Rilla of the Lighthouse

  CHAPTER XXXI. THE TENNIS GAME.

  A glorious autumn day dawned, and great was the excitement at HighCliffs, for many interesting events were to take place before the settingof the sun, foremost among them being the contest for the tennischampionship.

  Joy had told the three with whom she had expected to play that she wishedthey would continue their plans and permit Muriel to take her place.

  Catherine Lambert had stared in amazement. "Joy," she exclaimed, "youdon't think that Muriel Storm can play well enough to enter thetournament, do you?" Then added: "Not but that I would be glad indeed toplay with Muriel, but since she has had scarcely a month's practice Imerely thought her hardly well enough prepared; and, of course, we don'twant to fail so completely that we will be laughed at by the entireschool."

  Joy, for one impulsive moment, was inclined to tell Cathy the wholetruth, but her better judgment prevailed, for she thought it verypossible that Muriel might become self-conscious when she found herselfplaying before so many spectators and perhaps forget the trick she had sorecently learned. After all it would be better not to praise the islandgirl's playing too much, for she might fail.

  Joy stood looking out of her open window at the blue Hudson for a long,thoughtful moment before she inquired: "With whom are you planning toplay, Catherine?" Her voice showed no trace of the disappointment thatshe truly felt because Muriel was not to be chosen.

  "Jane Wiggins plays very well, indeed," was the reply. "I watched her forhalf an hour yesterday while she was practicing on the court. She doesn'treally belong to either side, although she said that Marianne Carnot hadasked her to substitute. She is to sit on a bench nearby and be ready torun into the game if one of the players slips or wrenches her ankle oranything of that sort. When I spoke to Jane she said that she had notreally promised Marianne that she would substitute, and that she wouldmuch rather play in the game."

  Joy smiled. "Oh, course, Cathy dear, you girls are to do the playing, Iam not; and you must select whoever you wish, but I had hoped that youwould want Muriel to play with you."

  "Suppose we place Muriel on the bench to substitute for us. Of course,any player is likely to slip and be out of the game," Gladys suggested.

  This was agreed upon and to Joy fell the task of telling Muriel that shehad not been chosen. When the others had gone, Joy went to the cupaloroom and knocked. Muriel, she found, was already dressed in the shortskirt and bloomers which the girls of High Cliffs were permitted to wearfor their outdoor sports.

  "What is it, Joy? What have you to tell me?" Rilla asked, for one glanceat the lovely face of their Dresden China girl assured her that somethingwas wrong. It was with a sigh of relief that she heard what had happened.

  "Oh, I'm that pleased," she said, "an' I do hope you're not mindin', butI most couldn't sleep last night with worryin' about the games. I was soafraid that our side would lose, and if it did I knew that it would be myfault. Yesterday I happened to be out by the courts and saw MarianneCarnot and Adelaine Stuart practicin', and such playin' as they can do."

  Then, peering into the troubled blue eyes of her friend in the samecoaxing way that she had often peered under the shaggy grey brows of hergrand-dad, she said: "Please forgive me, Joy, for bein' glad about it,since you've tried so hard to teach me the stroke, an' if you're wishin'it, I will sit on the bench and be substitute, but I haven't much hope ofour side winnin' since I saw those two play."

  With this arrangement Joy had to be content and she went back to her roomto dress, not as one of the players, but in her warm all-over coat, sinceshe was just to stand around and watch, for the air was invigoratinglycold.

  Although the bloomer suits worn by the players all were a light tan,their tams and sweater-coats were of various colors. Many eyes followedthe dark, handsome French girl whose chosen hue was that of a cherry. Sheknew that it was most becoming to her, but since there were no lads aboutto impress, she cared little what manner of appearance she might bemaking. However, she did want to win the game by fair means or foul sinceher opponents were the girls who had befriended Muriel Storm, the oneperson in the whole world whom she wished to humiliate.

  Marianne lifted her finely arched black eyebrows ever so slightly as sheglanced across the net to the spot near the evergreens where the fiveopponents were gathered.

  "Have they chosen Muriel Storm for substitute?" she inquired, her voiceexpressing her mingled surprise and amazement. "They must be courtingdefeat."

  "But how can she play at all?" This from Adelaine Stuart. "I have neverseen her practicing on these courts and surely before she came she had noopportunity to learn."

  Marianne shrugged her shoulders. "Let us rejoice that they have chosenher, although, of course, they may not need a substitute; but if they do,it will mean an easy victory for us."

  "More honor, though, if we had good players to defeat, I should think,"Phyllis Dexter ventured.

  But there was no time for further conversation as Miss Widdemere, who wasto keep score, had arrived and was calling the names of the first fourwho were to take their places and select the server.

  Five games were to be played and the side winning three out of five wouldbe proclaimed champion.

  Although Jane Wiggin was a fairly good player, she had not practiced withCatherine and was greatly handicapped thereby and the opponents easilywon the first game. Marianne scarcely noticed when her few admirers amongthe watchers clapped and shouted. The victory had been too easy to beflattering, she thought.

  The next game was played by Gladys and Faith on one side and by two ofMarianne's friends on the other and there was far more enthusiasm amongthe spectators when Catherine's side won a victory.

  Jane Wiggin, knowing that it was her poor teamwork that had lost thefirst game, sincerely wished that she had not agreed to play at all; butit was too late to withdraw. Though she did her best and though it was ahard-fought game, Catherine's side lost. The score stood two games forMarianne and one for Catherine.

  Joy made her way among the onlookers and sat on the substitute's benchnext to Muriel. "Oh, if only I had my bloomers on," she said in a lowvoice. "I would take Jane's place even if I had to stay in bed for aweek. But in these long skirts I just couldn't run, so there is no usetrying."

  As she spoke, she glanced at the face of her friend and saw that she wasintently watching every play being made by Gladys and Faith, who, asbefore, upheld the honor of their side and again won.

  Two games for each side; but, of course, since Jane was to play in thefifth, Catherine's group had no hope of final victory.

  Jane knew this as well as did the others and she was so nervous when shetook her place on the court that she could barely hold her racket. It washer turn to serve and she batted so blindly that the ball fell farafield. Then, to the surprise of the onlookers, she burst into tears andran from the court and toward the school as fast as she could go. For amoment Catherine was panic-stricken; but what was happening?

  Muriel had leaped to the court that had been so unexpectedly deserted byJane and had served the ball without observing the sarcastic smile of herFrench opponent. Marianne returned the serve with a volley, expecting tosee the island girl miss; but, instead, the ball was returned with thatsmash stroke which had made Joy's playing famous. Marianne did herswiftest running but before she reached the spot the ball had fallen deadand did not bounce.

  Amazed, the French girl's brows contracted and, for the next few moments,she did her very best playing; but time after time Muriel smashed theball over the net. If Marianne was close, then the ball fell back of her;if she was on the outer edge of the court, then the ball just cleared thenet.

  The spectators crowded near. There was a breathless interest. What couldit mean? No one at High Cliffs knew the stroke except Joy Kiersey.Suddenly a light dawned upon Faith. Joy had taught Muriel her trickstroke and that was why she had been so disappointed when Jane Wiggin hadbeen asked to play.

  A shout arose fro
m the onlookers and there was a sudden rush toward theisland girl and everyone was congratulating her.

  Muriel had won the game, and once more Marianne had been defeated by "uneburgeoise."