The Twins in the South Part 22

"We do," Phyllis answered. "We played off yesterday, and, and of course they had to beat Poppy and Helen."

"Cheeky of them, I call it," Gladys commented.

"Oh, well, if you are up against them, we don't need to worry. How's your game?" Prue had never held a racket in her hand, but she always spoke in tennis terms.

"Very bad, thank you, Prue," Janet informed her. "I twisted my wrist yesterday, playing against Kitty and Louise, and Phyl hurt her foot."

"I suppose the Red Twins are in high feather then. How they love an advantage!" Sally said crossly.

"Well, they don't happen to know about this one?" Janet replied. "I have kept mighty still about it. My hand goes behind my back when I see any of the faculty, so they won't notice the adhesive plaster on my wrist."

"Is it as bad a sprain as that?" Daphne inquired.

"Yes, it's terrifically painful," Janet replied. "I can't see how I am going to manage," she added in a much louder voice than was necessary to carry across the hall.

"Who was that?" Gladys exclaimed suddenly. She was dressing in the corridor as well as in her own room.

Janet went to her door, and stood smiling after a retreating figure that was hurrying softly down the stairs.

"Hush, Glad, don't spoil my party," she said laughing. "That was Ethel Rivers, over scouting for the Red Twins. I saw her reflection in my mirror, so I gave her what news I could."

"But why tell her how sore your arm is? The Red Twins will gloat," Prue protested.

"Wait and see," Janet replied.

And the Red Twins did gloat. They even asked the Twins if they would like a handicap. Janet did the refusing in such a way, that it left them perfectly sure that she would have gladly taken it, had it been possible.

"What are you up to, Janet dear?" demanded Daphne, who had heard the conversation.

"A rather mean trick, Taffy," Janet admitted, "but I can't help it. They are so funny when they are sure of themselves. Do look at May condescending to Phyl. On my word I do believe she is giving her points."

Daphne took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Jan, tell me the truth.

How much of a chance have the Red Twins?" she demanded.

"Not a chance in the world," Janet replied calmly.

And Daphne went back to the eager group of girls who were crowding for places near the court, and smiled her sweet dreamy smile in response to all the new wing girls' boasts.

The match began. Gwen and Stella Richardson played off the finals in singles, and after a hard fought fight, Gwen won.

"She has a back hand stroke that is a perfect whiz," Phyllis exclaimed admiringly. "Wish I could get it!"

"Oh, well played, Gwen, well played!" Janet called as flushed but triumphant Gwen left the court.

"Well fought!" Sally called as Stella followed her. She was smiling broadly.

"I'd hate to be beaten by any other girl, but it's a positive honor to be beaten by Gwen," she said good-naturedly.

"All right, you girls, already for the finals in doubles." Gwen blew her silver whistle. She was once more captain of sports.

The two sets of twins took their places.

"Awfully sorry about your arm!" Bess said with patronizing kindness as she pa.s.sed Janet.

Janet nodded her thanks. Her arm did hurt, in spite of the way she had joked about it, and she could not help thinking of the Archery contest next day. She looked ruefully at her bandaged wrist as she took her place.

The Red Twins served first. Bess sent a tricky drop to Phyllis but her racket was waiting for it and she sent it back, just dribbling it over the net.

The old wing shouted with delight, and Bess stormed.

"Why don't you stand into the net? You know that's one of her tricks,"

she said angrily.

"Oh, keep still," May muttered.

"Love-15," Gwen called.

With more feeling of a.s.surance, Bess served again. This time to Janet.

She chanced the first ball and tried a new cut. It fell the wrong side of the net, but she tossed up the second undaunted.

Janet ran forward to meet it, and sent it back easily, to the extreme right hand corner of the court.

"Oh, pretty place!" Sally applauded from the side lines.

The Red Twins lost the first game of their serve and the second fell before Phyllis' smas.h.i.+ng delivery. They won the third and fourth.

The twins had an easy time with the fifth and sixth. Bess and May were quarreling so that they were easy victims before Phyllis and Janet's perfect team-work.

After the first set, the result of the match was a certainty. They stopped after the fourth game and were received with salvos of applause.

Janet swayed a little as she walked off the court. Her wrist was sending blinding pains up her arm and she could not wait to tear off the strip of adhesive plaster that bound it so cruelly.

Sally and Daphne noticed her pallor and went to her.

"Get me a drink, will you, Taffy?" Janet said, weakly sitting down on the bench in a sudden fit of awful weakness.

She pulled off the bandage and disclosed an angry red swelling.

"Oh, Jane, and we thought your wrist was all a joke!" Sally exclaimed.

"How awful, and archery-"

"Don't," Janet said swiftly. "If you remind me of it, I'll weep."

Phyllis meanwhile was talking to the Red Twins.

"I can't see why we lost," Bess said stubbornly. "We are better players than you are, and you know it."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _She pulled off the bandage and disclosed an angry red swelling_]