TIIE SUPREME EVENT. 
463 
will never be forgotten by those who heard 
it. Deliberately, after her own graceful 
fashion, Mabel had righted a wrong, giving 
back the lost point to her antagonist with a 
smile which captivated the multitude. 
1 couldn’t have done that,” said Bott. 
“ What a girl ! What a woman ! ” 
“ What a wife ! ” thought John, 
The third and final set began in impressive, 
silence. From a technical point of view it 
was not so interesting as those which had pre- 
ceded it. Neither player dared to be brilliant. 
The Higginbotham remained on the back 
“ This is only a game.” 
But he knew it was much more than that. 
It seemed to him, as he stared at his wife, 
that this “ game.” the game which he secretly 
detested, was revealing to him a new Mabel. 
He began to understand what games have 
done for England, what the winning and the 
losing may mean in their ultimate effect upon 
character. And he knew instinctively that 
defeat, not victory, would reveal hi? young 
wife to him, so that he would see her with 
clear vision. If her courage failed, it' her 
smile vanished^ then he would have to a c know *■ 
“ * FIVE GAMES ALL ! ’ THE EXCITEMENT WAS BEGINNING TO TEEL UPON JOHN. Hg EXPERIENCED 
ODD THE ILLS CHASING THEMSELVES UP AND DOWN HIS SPINAL COLUMN.'' 
line, the ball travelled from one end to the 
other with a precision that became mono- 
tonous. Throughout this set the elder woman, 
although betraying signs of distress, played 
with increasing judgment and steadiness. 
a She'll just puli it off,” said Bott. “ The. 
fire is going out of Mabel's drive ; her back 
hand is getting weaker.” 
The veteran was well aware of this. 
Five games all l 
The excitement was beginning to tell upon 
John. He experienced odd thrills chasing 
themselves up and down his spinal column. 
He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, 
because they were trembling. Twice tears 
came into his eyes. He reflected : — 
Vol Jtlvi,— 59. 
ledge that this game was indeed too big 
a thing in her eyes, that winning it meant 
the loss of a sense of proportion, a monstrous 
inflation of heart and head. 
The Higginbotham won the sixth game 
easily. 
John gazed at Mabel as she crossed into 
the other court. For an instant their eyes 
met. Her glance was not reassuring. He 
beheld a tennis face in its first phase- of manu- 
facture. Mabel still smiled, but the smile 
was set and hard. Faint lines showed them- 
selves upon her smooth forehead. There was 
an unmistakable likeness between her and 
the Higginbotham. 
She began to serve. 
