made of this curious sentence when she
read it!) "Dig and I were awfully riled we hadn't got you down for the
sports, and I wanted Marky to wire up for you and put them off till you
came. As it was, it didn't matter a bit, for Miss Violet showed up like
a trump as she is, and backed us up; so it's just as well you hadn't
come. Violet nodded to me! She's the most beautiful girl in the world.
Smedley turned up too; brickish, wasn't it? Bickers of course came,
and tried to spoil our sports, but Marky gave him a flea in his ear, and
Dig and I howled; so he didn't stay long.

"Bateson and Jukes pulled off the kids' hundred yards; and jolly cocky
they were, I can tell you. Bateson's the sneak I told you of.

"Tilbury won the Shell quarter-mile. Dig and I were in for it, but we
wanted to save ourselves for the long jump and hurdles, so we ran easy,
and Tilbury did it hands down.

"Ah, Da, really you should have been there to see the high jump!
Smedley and Clipstone tied 5 41/2 last week for the School. No end of a
jump to beat; and Dig and I were in a blue funk about our men.
Barnworth and Wake were the only two entered;--dark horses both; at
least _I_ didn't know what either of them could do. I heard Ainger tell
Violet he thought we'd pull it off, so I perked up. They started at 4
foot 10. Wake muffed his first jump, and we gave ourselves up for gone
'coons. However, he hopped over second try. They went up by inches to
five feet. My word! you should have seen the way Violet clapped!
They'd have been cads if they hadn't gone over, with her backing them up
like that. Wake's got the rummiest jump you ever saw. He runs sideways
at the bar, and sort of lies down on his back on it as he goes over.
You'd think he'd muff it every time, but just as he looks like done for,
he kicks up his foot and clears. Barnworth takes it straight--skips up
to the bar and goes over like a daisy, without seeming to try.

"At 5 foot 1, Wake mulled twice, and we thought he was out of it. But
the third time he got over finely with a good inch to spare. It got
precious ticklish after this; and no one said a word till each Jump was
done: and then we let out. Violet stood up and looked as if she'd got a
ten-pound note on the event. At 5 foot 3 Barnworth came a cropper; and
I fancy he must have screwed his foot. Anyhow, he had to sit a minute
before he tried again. Then he went over like a shot--and you may guess
we yelled. Five fo