rather do anything on earth than marry him. But how could I say 'No!'
with those awful eyes of his boring me through? I knew that if I said
'No', he would argue me out of it in two minutes. I had an idea. I
gathered that he had never played golf, so I told him that I would
marry him if he won the Amateur Championship this year. And now I find
that he has been a golfer all along, and, what is more, a plus man! It
isn't fair!'
'He was not a golfer when you made that condition,' I said. 'He took up
the game on the following day.'
'Impossible! How could he have become as good as he is in this short
time?'
'Because he is Vincent Jopp! In his lexicon there is no such word as
impossible.'
She shuddered.
'What a man! But I can't marry him,' she cried. 'I want to marry
somebody else. Oh, won't you help me? Do shout 'Boo!' at him when he is
starting his down-swing!'
I shook my head.
'It would take more than a single 'boo' to put Vincent Jopp off his
stroke.'
'But won't you try it?'
'I cannot. My duty is to my employer.'
'Oh, do!'
'No, no. Duty is duty, and paramount with me. Besides, I have a bet on
him to win.'
The stricken girl uttered a faint moan, and tottered away.
* * * * *
I was in our suite shortly after dinner that night, going over some of
the notes I had made that day, when the telephone rang. Jopp was out at
the time, taking a short stroll with his after-dinner cigar. I unhooked
the receiver, and a female voice spoke.
'Is that Mr. Jopp?'
'Mr. Jopp's secretary speaking. Mr. Jopp is out.'
'Oh, it's nothing important. Will you say that Mrs. Luella Mainprice
Jopp called up to wish him luck? I shall be on the course tomorrow to
see him win the final.'
I returned to my notes. Soon afterwards the telephone rang again.
'Vincent, dear?'
'Mr. Jopp's secretary speaking.'
'Oh, will you say that Mrs. Jane Jukes Jopp called up to wish him luck?
I shall be there tomorrow to see him play.'
I resumed my work. I had hardly started when the telephone rang for the
third time.
'Mr. Jopp?'
'Mr. Jopp's secretary speaking.'
'This is Mrs. Agnes Parsons Jopp. I just called up to wish him luck. I
shall be looking on tomorrow.'
I shifted my work nearer to the telephone-table so as to be ready for
the next call. I had heard that Vincent Jopp had only been married
