THE TENNIS TOURNAMENT
It did not take long for a letter to come back to the two girls from
Dr. Fairfax, gladly giving his consent to the proposed plan for the
summer and expressing his gratitude to Jean and her father for giving
so much happiness to his "little girl," as he always called Elizabeth
in spite of the fact that she had long since grown up. Both girls were
highly elated over the prospects of their trip, and for the first few
days could hardly keep their mind on anything else. However, they both
were determined to make the most of the last days of college and each
found her different interests absorbing. Elizabeth had been putting all
her spare time on her extra work in history and Jean hers on the tennis
courts.
Ever since warm weather had made outdoor sports possible, the indoor
gymnasium work had ceased, and the girls athletically inclined
found plenty to interest them out of doors. Ashton could well boast
of its splendid tennis courts directly back of the gymnasium, and
on any pleasant day one would find the courts crowded. Jean had
been out from the first day the courts were ready for use, and was
easily acknowledged to be one of the best players in college--without
a question the best player in the freshman class. Several of the
upper-class girls, among them Natalie Lawton, Madeline Moore, and Avis
Purrington, were working hard and had announced their intentions of
going into the tournament. All along Jean had also secretly determined
to enter, if it were a possible thing, and she wanted to win, too. It
was her last chance to really do something for 1915, freshman year.
The only obstacle that stood in her way was her fear of failure in
French, but when she went to Mlle. Franchant late in May and asked her
concerning her work, her joy knew no bounds when she was told that her
mark was a passing one and she could enter the tournament.
On the night of the twelfth of June, the day before the tournament
began, several of the tennis enthusiasts were down in Natalie Lawton's
room discussing the events of the next day. "What do you think of the
weather, Nat?" said Peggy to her room-mate, who stood at the window,
apparently lost in thought as she gazed out into the dark and cloudy
night.
"Doesn't look very promising, girls, does it? It will be a shame if
it rains. We have had such perfect weather all the month it seems
as though it might last two days longer. The courts are in perfect
condition now and a heavy rain will spoil everything. How's your
courage, Jean? You've drawn first round, haven't you, against Cora
Hammond? I'm in the other court against Avis Purrington. How's your
shoulder to-night?"
"A little lame, Nat," said Jean, "but I'm going to rub it well and turn
in early, for I need the sleep all right. I'm dead to the world. If you
don't mind, I think I'll say good night now, rival. Are any of the rest
of you coming upstairs with me? You all need sleep, so take my advice
and stop eating that candy and get a good night's sleep."
"Well, who ever heard of such nerve?" said Natalie. "The idea of a
little freshie giving advice to us seniors and juniors. But then, I
guess you're right in spite of your age, for I admit I'm tired, too.
Suppose we all follow suit and turn in."
"Good night, girls," called out Peggy. "Good luck to you all, although,
of course, you can't all win the prize. By the way, what is the prize?"
"Why, Peggy," said Natalie disgustedly, "you know perfectly well that
there isn't any prize. It's the honor of the thing. Isn't that enough?"
"Yes," said Peggy; "I'd forgotten about it. Well, 'Happy dreams,'" and
then the girls scattered to their different rooms.
In spite of the gloomy outlook of the weather the night before, the
morning of June twelfth was as perfect as its predecessors had been,
and all that the tennis players could wish for. The preliminaries
were to be played throughout the day, as the programmes of the girls
allowed. On the next morning were to come the semi-finals and in the
afternoon the finals, when excitement always ran highest. About twenty
of the girls had entered the tournament and most of them were speedy
players. There were only two freshmen--and the others upper-class
girls. Although Natalie Lawton had won the championship the year
before, it had been with great difficulty, and her opponent, Madeline
Moore, was all the more anxious to win out this year. Popular sentiment
had picked Natalie Lawton, Madeline Moore, or Jean Cabot as the winner
this year, so it was not at all surprising to the student body as a
whole to learn that at the end of the preliminaries these three and a
hitherto unsuspected sophomore, Mabel Hastings, were to play in the
semi-finals on the following morning. It was rather a coincidence that
each of the four classes should have a representative.
The semi-finals took place at ten o'clock, and there were some of the
hardest sets ever played at Ashton. Jean was playing Mabel Hastings and
won after five sets, 7-5, 1-6, 6-8, 6-3, 6-1 and Natalie Lawton won
from Madeline Moore in three sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1; so Natalie and Jean
were left to fight for the finals in the afternoon. Jean was so excited
that she declared she could eat no dinner, and hurried to her room
to lie down and rest until the finals, which were to begin at three
o'clock. Elizabeth carried up her dinner and compelled her to eat all
that she had brought her, knowing how much she needed nourishment after
her violent exercise of the morning. Then Jean lay quietly in her room,
although she could not sleep from excitement, and she waited for the
minutes to pass until it should be half-past two o'clock.
It seemed as though every girl in college had turned out to see the
finals. The early comers had filled the few seats which the ground
afforded; the rest either sat on the grass or stood in little groups
near by. Here and there among the white dresses could be seen the
severely dark clothes of a man, for it was one of the few events to
which the "masculine element" could be invited. This event was followed
so closely by Class Day and Commencement that some of the favorite
brothers or cousins or friends of the seniors were inveigled into
coming a little earlier, ostensibly to witness a tennis tournament, but
in reality to bask a little longer in the sunshine of the Sweet Girl
Graduate.
Promptly on the stroke of three, Jean and Natalie, in their immaculate
white linens, walked coolly out upon the courts and the play began. By
the toss of the racket Jean won the first serving and sent one of her
usual swift balls into the opposite court. Natalie was there to receive
it and sent it back as swiftly as it had come. Both girls seemed very
evenly matched, but Natalie, by deep driving to Jean's backhand, won
the first game. Her luck changed at this point though, and Jean jumped
into the lead of 3-1. Natalie seemed spurred on by this, and by more
hard, deep driving soon had Jean on the run. She played into the net
oftener and with this style of play the lead changed to Natalie at 4-3.
The eighth game was very close. Jean got to 30-40 on Natalie's serve,
but fast driving on Natalie's part won her the game, making the score
5-3 in her favor. Jean won her serve in the next game and even got an
advantage in the tenth, but then the last year's champion rose to the
occasion and by taking a net position, won three successive points and
the first set with a score of 6-4.
There was a rest of fifteen minutes before the second set, and the two
players left the court and retired to the gymnasium. The crowds out
of doors circulated around the grounds, introducing their guests and
talking over the remarkable playing of both girls. At the end of the
fifteen minutes the players returned and, changing courts, began the
second set.
This set was not as close as the first one but was as full of
spectacular playing. Natalie took the net oftener and by splendid
smashing ran the score up to 4-1 in her favor. Weakening a little in
the next game, she failed to return Jean's excellent service, so Jean
took advantage of it and won her second game in the set. This seemed
almost to enrage Natalie, and she went after the last two games in
whirlwind fashion and outplayed Jean in every way, making the final
score of the second set 6-2. It was all over before Jean realized it,
and she had lost, and Natalie had won the college championship for a
second time.
[Illustration: NATALIE WENT AFTER THE LAST TWO GAMES IN WHIRLWIND
FASHION.--_Page 328_.]
She saw the girls hurrying toward Natalie, but she was determined to
be the first to congratulate her, so she dropped her racket and ran as
fast as she could to the spot where the almost exhausted champion had
dropped. "Congratulations, Natalie," she said; "you certainly deserve
the championship, and I'm mighty glad you won it."
All Natalie could say was, "Thank you, Jean, but I hate to take it away
from you, for you wanted it so badly."
"Don't you worry about that," said Jean, smiling bravely. "I've got
three more years to try for it, and you've only one. I'll have it
yet, see if I don't. And I'd rather have you win it than any one else
in college. We kept it from the sophs, anyway, and there's a lot of
consolation in that. I'm monopolizing you, Nat, for all the girls are
waiting to offer you their congratulations. It was splendid; that's
all I've got to say."
Jean had to acknowledge to herself that she was terribly disappointed,
but as soon as she realized she had lost, she decided to make the most
of it and not let any one else see her real feelings in the matter.
She smiled in her most friendly manner to all of the girls who came to
compliment her on her splendid playing, and to offer their sympathy
for her defeat. She was as much surrounded as the real champion and
accepted all of the homage in a most gracious way, although she
secretly longed to be away from it all and alone by herself to have it
out once for all. It was some time before she could leave the girls,
for it was an ideal day to linger out of doors and no one seemed to be
in a hurry to leave the courts. At last she managed to tear herself
away from a gushing freshman and her fond mamma who was visiting Ashton
for the first time, and felt the necessity of seeing everything and
everybody worth while, and started down towards Merton hoping that she
would not be held up again.
She had gone but a little way when she heard some one calling to her
from behind. At first she pretended not to hear, but the calls became
louder and more insistent, so she turned around and saw Anne Cockran
hurrying towards her and waving for her to stop. There was nothing to
do but wait, so she stopped right where she was until Anne caught up
with her.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, Jean. Where have you been? Every
time I got my eye on you on the courts you were completely surrounded
by fond admirers and I couldn't get within ten feet of you. Finally
I got discouraged and went over to talk with Bess Allison and some
friends of hers, and when I left them and looked for you there wasn't a
trace of you anywhere."
"I was held up by that gushing Gladys Norton and her mother, and
thought I never should get away from them, and when I finally managed
to extricate myself I was so tired of people and conversation that I
made a bee-line for Merton."
"Which means," broke in Anne, "that you wish I hadn't butted in to
bother you some more. That's just the reason you didn't stop when I
called to you. Well, cheer up, Jean, I'll not bother you long; I just
wanted to talk to you a few moments, but I'll leave it until another
time if you want me to."
"No, Anne dear, of course not; but it was just because I was tired and
disappointed and felt a little grouchy at every one. You know how you
felt the night of the freshman-sophomore basket-ball game when you
got hurt and couldn't play any more. We both know what it is to be
disappointed, don't we? But I'm better already with just seeing you
this short time, so tell me what you wanted to and I promise you my
undivided attention."
"I wanted to ask you something rather than tell you something, and
I'm just a little afraid to do so. You know room-drawing comes the
day before Class Day and I wanted to know if you had made your plans
for room-mate next year. I want to ask you to live with me. I'm sort
of tired of Merton and perhaps one of us will draw another house and
choose the other for room-mate. I don't want to room with Sallie
another year. She's a dandy girl and we've had a good year together,
but isn't just exactly my style, and then besides, she's a soph and
we are always at swords' points when it comes to class spirit. But
you are just the girl I want. We're in the same class and society and
we like the same things and the same people and we both want to make
basket-ball next year and I'm going in for tennis, too. I've never
played a game in my life, but after to-day's games I wouldn't miss it
for anything. Of course you don't want to room with Elizabeth another
year. She's all nice enough and a fine student, but not at all your
style. She'll probably want a single, anyway, won't she?"
"I don't know, Anne," said Jean very thoughtfully.
"Well, anyway, Jean, it doesn't make any difference to us what she
wants to do, the main thing is that I want to room with you. What have
you to say about it?"
"Why really Anne, I haven't thought anything about next year. I've
been so happy these days with things just as they are that I guess I
thought everything was going on as it is now. When we are contented
we don't want to change, do we? It's awfully nice of you to say that
you want to have me room with you and I appreciate it, but honestly,
Anne, I can't do it. Why, if Elizabeth will have me, I want to go on
rooming with her. I couldn't really stay at college without her. She's
my safety-valve and inspiration and all that sort of thing. She brings
out the best that's in me and I need her more than anything else in the
whole college, and then, besides, I think the world of her. She's the
most lovable girl you can imagine, after you get to know her. I admit
she doesn't go in for clothes and men and good times generally, but
she's clever and she's going to amount to something before she leaves
this place. I haven't asked her yet; but if she's willing I want her
for my room-mate next year, and it doesn't make much difference where
we room. I've grown very fond of Merton, but I'd prefer Wellington
where Miss Hooper lives.
"By the way, I'll tell you a secret. Miss Hooper and Elizabeth and I
are going to travel together this summer in the British Isles. Isn't
that splendid? Now, Anne, please don't be angry with me because I won't
room with you. You see how it is. We can be the same good friends as
ever, can't we, even if we're not room-mates?"
"Yes, I suppose so," said Anne, "but I'm disappointed and I can't get
over it in a minute. I can't understand what you see in Elizabeth; she
seems to have hypnotized you from the very first of the year. She's
all right and sweet and good enough, but I can't understand your awful
crush on her."
"There, there," said Jean, "don't get so excited or you'll be saying
things you'll be sorry for later on. Will you come up to 45 until
supper time? I want to get into some fresh clothes. I feel as though
I'd been through a Turkish bath. Wasn't it frightfully hot in the sun?
It was right in my eyes the last game. Isn't Nat a perfect wonder at
the game?"
"Yes, but so are you, and I was just boiling that you didn't win. You
put up a much better game than she did all through the 'prelims' and
semi-finals; you had all the hardest players up against you, and by the
time you got to the finals you were all tired out. I think you deserve
as much credit as Natalie, even if she did win at the end."
"My goodness, Anne, but you've got it in for everybody this afternoon!
Come upstairs with me and eat some candy and see if that will sweeten
you a little."
"All right, I will, thank you; I haven't had any candy for an age. I'm
dead broke since I bought my Class-Day hat and I don't get another cent
until I go home. I'm afraid I'll even have to borrow some money to
buy my ticket home unless Dad will be favorably impressed by my last
frantic appeal for a little more money."
The girls finished a large box of chocolates, and by supper time Anne
was in a much better mood, although still disappointed because Jean was
not to room with her. When Jean came up from supper that night a little
later than usual she found Elizabeth at her desk writing a letter. She
stole softly up behind her and put her hands over her eyes and called
out, "Guess who's your room-mate next year, Elizabeth."
"Oh, is it you, Jean? I've been wanting all day to ask you about it,
but I didn't quite dare. I heard some of the girls talking about the
room-drawing last night when I was waiting on table, and that was the
first time I knew anything about it. I thought things would go on just
the same every year unless one wanted to change."
"And do you want to change, Elizabeth?"
"No, Jean, but I wasn't so sure about you. There are so many of your
other friends, you know."
"Well, Elizabeth, I'm perfectly satisfied with my present room-mate and
don't intend to change her for any one else. I wish we might room in
Wellington so we could be near Miss Hooper, but wherever we are we'll
be together, won't we? Now I must write a letter to Tom about Class
Day, for he wants to know everything he's expected to do, and if I
don't get the letter mailed in the morning he won't have time to make
any elaborate preparations. Have you any message to send him?"
"Why, no, Jean; I'll save them until I meet him Class Day. Now get to
writing, for it will be ten o'clock before you know it and you must be
tired after your strenuous day."
"Yes, I am tired," said Jean, "but this letter must be written if it
takes till midnight," and she wrote several pages of full particulars
about Class Day to Tom, who was to be her special guest on that day. He
was to take her back with him for Yale Commencement and then see her
safely to New York, where she was to meet Miss Hooper and Elizabeth the
day before sailing.