n. According to the laws of the
tournament, this was the final game. The opponents had already vanquished
all the other contestants, and now, pitted against each other, were
playing for the prize.

Patty knew in her heart she would be glad to have Mabel win it, and yet,
so strong was her love of games, and so enthusiastic her natural desire
to succeed, that she tried her best to beat the third game.

All played conservatively. The partners kept together, and progressed
evenly. Toward the last Jack and Mabel began to creep ahead. Tom saw
this, and said to Patty: "This is our last chance; if we plod on like
this, they'll calmly walk out and leave us. Unless we can make a
brilliant dash of some sort, we are beaten."

"I don't believe I can," said Patty, looking doubtfully at her ball.
"It's my turn, and unless I can hit Mabel's ball, clear across the
grounds, I can't do anything."

"That's just it. You _must_ hit Mabel's ball."

So Patty aimed carefully, and sent her ball spinning over the ground
toward Mabel's, and missed it by a hair's breadth!

"Goody!" cried Mabel, and hitting Patty's ball, she roqueted it back
where it had come from.

"Now here's our very lastest chance," said Tom, with a groan of despair.
"And I'm sure, Patty, I won't do any better than you did."

Nor did he. Although not far from Jack's ball, at which he aimed, there
was a wicket in the way, which sent his own ball glancing off at an
angle, and he did not hit his opponent.

A minute more, and Jack skilfully sent Mabel's ball and then his own
against the home stake, and the game was over.

The onlookers crowded up and congratulated the winners, and offered
condolence to Patty and Tom. Patty smiled, and responded merrily. She did
not try to lay the blame on the unusual shaped wickets, or short, heavy
mallets. She declared that the best players had won, and that she was
satisfied. And indeed she was.

When she saw the lovely prize that was given to Mabel, she was deeply
thankful that she hadn't won it. It was a white parasol, of silk and
chiffon, with a pearl handle. A really exquisite, dainty affair, and just
the very thing Mabel had wanted, but couldn't afford to buy. As for Patty
herself, she had several parasols, and so was delighted that Mabel had
won.

But though she truly preferred that Mabel should have the prize, she felt
a little chagrined at losing the contest, for like all people who are
fond of games and sports, Patty loved