CHAPTER V THE TRAMP CLUB RECEIVES A SHOCK
"Quit joking. I mean what I say," commanded Captain Baker somewhattestily. "Of course I know you girls play tennis as well as you doeverything else. Knowing this, I hadn't the least hesitancy in enteringyou for the tournament. I told Jack Herrington all about you. He insistedon my making the entry right there and then. You see, he had heard of theMeadow-Brook Girls. He knew almost as much about their accomplishments asI did myself. He said that was just the kind of entries they wished forthe Atlantic Coast Tennis Tournament. I was mighty glad he said that, forI really wanted you girls to go in and win the cup, so I made the entryin Miss Harriet's name per George Baker as representative. There are girlteams entered from all along the coast and they are cracker-jacks, too,but they aren't in the same class with you girls, either in tennis oranything else. Now, isn't that great?" Captain George's face was flushedand his eyes were sparkling.
"Great?" answered Harriet slowly. "I told you none of us ever had playeda game of tennis in her life, and I meant it. Some of us have knocked theball about a little with the racquets, but not one of us ever has playeda game. Why, we know absolutely nothing about tennis."
"What? You--you mean to say--you mean you are in earnest--you aren'tjoking with me?"
"I was never more serious in my life, George," replied Harriet gravely.
Captain George Baker looked as he felt--thunderstruck--while hiscompanions' faces reflected his consternation. George groaned dismally.
"But we've entered you. You must go through with it," he expostulated.
Harriet shook her head.
"It is out of the question, George. Miss Elting plays, I believe. Let hertake the entry for us."
"She isn't eligible," objected George. "This entry is for girls not morethan eighteen years old. Of course you will play," he added with a morehopeful note in his tone. "I know well enough that you play, and playsuperbly. No girls who are such clever girls, out-of-doors as well as in,could help playing tennis. Besides, you will have to do it now. I tellyou I've entered you."
"No, George. I am sorry, but you will have to withdraw our entry,explaining to Mr. Herrington that we don't play and that you were ledinto the making of the entry by his urging."
"The papers have printed the entries," shouted George. "And they've toldall about you," he added in a tone of misery.
"Show them what the papers printed, George," urged Dill.
Captain George drew a wrinkled piece of newspaper from his blouse pocketand flattened it out on one knee with the palms of his hands. He regardedthe paper ruefully, then handed it to Dodd.
"You read it, Dill. My voice is going back on me. I must have yelledmyself hoarse this morning. It's all about you, girls. You will see thatyou've got to go through with this business, no matter what happens."
"Ahem!" exclaimed Dodd. "Are you ready for the question? The question isto play or not to play. This is an item in the 'Newtown Register' and, asyou will observe, was written with a complete knowledge of all thefacts."
"Read it. Don't waste so much time talking," cried Sam.
"The item is as follows," said Dill. "That is, I shall read only thatpart relating to you girls and your entry. What it says about the otherentries, of course, will be of no interest to you just now. Later on itmay. I quote from the 'Register': 'Not the least interesting among theentries for the Atlantic Coast Tennis Tournament is that of theMeadow-Brook Girls of Meadow-Brook, New Hampshire. This is not, strictlyspeaking, a tennis club. The young women who form this organization havebecome known to the public by reason of numerous vacation tours whichthey have made on foot and by automobile throughout the State. Theirthorough athletic training, coupled with their proficiency in outdoorsports, will make them formidable contestants. We shall welcome them tothe Coast Tournament and hope to have them with us as long as they remaineligible for the classes offered here.' Then follows the family historyof each of you girls," added Dill mischievously.
"My grathiouth, you don't thay tho!" exclaimed Tommy. "Won't my father beath mad ath a hatter! He thayth young girlth thhould be theen but notheard."
"Here's another from the 'Gazette,'" announced George, passing a secondslip to his companion.
"'Great interest is being manifested in the entry of the well knownorganization who call themselves the Meadow-Brook Girls,'" read Dill."'Their coming is awaited with deep interest by the summer visitors aswell as the regular residents of Newtown, who are justly proud of old NewHampshire's girls.'"
"I fear you have involved yourself and us in a scrape, Captain George,"said Miss Elting. "I know something about tennis, and have played a fewgames. I know, too, that long practice is necessary even to play anordinary game of it. But even in my case, I can't say that I know enoughabout the game to instruct any one else. You must go to Mr. Herringtonand tell him frankly that the entry was made under a misapprehension, andthat it must be withdrawn."
"What, after all thothe complimentth?" demanded Tommy. "Never! I'll playthe whole tournament mythelf firtht."
"No, George," insisted the guardian, "it isn't possible. You must cancelthe entry. My girls do not play tennis, and that is all there is aboutit. I am, of course, ineligible, much as I should like to keep up thereputation of the Meadow-Brook Girls. We are very sorry to disappointyou."
"George will have to go to Newtown and tell Herrington all about it,"declared Dill. "We have made fools of ourselves, but through no fault ofthe girls. We should have found out whether or not they played the gamebefore entering them in the tournament."
"I didn't think for a minute that it could be possible they didn't play.I didn't suppose there was anything they couldn't do, and I'm halfinclined to believe they are fooling us now," declared George. "I----"
His voice trailed off into an unintelligible mumble as he observed thetroubled eyes of Harriet Burrell fixed upon him. "Oh, shoot the wholebusiness!" he exploded.
Billy Burgess had in the meantime beckoned to Sam. The two boys slunk outof camp and a few moments later were observed staggering back, bearingsome heavy burden between them. The girls could not imagine what the boyswere bringing into camp. George knew, however. He started up, his faceflushing angrily.
"Take it away!" he yelled. "We don't want it. What are you fellows tryingto do, make a bigger fool of me than I am already?" he demanded.
"That would be impossible," laughed Sam.
"For mercy's sake, what have you there?" cried Miss Elting.
"The makings," answered Dill. "And it was an unlucky day for us, when webought them, wasn't it, Captain George Baker?"
"You'd better drag that thing out of here," roared George, now thoroughlyangry. "Am I the captain of this club or not?"
"Don't take it away, boys. We want to know what it is. Is this bundle amystery, another of your great surprises?" demanded Jane McCarthy.
"This is the treat that was to be," Dill informed them. "Of course, itisn't a treat now, it's just a sad reminder of what might have been, butwe thought you might like to have a look. You'll see what you have missedand we shall shed tears, George shedding crocodile tears. If you wish toknow how a crocodile weeps, just observe the eyes of our noble captain.George, prepare to weep."
"Oh, keep quiet!" growled George Baker. "I'll trounce you if you keep on.Are you going to take that thing away?"
"Not until our very good friends, the Meadow-Brook Girls, have had anopportunity to see it and learn what a chance to distinguish themselvesthey have missed."
"You have aroused our curiosity," said the guardian laughingly. "Yousimply must let us into this new secret. Such boys! I never saw yourlike! I'll confess that I am as curious as any of my girls. What have youthere?"
"The makings, I said," answered Dill Dodd--"the making of world championsand championesses."
"I don't understand," answered Miss Elting, glancing from one to anotherof the boys. The latter were now smiling broadly, all save Captain Bakerhimself, whose face was gloo
my, his gaze fixed morosely on the ground.
Sam Crocker drew a knife from his pocket, opened it and felt the edge ofthe blade with aggravating deliberateness, then suddenly cut the heavytwine that held the bundle together.
The bundle sprang open. The two lads grabbed the contents and quicklyspread them out over the ground in front of the girls' tent. TheMeadow-Brooks were silent for a few seconds; then broke out intoexclamations of delight.
"Just look!" cried Margery shrilly.
"Oh, you boys, you boys!" exclaimed the guardian, her eyes glowing withan excitement and pleasure that she made no effort to conceal. "Howreally unkind we have been to you."