verywhere,
mighty-glad-to-see-you" cordiality.

"I want you to teach me tennis," he said immediately.

"I'm afraid I can't teach you much," she replied with becoming
diffidence, "because I'm not a good enough player myself; but I'll do
my best. We'll have a set right after luncheon; shall we?"

"Fine!" said he.

After luncheon Mr. Westlake and Mr. Cuthbert waylaid him, but he merely
thrust his telegram into Mr. Westlake's hands, and hurried off to the
tennis grounds with Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings and lanky Bob
Tilloughby, who stuttered horribly and blushed when he spoke, and was
in deadly seriousness about everything. Never did a man work so hard
at anything as Sam Turner worked at tennis. He had a keen eye and a
dextrous wrist, and he kept the game up to top-notch speed. Of course
he made blunders and became confused in his count and overlooked
opportunities, but he covered acres of ground, as Vivian Hastings
expressed it, and when, at the end of an hour, they sat down, panting,
to rest, young Tilloughby, with painful earnestness, assured him that
he had "the mum-mum-makings of a fine tennis player."

Sam considered that compliment very thoughtfully, but he was a trifle
dubious. Already he perceived that tennis playing was not only an
occupation but a calling.

"Thanks," said he. "It's mighty nice of you to say so, Tilloughby.
What's the next game?"

"The nun-nun-next game is a stroll," Tilloughby soberly advised him.
"It always stus-stus-starts out as a foursome, and ends up in
tut-tut-two doubles."

So they strolled. They wound along the brookside among some of the
pretty paths, and in the rugged places Miss Westlake threw her weight
upon Sam's helping arm as much as possible; in the concealed places she
languished, which she did very prettily, she thought, considering her
one hundred and sixty-three pounds. They took him through a detour of
shady paths which occupied a full hour to traverse, but this particular
game did not wind up in "two doubles." In spite of all the excellent
tete-a-tete opportunities which should have risen for both couples,
Miss Westlake was annoyed to find Miss Hastings right close behind, and
holding even the conversation to a foursome.

In the meantime, Sam Turner took careful lessons in the art of talking
twaddle, and they never knew that he was bored. Having entered into
the game he played it with spirit, and before they had returned to the
house Mr. Tilloughby