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That polished courtesy of Fordham's which Ellie so much disliked had quite won the heart of her mother, who, having viewed him from a distance as an obstacle in Esther's way, now underwent a revulsion of feeling, and when he treated her with marked distinction, and her daughter with brotherly kindness, was filled with mingled gratitude, admiration and compunction.
It called for one of their most daring plays, that Prescott himself made famous the year before. While the start, after the ball was in play, seemed directed toward the right wing of Gridley, the ball was actually jumped to little Fenton, at the left end, and Fenton, backed solidly by a superb interference, got off and away with the ball. In a twinkling he had it down behind Fordham's goal line.
When a station fly was seen drawing to the door, Allen, who was drearily leaning over the stone wall of the terrace, much disorganised by having received no answer to his letter, instantly jumped to the conclusion that Elvira had come home, sprang to the door, and when he only saw the tall figure emerge, he concluded that something dreadful had happened, grasped Fordham's hand, and demanded what it was.
Her brother, whom he was coaching in his county duties, was far too much inclined to bring him home to luncheon; and in the clash and crisis, without any one's quite knowing how it happened, it turned out that Mrs. Evelyn had been so imprudent as to sanction an attachment between her daughter and that great lout of a young doctor, Lady Fordham's brother!
I'd like to see the Fordhams play through a stiff game just once." It was too late, however, to give any real thought to this, for Fordham's next and last game of the season was to be the one with Gridley. "Are you girls going to the game?" asked Dick, when he and his chum met Laura Bentley and Belle Meade before the post office.
"And then ?" "Oh, I'll turn half girl, and say 'I told you so," mimicked Dave good-humoredly. It would have been hard to find anyone in Gridley who would have said openly that he expected the home boys to be beaten; but there were many who knew that they were more than a bit anxious. Before the game, anyway, Fordham's brag was just as good as Gridley brag.
"Well, you see, Fordham was my native town. I run down there often, and I know a good deal of what's going on there. Fordham's second coach has attended the last two games you played, and he has been stealing all your points that he could get." "He has, eh?" muttered Prescott. "That's news to me. Oh, well, it's legitimate to learn all you can about another team's play."
She must go to her room to compose herself before she could bear a word from any one, and as soon as she could gain the back stair, she gathered up her heavy white silk and dashed up, rushing along the gallery so blinded by tears under her veil that she would have had a collision if a hand had not been put out as some one drew aside to let her fly past if she wished; but as the mechanical "beg pardon" was exchanged, she knew Fordham's voice and paused.
"It might have been in Jessie, if her General was not such a horrid old martinet as to hinder the development; but Essie is much nicer as she is." Meantime, Fordham's fingers were on the knot of the string of his parcel. "Oh, you are going to peep in? I am so glad." "Since mamma is not here to laugh at me." "You'll tell her you did it to please the Babie!"
"I shouldn't mind such a life as that fellow's yonder!" exclaimed young Berkeley, who was fonder of idleness than he was of Latin. "I'll turn bargeman when other trades fail. It must be rather jolly to sit steering a boat all day, and do nothing but smoke." "Fordham's gone, and be hanged to him! Now for it, Galloway!" "Stop a bit," said Bywater.
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