Tennis Shoes by Noel Streatfeild Page B

Jim supposed that if a thing like that happened to him he would have got dad to take him away. He was sure he could never have borne the shame.
    Luckily, as Jim and Susan were shy, Mr. Partridge was a very talkative person. He told them all through lunch about how he had been in Lapland. He was very interesting and the twins, in listening to him, almost forgot the rows of eyes down the table.
    After lunch they went on the pier. Dr. Heath changed a shilling into pennies and gave them six each, and told them not to leave the pier as he was going for a walk and would come back and fetch them. They had a lovely afternoon. The pennies lasted a long time in the slot machines, as they used them for football matches and things like that where one always comes back. When they had used all the pennies up, except one or two with which they bought chocolate, they went and sat on a bench and watched a man fish. Susan told Jim all about the tennis coaching. At the end he said:
    â€˜I should think dad’s bound to see. He knows that if they want you to play in teams and things at school you have to.’
    Susan screwed up her face.
    â€˜I sometimes think he doesn’t think it matters so much at girls’ schools. I hope he’ll understand, but I don’t feel a bit sure.’
    Jim wriggled more comfortably on to the bench.
    â€˜Have you done anything about getting your money yet for the tennis house?’
    She nodded.
    â€˜I’ve kept the half-crown I had on my birthday. Didn’t you?’
    Jim looked a bit ashamed.
    â€˜Well, I had meant to, and then Jones Mi. bought a catapult one Saturday. Not a bit like an ordinary catapult. You ought to see it. I bet if I had it here I could get that sea-gull.’ He pointed to a bird that was so far away it was only a speck.
    â€˜So you spent the half-crown on it?’
    â€˜No. One and fourpence. Honestly, I think it was worth it. It’s a handy thing to have about.’
    Susan counted on her fingers.
    â€˜So you’ve only one and twopence. You want another fivepence halfpenny. That will have to come out of your pocket-money.’
    â€˜I know. I’m saving a penny this week. School costs a lot of money.’
    â€˜Well, where is your one and twopence?’ said Susan. ‘Don’t you think I’d better take it back to London and look after it? You might see another catapult or something. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t matter about the rest of the money. I kept my whole half-crown because I thought we might need it. I’ll put your fivepence halfpenny out of that.’
    Jim was just going to argue that it was not fair on her, but the man in front of them suddenly caught a fish. It was not a very big or important-looking fish, but of course they had to get up and watch and see if they could help. Lots of other people came to watch and help too. But Jim and Susan, as they were there first, did the real helping and the man noticed it. When the fish was safely on the pier he gave it to Susan.
    They, and the fish, went back to the school for tea. They were not having it this time with the boys. Instead, there was tea in the drawing-room. A special table was laid in the window for Susan and Jim. Mrs. Partridge only gave one look at the fish and then said:
    â€˜How about having that cooked for your tea?’
    Altogether it was a perfectly lovely day. Susan hated to say good-bye to Jim, but she could not help thinking that it could not really be very miserable for him with people like Mr. and Mrs. Partridge. Extraordinary to have heads of the school like that. She could not imagine the head of St. Clair’s having any fish you caught cooked for tea. If it came to that, she could not imagine having tea with her at all.
    On the way home she told her father about the school tennis. Dr. Heath drove on while she was talking without seeming to listen; but she knew he was really, it was just his way. When she had finished he looked down