Morris tribune., 1910-09-23
BASEBALL
IIIIOgIIVmlIl ]
Fifth Inning.
Copyr. .ht. the Frank A. Mum
sey Co.


that | think of it. | don't See
why it should. Surely | am not
one of those fanatical fans who seem
to think OF nothing else all summer
and most of the winter. All told,
don't suppose l saw over five or six
games a week the whole of last sea
son, and certainly a man must have
some relaxation.
But as we sat in the dismal little
waiting room in the weird, f1ickering
light of the one sickly, discouraged
looking Kerosene lamp, with the wind
moaning plaintiveIy around the corner
and the RAIN beating down upon the
Roof and rattling in sharp gusts against
the window. the conversation turned.
as | have already observed, to the sub
ject Of baseball. | am not sure but
that | started the turn myself
Friend" | remember remarking to
him, II don't know what part of the
country you hail from, but if you want
to see some baseball that is baseball
you ought to come down through our
part of Kansas some time. Pm the
mayor of little burg down there, and
we've got little Of team that simply
eats up everything in sight regularly
each season that comes"
He was a long. lean, lanky individ-
ual, this chance acquaintance | had
formed Ills hands and feet, loosely
attached to his dangling limbs, were
enormous; his small, steel gray eyes
were slightly crossed; his thin, sharp
face was freckled and frescoed after
the manner of turkey egg.
There was a certain atmosphere
about him, together with the way he
wore his rather fashy looking apparel,
which somehow gave me distinct i'm
preston that he had slept in that same
apparel for some weeks past. Candid
ly, l did not feel drawn to the man.
STILL when one is waiting for "mid-
night train which possesses chronic
habit of humping along into town any
time from the proper hour up to 3 a.
M, one has to make the most of any
circumstance or individual at hand to
pass the time.
At my words of enthusiasm he mere
~ dug his hands deeper into his trou-
sers pockets, stretched out in front of
him another yard or two Of legs,
crossed his feet and remarked sort of
disinterestedIy, $50"
By that l concluded at once he didn't
have a drop of sporting blood in him.
Any man who wouldn't talk baseball
after such a lead must assuredly be a
dead one. However, felt disposed to
give him one more trial.
"Surest thing you knowv' l resumed
cheerily. "We've got little team that
will stack up against anything, any
where, bar none. Why, man, we went
all last season without losing but one
game, and that game was lost because
OF a bone headed straggler we had to
pick up to play out the game"
"So?" remarked my companion with
slightly increasing interest.
"Its a fact, sir" l resumed eagerly
-''it's a fact, sure as we're both sit
breaker. l dropped a roll Of money
that day, let me tell you, not to men
tion the chagrin we felt at losing to a
team we should have showed under,
and if ever | set my eyes on that in
dividual ] mentioned-Oh, well, let by
cones be bygones; only just don't let
me ever lay my hands on him! But
you come down our way some time,
friend, and see for yourself if you
don't think we belong to the classy
set when it comes to baseball"
He leaned his head against the wall
and closed his eyes wearily. For
moment he seemed lost in thought;
then suddenly he remarked feelingly,
"Well, excuse me!'
I looked at him sharply. at loss to
understand him.
''NO, never again. he resumed pen
sively: 'there's no light in the window
for papa down in Kansas; they're not
unveilin' any statues for yours truly
down in that neck of the woods.
shook a day-day to that bunch long
ago. might have been hangin' aroun'
there yet-but it would have been by
the neck to the uppermost limb of
murmurin' cottonwood"
In the feeble glare of the lamp over
head could not make out his features
clearly, but there was no mistaking
the fact that his emotion was genuine.
I could discern that much from the
quiver of 4his voice as he spoke.
"Surely, Amy friend" I said kindly,
"you must have an exaggerated con-
ception of the peril you speak of-de-
cidedly So I am sure that in the part
OF Kansas | come from the people are
cordial to strangers and peaceably in
clined. l know. I've lived among 'em
for well nigh thirty years. l cannot
recall, with possibly one or two ex-
ceptions, any occasion upon which the
populace of my section was wrought
up to any such pitch as you mention"
"Well, can recall such an occasion.
all right, all right" he responded