by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XVII THE CUP THAT LURED
The girls lost no time in getting into Jane's car, accompanied by CaptainBaker, who sat on the front seat with the driver. They drove slowlyaround the edge of the field, thence out into the street, observed byJack Herrington with a quizzical smile on his face.
"There is as fine a set of girls as I ever saw," he reflected. "Ishouldn't be surprised if they were heard from at the nets one of thesedays. But five weeks' practice and entering the hottest amateurtournament we've ever had on the coast!" he muttered. "I ought to askthem to withdraw their entry, but I couldn't do it when that Miss Burrelllooked at me with that unflinching, searching gaze of hers." He laughedas he saw Jane and her car enveloped in a cloud of dust. Then theMeadow-Brook car disappeared around the corner.
"That one certainly can drive a car, even if she can't play tennis," headded.
In the meantime the automobile was speeding through the town, scatteringpedestrians right and left, Jane unheeding the guardian's urgent demandsthat she drive more slowly. Jane was in a hurry to learn what it was thatCaptain George Baker had in store for them. They were eager to know aboutthis latest surprise.
"I hope you are not getting us into more trouble, Captain," Miss Eltingcalled to him.
"It spells trouble for some one," answered the captain. "No, this is noother game I am trying to play on you. You have game enough on hand as itis."
"I should say we have," answered the guardian, her face taking on athoughtful expression, little lines of perplexity forming on herforehead. "Indeed we have, and to spare."
George directed Jane into the main business street of the town.
"Do you wish to get your supplies first?" asked the captain.
"No!" cried the girls with one accord, "we want the surprise."
"You shall have it. Pull up before that red brick building you see on theleft there, Miss Jane. We will get out there."
They got down hurriedly. They could not imagine what this new surprisemight be. George led them to the sidewalk, passers-by glancinginquiringly at the brown-faced girls as well as at their distinctive blueuniforms, which a few persons recognized as belonging to the Meadow-BrookGirls' organization. The captain stepped across the walk to the window ofa jewelry store, where he halted and pointed.
"There is the surprise," he said, his eyes sparkling, his face flushed.
At first the girls' eyes wandered over the glittering array of costlyarticles displayed in the window, their glances finally coming to rest ona centerpiece that stood out and above all the rest. That something was amassive silver cup, standing fully eighteen inches high. The cup stood byitself, on a black velvet mat. There was a massive silver handle oneither side. Then they saw that it was a trophy. A tennis net worked outin silver decorated the lower part of the cup; above the net were twocrossed racquets and a ball, all in solid silver.
Still further up on the swell, cut deeply into the polished surface werethe words, "Atlantic Coast Tennis Association Trophy for Girls UnderEighteen. Doubles. Won by ----"
__"Ohh-h-h!" breathed the girls in a delighted chorus.
"Isn't it perfectly lov--e--ly?" gasped Buster.
"Why, it must be worth a great deal of money," cried Hazel.
"Yes, it is very beautiful and very expensive," agreed the guardian."That, Meadow-Brook Girls, is the prize for which you are to play. Isn'tit worth going after?"
"Indeed, it is," agreed Jane McCarthy, really overcome by themagnificence of the trophy cup.
"Won't that look perfectly stunning on our center tables?" exclaimedBuster.
"Our thenter tableth!" exploded Tommy. "You aren't in the match at all.Jutht remember that, Buthter."
"No, but she is one of us and will share all the glory as well as thedisappointments of the Meadow-Brook Girls," answered Harriet reprovingly."Where shall we put it, girls?"
"My father will want it on hith library table, where he can look at ituntil hith eyethight failth him," answered Tommy.
"But we shall all want it in our homes," declared Jane. "How are we goingto arrange that?"
"We might split the cup into five parts and each take a piece home,"suggested Hazel.
"No, that won't do. I'll tell you how we shall arrange it, girls,"planned Harriet enthusiastically.
"Yeth, Harriet knowth what to do," said Tommy, nodding her tow-headrapidly. "Thhe alwayth knowth everything."
"First, we shall place it on exhibition in that jewelry store on SycamoreStreet at home. We shall want everybody to see it, and we shall be veryproud."
"Yeth, and we'll thtand inthide the thtore and lithten to what they thayabout uth, won't we?" bubbled Tommy.
"Then, after a day or two, we shall draw lots to see who has it in herhome first. In the beginning each shall keep it for a day until it goesthe rounds of all our homes. On the next round each shall keep it for twodays and so on, every round adding a day up to a month. A month will belong enough for any girl to have it in her home at a stretch. I'll tellyou what we will do, we will each put in a little money that we shallearn, and buy one of those black marble pedestals that are used to holdstatues. Then we can stand the precious cup in the window so peoplepassing may see it."
"And, of course, we must write to our friends and announce the goodnews," reminded Hazel Holland.
"I know one person, at least, who will be glad to hear of our triumph,"declared Harriet. "Grace Harlowe will be delighted to learn that we'vequalified as champion tennis players."
"And so will her friends, Nora O'Malley and Anne Pierson and JessicaBright," chimed in Marjory. "We never dreamed, when we met those nicegirls on our return from the mountains that we'd all become such friends,did we?"
"I'm fond of them all, but Grace Harlowe is my ideal." Harriet spoke withdeep conviction. She had met Grace Harlowe and her three chums during thepreceding summer. When the Meadow-Brook Girls had passed through Oakdaleon their way home. They had remained over night with the Wingates, whowere relatives of Tommy Thompson's.
Hippy Wingate, Tommy's cousin, had risen to the occasion and invited hisparticular group of friends, known as the Eight Originals, of whom muchhas been told in the "Grace Harlowe Books," to meet the Meadow-BrookGirls. These wide-awake young people had spent a most delightful eveningtogether and a firm comradeship had sprung up between the two sets ofgirls. Harriet and Grace Harlowe had at once established a permanent bondof fellowship, so it was hardly to be wondered at that the former's firstthought was of Grace.
"Of courthe we'll let the Oakdale girlths know what marvelouth championthwe are," nodded Tommy. "I'll thend Grathe a telegram mythelf the minutethe tournament'th over, thaying we've won the cup."
"Can you beat it?" murmured George, chancing to catch the laughing eyesof the guardian.
"No, George, I confess that I cannot," answered Miss Elting.
"Maybe you might want to take the cup with you right now?" suggested thecaptain.
"Could we?" asked Tommy innocently, whereat there was a laugh at herexpense.
"No, my dear. There are some little formalities to be gone through withfirst," said Harriet. "We first have to win it after battling with someof the best girl players in the State. That done, we shall take the cupand carry out the plans already made. I think we had better attend to ourerrands now."
"Oh, don't go," begged Tommy. "I could thtand here and look at it all theretht of the day."
They started back toward the car. At the edge of the sidewalk Tommyturned and ran back to the window. The other girls stepped into the carand there they sat for fully five minutes until Tommy Thompson hadimpressed every line and curve of the beautiful trophy on her mind.
"You may break it if you look at it so hard," warned George.
"Come, Tommy. Remember, you must get your rest and be ready for practicethis afternoon," called the guardian.
The little girl turned away reluctantly, and getting into the car settledback in the seat, uttering a deep sigh of happ
y satisfaction.
"I thhall want to look at it all the time. I know I'll thit up nighthlooking at it," she murmured.
No one answered her. Each girl was too deeply absorbed in her thoughts tospeak at that moment. Then the car moved on and the exquisite trophy forwhich they were soon to enter the lists was left behind them. But Harrietresolved that the separation should not be for long. Captain George, onhis part, took a different view of the matter.
"The disappointment will nearly kill them," he thought.
