The wageworker., 1910-05-06

tween the Arlingtons and the Cres-
cents. The regular pitcher was in
place for the former, Barr not having
availed himself of the permission he
had received to use the negro. After
hard fought game the Arlingtons won
by few runs.
When the game was finished some
said that it had been won by Beatrice
Barr's presence and encouragement.
At any rate. she was adored by the
members of her brothers team, and
there was not one of them who would
not give his head to serve her. A few,
while attributing the ArlingtOns' sue
cess to her. referred that success to a
far different cause. They said that IL
Captain Thruston had kept his eyes OF
Beatrice Barr and fixed his attention
on the game the score would have been
very different.
The second game was played under
very much the same conditions, and
again the Arlingtons won. By this
time number Of the Crescents had
noticed that their captain was not do
ing his best. and one of them went to
him and expostulated. Thruston knew
very well what was the matter with
him. though he did not reveal the Sc
cret. He promised that the next game
should show up very differently.
And it did. Barr fixed his attention
on the game and won it by half a
dozen runs-not only that, but he beat
the next. the fourth game. During
both the third and fourth games Bea-
trice Barr was not present. 1t was
given out that she was i'll. Some mali
cious spectators declared that she had
been bribed by the Crescents with ten
pounds of candy to keep away. This
only excited merriment All knew that
she was wrapped up in the success of
her brothers team. But when the
fifth game came round and she was
again absent. the Crescents winning,
many who had noticed Thruston's bad
play while she was present looked
knowing and whispered to one another
that they believed there might be
something in the bribery story after
all. Beatrice was not in her seat at
the sixth game; but. despite her abb
sence, the Arlingtons won.
Each team had now won three
games, and the seventh was to decide
the championship. Beatrice Barr told
some of her most intimate girl friends
that she would love to see the game,
but she had understood that unpleas-
ant remarks had been made about the
effect of her presence on the result and
she had decided to remain away from
the grand stand. She was not in her
seat when the deciding game was
l., s% n -, nk,< rk1t
ed it from behind the blinds of a
house overlooking the oval.
When the teams went out on to the
field a negro was noticed among the
Arlingtons. Captain Thruston was
about TO protest when he remembered
that he had agreed that Barr should
use negro pitcher if he chose. Some
surprise was indicated that a boy of
his size was expected to do extra fine
pitching. He was but average height,
and his muscles did not show under
his loose suit. But when he began to
pitch the secret came out. He could
do things with a baseball that cham
pion billiardist can work with the iv0-
ries. Few could hit his balls, and those
] who did usually sent them straight up
in the air. to be caught by the outs.
During the changes from the bat
various persons. mostly from among
the Crescents' side, attempted to get
near the colored pitcher to have look
at him or question him, but he man.
aged to keep pretty well away from
them and would only answer "Yes" or
No" Finally. seeing that he was not
to be interviewed, they let him alone.
| hold t1ea loct I'M tho
negro pitching. The Arlingtons led in
the score by two runs. Thruston was
at the bat. and it was expected that
he would make hit to enable the
men on the bases to get in. three men
hoping to complete their runs and win
the game. But the negro served the
balls with such curves that Thruston
either sent them straight up in the air
or they struck the ground near his
feet Finally, one of his skyrOckets
being caught. the game was lost to the
Crescents Dick Thruston dropped his
bat and with chivalry for which he
was noted strode forward with out
stretched hand to congratulate the
pitcher for having won the game FOR
his team. But the negro. instead OF
waiting for him. ran away at the top
Of his speed and disappeared from the
oval.
Tom Barr ran up to Thruston and
said:
1--WE won two bets from you. Dick"
what two bets%
"Bets we made at the beginning Of
the season-one that we'd beat you on
the score of games. the other that we'd
beat you game one man short on our
team"
you've won the first. but l don't
! see how you've won the second"
"Come round to the house this even
ing and I'll explain"
That evening Thruston, having domed