"Patty!" exclaimed Miss North, reprovingly. "You know you don't believe
a word you say. You love golf prizes. Why you're always giving the
Bachelors' Cup, and this year you've presented the cup for the
'Affinity Foursomes.' Besides, you've won at least three prizes
yourself."
"I've reformed," said Patricia, decisively. "I've lost patience with
golf. I haven't any interest in a game that requires the elimination of
all human attributes."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"One can't be entirely human and play a good game of golf, that's all,"
she announced.
"That's rough on McLemore," laughed Mortimer.
"It's human to be irritated, human to be angry, human to have nerves,
human to make mistakes. I've no patience with people who can't lose
their tempers."
"I'm apt to lose mine, if you keep calling me names," said the Sphynx,
affably.
"You couldn't, Jimmy," said Patricia, soberly. "Anyone who can make the
tenth, eleventh and twelfth in eleven playing out of two bunkers will
never lose his temper in this world--or anything else," she added,
_sotto voce_.
"There won't be any more Bachelors' Cups, then?"
"Not if I can help it. At least not for the Ancient and Honorable Game
as we play it now. The Bachelors' Cup this fall will be played for
across country." The members of the party examined her as though they
believed she had suddenly been bereft of her senses--all but her
husband, who knew that in being surprised at Patty, one was wasting
valuable energy, but even Mortimer was mildly curious.
"Across country!" they asked.
"Exactly. I'm going to invest the game with a real sporting interest,
develop the possibilities of the niblick, eliminate the merely
mechanical, introduce a stronger element of chance. The course will be
laid out like a 'drag.'"
"With an anise-seed bag?" queried Crabb.
Patricia withered her husband with a look. "With scraps of paper," she
asserted, firmly. "The course will be four miles long over good hunting
country."
"You can't mean it," said McLemore.
"I do. It's quite feasible."
"Yes, but----"
"It's a good sporting proposition," said Aurora North, suddenly kindling
to interest. "Why not?"
Ventnor and McLemore only smiled amusedly, as became true golfers.
"Oh you can laugh, you two. Why not give it a trial? Just to make it
interesting I'll offer a cup for the Club champion and runner-up. It
will be a pretty cup--and Aurora and I will caddy."
"Willingly," laughed Aurora.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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