Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-08
ABAsE VILLAIN.
An Unsuspecting wife Grossly Deceived by
Her Lord aud Master.

lot ll'S idTtNti lOTtNtI WIN TINS NiNNSHJf
whcn,th ball season opened, "you know
am very fond Of base ball and mean TO
let up on theselI .ake.Vlcw and river excur-
sions and turn my attention TO the classical
study OF pop-up flies and pcd-hot daisy
npplng grounders. Now II you can doe
tor up that bad cough of yours for a new
spring bonnet, III geta season ticket for
you"
"Can't have the bonnet and go too2"
"Takc the bonnet and 90 to-h-ardly
! my love; times are too dull"
"What does ticket cost2n
"Just $40, the price OF bonnet, and
cent afford to spend more than $50 just
at present, and that too for amusements."
'Do you think shall be pleased and
satisfied with my sacrifice, John, for you
know I've already selected such love of
a bonnetl"
"Pleased? why, Hannah, you'll be car
ricd away with these exhibitions of sci
cntiilc sport"
"Thcn get the tickets and I'll do with
out the bonnet until next spring"
Accordingly, next day, John and Han
nallLshe with her last summers thing
visited the ball park, and as John had
predicted, Hannah was carried away by
her first game of bali, aud asked many
questions regarding the players as they
I came up.
! GLOW hard the ball must be-" she re-
marked as a passed ball struck the grand
stand, and caused her to almost pinch
chunk ont of Johns arm through fright.
"Not at all, dear. It's made out of a
sponge and covered with canton flannel;
the noise is made by man striking the
boards on the inside with an AK, Just for
effect, that's all. Don't get scared my
| love-
''Who's that?" pointing to the umpire.
"That's the interpreter"
"What does he doY'
"IIc finds out how the crowd wants
decision made and then tells the players"
SIS that all he has to do?n
"That and getting out of the way after
the game is over to keep from being
killed is about all he does"
"What's that man shaking his hands so
for?n
ole Just caught liner and thinks
some OF the ball has stuck to his hand u
"What are these chalk lines for, Jom?"
''To show the fouls"
"Do they use fowls in the gamer"
"0f course, love. Where did you sup
| pose they get the goose eggs you read OF
In the paper?"
"Why, some of them wear gloves. It's
something like prizc-tlghting, is it not?n
"Some times it's very much like
/ prize ring"
"Is thata board that mans putting over
his brcast?"
! "No, it's apad."
/ SIS he afraid of catching cold?"
| "Oh, no; he's afraid of catching the
ball in his vest pocket, and that would
not be fair"
/ "What are those men snatching up
/ their clubs and running towards the UNI
/ pire forgn
"They thought he needed club to sup
| port"
"Hlimsclf John?"
"No, lovely, to support that last deci-
/ sion"
"IIavc they got leaders, John?n
! eyes, indeed manager and captain
| both"
"What are the duties of the manager ?"
"lle brings them out in the bus and
| pays their fare" ~.
"What docs the captain dot"
''llc plays ball sometimes"
"Can you tell him from the rest OF the
/ players 2"
/ VERY often you can pick him out by
the size of his head"
/ 'What do ball-playerS usually get, dar-
ling ?"
"Oh, they get fined, released, drunk,
and sometimes killed"
"Now, John, lookl What are they go
/ ing to do with the umpircI"
'"Trim him up, guess
/ 800 you mean decorate him SO you can
/ tell him from the balance?"
"No; decorate him SO you can't tell
I him from side of sole leather. There,
dear, the gamc's over; wen go now"
/ "Who won, john" rs they climbed
over the seats.
"Thc papers will decide that in the
morning, my love"
/ This was very good for the first day,
but Hannah soon learned how John had
! played upon her innocence, but forgayc
him, of course, thoroughly satisfied with
the pleasure and enjoyment of seeing the
games from day to day.
The affairs of John and Hannah con-
tinued To flow in smooth, pleasant chan
mel until few days ago, when an I'M
looked for summons called HIM away
from the city. On the following day Han
nah Invited n Indy friend to attend the
ball game, but when she went to search
through Johns clothes for the season
tickets she could find none. This,
however, made no difference
she went anyhow. Arriving
at the grounds she rendered her money
aud was of course told no admission fee
was charged ladies. Bcwildercd and but
half satisfied she made inquiry from
friends, and learned the truth regarding
Johns work. When the truth finally hit
TO center Hannah longed for trusty
ash to conceal beneath her last
summers wrap and a lcft-handed
chance to steal home and dream
of going TO bat with John in the box
(where he is now or soon will be-.
If lohu sees this article he may steal
first base by going over into the Indian
Territory and get In a few weeks throwing
4 tommyhawk; but II he reaches home
without this tip its very probable he'll
get knocked out the first inning. If
Johns not Knocked clear off his base
ana three blocks down the dead-line, then
Hannah has made "a mistake In weights
I,h nj