The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-09-03

niue CLOCK on the lhantcl-pltCt llnhltu
twelve At that moment heard a voice
saying "ENcusc me" and felt a hand
laid lightly ON my shoulder. Looking
round saw \ stranger.
He was a quiet, elderly man. grave
of aspect, soherly dressed in black.
noticed that he had two club feet but
gave this no more than momentary at
tcntion. He had long paper-covered
parcel in his hara.
Excuse me- he repeated, IL
Knocked twice, but you must have been
deep in thought; possibly. too, THAI
last peal of thunder drowned my tap
Twas too much surprised at his sud
den appearance TO speak for a moment,
and he continued:
thinking that probably You might
want something i'm my line have ven
tured 10 call on my way through your
town SO saying, he removed the
wrappings from the parcel in his hand,
and disclosed TO my view Bat
There, )" he said, with enthusiasm,
'sthere, sir, is my patent III. Il. Bat,
warranted 10 iii any hand and hit any
ball anywhere YOU want To place it,
makes any thing You want froman earn
ell base to a clean home run, never
| gives chance, and never was known To
hit foul. Feel il. Light A. feather
in the hand, but heavy a. lead when il
strikes. Observe the perfection IF the
poise. the exquisite finish, the grace of
the curves and lines. That bat, sir.
that an enthusiast might give his soul
for. -
felt il and poised it. II was i'm APP
! pearance all that he claimed il To be.
''lt looks like an excellent one, |
said; whats the pricc?m
II don't sell il - he answered
"Then, said | s'why did YOU bring
it To me if you didn't wish to sell it?'
at isn't for sale continued my
guest, "but / don't mind lending To
YOU for a year and day. You see
want 70 introduce the article, and -"
''But," made answer, ''if that is
Your object, why not select a good and
well-known player?r
because, = he said, in reply, "if |
did SO the player would receive much Of
the credit due to the bat. take il that
You are not a brilliant player. Now, #
YOU, by using my bat, are nj once trans
formed into famous PLAYER what more
convincing testimonial could be de-
sired p
"True, true, :" responded.
Every well, then, = said he ''just
sign this receipt" and he pushed me
over paper that | signed without look
ing at.
~ guess that I've dipped my pen into
the red ink by mistake, : said !.
"Never mind. never mind, said he;
"that'll do. Would You obligc me with
the time---my eyes are not as good a.
they used u bes''
arose and went to the clock When
/ turned round there was no one in the
room. My strange visitor had vanished
as suddenly as he had entered.
.. Deyilish odd" | soliloquized,
''devilish odd" That bat was there,
however, and once or twice when | |
woke in the night saw it CLEAN in the |
flashes of lightning.
III.
| awoke early on the morning of the |
fateful Fourth, and at first thought the |
Odd events of the night only dream.
The bat, however, stood where | had |
left il over night. Taking il and my |
trayeling-bag, started for the train |
"Hullo!" said as tried the door,
''the doors locked. How did my |
friend get in last night? Perhaps, |
though, locked the door after he went |
out. That must have been it, a few |
minutes later | was on the train with |
my companions and we We're flying to-
wards Somerville.
The new bat came in for notice and |
favorable comment. OF course, told |
them nothing Of how | came by it. |
"GoOd bat that y said Thompson, our /
short-stop, ''good bat; now, smithers,
just YOU get a player to match, and at |
this small wit they all laughed. ''sor-
nv you won't have chance TO use il, P"
said Morton, our captain and catcher.
CAS- usual, was only substitute, the |
spare man, kept in case of accidents y |
II was nearly O'Clock when the cars |
glided into Somerville. Just rs we were |
stepping from the platform some one
behind pressed too closely upon Thomp-
son, and he fell forward heavily, try |
ing To break his fall with his hands. A
cry of pain broke from him as we pick |
ed him up; he had sprained his wrist.
"Ths is pleasant" said Morton.
"Well, Smithers, il lets you in, and
you'll have a chance Of using the new
bat after all
Nv.
Ii was a little after O'Clock when the |
game opened, the Actives at the bat. Ii
was a lovely midsummer day. can
see the whole picture, bright and life
some, even now; the long level field in !
tenscly green, lined thickly at one end |
with gazers; the groups seated dispers-
eddy here and there upon the grass; the |
BOYS seated on the fences: the people |