首页 >出版文学> The Redheaded Outfield>第3章
  ThatnighttheboysplannedtheirfirstjobontheRube。WehadorderedaspecialPullmanfortraveltoToronto,andwhenIgottothedepotinthemorning,thePullmanwasawhiteflutteringmassofsatinribbons。Also,therewasabrassband,andthousandsofbaseballfans,andbarrelsofoldfoot—gear。TheRubeandNanarrivedinacabandwereimmediatelymobbed。
  Thecrowdroared,thebandplayed,theenginewhistled,thebellclanged;andtheairwasfullofconfettiandslippers,andshowersofricelikehailpatteredeverywhere。AsomewhatdishevelledbrideandgroomboardedthePullmanandbreathlesslyhidinastateroom。Thetrainstarted,andthecrowdgaveonelastrousingcheer。OldSpearsyelledfromthebackplatform:
  ``Fellers,an’fans,youneedn’tworrynoneaboutleavin’theRubean’hisbridetothetendermerciesofthegang。Ahundredyearsfromnowpeoplewilltalkaboutthishoneymoonbaseballtrip。Waittillwecomeback——an’say,jesttoputyouwise,nomatterwhatelsehappens,we’recomin’backinfirstplace!’’
  ItwassurelyamerrypartyinthatPullman。
  ThebridalcoupleemergedfromtheirhidingplaceandheldasortofreceptioninwhichtheRubeappearedshyandfrightened,andNanresembledajoyous,flutteringbirdingray。Ididnotseeifshekissedeverymanontheteam,butshekissedmeasifshehadbeenwantingtodoitforages。
  MillykissedtheRube,andsodidtheotherwomen,tohisinfiniteembarrassment。Nan’seffectuponthatcrowdwasmostsingular。Shewassweetnessandcapriceandjoypersonified。
  Wesettleddownpresentlytosomethingapproachingorder,andI,forone,withverykeenearsandalerteyes,becauseIdidnotwanttomissanything。
  ``Iseethelambsa—gambolin’,’’observedMcCall,inavoicelouderthanwasnecessarytoconveyhismeaningtoMullaney,hispartnerintheseat。
  ``Yes,itdoseemasiftherewasjoyaboundin’
  hereabouts,’’repliedMulwithfervor。
  ``It’smorespring—timethansummer,’’saidAshwell,``an’everythinginnatureisrunnin’inpairs。Therearethesheepan’thecattlean’thebirds。Iseetwokingfishersfishin’overhere。
  An’there’sacoupleofhoney—beesmakin’honey。
  Oh,honey,an’byGeorge,ifthereain’ttwobutterfliesfoldin’theirwingsroundeachother。Seethedandelionskissin’inthefield!’’
  ThenthestaidCaptainSpearsspokeupwithanappearanceofsincerityandatonethatwasnothingshortofremarkable。
  ``Reggie,seethesunshineasleepuponyonbank。Ain’titlovely?An’thatwhitecloudsailin’thitheramidtheblue——howspontaneous!
  Joyisa—broado’erallthisboo—tifullandtoday——Oh,yes!An’love’swingshovero’erthelittlelambsan’thebullfrogsinthepondan’thedickybirdsinthetrees。Whatsweetnesstolieinthegrass,thelapofbounteousearth,eatin’applesintheGardenofEden,an’chasin’awaythesnakesan’dreamin’ofThee,Sweet—h—e—a—r—t————’’
  SpearswassingingwhenhegotsofarandtherewasnotellingwhathemighthavedoneifMullaney,unabletostandtheagony,hadnotjabbedapininhim。Butthatonlymadewayfortheeffortsoftheotherboys,eachofwhomtriedtooutdotheotherinpokingfunattheRubeandNan。Thebigpitcherwastoogloriouslyhappytonotemuchofwhatwentonaroundhim,butwhenitdawneduponhimhegrewredandwhitebyturns。
  Nan,however,wasmorethanequaltotheoccasion。PresentlyshesmiledatSpears,suchasmile!Thecaptainlookedasifhehadjustpartakenofanintoxicatingwine。Withaheightenedcolorinhercheeksandadangerousflashinherroguisheyes,NanfavoredMcCallwithalook,whichwasasmuchastosaythatsherememberedhimwithadearsadness。Shemadeeyesateveryfellowinthecar,andthenbringingbackhergazetotheRube,asifgloryingincomparison,shenestledhercurlyblackheadonhisshoulder。Hegentlytriedtomoveher;butitwasnotpossible。
  Nanknewhowtomeettheridiculeofhalfadozenoldlovers。Onebyonetheyburiedthemselvesinnewspapers,andfinallyMcCall,foronceutterlybeaten,showedawhitefeather,andsankbackoutofsightbehindhisseat。
  Theboysdidnotrecoverfromthatshockuntillateintheafternoon。AsitwasaphysicalimpossibilityforNantorestherheadalldayuponherhusband’sbroadshoulder,theboystowarddinnertimecameoutoftheirjealoustrance。I
  heardthemplottingsomething。Whendinnerwascalled,abouthalfofmyparty,includingthebrideandgroom,wentatonceintothedining—car。
  Timethereflewbyswiftly。Andlater,whenwewereoncemoreinourPullman,andIhadgotteninterestedinagameofcardswithMillyandStringerandhiswife,theRubecamemarchinguptomewithaveryredface。
  ``Con,Ireckonsomeoftheboyshavestolenmy——ourgrips,’’saidhe。
  ``What?’’Iasked,blankly。
  Heexplainedthatduringhisabsenceinthedining—carsomeonehadenteredhisstateroomandstolenhisgripandNan’s。IhastenedatoncetoaidtheRubeinhissearch。Theboyssworebyeverythingunderandbeyondthesuntheyhadnotseenthegrips;theyappearedverymuchgrievedatthelossandpretendedtohelpinsearchingthePullman。Atlast,withtheassistanceofaporter,wediscoveredthemissinggripsinanupperberth。TheRubecarriedthemofftohisstateroomandweknewsoonfromhisuncomplimentaryremarksthatthecontentsofthesuitcaseshadbeenmixedandmanhandled。Buthedidnothuntforthejokers。
  WearrivedatTorontobeforedaylightnextmorning,andremainedinthePullmanuntilseveno’clock。Whenwegotout,itwasdiscoveredthattheRubeandNanhadstolenamarchuponus。
  Wetracedthemtothehotel,andfoundthematbreakfast。Afterbreakfastweformedamerrysight—seeingpartyandrodealloverthecity。
  Thatafternoon,whenRaddyletTorontodownwiththreehitsandtheboysplayedamagnificentgamebehindhim,andwewon7to2,IknewatlastandforcertainthattheWorcesterteamhadcomeintoitsownagain。ThennextdayCairnswonaclose,excitinggame,andfollowingthat,onthethirdday,thematchlessRubetoyedwiththeTorontos。Elevenstraightgameswon!Iwasintheclouds,andneverhadIseensobeautifulalightasshoneinMilly’seyes。
  FromthatdayTheHoneymoonTripoftheWorcesterBaseballClub,asthenewspapersheraldedit——wasatriumphantmarch。WewontwooutofthreegamesatMontreal,brokeevenwiththehard—fightingBisons,tookthreestraightfromRochester,andwononeandtiedoneoutofthreewithHartford。Itwouldhavebeenwonderfulballplayingforateamtoplayonhomegroundsandweweredoingthefullcircuitoftheleague。
  Spearshadcalledtheturnwhenhesaidthetripwouldbeahummer。NanHurtlehadbroughtuswonderfulluck。
  ButthetrickstheyplayedonWhitandhisgirl—
  fanbride!
  Ashwell,whowasacapitalactor,disguisedhimselfasaconductorandpretendedtotrytoejectWhitandNanfromthetrain,urgingthatlove—makingwasnotpermitted。SomeoftheteamhiredacleveryoungwomantohunttheRubeupatthehotel,andclaimoldacquaintancewithhim。PoorWhitalmostcollapsedwhentheyoungwomanthrewherarmsabouthisneckjustasNanenteredtheparlor。UpontheinstantNanbecamewildasalittletigress,andittookmuchexplanationandeloquencetoreinstateWhitinheraffections。
  AnothertimeSpears,thewilyoldfox,succeededindetainingNanonthewaytothestation,andthetwomissedthetrain。AtfirsttheRubelaughedwiththeothers,butwhenStringerremarkedthathehadnoticedagrowingattachmentbetweenNanandSpears,mygreatpitcherexperiencedthefirstpangsofthegreen—eyedmonster。Wehadtoholdhimtokeephimfromjumpingfromthetrain,andittookMillyandMrs。
  Stringertosoothehim。IhadtowirebacktoRochesterforaspecialtrainforSpearsandNan,andeventhenwehadtoplayhalfagamewithouttheservicesofourcaptain。
  SofaruponourtripIhadbeenfortunateinsecuringcomfortableroomsandthebestoftransportationformyparty。AtHartford,however,Iencountereddifficulties。IcouldnotgetaspecialPullman,andthesleeperweenteredalreadyhadanumberofoccupants。Aftertheladiesofmypartyhadbeenassignedtoberths,itwasnecessaryforsomeoftheboystosleepdoubleinupperberths。
  Itwaslatewhenwegotaboard,theberthswerealreadymadeup,andsoonwehadallretired。
  InthemorningveryearlyIwasawakenedbyadisturbance。Itsoundedlikeasqueal。Iheardanastonishedexclamation,anothersqueal,thepatteringoflittlefeet,thenhoarseuproaroflaughterfromtheballplayersintheupperberths。
  Followingthatcamelow,excitedconversationbetweentheporterandsomebody,thenanangrysnortfromtheRubeandthethudofhisheavyfeetintheaisle。Whattookplaceafterthatwasguess—workforme。ButIgatheredfromtheroarsandbawlsthattheRubewasaftersomeoftheboys。Ipokedmyheadbetweenthecurtainsandsawhimdiggingintotheberths。
  ``Where’sMcCall?’’heyelled。
  Macwasnowhereinthatsleeper,judgingfromthevehementdenials。ButtheRubekeptondiggingandproddingintheupperberths。
  ``I’ma—goin’tolickyou,Mac,soIreckonyou’dbettershowup,’’shoutedtheRube。
  Thebigfellowwasmadasahornet。Whenhegottomehegraspedmewithhisgreatfence—
  railsplittinghandsandIcriedoutwithpain。
  ``Say!Whit,letup!Mac’snothere……
  What’swrong?’’
  ``I’llshowyouwhenIfindhim。’’AndtheRubestalkedondowntheaisle,atragicallycomicfigureinhispajamas。InhissearchforMachepriedintoseveralupperberthsthatcontainedoccupantswhowerenotballplayers,andtheseprotestedinaffright。ThentheRubebegantoinvestigatethelowerberths。Arowofheadsprotrudedinabobbinglinefrombetweenthecurtainsoftheupperberths。
  ``Here,youIndian!Don’tyoulookinthere!
  That’smywife’sberth!’’yelledStringer。
  Bogart,too,evincedgreatexcitement。
  ``Hurtle,keepoutoflowereightorI’llkillyou,’’heshouted。
  WhattheRubemighthavedonetherewasnotelling,butashegraspedacurtain,hewasinterruptedbyashriekfromsomewomanassuredlynotofourparty。
  ``Getout!youhorridwretch!Help!Porter!
  Help!Conductor!’’
  Instantlytherewasadeafeningtumultinthecar。Whenithadsubsidedsomewhat,andIconsideredIwouldbesafe,Idescendedfrommyberthandmademywaytothedressingroom。
  SprawledovertheleatherseatwastheRubepommellingMcCallwithheartygoodwill。Iwouldhaveinterfered,haditnotbeenforMac’sdemeanor。Hewashalffrightened,halfangry,andutterlyunabletodefendhimselforevenresist,becausehewaslaughing,too。
  ``Dog—goneit!Whit——Ididn’t——doit!IswearitwasSpears!Stopthumpin’menow——orI’llgetsore……Youhearme!Itwasn’tme,Itellyou。Cheeseit!’’
  ForallhisprotestingMacreceivedagoodthumping,andIdoubtednotintheleastthathedeservedit。Thewonderoftheaffair,however,wasthefactthatnooneappearedtoknowwhathadmadetheRubesofurious。Theporterwouldnottell,andMacwasstrangelyreticent,thoughhissmilewasonetomakeafellowexceedinglysuresomethingoutoftheordinaryhadbefallen。
  ItwasnotuntilIwashavingbreakfastinProvidencethatIlearnedthetruecauseofRube’sconduct,andMillyconfidedittome,insistingonstrictconfidence。
  ``Ipromisednottotell,’’shesaid。``Nowyoupromiseyou’llnevertell。’’
  ``Well,Connie,’’wentonMilly,whenIhadpromised,``itwasthefunniestthingyet,butitwashorridofMcCall。Yousee,theRubehaduppersevenandNanhadlowerseven。Earlythismorning,aboutdaylight,Nanawokeverythirstyandgotuptogetadrink。Duringherabsence,probably,butanywaysometimelastnight,McCallchangedthenumberonhercurtain,andwhenNancamebacktonumbersevenofcourseshealmostgotinthewrongberth。’’
  ``NowondertheRubepunchedhim!’’Ideclared。
  ``Iwishweweresafehome。Something’llhappenyetonthistrip。’’
  IwasfaithfultomypromisetoMilly,butthesecretleakedoutsomewhere;perhapsMactoldit,andbeforethegamethatdayalltheplayersknewit。TheRube,havingrecoveredhisgoodhumor,mindeditnotintheleast。Hecouldnothavefeltill—willforanylengthoftime。Everythingseemedtogetbackintosmoothrunningorder,andtheHoneymoonTripbadefairtowindupbeautifully。
  But,somehoworother,andaboutsomethingunknowntotherestofus,theRubeandNanquarreled。Itwastheirfirstquarrel。MillyandItriedtopatchitupbutfailed。
  WelostthefirstgametoProvidenceandwonthesecond。Thenextday,aSaturday,wasthelastgameofthetrip,anditwasRube’sturntopitch。SeveraltimesduringthefirsttwodaystheRubeandNanabouthalfmadeuptheirquarrel,onlyintheendtofalldeeperintoit。
  ThenthelaststrawcameinafoolishmoveonthepartofwilfulNan。ShehappenedtomeetHenderson,herformeradmirer,andinaflashshetookupherflirtationwithhimwhereshehadleftoff。
  ``Don’tgotothegamewithhim,Nan,’’I
  pleaded。``It’sasillythingforyoutodo。Ofcourseyoudon’tmeananything,excepttotormentWhit。Butcutitout。Thegangwillmakehimmiserableandwe’lllosethegame。There’snotellingwhatmighthappen。’’
  ``I’msupremelyindifferenttowhathappens,’’
  shereplied,witharebellioustossofherblackhead。``IhopeWhitgetsbeaten。’’
  ShewenttothegamewithHendersonandsatinthegrandstand,andtheboysspiedthemoutandtoldtheRube。Hedidnotbelieveitatfirst,butfinallysawthem,lookeddeeplyhurtandoffended,andthengrewangry。Butthegong,soundingatthatmoment,drewhisattentiontohisbusinessoftheday,topitch。
  Hisworkthatdayremindedmeofthefirstgameheeverpitchedforme,uponwhichoccasionCaptainSpearsgotthebestoutofhimbymakinghimangry。ForseveralinningsProvidencewashelplessbeforehisdelivery。Thensomethinghappenedthatshowedmeacrisiswasnear。Awagofafanyelledfromthebleachers。
  ``HoneymoonRube!’’
  Thiscrywastakenupbythedelightedfansanditrolledaroundthefield。ButtheRubepitchedon,harderthanever。Thentheknowingbleacheritewhohadstartedthecrychangeditsomewhat。
  ``Nanny’sRube!’’heyelled。
  This,too,wenttherounds,andstilltheRube,thoughredintheface,preservedhistemperandhispitchingcontrol。AllwouldhavebeenwellifBudWiler,comedianoftheProvidenceteam,hadnothituponawaytorattleRube。
  ``Nanny’sGoat!’’heshoutedfromthecoachinglines。EveryProvidenceplayertookitup。
  TheRubewasnotproofagainstthat。Heyelledsofiercelyatthem,andglaredsofuriously,andtoweredsoformidably,thattheyceasedforthemoment。ThenheletdrivewithhisfaststraightballandhitthefirstProvidencebatterintheribs。Hiscomradeshadtohelphimtothebench。TheRubehitthenextbatterontheleg,andjudgingfromthecrackoftheball,Ifanciedthatplayerwouldwalklameforseveraldays。
  TheRubetriedtohitthenextbatterandsenthimtofirstonballs。Thereafteritbecameadodgingcontestwithhonorsaboutequalbetweenpitcherandbatters。TheProvidenceplayersstormedandthebleachersroared。ButIwouldnottaketheRubeoutandthegamewentonwiththeRubeforcinginruns。
  Withthescoreatie,andthreemenonbasesoneoftheplayersonthebenchagainyelled``Nanny’sGoat!’’
  StraightasastringtheRubeshottheballatthisfellowandboundedafterit。Thecrowdroseinanuproar。Thebaserunnersbegantoscore。
  Ileftmybenchandranacrossthespace,butnotintimetocatchtheRube。IsawhimhittwoorthreeoftheProvidencemen。Thenthepolicemengottohim,andarealfightbroughtthebigaudienceintothestampingmelee。BeforetheRubewascollaredIsawatleastfourblue—coatsonthegrass。
  Thegamebrokeup,andthecrowdspilleditselfinstreamsoverthefield。Excitementranhigh。ItriedtoforcemywayintothemasstogetattheRubeandtheofficers,butthiswasimpossible。IfearedtheRubewouldbetakenfromtheofficersandtreatedwithviolence,soIwaitedwiththesurgingcrowd,endeavoringtogetnearer。Soonwewereinthestreet,anditseemedasifallthestandshademptiedtheiryellingoccupants。
  Atrolleycarcamealongdownthestreet,splittingthemassofpeopleanddrivingthemback。
  AdozenpolicemensummarilybundledtheRubeupontherearendofthecar。Someoftheseofficersboardedthecar,andsomeremainedinthestreettobeatoffthevengefulfans。
  Isawsomeonethrustforwardafranticyoungwoman。Theofficersstoppedher,thensuddenlyhelpedheronthecar,justasIstarted。I
  recognizedNan。ShegrippedtheRubewithbothhandsandturnedawhite,fearfulfaceupontheangrycrowd。
  TheRubestoodinthegraspofhiswifeandthepolicemen,andhelookedlikearuffledlion。
  Heshookhisbigfistandbawledinfar—reachingvoice:
  ``Icanlickyouall!’’
  Tomyinfiniterelief,thetrolleygatheredmomentumandsafelypassedoutofdanger。ThelastthingImadeoutwasNanpressingclosetotheRube’sside。ThatmomentsawtheirreconciliationandmyjoythatitwastheendoftheRube’sHoneymoon。
  THERUBE’SWATERLOO
  ItwasaboutthesixthinningthatIsuspectedtheRubeofweakening。Forthatmatterhehadnotpitchedanythingresemblinghisusualbrandofbaseball。ButtheRubehaddevelopedintosuchawonderintheboxthatittooktimeforhislet—downtodawnuponme。AlsoittookatipfromRaddy,whosatwithmeonthebench。
  ``Con,theRubeisn’thimselftoday,’’saidRadbourne。``Hismind’snotonthegame。Heseemshurriedandflustered,too。Ifhedoesn’texplodepresently,I’madubatcallin’theturn。’’
  Raddywasthebestjudgeofapitcher’scondition,physicalormental,intheEasternLeague。
  ItwasaSaturdayandwewereontheroadandfinishingupaserieswiththeRochesters。Eachteamhadwonandlostagame,and,asIwasclimbingclosetotheleadersinthepennantrace,IwantedthethirdanddecidinggameofthatRochesterseries。TheusualbigSaturdaycrowdwasinattendance,noisy,demonstrativeandexacting。
  InthissixthinningthefirstmanupforRochesterhadfliedtoMcCall。ThenhadcomethetwoplayssignificantofRube’sweakening。
  Hehadhitonebatterandwalkedanother。Thiswassufficient,consideringthescorewasthreetooneinourfavor,tobringtheaudiencetoitsfeetwithahowling,stampingdemandforruns。
  ``Spearsiswiseallright,’’saidRaddy。
  IwatchedthefoxyoldcaptainwalkovertotheRubeandtalktohimwhileherested,areassuringhandonthepitcher’sshoulder。ThecrowdyelleditsdisapprovalandUmpireBatescalledoutsharply:
  ``Spears,getbacktothebag!’’
  ``Now,MisterUmpire,ain’tIhurrin’allI
  can?’’queriedSpearsasheleisurelyambledbacktofirst。
  TheRubetossedalong,dampweltofhairbackfromhisbigbrowandnervouslytoedtherubber。
  Inotedthatheseemedtoforgettherunnersonbasesanddeliveredtheballwithoutglancingateitherbag。Ofcoursethisresultedinadoublesteal。Theballwentwild——almostawildpitch。
  ``Steadyup,oldman,’’calledGreggbetweentheyellsofthebleachers。HeheldhismittsquareovertheplatefortheRubetopitchto。Againthelongtwirlertookhisswing,andagaintheballwentwild。ClancyhadtheRubeintheholenowandthesituationbegantogrowserious。
  TheRubedidnottakehalfhisusualdeliberation,andofthenexttwopitchesoneofthemwasaballandtheotherastrikebygraceoftheumpire’sgenerosity。Clancyrappedthenextone,anabsurdlyslowpitchfortheRubetouse,andbothrunnersscoredtotheshrilltuneofthehappybleachers。
  IsawSpearsshakehisheadandlooktowardthebench。Itwasplainwhatthatmeant。
  ``Raddy,IoughttotaketheRubeout,’’Isaid,``butwhomcanIputin?Youworkedyesterday——
  Cairns’armissore。It’sgottobenursed。
  AndHenderson,thatladies’manIjustsigned,isnotinuniform。’’
  ``I’llgoin,’’repliedRaddy,instantly。
  ``Notonyourlife。’’IhadashardatimekeepingRadbournefromoverworkingasIhadingettingenoughworkoutofsomeotherplayers。
  ``IguessI’lllettheRubetakehismedicine。I
  hatetolosethisgame,butifwehaveto,wecanstandit。I’mcurious,anyway,toseewhat’sthematterwiththeRube。Maybehe’llsettledownpresently。’’
  ImadenosignthatIhadnoticedSpears’
  appealtothebench。Andmyaggressiveplayers,nodoubtseeingthesituationasIsawit,sangouttheirvariouscallsofcheertotheRubeandofdefiancetotheirantagonists。ClancystoleofffirstbasesofarthattheRube,catchingsomebody’swarningtoolate,madeabalkandtheumpiresenttherunnerontosecond。TheRubenowplainlyshowedpainfulevidencesofbeingrattled。
  HecouldnotlocatetheplatewithoutslowingupandwhenhedidthataRochesterplayerwallopedtheball。Prettysoonhepitchedasifhedidnotcare,andbutforthefastfieldingoftheteambehindhimtheRochesterswouldhavescoredmorethantheeightrunsitgot。WhentheRubecameintothebenchIaskedhimifhewassickandatfirsthesaidhewasandthenthathewasnot。SoIlethimpitchtheremaininginnings,asthegamewaslostanyhow,andwewalkedoffthefieldabadlybeatenteam。
  ThatnightwehadtohurryfromthehoteltocatchatrainforWorcesterandwehaddinnerinthedining—car。Severalofmyplayers’wiveshadcomeoverfromWorcestertomeetus,andwereinthedining—carwhenIentered。Iobservedaprettygirlsittingatoneofthetableswithmynewpitcher,Henderson。
  ``Say,Mac,’’IsaidtoMcCall,whowaswithme,``isHendersonmarried?’’
  ``Naw,buthelookslikehewantedtobe。Hewasinthegrandstandtodaywiththatgirl。’’
  ``Whoisshe?Oh!alittlepeach!’’
  AsecondglanceatHenderson’scompanionbroughtthiscomplimentfrommeinvoluntarily。
  ``Con,you’llgetitasbadastherestofthismushybunchofballplayers。We’reallstuckonthatkid。ButsinceHendersoncameshe’sbeenafrosttoallofus。An’it’sputtheRubeinthedumps。’’
  ``Who’sthegirl?’’
  ``That’sNanBrown。ShelivesinWorcesteran’isthecraziestgirlfanIeverseen。Flirt!
  Well,she’sgotthemallbeat。SomebodyintroducedtheRubetoher。Hehasbeenmooneyeversince。’’
  Thatwasenoughtowhetmycuriosity,andI
  favoredMissBrownwithmorethanoneglanceduringdinner。WhenwereturnedtotheparlorcarItookadvantageoftheopportunityandremarkedtoHendersonthathemightintroducehismanager。Hecomplied,butnotwithamiablegrace。
  SoIchattedwithNanBrown,andstudiedher。
  Shewasapretty,laughing,coquettishlittleminxandquitebaseballmad。Ihadmetmanygirlfans,butnonesoenthusiasticasNan。Butshewaswholesomeandsincere,andIlikedher。
  BeforeturninginIsatdownbesidetheRube。
  Hewasveryquietandhisfacedidnotencouragecompany。Butthatdidnotstopme。
  ``Hello,Whit;haveasmokebeforeyougotobed?’’Iaskedcheerfully。
  Hescarcelyheardmeandmadenomovetotaketheprofferedcigar。Allatonceitstruckmethattherusticsimplicitywhichhadcharacterizedhimhadvanished。
  ``Whit,oldfellow,whatwaswrongtoday?’’
  Iasked,quietly,withmyhandonhisarm。
  ``Mr。Connelly,Iwantmyrelease,IwanttogobacktoRickettsville,’’herepliedhurriedly。
  ForthespaceofafewsecondsIdidsometallthinking。Thesituationsuddenlybecamegrave。
  IsawthepennantfortheWorcestersfading,dimming。
  ``Youwanttogohome?’’Ibeganslowly。
  ``Why,Whit,Ican’tkeepyou。Iwouldn’ttryifyoudidn’twanttostay。ButI’lltellyouconfidentially,ifyouleavemeatthisstageI’mruined。’’
  ``How’sthat?’’heinquired,keenlylookingatme。
  ``Well,Ican’twinthepennantwithoutyou。IfIdowinitthere’sabigbonusforme。IcanbuythehouseIwantandgetmarriedthisfallifIcapturetheflag。You’vemetMilly。Youcanimaginewhatyourpitchingmeanstomethisyear。That’sall。’’
  Heavertedhisfaceandlookedoutofthewindow。
  Hisbigjawquivered。
  ``Ifit’sthat——why,I’llstay,Ireckon,’’hesaidhuskily。
  ThatmomentboundWhitHurtleandFrankConnellyintoafarcloserrelationthantheonebetweenplayerandmanager。Isatsilentforawhile,listeningtothedrowsytalkoftheotherplayersandtherushandroarofthetrainasitspedonintothenight。
  ``Thankyou,oldchap,’’Ireplied。``Itwouldn’thavebeenlikeyoutothrowmedownatthisstage。Whit,you’reintrouble?’’
  ``Yes。’’
  ``CanIhelpyou——inanyway?’’’
  ``Ireckonnot。’’
  ``Don’tbetoosureofthat。I’maprettywiseguy,ifIdosayitmyself。Imightbeabletodoasmuchforyouasyou’regoingtodoforme。’’
  ThesightofhisfaceconvincedmethatIhadtakenawrongtack。ItalsoshowedmehowdeepWhit’stroublereallywas。Ibadehimgoodnightandwenttomyberth,wheresleepdidnotsoonvisitme。Asaucy,sparkling—eyedwomanbarredWhitHurtle’sbaseballcareeratitsthreshold。
  Womenarejustasfataltoballplayersastomeninanyotherwalkoflife。Ihadseenastrongathletegrowpalsiedjustatascornfulslight。It’sagreatworld,andthewomenrunit。SoIlayawakerackingmybrainstooutwitaprettydisorganizer;andIplottedforhersake。Married,shewouldbeoutofmischief。ForWhit’ssake,forMilly’ssake,formine,allofwhichcollectivelymeantforthesakeofthepennant,thiswouldbethesolutionoftheproblem。
  IdecidedtotakeMillyintomyconfidence,andfinallyonthestrengthofthatIgottosleep。InhemorningIwenttomyhotel,hadbreakfast,attendedtomymail,andthenboardedacartogoouttoMilly’shouse。Shewaswaitingformeontheporch,dressedasIlikedtoseeher,inblueandwhite,andsheworevioletsthatmatchedthecolorofhereyes。
  ``Hello,Connie。Ihaven’tseenamorningpaper,butIknowfromyourfacethatyoulosttheRochesterseries,’’saidMilly,withagaylaugh。
  ``Iguessyes。TheRubeblewup,andifwedon’tplayaprettysmoothgame,younglady,he’llnevercomedown。’’
  ThenItoldher。
  ``Why,Connie,Iknewlongago。Haven’tyouseenthechangeinhimbeforethis?’’
  ``Whatchange?’’Iaskedblankly。
  ``Youareaman。Well,hewasagawky,slouchy,shyfarmerboywhenhecametous。Ofcoursethecitylifeandpopularitybegantoinfluencehim。ThenhemetNan。ShemadetheRubeaworshipper。Ifirstnoticedachangeinhisclothes。Heblossomedoutinanewsuit,whitenegligee,neattieandastylishstrawhat。
  Thenitwasevidenthewasmakingheroicstrugglestoovercomehisawkwardness。Itwasplainhewasstudyingandcopyingtheotherboys。
  He’swonderfullyimproved,butstillshy。He’llalwaysbeshy。Connie,Whit’safinefellow,toogoodforNanBrown。’’
  ``But,Milly,’’Iinterrupted,``theRube’shardhit。Whyishetoogoodforher?’’
  ``Nanisanatural—bornflirt,’’Millyreplied。
  ``Shecan’thelpit。I’mafraidWhithasaslimchance。Nanmaynotseedeepenoughtolearnhisfinequalities。IfancyNantiredquicklyofhim,thoughtheonetimeIsawthemtogethersheappearedtolikehimverywell。Thisnewpitcherofyours,Henderson,isahandsomefellowandsmooth。Whitislosingtohim。Nanlikesflash,flattery,excitement。’’
  ``McCalltoldmetheRubehadbeendowninthemoutheversinceHendersonjoinedtheteam。
  Milly,Idon’tlikeHendersonawholelot。He’snotintheRube’sclassasapitcher。WhatamI
  goingtodo?Losethepennantandabigsliceofpursemoneyjustforaprettylittleflirt?’’
  ``Oh,Connie,it’snotsobadasthat。Whitwillcomearoundallright。’’
  ``Hewon’tunlesswecanpullsomewires。I’vegottohelphimwinNanBrown。Whatdoyouthinkofthatforamanager’sjob?Iguessmaybewinningpennantsdoesn’tcallfordiplomaticgeniusandcunning!ButI’llhandthemafewtricksbeforeIlose。MyfirstmovewillbetogiveHendersonhisrelease。
  IleftMilly,asalways,oncemoreabletomakelightofdiscouragementsanddifficulties。
  MondayIgaveHendersonhisunconditionalrelease。HecelebratedtheoccasionbyverifyingcertainrumorsIhadheardfromothermanagers。
  Hegotdrunk。Buthedidnotleavetown,andI
  heardthathewasnegotiatingwithProvidenceforaplaceonthatteam。
  Radbournepitchedoneofhisgilt—edgedgamesthatafternoonagainstHartfordandwewon。
  AndMillysatinthegrandstand,havingcontrivedbyclevernesstogetaseatnexttoNanBrown。MillyandIwereplayingavastlydeepergamethanbaseball——agamewithhearts。Butwewereplayingitwithhonestmotive,forthegoodofallconcerned,webelieved,andonthesquare。
  Isneakedalooknowandthenupintothegrandstand。MillyandNanappearedtobegettingonfamously。ItwascertainthatNanwasflushedandexcited,nodoubtconsciouslyproudofbeingseenwithmyaffianced。AfterthegameIchancedtomeetthemontheirwayout。Millywinkedatme,whichwashersignthatallwasworkingbeautifully。
  IhunteduptheRubeandbundledhimofftothehoteltotakedinnerwithme。Atfirsthewasglum,butafterawhilehebrightenedupsomewhattomypersistentcheerandfriendliness。
  Thenwewentoutonthehotelbalconytosmoke,andthereImademyplay。
  ``Whit,I’mpullingastrokeforyou。Nowlistenanddon’tbeoffended。Iknowwhat’sputyouoffyourfeed,becauseIwasthesamewaywhenMillyhadmeguessing。You’velostyourheadoverNanBrown。That’snotsoterrible,thoughI
  daresayyouthinkit’sacatastrophe。Becauseyou’vequit。You’veshownayellowstreak。
  You’velaindown。
  ``Myboy,thatisn’tthewaytowinagirl。
  You’vegottoscrap。MillytoldmeyesterdayhowshehadwatchedyourloveaffairswithNan,andhowshethoughtyouhadgivenupjustwhenthingsmighthavecomeyourway。Nanisalittleflirt,butshe’sallright。What’smore,shewasgettingfondofyou。Nanismeanesttothemanshelikesbest。Thewaytohandleher,Whit,istomasterher。Playhighandmighty。Gettragical。Thengrabherupinyourarms。Itellyou,Whit,it’llallcomeyourwayifyouonlykeepyournerve。I’myourfriendandsoisMilly。
  We’regoingouttoherhousepresently——andNanwillbethere。’’
  TheRubedrewalong,deepbreathandheldouthishand。IsensedanotherstageintheevolutionofWhitHurtle。
  ``IreckonI’vetakenbaseballcoachin’,’’hesaidpresently,``an’Idon’tseewhyIcan’ttakesomeotherkind。I’monlyarube,an’thingscomehardforme,butI’ma—learnin’。’’
  Itwasaboutdarkwhenwearrivedatthehouse。
  ``Hello,Connie。You’relate。Goodevening,Mr。Hurtle。Comerightin。You’vemetMissNanBrown?Oh,ofcourse;howstupidofme!’’
  ItwasatryingmomentforMillyandme。A
  littlepallorshowedundertheRube’stan,buthewasmorecomposedthanIhadexpected。Nangotupfromthepiano。Shewasallinwhiteanddeliciouslypretty。Shegaveaquick,gladstartofsurprise。Whatareliefthatwastomytroubledmind!EverythinghaddependeduponarealhonestlikingforWhit,andshehadit。
  MorethanonceIhadbeenproudofMilly’scleverness,butthisnightashostessandanaccompliceshewonmyeverlastingadmiration。
  ShecontrivedtogivetheimpressionthatWhitwasafrequentvisitoratherhomeandverywelcome。Shebroughtouthisbestpoints,andinherskillfulhandshelostembarrassmentandawkwardness。
  BeforetheeveningwasoverNanregardedWhitwithdifferenteyes,andsheneverdreamedthateverythinghadnotcomeaboutnaturally。ThenMillysomehowgotmeoutontheporch,leavingNanandWhittogether。
  ``Milly,you’reamarvel,thebestandsweetestever,’’Iwhispered。``We’regoingtowin。It’sacinch。’’
  ``Well,Connie,notthat——exactly,’’shewhisperedbackdemurely。``Butitlookshopeful。’’
  Icouldnothelphearingwhatwassaidintheparlor。
  ``NowIcanroastyou,’’Nanwassaying,archly。
  Shehadswitchedbacktoherfavoritebaseballvernacular。``YoupitchedaswellgamelastSaturdayinRochester,didn’tyou?Not!Youhadnosteam,nocontrol,andyoucouldn’thavecurvedasaucer。’’
  ``Nan,whatcouldyouexpect?’’wasthecoolreply。``Yousatupinthestandwithyourhandsomefriend。IreckonIcouldn’tpitch。Ijustgavethegameaway。’’
  ``Whit!——Whit!————’’
  ThenIwhisperedtoMillythatitmightbediscreetforustomovealittlewayfromthevicinity。
  ItwasontheseconddayafterwardthatIgotachancetotalktoNan。Shereachedthegroundsearly,beforeMillyarrived,andIfoundherinthegrandstand。TheRubewasdownonthecardtopitchandwhenhestartedtowarmupNansaidconfidentlythathewouldshutoutHartfordthatafternoon。
  ``I’msorry,Nan,butyou’rewayoff。We’ddowelltowinatall,letalonegetashutout。’’
  ``You’reafinemanager!’’sheretorted,hotly。
  ``Whywon’twewin?’’
  ``Well,theRube’snotingoodform。TheRube————’’
  ``Stopcallinghimthathorridname。’’
  ``Whit’snotinshape。He’snotright。He’sillorsomethingiswrong。I’mworriedsickabouthim。’’
  ``Why——Mr。Connelly!’’exclaimedNan。Sheturnedquicklytowardme。
  Icrowdedonfullcanvasofgloomtomyalreadylongface。
  ``I’mserious,Nan。Thelad’soff,somehow。
  He’sinmagnificentphysicaltrim,buthecan’tkeephismindonthegame。Hehaslosthishead。
  I’vetalkedwithhim,reasonedwithhim,alltonogood。Heonlygoesdowndeeperinthedumps。
  Somethingisterriblywrongwithhim,andifhedoesn’tbrace,I’llhavetorelease————’’
  MissNanBrownsuddenlylostalittleofherrichbloom。``Oh!youwouldn’t——youcouldn’treleasehim!’’
  ``I’llhavetoifhedoesn’tbrace。Itmeansalottome,Nan,forofcourseIcan’twinthepennantthisyearwithoutWhitbeinginshape。ButIbelieveIwouldn’tmindthelossofthatanymorethantoseehimfalldown。Theboyisamagnificentpitcher。Ifhecanonlybebroughtaroundhe’llgotothebigleaguenextyearanddevelopintooneofthegreatestpitchersthegamehaseverproduced。Butsomehoworotherhehaslostheart。He’squit。AndI’vedonemybestforhim。He’sbeyondmenow。Whatashameitis!Forhe’sthemakingofsuchasplendidmanoutsideofbaseball。Millythinkstheworldofhim。Well,well;therearedisappointments——
  wecan’thelpthem。Theregoesthegong。Imustleaveyou。Nan,I’llbetyouaboxofcandyWhitlosestoday。Isitago?’’
  ``Itis,’’repliedNan,withfireinhereyes。
  ``YougotoWhitHurtleandtellhimIsaidifhewinstoday’sgameI’llkisshim!’’
  InearlybrokemyneckoverbenchesandbatsgettingtoWhitwiththatmessage。Hegulpedonce。
  ThenhetightenedhisbeltandshutoutHartfordwithtwoscratchsingles。Itwasagreatexhibitionofpitching。IhadnomeanstotellwhetherornottheRubegothisrewardthatnight,butIwassohappythatIhuggedMillywithinaninchofherlife。
  ButitturnedoutthatIhadbeenalittleprematureinmyelation。IntwodaystheRubewentdownintothedepthsagain,thistimecleartoChina,andNanwassittinginthegrandstandwithHenderson。TheRubelosthisnextgame,pitchinglikeaschoolboyscaredoutofhiswits。
  HendersonfollowedNanlikeashadow,sothatI
  hadnochancetotalktoher。TheRubelosthisnextgameandthenanother。Wewerepushedoutofsecondplace。
  Ifwekeptupthatlosingstreakalittlelonger,ourhopesforthepennantweregone。IhadbeguntodespairoftheRube。Forsomeoccultreasonhescarcelyspoketome。Nanflirtedworsethanever。ItseemedtomesheflauntedherconquestofHendersoninpoorWhit’sface。
  TheProvidenceballteamcametotownandpromptlysignedHendersonandannouncedhimforSaturday’sgame。CairnswonthefirstoftheseriesandRadbournelostthesecond。ItwasRube’sturntopitchtheSaturdaygameandI
  resolvedtomakeonemoreefforttoputthelove—
  sickswaininsomethinglikehisoldfettle。SoI
  calleduponNan。
  Shewassurprisedtoseeme,butreceivedmegraciously。Ifanciedherfacewasnotquitesoglowingasusual。Icamebluntlyoutwithmymission。ShetriedtofreezemebutIwouldnotfreeze。Iwasouttowinorloseandnottobelightlylaughedasideorcoldlydenied。Iplayedtomakeherangry,knowingtherealtruthofherfeelingswouldshowunderstress。
  ForonceinmylifeIbecameaknockerandsaidsomeunpleasantthings——albeittheyweretrue——
  aboutHenderson。ShechampionedHendersonroyally,andwhen,asalastcard,IcomparedWhit’sfinerecordwithHenderson’s,notonlyasaballplayer,butasaman,particularlyinhisreverenceforwomen,sheflashedatme:
  ``Whatdoyouknowaboutit?Mr。Hendersonaskedmetomarryhim。Canamandomoretoshowhisrespect?Yourfriendneversomuchashintedsuchhonorableintentions。What’smore——heinsultedme!’’TheblazeinNan’sblackeyessoftenedwithafilmoftears。Shelookedhurt。Herpridehadencounteredafall。
  ``Oh,no,Nan,Whitcouldn’tinsultalady,’’I
  protested。
  ``Couldn’the?That’sallyouknowabouthim。
  YouknowI——IpromisedtokisshimifhebeatHartfordthatday。SowhenhecameI——Idid。
  Thenthebigsavagebegantoraveandhegrabbedmeupinhisarms。Hesmotheredme;almostcrushedthelifeoutofme。Hefrightenedmeterribly。WhenIgotawayfromhim——themonsterstoodthereandcoollysaidIbelongedtohim。I
  ranoutoftheroomandwouldn’tseehimanymore。AtfirstImighthaveforgivenhimifhehadapologized——saidhewassorry,butneveraword。NowIneverwillforgivehim。’’
  Ihadtomakeastrenuousefforttoconcealmyagitation。TheRubehadmostcarefullytakenmyfooladviceinthematterofwooingawoman。
  WhenIhadgotaholduponmyself,IturnedtoNanwhite—hotwitheloquence。NowIwastalkingnotwhollyformyselforthepennant,butforthisboyandgirlwhowereatoddsinthatstrangestgameoflife——love。
  WhatIsaidIneverknew,butNanlostherresentment,andthenherscornandindifference。
  Slowlyshethawedandwarmedtomyreason,praise,whateveritwas,andwhenIstoppedshewasagaintheradiantbewilderingNanofold。
  ``TakeanothermessagetoWhitforme,’’shesaid,audaciously。``TellhimIadoreballplayers,especiallypitchers。TellhimI’mgoingtothegametodaytochoosethebestone。Ifhelosesthegame————’’
  Sheleftthesentenceunfinished。InmystateofmindIdoubtednotintheleastthatshemeanttomarrythepitcherwhowonthegame,andsoItoldtheRube。Hemadeonewildupheavalofhisarmsandshoulders,likeaneruptingvolcano,whichprovedtomethathebelievedit,too。
  WhenIgottothebenchthatafternoonIwastired。Therewasabigcrowdtoseethegame;
  theweatherwasperfect;Millysatupintheboxandwavedherscorecardatme;RaddyandSpearsdeclaredwehadthegame;theRubestalkedtoandfrolikeanimplacableIndianchief——butIwasnothappyinmind。Calamitybreathedintheveryair。
  Thegamebegan。McCallbeatoutabunt;AshwellsacrificedandStringerlacedoneofhisbeautifultriplesagainstthefence。Thenhescoredonahighfly。Tworuns!Worcestertrottedoutintothefield。TheRubewaswhitewithdetermination;
  hehadthespeedofabulletandperfectcontrolofhisjumpballanddrop。ButProvidencehitandhadtheluck。Ashwellfumbled,Greggthrewwild。Providencetiedthescore。
  Thegameprogressed,growingmoreandmoreofanightmaretome。ItwasnotWorcester’sday。Theumpirecouldnotseestraight;theboysgrumbledandfoughtamongthemselves;Spearsroastedtheumpireandwassenttothebench;
  Bogarttripped,hurtinghissoreankle,andhadtobetakenout。Henderson’sslow,easyballbaffledmyplayers,andwhenheusedspeedtheylineditstraightataProvidencefielder。
  Inthesixth,afteradesperaterally,wecrowdedthebaseswithonlyoneout。ThenMullaney’shardraptoleft,seeminglygoodforthreebases,waspulleddownbyStonewithonehand。Itwasawonderfulcatchandhedoubleduparunneratsecond。Againintheseventhwehadachancetoscore,onlytofailonanotherdoubleplay,thistimebytheinfield。
  WhentheProvidenceplayerswereatbattheirlucknotonlyheldgoodbuttrebledandquadrupled。ThelittleTexas—leaguehitsdroppedsafelyjustoutofreachoftheinfielders。Myboyshadanoffdayinfielding。Whathorrorthatofalldaysinaseasonthisshouldbetheoneforthemtomakeerrors!
  Buttheyweregame,andtheRubewasthegamestofall。Hedidnotseemtoknowwhathardluckwas,ordiscouragement,orpoorsupport。
  HekepteverlastinglyhammeringtheballatthoseluckyProvidencehitters。Whatspeedhehad!Theballstreakedin,andsomebodywouldshuthiseyesandmakeasafety。ButtheRubepitched,on,tireless,irresistibly,hopeful,notforgettingtocallawordofcheertohisfielders。
  Itwasoneofthosestrangegamesthatcouldnotbebetteredbyanylaborordaringorskill。
  Isawitwaslostfromthesecondinning,yetsodeeplywasIconcerned,sotantalizinglydidtheplaysreelthemselvesoff,thatIgroveledthereonthebenchunabletoabidebymybaseballsense。
  Theninthinningprovedbeyondashadowofdoubthowbaseballfate,incommonwithotherfates,lovedtobalancethechances,toliftupone,thentheother,tolendadeceitfulhopeonlytodashitaway。
  Providencehadalmostthreetimesenoughtowin。Theteamletupinthatinningorgrewover—
  confidentorcareless,andbeforeweknewwhathadhappenedsomescratchhits,andbasesonballs,anderrors,gaveusthreerunsandlefttworunnersonbases。Thedisgustedbleacherscameoutoftheirgloomandbegantowhistleandthump。TheRubehitsafely,sendinganotherrunovertheplate。McCallworkedhisoldtrick,beatingoutaslowbunt。
  Basesfull,threerunstotie!WithAshwellupandoneout,thenoiseinthebleachersmountedtoahigh—pitched,shrill,continuoussound。Igotupandyelledwithallmymightandcouldnothearmyvoice。Ashwellwasadangerousmaninapinch。Thegamewasnotlostyet。Ahit,anythingtogetAshtofirst——andthenStringer!
  AshlaughedatHenderson,tauntedhim,shookhisbatathimanddaredhimtoputoneover。
  Hendersondidnotstandunderfire。Theballhepitchedhadnosteam。Ashcrackedit——squareonthelineintotheshortstop’shands。Thebleachersceasedyelling。
  ThenStringerstrodegrimlytotheplate。Itwasahundredtoone,inthatinstance,thathewouldlosetheball。Thebleachersletoutonedeafeningroar,thenhushed。IwouldratherhavehadStringeratthebatthananyotherplayerintheworld,andIthoughtoftheRubeandNanandMilly——andhopewouldnotdie。
  Stringerswungmightilyonthefirstpitchandstrucktheballwithasharp,solidbing!Itshottowardcenter,low,level,exceedinglyswift,andlikeadarkstreakwentstraightintothefielder’shands。Arodtorightorleftwouldhavemadeitahomerun。Thecrowdstrangledavictoriousyell。Icameoutofmytrance,forthegamewasoverandlost。ItwastheRube’sWaterloo。
  Ihurriedhimintothedressingroomandkeptclosetohim。Helookedlikeamanwhohadlosttheonethingworthwhileinhislife。Iturnedadeafeartomyplayers,toeverybody,andhustledtheRubeoutandtothehotel。Iwantedtobenearhimthatnight。
  TomyamazewemetMillyandNanasweenteredthelobby。Millyworeasweet,sympatheticsmile。Nanshonemoreradiantthanever。
  Isimplystared。ItwasMillywhogotusallthroughthecorridorintotheparlor。IheardNantalking。
  ``Whit,youpitchedabadgamebut——’’therewastheoldteasing,arch,coquettishness——``butyouarethebestpitcher!’’
  ``Nan!’’
  ``Yes!’’
  BREAKINGINTOFASTCOMPANY
  Theymaysaybaseballisthesameintheminorleaguesthatitisinthebigleagues,butanyoldballplayerormanagerknowsbetter。Wherethedifferencecomesin,however,isinthegreaterexcellenceandunityofthemajorplayers,aspeed,adaring,afinishthatcanbeacquiredonlyincompetitionwithoneanother。
  IthoughtofthiswhenIledmypartyintoMorrisey’sprivateboxinthegrandstandoftheChicagoAmericanLeaguegrounds。WehadcometoseetheRube’sbreakintofastcompany。
  Mygreatpitcher,WhittakerHurtle,theRube,aswecalledhim,hadwontheEasternLeaguePennantformethatseason,andMorrisey,theChicagomagnate,hadboughthim。Milly,myaffianced,waswithme,lookingashappyasshewaspretty,andshewaschaperonedbyhermother,Mrs。Nelson。
  Withme,also,weretwoveteransofmyteam,McCallandSpears,wholivedinChicago,andwhowouldhavetraveledafewmilestoseetheRubepitch。AndtheothermemberofmypartywasMrs。Hurtle,theRube’swife,assaucyandassparkling—eyedaswhenshehadbeenNanBrown。Todaysheworeanewtailor—madegown,newbonnet,newgloves——shesaidshehaddecoratedherselfinamannerbefittingthewifeofamajorleaguepitcher。
  Morrisey’sboxwasverycomfortable,and,asIwaspleasedtonote,sosituatedthatwehadafineviewofthefieldandstands,andyetwerecomparativelysecluded。Thebleacherswerefilling。
  SomeoftheChicagoplayerswereonthefieldtossingandbattingballs;theRube,however,hadnotyetappeared。
  Amomentlaterametallicsoundwasheardonthestairsleadingupintothebox。Iknewitforbaseballspikedshoesclankingonthewood。
  TheRube,lookingenormousinhisuniform,stalkedintothebox,knockingovertwochairsasheentered。Hecarriedafielder’sgloveinonehugefreckledhand,andabigblackbatintheother。
  Nan,withmuchdignityandaverymanifestpride,introducedhimtoMrs。Nelson。
  Therewasalittlechatting,andthen,uponthearrivalofManagerMorrisey,wemenretiredtothebackoftheboxtotalkbaseball。
  Chicagowasinfourthplaceintheleaguerace,andhadafightingchancetobeatDetroitoutforthethirdposition。Philadelphiawasscheduledforthatday,andPhiladelphiahadagreatteam。
  Itwasleadingtherace,andalmostbeyondallquestionwouldlandtheflag。Intruth,onlyonemorevictorywasneededtoclinchthepennant。
  TheteamhadthreegamestoplayinChicagoanditwastowinduptheseasonwiththreeinWashington。Sixgamestoplayandonlyoneimperativelyimportanttowin!Butbaseballisuncertain,anduntilthePhiladelphianswonthatgametheywouldbeabandoffiends。
  ``Well,Whit,thisiswhereyoubreakin,’’I
  said。``Now,tipusstraight。You’vehadmorethanaweek’srest。How’sthatarm?’’
  ``Grand,Con,grand!’’repliedtheRubewithhisfranksmile。``IwasalittleanxioustillI
  warmedup。Butsay!I’vegotmoreupmysleevetodaythanIeverhad。’’
  ``That’lldoforme,’’saidMorrisey,rubbinghishands。``I’llspringsomethingontheseswelledQuakerstoday。Now,Connelly,giveHurtleoneofyouroldtalks——thelastone——andthenI’llringthegong。’’
  Iaddedsomewordsofencouragement,notforgettingmyoldrusetoincitetheRubebyrousinghistemper。Andthen,asthegongrangandtheRubewasdeparting,Nansteppedforwardforhersay。Therewasalittlewhiteunderthetanonhercheek,andhereyeshadadarklingflash。