Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-19
The Boys of Ellen Street.
A Base Ball Story.
BY MARGARET l.. WALLACE.
CHAPTER I.
The New Bow,

and had only twenty houses on 1t. in those
| twenty houses lived thirty boys. To be sure
| the Browns all by themselves would go far
| toward furnishing a whole neighborhood
| with boys, for there were seven of them.
| from Fred, lately gone into business with
| his father. down to wee Malcolm. who was
| only three years old
Then there were three of the Nelson boys,
| next door. two Loomises beyond that. and
| SO 1t went all down the block. Some of them
were babies. some nearly grown, but, as 1
said. there were thirty in all.
| Girls? There was just one. Jean Brown
was the incest sister In the world, her
| brothers thought. She was pretty. jolly and
| always ready to join In game, or sympa-
| thize in trouble. But among all those
others boys there was not one sister. Wasn't
| II a pity?
One Of the four houses which had no boys
| In them was three doors below the Browns.
whose big home, with half-wild garden
and orchard. was on the corner In it
| lived two old people. called by all the chill
| dren Grandpa and Grandma Lewis. l sup
| pose they felt little left out, with no boy
! to tear up and down their stairs, or leave
! bits of string and wood on the piazza. Any
| how, one day in spring. when Bert Brown.
| who was twelve years old, and came ABOUT
| in the middle of the family, went past the
| Lewis house. he saw boy swinging on the
gate.
| Bert stopped whistling and stared at the
| boy, who grinned. He was jolly look
| ing fellow with freckles all over his nose
and dimples in his cheeks. He stared back
| at Bert for a minute, and then said
Hello"
Hello" answered Bert. amiably, where
| did you come from? Coin to live here?'
| Yep" The boy answered the latter
question first. II came from Pinetop. in
! New Hampshire"
ANY relation to Grandma Lewis?'
ha ba heen grandma ?
| Are you cousin of miner" The boys
dimples deepened he spoke.
IF 1 am, you must be cousin to the whole
| thirty fellows on the block" laughed Bert.
mo offense We all call her grandma
! She's such a nice, comfortable. grandma
| like old lady" he explained.
I'm not offended. She's my grandmother
| by blood. anyhow. Are there really thirty
| fellows on this block?" he asked interest
| eddy. Who's the captain Of your ball
nine?"
"Why-we haven't any nine" said Bert
well. you are SLOW" said the boy. I
thought 1 should have to run to keep up
| when / got down here to the city. but
guess shan't. Why, we've got a nine In
Pinetop and there are only ten fellows in
| the whole place."
There was such good-humored twinkle in
! the new boys eye that Bert couldn't get
offended at being called slow. He laughed,
as he asked:
who do you play against. then. in Pine
topg' .,o 49,.
renely. Bert doubled up at this ridiculous
| answer, as the other went on, Just look
at that field over there. Wouldn't 1t make
a dandy ball field?'
Opposite the Browns house was a great
meadow, level as a floor. Ellen street was
| on the outskirts Of the town. and. as some
| times happens. in the building of a city.
several Of these fields, beside good-sized
patch of woods, were left amid the thickly
populated streets. At one end of the field
| Bert turned to look at was small group
of trees. and as the new boy had sug-
gested, 1t was evidently intended by nature
| for a base ball field.
| Whats your name?' asked the new
| boy.
Johnny Lewis Say. I've got five bats
| want to see emp
| Johnny Lewis went to school the next
| day. where he soon proved that he could
hold his own with fellows of his own age,
| thirteen He was friends with every one
| of the boys and he talked base ball morn
ing, noon and night.
small wonder that base ball nine was
| nrnnosed on Ellen street before the week
| was out They did good deal of playing
| and soon decided to regularly organize.
..Get the fellows to meet tonight In our
barn" directed Johnny Lewis. BE sure
lack Nelson comes and Phil English and
| that red headed fellow you call Pinky."
.He's Jack Trennam," said Jim Brown.
| tie low house near the corner? I was
| talking to him this morning and
"Oh, we don't want Adolf Kieiner In our
nine" said Bert Brown. frowning and the
| others murmured assent
.Why not?" demanded Johnny.
"Oh, he's no fun. We never had much
home with the baby and he works in the
grocery on Saturdays and wouldn't be able
to play then. anyhow.
HE could play other alternoons; De
,y<xS,t tn
His clear gray eyes somehow made Bert
a little ashamed of having no better reason
for disliking Adolf. but he persisted and
the others-1ve Of them gathered on the
Brown piazza-agreed with him. declaring
that none of the boys liked Adolf Kle1ner,
and he probably couldn't play ball. any
way. .
Johnny wondered for minute II these
FOLLY new friends of his were snobs. Then
he looked at Billy McCormick's patched
knickerbockers and decided that was not 1t.
Billy son of the washerwoman who lived
in a wee house next the Lewis. was ex-
tremely popular. Johnny saw plainly that
Adolf was not, however. so he stuck his
hands In his pockets, whlstled long ana
shriil and captulated.
ut can't be because his clothes are fun
n.y." said Johnny to himself as he went
home. because my own are sorter funny,
and they seem to like me all right. I guess
they've just got prejudice against him."
And that was exactly the truth
Johnny Lewis clothes were. to be sure.
country made, Dut ms prisht eyes, proao
shoulders and merry laugh had already won
him so many friends that at the meeting
in the barn that night he was chosen cap
tain and manager of the new base ball
nine. There were two or three dissenting
votes but the majority ruled.
Up to this time Elton Parker had been the
acknowledged leader of the Ellen street
boys He was taller and older than most
Of them and winner at all games He
had confidently expected to be chosen cap
tain of the nine, and his disgust and cha
grin were great. when, from the first. john
NY Lewis proved such formidable rival
Twn or three of his most faithful followers
were for him, but the rest OF the Ellen
streets, as the boys called themselves. were
for Johnny.
long-legged Billy Mccormick left fielder.
Mickey Mccormick was FIRST base. Jack
Nelson second. Pinky Trennam. third. john