The Caucasian., 1912-05-28

from carelessness. for [ al afraid /
am trespassing here, I've. always been
afraid Of being struck by Il stray bah.
and now She hes:l,s- ed, ana he
finished the sentence with a laugh he
hind his brown eyes
"And now it has happened at last -
he said solemnly
She laughed in spite of the s1cleHf ing
pain that suddenly attacked Scr
"Now it has happened she repeated
Stratton stood aside to allow her to
pass by. He had a tall, well knit tig-
ure clad in a baseball suit of spOtIc$S
white with crimson letters across the
/ breast. Bertha's swift glance from
under her long lashes took in the fine
| figure, the handsome bronZed face
above it and the careless mop OF chest
nut hair tossed back from Il nice fore
head. What a delightful man he might
be to know if he wasn't so devoted to
that wretched baseball she thought
| AS she nodded a farewell and called
the dog to heel she heard the voice, OF
Jim calling from the field:
1.-TWO O'Clock, Hilary Stratton! Gam
called at 3, you know"
| "Comingt' yelled Stratton, but when
Bertha turned at the bend Of the road
and looked back he was still standing
there watching her, and his hand went
up to the place where his cap ought to
have been.
When Bertha reached the main road
| she saw that, according to a white
| painted sign at the entrance of the pri-
| vate road, she had been trespassing on
the property of S. II. Stratton, which.
| the sign said, was ''strictly forbidden
under penalty of the law"
1--WE suffered the penalty" murmur-
| ed Bertha as she realized her stiffen-
ing neck and surveyed her ruined sun
shade. "How | hate that silly game,
| and yet-he did look handsome in that
uniform. wonder if he's going to
play this afternoon"
Just as she reached home her sister,
Mrs. Brooke, whirled up to the gate
In the tiny runabout that was the de-
light Of her heart Anna Brooke lean
ed from the car and called to her sis
ter:
"Any use asking you to come to the
ball game, Bertha?"
Bertha hesitated> and Tom Brooke
laughed good naturedly, quite misun-
derstanding the sudden confusion in
the girls face. Never mind, Bertha:
We knew you wouldn't come We ask
ed you out of -politeness anyway. Too
bad, though, you can't get up an inter-
est in the national game. You'll be |
awfully lonesome through life if you
don't'-
"Stop teasing the child, Tom" pro-
tested his wife. IF she doesn't want |
to go, never mind Goodby, dearfe"
81 do want to CO." announced Ber-
tha suddenly Perhaps really ought |
to see game before l decide-a good |
game. you know" she explained with
flushed checks as they helped her into |
the rumble seat.
"This will be good game, all right, |
with Hilary Stratton pitching for the
hotel boys. tell you, girls, Pomer-
oy'll get swatted today all right
who Is Hilary Strattong" asked
Bertha in very small voice And
then her sister and brother-in-law pro-
ceeded to enlighten her.
She learned that Stratton was the
son of an iron king who had recently
bought thousand acres of Pomeroy
land and erected fine house thereon.
She also learned that Hilary, the only
son, was baseball enthusiast. He
had pitched for his college nine. and
lis reputation was country wide No,
ne was not professional player. He
was In business with his father, but
ne played occasionally now, and today
ne was to play for the hotel boys.
Bertha was very silent, but not un-
happy. She had learned a great deal
about baseball that afternoon, and she
was destined to learn more about that
game and another game of which she
knew not the first rudiments.
1t was great afternoon. 1t was a
glorious contest, but the most aston
lshlng thing was that when the hotel ,
boys batted the Pomeroys out of the
game and Bertha Wyatt tried to SYM |
pathize with her brother she failed to
feel anything but pride in the deem
,tested Stratton, who afterward came
Up to talk to Tom Brooke and was in
reduced to his little sister-in-law.
"A deadly foe to the national game,
aid Tom loosely. Nevertheless I
detected her shamelessly roofing for e
Tour side, Mr.. Stratton." 4
Hilary Stratton scarcely concealed C
lis surprise at sight of Bertha Wyatt,
'ut he asked after her injury and beg
ed to replace the broken sunshade j
With another one. But Bertha shook
Ter sunny head.
1T would make me feel lots BETTER" =
e urged. "a red and white para II
ol"- Those were his colors, and Ber-
ia tried to look. unconscious of the "
act as she gently refused it. r
II Stratton was surprised to see the il
air hater Of baseball there, her broth a
Bob was "clean fiabbergasted," as c.
avnraccod a.