After the roar of laughter had quieted down, the Cornwall Captain closed
by expressing the hope that the Maitland Mill team would try for a place
next season in the senior hockey. In which case he expressed the hope
that he might have the pleasure of meeting them again.

Captain Maitland's speech was characteristic. He had nothing but praise
for the Cornwalls. They played a wonderful game and a clean game. He
shared in the doubt of their Captain as to which was the better team. He
frankly confessed that in the last quarter the luck came to his team.

"Not a bit of it," roared the Cornwalls with one voice.

As to his own team, he was particularly proud of the way they had taken
the training--their fine self-denial, and especially the never-dying
spirit which they showed. It was a great honour for his team to meet
the Cornwalls. A hard team to meet--sometimes--as Snoopy and himself had
found out that evening--but they were good sports and he hoped some day
to meet them again.

After the usual cheers for the teams, individually and collectively, for
their supporters, for the Mill management and for the ladies, the dinner
came to an end, the whole party joining with wide open throats and all
standing at attention, in the Canadian and the Empire national anthems.

While the supper table was being cleared away preparatory to the dance,
Captain Jack rushed upstairs to the party in the gallery. Patricia flung
herself at him in an ecstasy of rapture.

"Oh! Captain Jack, you did win! You did win! You did win! It was
glorious! And that double-circle play that you and Snoopy put up--didn't
it work beautifully!"

"We were mighty lucky," said Captain Jack.

The others, Hugh, Vic and Rupert, crowded round, offering
congratulations. Adrien waited behind, a wonderful light shining in her
eyes, a faint colour touching her pale cheek. Captain Jack came slowly
forward.

"Are you not going to congratulate us, too, Adrien?" he said.

She moved a pace forward.

"Oh, Jack," she whispered, leaning toward him and breathing quickly, "it
was so like the old, the dear old days."

Into Maitland's eyes there flashed a look of surprise, of wonder, then
of piercing scrutiny, while his face grew white.

"Adrien," he said, in a voice low, tense, almost stern, which she alone
heard. "What do you mean? Then do you--"

"Oh, Captain Jack," cried Patricia, catching his arm, "are you going to
dance? You are, aren't you? And will you give me--O