The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-09-23

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loss, however, to most of our fellows,
and we had agreed that it was likely
my watch was at this moment In the
pocket of one of the DEMO crowd,
probably one of the players, as they
had all been swarming around Ber-
lian during our Outings"
The ninth inning found us neck and
neck. Their first baseman had hurt
his hand, and my friend Turner had
been called in from the field to occupy
first base. We were tired and hot and
frightfully excited, and they pulled
four runs from us in that inning, leav-
ing the score seven to three in their
favor, when we finally "outed" them.
Could we make five runs in that last
little inning? We all set our teeth and
steadied our nerves with fresh gum
fmuch to our mothers horror), and
went to bat with blood in our eyes.
They felt sure that they "had u.s."
That proved a good thing. Worthley
happened to have his turn at bat to
open. He made magnificent hit, one
of those grandlin which just escape
the short and second, and scare both
right field and center into running.
Now they both ran, in spite of their
captains yell of "Center! Center!"
bumped together, giving each of them
a black eye, the ball skated off serenely
between them, and Worthley made the
first home run Of the afternoon.
Our next fellow, Gardner, batted a
fy-off which sent him to first base.
The next two got out. The next made
a two-bagger, and on his hit we added
one to Worthley's run. Oh, If the next
fellow only wouldn't get out! Every
fiber in my body was a-tingle as he
made base hit, and Wells, our two
Dagger, slid home, scraping six inches
of cuticle off his right arm, but count
ing the sacrifice nothing but fun.
Three runs-one on first base, and two
out. This was the situation when 1
came to bat; and as Turner, now on
first base, gave me one of his most aw-
full grins, vowed to make my base If
I broke both my arms to do it.
wanted to give a grounder, but one
can't always manage that. If one gets
any sort Of hit off such pitcher as
Clennan one may be thankful. Inever
experienced such fierce Joy as when I
felt my bat hit the ball hard and
square; but / had revulsion when I
saw that it was going straight ahead of
me as 1 ran for my base with all my
dead might. 1t was a high flyer; but
Turner had already shown that he
could jump like very jack, and I
grew faint as thought he would prob
ably get it. With all the speed I could
muster, forged up to the first base
just in time to see him jump, as it
seemed to my excited vision, six feet, or
more nearly, half q mile, in the air;
but he missed the ball, which sailed
calmly over the head of the right field
er also, and my base was safe. But
what was that round glittering thing
which reposed lirectly on top of the
sand-bag which formed our base? I
ducked like lightning and picked it up.
1t was my watch! In twinkling it
was in my pocket, and, as dashed on
to second, saw Turner, who had been
cursing and muttering at the right
fielder so that he had not observed my
motions in the least, put his handup to
the breast pocket of his blouse-which
hung open, having burst Its button
hole-and then begin to stare wildly
all over the ground.
"You can stare, old gargoyle!" I
chuckled to myself, as stopped at
second (though might have made
third if it hadn't been for the watch).
THAT watch is IN my trousers pocket
and you will never see it again"
The fellow who came after me made
a great hit, and that was our saliva
tion. He never went further than
second, but the fellow ahead of me
and got in, and the score stood eight
to seven, so that the game closed there.
After the train had gone the doctor
came around to congratulate us. His
face was as red as anybody's, and he
almost shook our hands off. ~ never
was no proud of you, uever!" he cried.
"You not only played ball, but your
manners never showed to better adj
vantage. You seemed like angels be-
side those rude, profane rowdies.
thought q score of times of Tennyson's
"'His strength is as the strength of ten.
Because his heart is pure
"You beat them fairly ,magnificently;
and it was a. victory of good morals as
we'll as of good tactics. But did you
ever see anybody jump like that fielder
of theirs who afterward played first
base? I never imagined anything
like it,"
at was the luckiest thing in life for
me, DOCTOR" said; and then, amid
great excitement, ending in storm of
congratulations, I told them the
strange story of my lost watch. Some
of them thought that ought to have
had Turner arrested, and perhaps I
ought. But / didn't. and suppose he
wonders to this day what ever became
of that watch.-N. Y. Independent.
Devious Definitions.
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