“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 practice this afternoon,” called the guardian.
The little girl turned away reluctantly, and getting into the car settled back in the seat, uttering a deep sigh of happy satisfaction.
“I thhall want to look at it all the time. I know I’ll thit up nighth looking at it,” she murmured.
No one answered her. Each girl was too deeply absorbed in her thoughts to speak at that moment. Then the car moved on and the exquisite trophy for which they were soon to enter the lists was left behind them. But Harriet resolved that the separation should not be for long. Captain George, on his part, took a different view of the matter.
“The disappointment will nearly kill them,” he thought.
CHAPTER XVIII
WHAT THE SPY LEARNED
The purchases made, Jane drove at her usual rate of speed until she reached the tournament grounds. She slowed down just long enough to gain the field, then put on full speed. The car went dashing over the lot, threatening every minute to upset. She did not even turn out for a group of workmen. They were the men who got out of the way, and just in time, too. No amount of argument on the part of her companions could induce Jane McCarthy to drive slowly. Of course, she would not have run over any one recklessly, but in trying to avoid doing so she might have upset her car and caused serious injury to her passengers.
The boys were still rolling their practice court with hand rollers, packing down a lump or digging it off here and there, giving as much attention to the task as if the tournament were to be played on that particular court.
“It is a shame for the boys to work so hard,” said Miss Elting.