The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-05-14


black, our clubs colors, with !Frank's
own cap on her head, she walked quiet
" by me- with = nod and smile. and
straight up to the captain.
'I'm Franks substitute" she said.
Well, don't believe Ed Brown has
gotten over his surprise to this day.
With his eyes about as big az saucers,
he looked down at her and then at the
rest of us to see if he was dreaming.
Then he stammered: ~
"What?" .5l.5ssF.
II am Franks substitute" she said
again; IAN late?" s}$
"A little" managed to answer, shut
do you mean it, Nellie? Are you going
to play in Franks place"'
EYES," she answered, laughing at my
astonishment, suppose. why, didn t
you know I could play ball? Frank
practices with me gill the time, and l
know all his signals and his curves. He
told me to tell you-all of you-to play
just as if he were pitching, and to for
get that am his sister. For to-day I
am Frank himself!" &
A more surprised set of boys would
have been hard to find anywhere. The
very idea of this little 12-year-oldj girl
playing real baseball, and knowing
Franks wonderful curves, the pride
of the Invincibles, was almost beyond
belief; yet we knew she must be telling
the truth. Before we could say much
more the umpire called time, and the
game began. ss5s.
"Remember," said Nellie, as she
walked out and took her place IN the
pitchers box, ''for to-day I am Frank. ="
And she was! Talk about a girl not
knowing how to throw ball. i wish
YOU might have seen that one do it. sir!
If ever you saw more beautiful curves
than she shot over the home-plate
straight into Smiths hands I would
like to know it. She stood up there and
pitched the first inning without break
or mistake, striking out two of the
astonished Red Stockings as if they
weren't the best batters in the city, and
watching the bases as if she had eyes
in the back of her head. Smith batted
for her when we were lin" and she
ran-like deer, too. The way she put
out Dawson on second, in the third in
ming. has gone down in the history of
amateur ball-playing in this city for all
time. >g%
Well, we were glad; we almost lost
our heads. AS for the Reds, they seemed
to get more and more dazed as the
game went on. for it was against ali
their boy ideas that girl could throw
ball as she threw that day. The
folks who watched the game soon
caught on to the fact that there was a
surprise in it-for both sides, too-and
they cheered themselves hoarse over
our little pitcher whenever she made an
especially fine play. y.sx
But it was in the last inning that she
made herself famous. Haxel, the Reds
pitcher, had put a ball straight over
the plate-he was somewhat excited,
guess, over the way things were going.
though we had not gotten ahead OF
them yet-and Smith, whowas striking
Tor Nellie Hartman, made three-heg-
ger, just out Of shortstop's reach: It
was very plainly only three-bagget,
aud not boy on our nine would have
tried to do anything more than make
his third on it; but do you think Nellie
stopped there? Not a bit of it. She
Just SKINNED around the diamond like
regular little racer, and instead 81
checking up on third kept right on. Ed
yelled to her to go back, but she didn't
hear him, or wouldn't-and we oil
groaned aloud as we saw the fielder
gather up the ball and slam it home.
Nothing but miracle would save her.
and she seemed to realize that fact, too:
but she didn't hesitate as most Of us
would have done. She just caught her
breath, ducked her head, and ran. l
Then, when she was within Is feet
of home, what did she do, but throw
herself on her side and slide! Yes, sir;
believe it or net, as you like, but that
girl, seeing that she had rislzed the
game, slid home to save it. AS her fili-
gers touched the plate, the catcher's
hand with the ball in it swept over her
not two inches away, and the umpire
yelled: "Safe!" x
Did they cheer? They simply howled.
It's wonder to me to this day that the
seats held that shouting, yelling mass
of boys and girls; you positively
couldn't hear yourself think. As
for the Invincibles, they went
crazy--that's the only word, sir:
We danced and howled like 70
lot of dervishes. We picked her
UP and carried her of the diamond on
our shoulders, with her curls full 81
dust, and her face as red as her dress,
with excitement and happiness. The
Red Stockings crowded around, ton,
and shook hands with her as heartily
as the rest; and if you ever see them
now, they always inquire about the
"girl who made the home-run on the
three-base hit:
That was the first and the last game
of baseball Nellie Hartman played; but
It will never be forgotten by those who
saw it. Her mother says she can't do
such things any more, even to save the
Invincibles from defeat, but she lets