Chapter XII · A GUEST WHO WAS WELCOME

“It is Mr. Disbrow!” gasped Hazel.

“And he didn’t sprain his ankle at all,” added Jane.

“He must have injured it, for he is walking with a crutch,” replied Miss Elting.

“Not a word, Disbrow. Come over here and sit down and fix your foot so it will be comfortable. You may tell us all about it later on. Sam, fix a seat there for P. E. Somebody put down his coat for P. E. to sit on.”

The newcomer was laughing.

“George, I’m not quite in swaddling clothes,” he said, “nor am I wholly an invalid. Please introduce me to your friends.”

George Baker flushed, for, in his joy at seeing Disbrow, he had neglected the formalities. He introduced the guest first to Miss Elting, then to the Meadow-Brook Girls and afterward to the boys of the Tramp Club. Harriet had already begun making coffee and was preparing a luncheon for the unexpected guest, who had had no supper as they afterward learned. He was given a place at the end of the table where he might stretch his injured foot. With all the girls and [114] boys gathered about him watching each mouthful that the champion ate, Disbrow did full justice to the supper, for he was hungry. During the meal he explained that the doctors who had examined his ankle at the hospital had first pronounced it a serious sprain, after which they had revised their opinion, finding it merely a slight strain which, within a few days, would entirely disappear.

“I lost no time in hot-crutching it out to Meadow-Brook,” added the Englishman. “I knew that you wouldn’t have said what you did in your message unless you needed me. Mr. Mabie spotted me the instant I got down from the car. But, George, old chap, I don’t think much of your conveyances up this neck of America.”

“We rode out on a lumber wagon,” explained Charlie.

“Yes, and every joint in my body was properly shaken loose.”

Miss Elting at this juncture called George aside and suggested that arrangements be made for Mr. Disbrow to remain at the Meadow-Brook camp that night on account of his lame ankle. George assented and sent two of his fellows to the Tramp camp to fetch the tent they had set aside for Disbrow.

The girls had hung upon the champion’s every [115] word and gesture since his arrival at the camp. But they had difficulty in making themselves believe that this man was the much-heralded champion. Disbrow was thin, pale and delicate looking. His movements were slow and deliberate and he was what Jane characterized as “fussy.” But he was Disbrow, the champion tennis player. There could be no doubt as to that. George knew. Yet it did seem almost impossible.

Having finished his supper, Disbrow, with the aid of his crutch, hobbled about pluckily, testing the strength of the strained ankle. They suggested that he stop. He said the ankle would be lame just so long as it was babied, that he proposed to throw away his crutch on the following day.

“Now, old chap, tell me what it is all about?” urged the champion after having resumed his seat at the end of the table. “Charlie told me something of what you wanted of me, but he was too excited to be clear about it. It is some sort of a match game of tennis that you young ladies are wanting to take part in, I understand.”

“The coast championship,” George informed him.

“And the young ladies, they are good players?” questioned the tennis champion.

[116]

“We practically never touched a racquet until within a few days ago,” said Harriet.

“Hm-m-m-m! How are they playing, George?”

“As badly as possible!” answered the captain with emphasis, whereat there was a shout of laughter from the girls.

“Mr. Baker has described it correctly,” added Harriet. “Please let me explain the situation. Our young friends, the Tramp Club, as they call themselves, entered the Meadow-Brook Girls in the Atlantic Coast Tennis Tournament, supposing, of course, that we played, and played well. None of us play tennis, but for the sake of showing them that we appreciated their efforts, we promised to go in and do the best we could. Understand, Mr. Disbrow, they had bought a net, a complete outfit and carried it up here in order that we might have opportunity to practice. We have been doing so under Captain Baker’s instruction, but I fear we have not played in a manner to encourage him very much. The captain said you could whip us into shape if any one could do so. He was overjoyed when he saw in a newspaper a notice of your arrival in this country. I think you know the rest. We were very unhappy when we learned of your accident. I think that is all.”

“Except to express our appreciation of your [117] kindness in coming here, crippled as you are,” added the guardian.

“It is nothing, Miss Elting. I would do a lot more for George, and now that I have met you and your young ladies, I thank him for sending for me. How many of you are there, Miss Elting?”

“There are five young women and myself.”

“And how many will play?”

“Four, I believe. Miss Brown doesn’t care to play.”

“No, Buthter ith—” began Tommy, casting a tantalizing look at Margery.

Harriet nudged Tommy to be silent. The girls were trying their best to keep from laughing at the little lisping girl’s attempted fling at Margery, whose face had grown very red.

“And when is this tournament to take place?” questioned the Englishman.

“A little less than five weeks from now,” answered George.

Disbrow uttered a low whistle under his breath.

“You—you expect to win something?”

“Of course we do,” replied Harriet Burrell promptly. “Otherwise we should not have decided to play.”

Disbrow regarded her shrewdly.

“You at least have the proper spirit. Other [118] things being equal, you ought to win. But you must remember that tennis is not a game to be learned in a day. Years ordinarily are required to make the expert player. I am not going to say that I think you have no chance. I can not say until I have seen you play. To-morrow we shall see what you can do. For my part, I shall do my best for you. It follows that I am able to coach to the best advantage, but first of all you must be tennis players by instinct. Even were you fair players, you would have a task before you to prepare yourself for a tournament within the short time left. George, will this tournament call out any high-class material?”

“Herrington says it will, especially the Scott Sisters from Portsmouth, who are said to be near the professional class. I don’t know of my own knowledge how well they play.”

“Hm-m-m. Not a very encouraging outlook, is it, young ladies?”

“I haven’t had any reason to change my mind as to the result,” remarked Harriet.

“You mean you expect to win?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That state of mind should go a long way toward the success of your club. All of you feel the same way?”

“We always agree with Harriet,” answered Hazel, with an emphatic nod.

[119]

“A jolly good idea,” muttered the Englishman, regarding each girl with a steady gaze of keen inquiry. He was noting their movements, their poise, with the eyes of an expert. This brief study encouraged P. Earlington Disbrow. He decided that the Meadow-Brook Girls were at least good material, but as for fitting themselves to play in a tournament at such short notice, he was doubtful, and they saw that he was. This did not change the point of view of the Meadow-Brook Girls in the least, but it added to the gloom of Captain Baker.

“Another matter that I wish to mention,” said Miss Elting. “We cannot give you any comforts up here in the woods. Perhaps you would prefer to have us move into town, and——”

“By no means,” replied the guest. “We should have a crowd at our heels all the time. I don’t mind saying that I purpose showing you some things about tennis that I would be chary of other persons knowing. These things are what a merchant would characterize as his stock in trade. I’d be a proper idiot to give them away to others, wouldn’t I, now?”

They agreed that he would.

“You may depend upon our discretion,” the guardian assured him.

“I know that. It is unnecessary to tell me. [120] Do I have far to go to get to your camp, George?”

“You are to remain here to-night, Mr. Disbrow,” replied the guardian. “Two of the boys have gone to their camp to bring a tent for you. We shall make you as comfortable as possible, but it will not be exactly home comforts, you know.”

“I am used to roughing it. I’ve played tennis pretty much all over the world and have had to put up with some pretty rough quarters. I’m jolly well satisfied with a tent and a pair of clean blankets. This supper, let me tell you, I enjoyed more than anything I’ve had since I left England. I shall have to be careful or I’ll put on too much flesh in the two or three weeks I am up here. By the way, what is the physical condition of the young ladies, Miss Elting!”

“I do not see how it could be better,” answered the guardian. “They practically live out-of-doors a good part of the year. I should say that their endurance is as great as it is possible to find in a woman, if that is what you mean.”

He nodded reflectively.

“I judged as much from the little I have seen of them. I trust you to see to it that they do not overdo nor ‘go stale’ before the date set for the match. An ambitious person is quite likely to [121] try to do too much. He pays for it bitterly in many cases. But we shall see after a day or so. To-morrow morning I wish to see the young ladies play. You naturally will play in doubles at the tournament, so that is the way I shall have you play to-morrow. Until then I can say nothing definite as to what we shall do. How are their strokes, George?”

“Awkward,” answered the captain frankly.

“That is the fault of their teacher. You haven’t taught them properly.”

“I did the best I could,” replied George bitterly, “but it did not seem to me to be of much use. I am no tennis sharp, anyway.”

“I’ll not have you depreciating yourself that way, Captain,” declared Miss Elting warmly. “He has done nobly by us,” she added to Mr. Disbrow.

“Yes, it isn’t his fault that we have made so little progress,” agreed Harriet.

“What about the court?” inquired the young Englishman.

“As good as I could make. I’ve played on worse ones,” answered the captain.

“We shall have to look into that, too. It’s an important factor, and conditions on the practice court must be as near a duplicate of those on which the tournament is to be played as possible. Will they be grass or dirt courts?”

[122]

“Dirt, so Herrington said. This one is dirt also.”

“Well, I think when that tent is ready I will retire. How about it, Brother George?”

“It is up. The fellows are making your bed now.”

“How thoughtless in me! I shall attend to that myself,” said the guardian, rising hurriedly and going to the tent that the boys had set up some little distance from the Meadow-Brook camp. Shortly after that Mr. Disbrow retired to his tent. The boys saw him safely stowed there, then left for their own camp.

The next day was to be a day of activity, a day of hopes and disappointments which were destined to have an important bearing on the outcome of their plans.