“And I promise not to touch the wheel, Mr. Mason,” said Frieda penitently, as the guests separated to dress for dinner.
Since the rain seemed likely to continue all evening, Mrs. Andrews suggested a program of bridge and other games. The young people assented joyfully, pleading, however, for half an hour or so to make their final tennis arrangements; for Mr. Andrews said he could postpone the entries no longer.
Immediately after dinner, with a feeling of something like relief, Ruth watched Harold depart. Fearing that Marjorie might know more than she should about the adventure, she wished to have the remainder of the incident banished from their presence. Then, too, she felt that Harold kept the other boys away from her: he regarded her almost as his personal property. True, no one had asked her for the tennis tournament, but she was confident that as soon as he was out of the way, some one would; for, after all, there was one more boy than girl at the house party.
“I will read the entries that I have so far,” announced Mr. Andrews, calling the young people to attention. “And those who haven’t already registered, please ask your girl, and do so without delay.
- “Griffith Hunter and Marjorie Wilkinson;
- Dick Roberts and Lily Andrews;
- Mr. Remington and Miss Phillips;
- Roger Harris and Doris Sands;
- John Hadley and Frances Wright;
- David Conner and Ethel Todd.
“Now, are there any others?”
“Yes, sir,” said Lawrence Field, in the pause that followed. “I wish to enter with Eloise Trowbridge.”
“And Florence Evans has consented to play with me,” said Raymond Hancock.
“And Jeanne Trowbridge with me,” announced Max Stanton.
“Well, Ruth,” said Jack, loud enough for everybody to hear, “since your ‘steady’ has gone, will you condescend to play with me?”