CHAPTER XXVIII. A LESSON IN TENNIS.
Faith and Muriel were studying together the next morning, which chancedto be Saturday, when they heard a hurrying of feet in the corridor andthen a merry banging on the door.
"Come in," Muriel called. The door was flung open and in bounced GladysGoodsell and Catherine Lambert, wearing tennis shoes and carrying theirracquets and balls.
"Top o' the morning to you," Gladys sang out.
"The coast is clear!" Catherine announced almost at the same time.
The two, who were seated at a small table strewn with papers and books,looked up inquiringly.
"What coast and how clear?" Faith inquired.
Gladys threw herself down upon the window seat while Catherine perched onthe foot of the bed.
"Marianne Carnot and Adelaine Stuart have gone to the city for the day.Think of that! They left on the mail boat at nine o'clock sharp,chaperoned by Miss Widdemere, and are to return at six-thirty P. M. Werewe ever in greater luck?"
Still the listeners were puzzled.
"Faith Morley, put on your thinking bonnet! Don't you know that we havebeen just pining to have an opportunity to instruct Muriel in thebeginnings of tennis without being spied upon by our arch-enemy, whateverthat may mean. Anyway, it sounds much grander than just enemy."
"That is true," Faith replied, "but this morning Muriel and I wereplanning to study. Can't we play this afternoon?"
Faith had not told the others that in reality she was trying to instructthe island girl in spelling the simplest words, but Muriel was quitewilling that these two dear friends might know, and so she said: "TeacherFaith, I think I'm gettin' a notion of what you mean about the lesson,and if you'd like to be teachin' me tennis, I'd love to be learnin' it."
"Very well," Faith said as she arose, glad indeed to join in the outdoorgame they all so enjoyed. "I haven't a thing to do until my violin lessonat three o'clock, although I think I had better practice for an hourbefore Herr Professor arrives on the scene today. Last Saturday he said,'Mees Morley, the practice is less of late, why for?'" Then she added:"Into your sport skirt, Muriel, and if you haven't tennis shoes I'll loanyou a pair. Fare-thee-well. I'll be back in a twinkling."
Faith skipped away to her room to change her dress. Catherine and Gladysannounced that they would go ahead to the court and practice until theothers joined them.
Ten minutes later Faith reappeared, holding a pair of tennis shoes. Shefound Muriel studying the primer. Rilla looked up with laughter in herhazel eyes. "D-e-a-r," she announced. "It's the beginning of a letter. Iwonder how long 'twill be before I can be writin' one that a person couldbe readin'?"
She was putting a burnt orange tam atop of her red-brown hair as shespoke, and then she slipped on a sweater of the same becoming hue.
"Who are you so eager to write to, anyway?" Faith was curious.
"Oh, it's several friends I have that I'd like to be writin' to," Murielbegan; then, chancing to glance at the chart made for her by Faith to aidin correcting the mistakes she so frequently made, she repeated, veryslowly and thoughtfully: "I have several friends to whom I wish towrite."
"That's great!" Faith exclaimed, her face glowing with pleasure. "Thinkahead of each word that you say for a few weeks, dear, and soon you willfind that it will be hard for you to speak incorrectly." Then, slippingher arm within that of her friend, she added: "The champion tennisplayers will now descend to the court."
Faith chatted gaily as they went down the wide stairs, out through thebasement door, crossed the garden, where few flowers were blossoming, asthe nights were frosty, and toward the tennis courts.
Muriel, however, was silent. She was wondering how long it would bebefore she could write a letter to Gene unaided.
"Greetings!" Gladys called as Muriel and Faith approached. She waved herracket and then, as the ball, sent with a smash by Catherine, landed inthe court just back of her, she whirled with a sudden swift movement,caught it on the first bound and sent it flying back over the net. Theisland girl stared at her in amazement.
"Why, Gladys, it's like a top you're whirling!" she exclaimed. "Is it methat's expected to learn such antics?"
The other three laughed, and Catherine, catching the ball, walked aroundthe net to join the group.
"We don't expect you to do such expert playing as that for thistournament," Faith assured her. "In fact, we do not expect you to takepart in any of the actual contest games until next spring, but you mightas well begin your training. It's jolly good fun, if nothing more."
Muriel sighed audibly and Faith laughed. "Rilla," she said, and theisland girl heard her grand-dad's pet name for her for the first timesince she had arrived at High Cliffs, "have you been worrying for fear wedid expect you to play against Marianne Carnot on that fateful day?Indeed not! Catherine Lambert is the only pupil in this school who caneven approach Marianne in skill and dexterity. You know the English aregreat for outdoor sports of all kinds."
"But it's French Marianne is, I thought."
"Her father is a Frenchman, but he is connected with English and Americanshipping interests. It's a huge concern, I don't know just what, but Ihave heard Marianne say that their ships circle the globe. Because ofthis, Monsieur Carnot resides in England, where his daughter attended aschool, and she takes every opportunity to assure us it was reallyintended only for the daughters of the lesser nobility, if you know whator who they may be."
"I plead total ignorance," Gladys declared. "I'm glad that I'm anAmerican. My dad made every penny that he possesses, and honestly, too.Grand-dad happened to own vast farmlands which the City of New Yorkwished to possess, and for which it paid a fabulous price, hence thegrand-daughter of a farmer is attending High Cliffs with the daughters ofthe lesser nobility, if any happen to be here."
Catherine Lambert laughed. "Well, since we four are not guilty, let'scease chatting and go to batting."
"Cathy, I believe you are trying to be a poet," Faith remonstrated."Don't, dear, we'd hate to have our best tennis player take today-dreaming."
"No danger of that! I simply couldn't write a poem if my life dependedupon it. Now, let's explain the game. Muriel, here is a racket for you."
Catherine looked over at Faith, who smilingly nodded, and said: "Keep upthe good work, Cathy. If you leave out any leading points Gladys and Iwill supply them."
"Very well, if I am appointed instructress, I will proceed to instruct,"Catherine said. Then she added in a tone of mock seriousness: "MissStorm, before you is a tennis court, the boundaries of which are outlinedin white. A net, you will perceive, is stretched across the center, andthe opponents stand two on either side. Comprenez vous?" Then, noting thepupil's puzzled expression, she translated: "Do I make it clear?" Murielnodded.
Catherine continued: "The first player to serve the ball is selected andthe game begins. Now, the object of the server is to send the ball overthe net in such a manner that it will be difficult for the opponent toreach it before it bounds twice. It may be returned after the firstbounce, but not after the second." Then, turning to the others: "Now,shall we begin? Muriel will learn more by actual practice than by anyamount of explanation. I will take her for my partner."
"Oh, Catherine, you'll be sorry if you do," Muriel laughingly protested.
"No, she won't," Faith returned. "Catherine could win the game singlyagainst any two girls in this school if Marianne were not an opponent."
Then the game began. Gladys served and the ball fell easily withinMuriel's reach, but she stood and gazed at it. For a fraction of a secondCatherine waited, then realizing that Muriel did not understand that shewas expected to return the ball, she leaped to the other side and, zip,it went flying gracefully back over the net. After that it was kept inthe air, one volley shot following another in quick succession untilFaith had the misfortune to throw it into the net, then they all pausedfor a breathing spell.
Muriel shook her head. "You might's well give up the notion of
teachin'me. Such spinnin' around I never could do."
Faith laughed. "Don't be discouraged. We all felt just that way in thebeginning. Now, Gladys, let's sit beneath this juniper tree and letMuriel get some actual practice."
This they did, and during the next half hour Muriel did some leaping andrunning that made the observers decide that, when she understood therules of the game, she would play at least as well as the majority.
"The luncheon bell is ringing," Faith sang out at last. The playersstopped and the others, gazing at Muriel, suddenly realized she was trulybeautiful. Her loosened hair clustered in moist ringlets about herflushed face, her orange colored tam was jauntily askew, and her eyeswere glowing. "That was great fun," she said, when the garden door wasreached. "Thank you all for tryin' to teach me."