At eight o’clock the contest began. It was conducted like an old-fashioned spelling match—that is, two captains were selected, who chose sides.
Mr. Henderson was one captain, and Miss Merington was the other.
These two chose alternately until all who had entered the contest were ranged in two long rows, and the rest of the people looked on with great interest.
Mr. Abercrombie conducted the game, and as he walked up and down between the two rows, he caught sight of Marjorie’s eager little face, and gave her an encouraging nod and smile.
Midget had been chosen on Miss Merington’s side, and though she was sure she could not win the prize herself, she hoped she could at least help her captain to win it.
“This is the plan of our contest,” announced Mr. Abercrombie, for few of them had ever seen the game before: “I will ask a question of Mr. Henderson, then of Miss Merington, then of the next one on Mr. Henderson’s side, then of the next one on the other side; and so on down the two lines. Whoever answers a question correctly, remains in the game. Whoever does not do so, must be scored against, and the question passed on to the next. After three scorings, the contestant must drop out of line. The winner, of course, is the one who remains to the last. First, I will ask of Mr. Henderson, ‘What tree do we give to our friends when we meet?’ ”
“Palm,” answered Mr. Henderson, promptly, and everybody applauded.
Then Mr. Abercrombie asked of Miss Merington, “What is the housewife’s tree?”
“Broom,” she replied, for it had been explained that the answer need not necessarily be a tree, but a bush, or tall plant of any kind.
Marjorie’s courage began to fail her. She liked puzzles, but these were pretty hard ones. However, the next ones were a little easier.