Merediths.

Patty loved to play croquet, and though it greatly amused her to hear the
English people pronounce the word as if it were spelled _croky_, yet not
to appear peculiar, she spoke it that way too.

The party was a large one, and the games were arranged somewhat after the
fashion of a tournament.

Patty's partner was Tom Meredith, and as he played a fairly good game
they easily beat their first opponents.

But later on they found themselves matched against Mabel Hartley and a
young man named Jack Stanton. Mr. Stanton was an expert, and Mabel played
the best game Patty had ever seen a girl play.

"It's no use," said Patty, good-naturedly, as they began the game, "Tom
and I never can win against you two."

"Don't despair," said Tom, encouragingly, "There's many a slip, you
know."

The game progressed until, when Tom and Patty were about three-quarters
of the way around, Mabel was passing through her last wicket and Mr.
Stanton was a "rover."

"Be careful, now," said Mr. Stanton, as Mabel aimed to send her ball
through the arch. "It's a straight shot, and a long shot, and you're
liable to touch the post."

And that's just what happened. As Mabel's swift, clear stroke sent the
ball straight through the wicket, it went spinning on and hit squarely
the home stake.

"Jupiter! that's bad luck!" exclaimed Jack Stanton. "They'll jolly well
beat us now. But never mind, perhaps I can slip through yet."

But he couldn't. The fact that they had two plays to his one, gave Patty
and Tom a great advantage.

Tom was a clever manager, and Patty followed his directions implicitly.
So they played a defensive game, and spent much time keeping Stanton's
ball away from the positions he desired. The result was that Tom and
Patty won, but their success was really owing to Mabel's mistake in going
out.

The test was to win two games out of three, so with one game in favor of
Patty's side they began the next.

Patty was considered a good croquet player in America, but in England the
rules of the game, as well as the implements, were so different that it
seriously impeded her progress.

The wickets were so narrow that the ball could barely squeeze through if
aimed straight, and a side shot through one was impossible.

But all this added to the zest, and it was four very eager young people
who strove for the victory.

The second game went easily to Mabel and Jack Stanton, and then the
third, the decisive one, was begu