his team.
While Jane and Hazel had been playing, the Fifth Avenues were giving afine exhibition of their skill in a preliminary match. Harriet and Tommywatched with great interest, for they were to play the winners.
"Game and set for the Fifth Avenues," announced the referee.
"In fifteen minutes the 'running up' matches will be played, the ScottSisters _vs._ The Riversides, and the Fifth Avenues _vs._ TheMeadow-Brooks," Mr. Herrington then announced.
"That means you and me, Tommy," whispered Harriet.
"Yeth, I know it doeth. But what did he mean by the 'running up'matches'?"
"Mr. Disbrow explained that to me a few minutes ago. The two teams thatwin these matches play against each other for the cup. Therefore, thosethree teams and we are 'running up' for the cup."
"And we are going to win it, too, aren't we?"
"Indeed, we are, for the sake of P. E. and the Tramp Boys, if not for ourown," Harriet declared as they made their way to the court.
__"Play!" called the referee.
"Are you ready?" asked the Fifth Avenue girl who had won the right toserve the first ball.
"Yes," replied Harriet.
Harriet being the striker-out, it was her duty first to permit the ballto strike the ground, taking it on its first bound and return it into theopposite court. The service ball had been served with great swiftness, itseemed, whereas, as a matter of fact, it was not coming nearly as fast asHarriet had thought. The ball dropped into her court not far from thenet. Harriet saw at once that she had misjudged the serve and that shemust make a quick move.
She ran quickly and leaning slightly forward started to scoop the ball upand return it, when suddenly both feet slipped out from under her.Harriet measured her full length on the ground, falling flat on her face,sliding along the slippery court until she plunged head-first into thenet.
A shout went up from the spectators. The Tramp Boys groaned. They wishedthemselves miles away. Miss Elting's face grew suddenly pale.
"Fifteen-love," droned the referee. Harriet's opponent had scored thefirst point. Harriet got up. She was covered with brown mud from head tofeet, a good bit of it on her face. Never had she suffered thehumiliation that was hers at that moment. Tommy had not uttered a sound.She was aghast with amazement.
The play went on, but not a point had been scored by Harriet and herpartner when the announcement fell from the lips of the referee:
"Love game."
"Isn't it awful!" groaned Sam Crocker.
The second game was a repetition of the first except that Harriet did notfall down. It was a love game in favor of their opponents.
"It's all over," declared Dill when they began the third game.
"It's our last chance, Tommy. We _must_ win the rest of the set. See!They've brought the cup here," said Harriet.
The cup stood out in the bright sunlight a vivid flame. Tommy gasped. Itwas an inspiration to her.
"Yeth," she breathed in awe of the beautiful sight.
They began to play. Harriet Burrell did not fall down. She was on hermettle. All the determination that she possessed had been summoned to thetask before her. She was a different person. Tommy, inspired by the sightof the beautiful trophy, was a different girl, too.
Their opponents won the first two games, but Harriet and Tommy gaveevidence of their splendid training and spirit by winning the next two.
"Two-all," called the referee, and so the score went see-sawing back andforth until it was deuce, and finally 6-5 in favor of the Meadow-Brooks.
"Drive them out," urged Harriet. She returned the server's stroke,putting the ball into her opponents' court, where neither of themsucceeded in hitting it.
The decisive game now stood forty-thirty, leaving the Meadow-Brook teambut one point to go. This Harriet made by a puzzling "floater," a slowball that fell in the opposite court far out of reach.
"Game!" announced the referee. "Seven minutes' rest at the end of third."
For a moment the Tramp Boys were silent. They were scarcely able tobelieve their eyes. Then the boys tossed their hats in the air anduttered a great shout.
"Splendid!" cried Disbrow. "Keep on that way and you will win the match.If you do, it will have been a magnificent thing after the awful startyou made."
Miss Elting's eyes were shining happily.
"Girls, do you know who the Scott Sisters are?" she cried. "Oh, you can'timagine! Your opponents are Patricia Scott and her sister!"
"Really!" was Harriet's sharp exclamation.
"Yes, the same Patricia Scott who was dismissed from Camp Wau-Wau becauseof her enmity for you and her disgraceful treatment of you. She saw yougirls, too. She knows all about our being entered."
Harriet and Jane glanced at each other. There was the same thought in themind of each. Patricia, or her friends, had had something to do with thecutting of the tent ropes. But neither girl voiced her suspicion at themoment. They were called back to the court almost immediately. But inHarriet Burrell's mind was a stronger determination than ever to winuntil she came face to face with Patricia Scott across the tennis net,provided Patricia were still playing, which seemed more than likely, forthe Scott Sisters were playing a magnificent game.
The story of the next set of the match is briefly told. Harriet and Tommyplayed three strong games, not perfect games by any manner of means, butDisbrow, who was watching their every movement with the eyes of anexpert, saw that they were coming up magnificently. Each succeeding gamewas played better than the previous one.
"Set and match for the Meadow-Brook Girls," called the referee, instentorian tones.
The Tramp Boys were beside themselves with joy. Regardless of time orplace, they uttered a series of blood-curdling war whoops.
But there was little time for congratulation. The Scott Sisters had wontheir match, and therefore would be pitted against Harriet and Tommy inthe final match of the tournament. Fifteen minutes were allowed each teamto recuperate.
The Tramp Boys were becoming worked up to a pitch of enthusiasm thatthreatened the temporary loss of their reason. Sam suddenly made adiscovery. A young man in a white suit was seen talking with the ScottSisters. There was something very familiar about his appearance. Sam drewnear. When the man left the two girls, Sam followed him until the youngman reached a secluded place at the end of the grand stand.
"You are the fellow who hit me on the nose!" he hissed. "Put up yourhands! I am going to pay my debts."
When Samuel Crocker had finished with the stranger the white suit wassadly stained with mud, and the young man's own nose was in need ofrepairs. The fellow fled from the field, while Sam returne
d triumphantlyto his companions, one eye blackened, his hair standing up, but his heartfull of unholy joy. He felt that he had wiped out two scores instead ofone.
The ranks of the players were thinning. It was well along in theafternoon now. Players moved about wearily. Their feet were not nearly solight as when the work of the day had begun and there were manydisappointed faces to be seen. As for the Meadow-Brook Girls, instead ofgrowing weary, they plainly were gaining in strength. Perhaps theirsuccess was largely responsible for this. But their endurance wasundeniable. Still, the work of the day was far from done, thechampionship a long way off, for the team that had been picked to winwere still to be beaten.
Enthusiasm was running high. The Meadow-Brook Girls had by this timebecome very prominent. They were nearing the blazing cup which had servedas Tommy's inspiration and which seemed almost within reach now. Butthere remained the other team, before which everything had gone down. Itseemed hopeless for Harriet and her slender, excitable little companionto hope to win against the hard-hitting, quick-footed, skilful ScottSisters.
"They can't do it," declared Disbrow. "But even if they do not, they havewon second place. That alone I should think ought to be triumph enoughfor any team that has been on the court only five weeks. Oh, this issplendid! It's glorious!"
Harriet overheard. Her eyes lighted up for a moment and, catching Mr.Disbrow's eyes, she smiled. Then, nudging Tommy, she moved toward thecenter court, where the final game was to be played. Only Tommy, Harrietand the Scott Sisters were left now. All the other courts were desertedwith the exception of number five, on which a series of consolation gameswere to be played by the losers. But there was little interest in these.The great and absorbing interest was for number one court. The two teamswere loudly cheered when they appeared at the court where the finals wereto be played.
The Scott girls, smiling, confident, but plainly weary from thehard-fought battles of the day, entered the court. Patricia Scott jeeredaudibly as Harriet entered the opposite court and faced her.
"I'm sorry we couldn't have met you earlier in the day," she saidsneeringly.
"I share your regret," answered Harriet calmly. "But better late thannever. I am going to defeat you if I can, Patricia, and I think I can. Ifyou win this match you will earn it, and so shall we if we win."
Patricia tossed her head in the air and stepped back, an angry light inher eyes.
"Some bad blood there," said a spectator who had overheard.
"Steady," warned the voice of Mr. Disbrow from the side lines.
Harriet nodded, but did not turn her head. She was watching heropponents, studying their every move, planning.
"Play!" commanded the referee.
Then began the game that was to be talked of for many a day thereafter bythose who had been fortunate enough to watch it.
CHAPTER XXIV CONCLUSION
Patricia served. Tommy returned it, whereupon Patricia sent a ball whichTommy failed to reach.
"Fifteen love," announced the referee. The Scott Sisters had won thefirst point easily.
"Look alive!" snapped Harriet, cutting her words off short. "Keep the cupin mind, but don't look at it."
The Scott Sisters took another point; then the tide changed. TheMeadow-Brook Girls made two points in succession. The score stood atthirty-all. Then the latter gave a point to their opponents by a winningcross-court volley made by Patricia's sister. Harriet earned the nextpoint for the Meadow-Brooks by driving a terrific ball straight atPatricia Scott. The ball hit her squarely on the left eye, bounded backand came to rest in her court before she realized what had occurred. Thespectators uttered a shout.
The two teams were tied at deuce. Harriet began speeding up, but took twolong chances and faulted two points to her opponents. The Scott Sistershad won the first game of the set, but there had been no lack ofexcitement. They had secured the necessary two points after the score hadstood at deuce, or three points each.
Excitement ran high. There could be no doubt that here were two _real_teams. About this time the word began to be passed about that theMeadow-Brook Girls had never played a real game of tennis up to aboutfive weeks before the tournament. It was inconceivable. But by the timethe Scott Sisters had won the first set, Tommy was showing a littleweariness and welcomed the seven minutes' rest granted to both teams.
Encouraged by Mr. Disbrow, and still determined to have the cup, theMeadow-Brooks won the second set after a bitter fight. They walkedbriskly to their tent amid the cheers and shouts of the spectators. Inthe tent they were fanned, their faces bathed, their mouths rinsed withwater--they were not permitted to drink--then once more they were calledforth to what all believed was to be a great battle. If anything, HarrietBurrell was fresher, stronger than at any time since she had begunplaying in the tournament, but it was too much to hope that she and Tommycould ever stand up under the cruel grilling of the Scott Sisters, whoseemed to know every trick that was known to tennis players. Tommy andHarriet would do well to earn second place.
P. Earlington Disbrow's face was pale, his hair was rumpled, his fingerswere open and closing nervously, while little beads of perspiration stoodout on his forehead.
The next set was a fight from start to finish. The Meadow-Brooks went atit aggressively. They hammered the Scott Sisters, giving them such agrilling as those two players had never experienced. Twice during the onegame Patricia had been made a target for Harriet's ball, twice hadPatricia been struck in the face, unable to dodge in time to avoid, or tohit the ball the way it came to her. She appealed angrily to the referee,only to be informed that if she could not keep out of the way of the ballshe must expect to be hit. As a point was scored for her opponent eachtime the ball touched her person or her clothing, Patricia naturally wasangry.
The Scott Sisters threw themselves savagely into their work. Some timesince they had learned the Meadow-Brook code of signals, as Harrietquickly discovered. The code was abandoned then and there, but as sheplayed Harriet was devising a new scheme for outwitting their opponents.Then to Harriet's dismay she discovered that Tommy was giving out. LittleTommy seemed to be withering. She was making a desperate effort to hideher utter weariness, but the quick eyes of their opponents discoveredthis fact very shortly after Harriet had done so.
"Favor yourself. I'll take the bulk of the work," flashed Harriet, whennear enough to speak without being overheard. The opposition havingobserved that the little lisping girl was weakening began to hammer her,volleying at her, hurling ground balls into her court, directing almosttheir full attack at her.
Harriet, in making a run to her companion's assistance, slipped, fell,but was on her feet almost instantly. Miss Elting saw the girl twist herface as if she were suffering great pain. Harriet limped a little.
"Oh, that _settles_ it!" groaned Disbrow.
But it was not settled yet. Game after game was played, first one sidegetting the odd game then the other, and at every other game the scorewent from advantage to deuce and back again. It was well-nigh impossibleto get the two games necessary to give the set to one side or the other.The day was waning. Harriet Burrell and Tommy Thompson had been on thecourts for hours. Their opponents also had been playing fully as long,but they were large and strong, while one of the Meadow-Brook partnerswas slight and was fast becoming exhausted.
Harriet, by taking all of her partner's work that she possibly could,gave Tommy a little rest. The latter finally announced that she feltstrong enough to take her full share of the play. It was then thatHarriet tried the new plans she had been thinking out. She had observedin all the playing that players always glanced quickly in the directionthey proposed to send the ball. This had been a great help to her indeciding where an opponent's ball was going. She tried the plan oflooking in the opposite direction just before she served a ball. Theeffect exceeded her fondest expectations. The striker-out leaped thewrong way the first time the trick was turned on her and Harriet scored apoint. From that on the trick was
applied now and then and almost alwayswith success. Harriet's lips were set tight all the time she played andit was plain to those who knew her well that she was suffering greatpain, but from what they did not know.
The Scott Sisters were furious. Where they had confidently looked for aneasy victory, they found themselves fighting the greatest battle of theirlives. Three times they had been warned by the referee for violations ofthe law, and, had the Meadow-Brook Girls demanded it, the game, underthese circumstances, would have gone to them. They made no such demand.They proposed to fight it out to the bitter end. It was deuce, thenadvantage, advantage, then deuce again and again. Would there be no endto it? Each side determined that the next game should put an end to it.
"I am afraid Miss Thompson is too far gone for our wonderful girls towin. But oh, what a magnificent battle!" cried Mr. Disbrow. Captain Bakeropened his mouth to reply, but was too overcome with emotion to do so.
"Tommy, _we must win this game_! Understand?" whispered Harriet.
Grace nodded weakly. They were advantage-in on games, being one game inthe lead. It now needed but a game to win the match for them, but it hadneeded but one game to do that several times during this grilling battle.
"You play close to the net on your side. I will cover the court. If theylob, I will try to get out in time to volley it back. Now do your best.Remember the cup! Remember the beautiful cup, Tommy," encouraged Harriet.
Tommy looked toward the cup, now turned to molten gold under the lastrays of the departing sun. Tommy uttered a little squeal and leaped upinto the air to meet a lob from her opponent, which she did sosuccessfully that she scored for her team.
"Good girl!" encouraged Harriet. "Keep them at the back of the--oh, thatwas too bad," as Patricia scored a point. The score in that game nowstood thirty-fifteen. The Scott Sisters gained another point over Tommy'sfault, making the score thirty-all.
"Slow ball over the net," commanded Harriet. Tommy obeyed and Tommyscored. Patricia volleyed, then darted back near the baseline ready totake a hard volley which she expected in return from Harriet, who wasgoing to make the return, or to run up in case of a drop-ball.
Harriet saw it all. It was a critical moment. Her plans were formed in asecond's time. She sent a floater toward her opponent's court. It hit thenet-band, the strip of white canvas on the upper edge of the net.Patricia had darted forward just as Harriet knew she would, but as theball hit the net-band, Patricia stopped short and laughed. She thoughtthe ball had been played into the net and that it would fall back intoher opponent's court, thus scoring a point for the Scott team.
Instead of doing so the tennis ball, after striking the net-band, hoppedover the net and dropped into Patricia Scott's court, rolled along a fewfeet toward the side-line and stopped. It was as neat a "net ball" as anyexpert there had ever seen played.
"Game!" announced the referee. "The Meadow-Brook team wins."
That was all. For a few seconds there was silence. The sun flashed out ofsight and the cup changed from gold to silver. Harriet limped toward thenet.
"Will you shake hands with me, Patricia?" she asked, with a wan smile.
"Only because I have to." Patricia's voice was low, and only Harrietheard her add, "I hate you more than ever!" With that she hurried off thecourt.
It seemed that up to that moment the spectators had not realized that thegame was over. Now it came to them with tremendous force.
The little serge-clad Meadow-Brook Girls, the girls who had had but fiveweeks' practice on the tennis court, had won one of the greatest amateurmatches that had ever been played on the Atlantic coast. A great,explosive roar burst from the throats of the spectators.
P. Earlington Disbrow, forgetting that his sprained ankle was no longersprained, began hopping about like a rabbit. The boys fought their waythrough the throngs that were almost mobbing them to get at thevictorious girls. They got them safely to the dressing tent, but as soonas they were inside Harriet's head had drooped and she leaned heavily onCaptain Baker's shoulder.
"She's fainted," said George as they gently laid her down on a cot in thedressing tent. Miss Elting and a pale-faced woman rushed into the tent atthis juncture. The latter threw herself down by the cot and gatheredHarriet into her arms. Tommy sat gasping on the floor while a girl in awhite sweater was bathing her face with cold water.
Harriet suddenly opened her eyes and looked into the face of the womanwho was holding her so tightly.
"Mother, O, Mother! is it you?" she breathed, with a sharp catch in hervoice.
"You fainted, but you are all right now. Oh, it was wonderful, but it wasterrible," sobbed Mrs. Burrell.
"It was foolish in me to faint," answered Harriet weakly. "I wouldn'thave fainted, but I sprained my ankle more than an hour ago. It seemed asif every step I took would kill me."
Disbrow, with face now flushed, had been standing on one leg peeringanxiously in at Harriet and her friends.
"Do you hear, P. E.?" shouted George, rushing to him and shaking a fistunder Disbrow's nose. "Do you hear that? She's been playing on a sprainedankle for more than an hour, and yet they won the cup! _They won thecup!_ Lucky for me that my heart's all right! Whoope-e-e!"
Word of this was quickly passed, and the people would not leave untilthey had seen Harriet. She was carried out--the boys would not permit herto step even on one foot--then as she slipped an arm about Tommy's neckand smiled bravely, another great shout went up. But now Jack Herringtonwas pushing his way to them. In his hands he held the trophy they hadwon, the much-coveted silver cup. He held up his hand for silence.
"It is my pleasure," he said, "to present this handsome trophy to theMeadow-Brook Girls. It has been fairly won, and that after the mostwonderful exhibition of pluck and endurance that it ever has been my goodfortune to witness. I congratulate you from my heart. I am proud of you,proud of the honor that is mine, and hope we may meet again."
The outburst that followed drowned his concluding words. It was at thismoment that Jane McCarthy came tearing up in her motor car, scatteringpeople to the right and to the left. The Meadow-Brook Girls were goingback to their camp to spend the night, then on the morrow they were goinghome, bearing the precious trophy that Harriet and Tommy had won forthem. There was also a smaller cup that had been awarded to Jane andHazel, but the big trophy was the prize that overshadowed everythingelse.
Immediately on their return to camp Harriet's ankle was dressed by MissElting, after the guardian had satisfied herself that no bones werebroken. The faithful Tramp Club had elected to remain on guard about theMeadow-Brook camp that night. P. Earlington Disbrow also remained withthem and after supper both camps gathered in front of the tent for along, happy evening. In spite of her sprained ankle Harriet insisted onmaking one of the party.
Sam, who had been pursuing diligent inquiries regarding the young man towhom he had administered a well-merited beating, now informed them thatthe spy was none other than the brother of the Scott Sisters, thusverifying the suspicion in the minds of Jane and Harriet that PatriciaScott was responsible for the cutting of their tent ropes. Jane cast atriumphant glance toward Harriet while Sam was speaking, but the almostimperceptible shake of Harriet's head caused the impulsive Irish girl toremain silent regarding Patricia's past misdeeds.
It was late before the Meadow-Brook Girls said good night to the TrampClub and went into their tent and the boys stationed themselves outsidefor their vigil.
A few minutes after the Meadow-Brook Girls and their guardian had rolledup in their blankets for the night Tommy mumbled sleepily:
"Harriet!"
"Yes, little partner?"
"Don't forget about that thilver polithh and the cloth, will you?"
"I won't forget," promised Harriet. Five minutes later Harriet, too, waswrapped in sleep, and the round-faced moon smiled kindly down on thetired but triumphant Meadow-Brook Girls.
The End.
Transcriber's Notes
--
Copyright notice provided as in the original printed text--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.
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