'Well, I'm busted!' remarked the captain, as she took his bat. 'You won't sty in long, I lay,' he said, as he sent the old bowler fielding and took the ball himself. He was a young gentleman who did not suffer from excessive backwardness. 'Aht!' shouted a dozen voices as the ball went past Liza's bat and landed in the pile of coats which formed the wicket. The captain came forward to resume his innings, but Liza held the bat away from him. 'Garn!' she said; 'thet was only a trial.' 'You never said trial,' answered the captain indignantly. 'Yus, I did,' said Liza; 'I said it just as the ball was comin'--under my breath.' 'Well, I am busted!' repeated the captain. Just then Liza saw Tom among the lookers-on, and as she felt very kindly disposed to the world in general that morning, she called out to him: ''Ulloa, Tom!' she said. 'Come an' give us a ball; this chap can't bowl.' 'Well, I got yer aht, any'ow,' said that person. 'Ah, yer wouldn't 'ave got me aht plyin' square. But a trial ball--well, one don't ever know wot a trial ball's goin' ter do.' Tom began bowling very slowly and easily, so that Liza could swing her bat round and hit mightily; she ran well, too, and pantingly brought up her score to twenty. Then the fielders interposed. 'I sy, look 'ere, 'e's only givin' 'er lobs; 'e's not tryin' ter git 'er aht.' 'You're spoilin' our gime.' 'I don't care; I've got twenty runs--thet's more than you could do. I'll go aht now of my own accord, so there! Come on, Tom.' Tom joined her, and as the captain at last resumed his bat and the game went on, they commenced talking, Liza leaning against the wall of a house, while Tom stood in front of her, smiling with pleasure. 'Where 'ave you been idin' yerself, Tom? I ain't seen yer for I dunno 'ow long.' 'I've been abaht as usual; an' I've seen you when you didn't see me.' 'Well, yer might 'ave come up and said good mornin' when you see me.' 'I didn't want ter force myself on, yer, Liza.' 'Garn! You are a bloomin' cuckoo. I'm blowed!' 'I thought yer didn't like me 'angin' round yer; so I kep' awy.' 'Why, yer talks as if I didn't like yer. Yer don't think I'd 'ave come aht beanfeastin' with yer if I 'adn't liked yer?' Liza was really very dishonest, but she felt so happy this morning that she loved the whole world, and of course Tom came in with the others. She looked very kindly at him, and he was so affected that a great lump came in his throat and he could not speak. Liza's eyes turned to Jim's house, and she saw coming out of the door a girl of about her own age; she fancied she saw in her some likeness to Jim. 'Say, Tom,' she asked, 'thet ain't Blakeston's daughter, is it?' 'Yus thet's it.' 'I'll go an' speak to 'er,' said Liza, leaving Tom and going over the road. 'You're Polly Blakeston, ain't yer?' she said. 'Thet's me!' said the girl.