DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 79 



quickly, was awful when it came straight overhead, 

 but my companion's fears fled at the comforting 

 assurance that, standing as we did, we should fare 

 alike. 



The heavy rain had now its will with us, and we 

 were before long too wet for any further outdoor 

 pleasure, and, the remainder of our party having 

 fared but little better, it was decided to call the match 

 finished. The afternoon's sport had not much altered 

 the positions of the contestants : Jack was easily 

 fi rst and lucky Ted second. 



Mrs Jack protested that it would be dangerous 

 for us to travel with wet shoes and damp clothes, 

 and that it would be wiser for us to go to the uncle's 

 house for tea and get dried. She and Jack hurried 

 off to give notice of our coming, with the result that 

 their bachelor uncle stood waiting us with hearty 

 welcome, which was graciously responded to by Mrs 

 Ted, who, with him, led the way into a room in which 

 the fire sticks crackled loudly to give further welcom.e 

 and a promise of drier clothes for our journey 

 home. 



It transpired that the partial deafness of our host 

 had prevented his understanding that we strangers 

 were married couples. That this was so we discovered 

 from his addressing Mrs Ted as Miss. Very quickly 

 thereafter that lady found out which ear of the old 

 gentleman was the more useful to him, and v/ith 

 some cleverness managed to be seated next to it at 

 tea. She had the gift and training that enabled her 

 to modulate her voice to the exact key to suit the 

 drum of the most eccentric ear, and so successful was 

 she in this that the dear old gentleman soon ceased 

 to make a trumpet of his hand and was, no doubt, 

 beginning to believe that his hearing had much im- 

 proved, until ]\Irs Jack, who had made several 

 ineffectual attempts on his denser ear, resorted to a high 

 pitch which caused her uncle to protest : 'My dear 



