Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1910-08-05

DIS dlESduy LIE punlSHuGub u1u uOa
far outweigh the crime!
But if the conduct of my superior
was heartless that Of my associates
was doubly so. Without a care as to
how deeply this degradation would
sink into a high strung, sensitive soul
such as mine they booted and scoffed
unrestrainedly as limped to my new
position
But time in its flight works wonder
| full changes, and when next inning /
again faced ''The TWister'' all former
animosities in the face of a common
foe were forgotten, and my brother
players were shouting loud encourage
ments to me-
The game now stood II to 10 against
us.
watch 'erv' admonished Billy, who
was perched on first base. ''Don't let
i'm fool you with a drop, old man!''
Billy had Familiarity dubbed me ''the
old man" 'iYah. yah! Watch out
watch OUT"
This supplementary outburst was
brought forth by the unsportsmanlike
conduct of '"The Twister" in delivering
the ball while was attending the re-
marks of my superior. l swung des-
perately. but too late. However,
evened up on the next pitch by strik-
ing too soon, but Billy, with the eyes
! of ball player only, naturally saw
none of the beauties of this mathe
NAUTICAL equation. To him the only
problem was how to get me to first
base A quick summing up evident
ly convinced him there was but one
way.
''Let him hit yu!" he finally decided.
My blood rose at the heartless sug-
gestion. AS if censure and reproof
were not enough to bear! My teeth
clinched in rebellion. Never! L The
next moment l was bending and twist
ing into every conceivable shape in
frenzied effort to dodge the oncoming
messenger of retribution. Ny mental
instruction was bringing quick re-
buke. Finally in a last paroxysm of
hope I threw myself fat upon my
face. But why wrestle with fate?
Better for me had l met the inevitable
calmly standing. The ball then would
probably have struck me on the foot.
AS it was, it crashed into my ribs and
with a force that made me writhe in
agony.
However, when struggled dizzily to
my feet 1 was the recipient of hearty
congratulations from my teammates,
who deemed the incident a most rare
bit of good luck for me.
But the other side denounced the af-
fair unqualifedly. ''He jumped right
fntu it! He tried tn git hit" they
charged hotly and ''The Twister" I'M
''the baby act" ...a
AS soon as / could breathe without
bending double and pounding myself
on the back the reason for all this
clamor was made clear to me. For
having been hit by the pitcher. or,
rather, by the ball he had pitched,
was privileged to go to first base.
This I should have considered a
small recompense indeed for my suf-
ferings had it not been that there I
learned the true cause of the catas-
trophe. Fate had nothing to do with
it. '"The Twister's" remark to the first
baseman explained it all upon purely
natural grounds. had simply run
into" one of his ''inshoots."
AS the inning ended with the score
18 to Is in te1r favor. we were highly
jubflant. but our joy was momentary,
forging slowly to the front.
1t was attthis critical juncture of the
game, when all might be won or lost
on a single play, that the ball was hit
swiftly past me, and the batter started
on wild circle of the bases, followed
by cries of ''Foul baIIr' from our side
and counter cries of Fair BALI from
the other side I remained neutral, the
situation being too intricate for my
comprehension.
AS usual, Tommy, Billy and the UNI
pire gravitated to the center Of the
diamond for the customary bout Of
poIemics. The display this time. how
ever, was particularly lurid fists being |
shaken more vigorously and threats Of
bodily harm INDUCED in more fire.
quently than heretofore. / was con-
graduating myself upon not being in |
voIved in this especially bitter contro- |
versy when the umpire, probably driV-
en- to accepting discretion as the bet !
ter part Of vaIor, decided to fnaugu |
rate court of inquiry.
''We'll leave it to the old man. He |
saw it, l heard him declare, and the
next moment the mighty triumVirate
were headed my way.
The move sent a shiver of apprehen- |
sion through me. as my ignorance of |
the fine points of the game made it i'm |
possible for me to show any Partially |
for my captain.
A casuist may hold that none should |
have been shown, but such one never
served under a leader like Billy. For |
my part / was and shall continue to be |
ready to lie cheat or steal if nv SO |