The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-25

We all believed he would keep hi
word. but we hadn't yet seen the sub
stitute.
A quarter of an hour passed and tn
crowd began to whistle and cal
Camel Camel" Still the substitute
did not appear. and at last Smiti
started around to the house to FIND
out what was wrong. I was standing
near the gate as he picked up his Goa
and walked through ii. when the long
looked for Sub" appeared.
IL was Nellie Hartman, For a mo-
| ment / could only stare at her, and
| open my mouth In amazement
Dressed in a plain little skirt and
waist of red and black. our clubs col.
head. she walked quietly by me, with q
nod and a 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 Is eyes about as big as saucers
he looked down at her and then at the
rest of us to see IL he was dreaming.
/ Then he stammered:
"what?"
II am Franks substitute" she said
again, "am / late?"
"A little" 1 managed to answer. but
do you mean 1t, Nellie? Are you going
to play in Franks placer"
Yes" she answered, laughing at my
establishment. I suppose. why, didn't
you know i could play ball? Frank
practices with me all the time. and ]
know all his signals and his curves. He
told me to tell you-all of you to play
just as IL he were pitching. and TO for
get that l am his sister. For to-day
am Frank himself"
A more surprised set of boys would
have been hard to find anywhere. The
very idea of this little 12-year-old girl
playing real baseball. and knowing
Franks wonderful curves, the pride of
the Invincibles. was almost beyond be-
lief; yet we knew she must be telling
more, the umpire called time, and the
game begun.
Remember" said Nellie, as she
walked out and took her place in the
pitchers box, ''for to-day / am
Frank"
And she was! Talk about a girl not
knowing how to throw a ball. / wish
you might have seen that one do 1T,
sir! II ever you saw more beautiful
curves than she shot over the home
plate straight into Smiths hands, j
would like to know 1t. She stood up
there and pitched the first inning
without break or a mistake, striking
out two of the astonished Red Stock
ings as IL they weren't the best bat
ters in the city, and watching the
bases as IL she had eyes in the back
of her head. Smith batted for her
when we were 'in," and she ran-like
a deer, too. The way she put out
Dawson on second, in the third inning.
has gone down in the history of anna
teur ball playing in this city, for all
time.
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 1t was against
all their boy ideas that a girl could
throw a 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.
But IL 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 ex-
cited, / guess, over the way things
were going. though he had not gotten
ahead of them yet-and Smith who was
striking for Nellie Hartman, made
three Dagger, just out OF the short
stops reach. 1t was very plainly only
a three-bagger, and not a boy on our
nine would have tried to do anything
more than make his third on 1t; but
do you think Nellie stopped there? Not
bit of II. She just SKINNED around
the diamond like a regular little racer
and instead of 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 all groaned aloud as
we saw the fielder gather up the ball
and slam IL in 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.
Then, when she was within Is feet of
home, what did she do but throw her.
self on her side and slide. Yes, sir;
believe IL or not as you like. but that
girl, seeing that she had risked the
game, slid home to save 1t. AS her fin
gers touched the plate the catchers
hand with the hall in 1t swept over her
not two inches away, and the umpire
yelled Safe"
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 a lot dervishes. We
picked her up and carried her off the
diamond on our shoulders. with her
curls full of dust and her face as red
as her dress, with excitement and hap
piness. The Red Stockings crowded
around. too. and shook hands with her
as heartily as the rest; and if you ever
see them now. they always inquire
about he girl who made the home-run
on that three-base hit"
That was the first and the last game
OF baseball Nellie Hartman played;
but IL will never be forgotten by those
who saw II. Her mother says she can't
do such things any more. even to save
the Invincibles from defeat, but she
let's her come to all our games; and as
Smith says. there isn't a more popular
boy in the city than she. And IL you
ever want TO make any of us Irwin
cibles talk, just ask us about our Mas
cot. Everard Jack Appleton.