es, glad
even that he recognized them. At her solicitation Sam played again the
plaintive little air of his own composition--and played it much better
than ever he had played it before. Then they walked out on the porch
and strolled down toward the bowling shed. Half way there was a little
side path, leading off through an arbor into a shady way which crossed
the brook on a little rustic bridge, which wound about between
flowerbeds and shrubbery and back by another little bridge, and which
lengthened the way to the bowling shed by about four times the normal
distance--and they took that path; and when they reached the bowling
alley they were not quite ready to go in.

[Illustration: Sam played again the plaintive little air]

There seemed no reasonable excuse for staying out longer, however, for
the bowling had already started, and, moreover, young Tilloughby
happened to come to the door and spied them. Princeman was just
getting up to bowl for the honor and glory of Meadow Brook, and within
one minute later Miss Stevens was watching the handsome young paper
manufacturer with absorbed interest. He was a fine picture of athletic
manhood as he stood up, weighing the ball, and a splendid picture of
masculine action as he rushed forward to deliver it. Sam had to
acknowledge that himself, and out of fairness he even had to join in
the mad applause when Princeman made strike after strike. They had
Princeman up again in the last frame, and it was a ticklish moment.
The Hollis Creek team was fifty points ahead. Dramatic unities, under
the circumstances, demanded that Princeman, by a tremendous exercise of
coolness and skill, overcome that lead by his own personal efforts, and
he did, winning the tournament for Meadow Brook with a breathless few
points to spare.

But did Sam Turner care that Princeman was the hero of the hour? More
power to Princeman, for from the bevy of flushed and eager girls who
flocked about the Adonis-like victor, Miss Josephine Stevens was
absent. She was there, with him, in Paradise! Incidentally Sam made
an engagement to drive with her in the morning, and when, at the close
of that delightful evening, the carryall carried her away, she beamed
upon him; gave him two or three beams in fact, and said good-by
personally and waved her hand to him personally; nobody else was there
in all that crowd but just they two!

CHAPTER XI

THE WESTLAKES DECIDE TO INVEST

Miss Hastings did not e