The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-05-15

ulroH OF Deing struck by stray ball.
and now She hesitated, and he
finished the sentence with laugh be.
hind his brown eyes.
"And now it has happened at last"
he said solemnly.
She laughed in spite of the sickening
pain that suddenly attacked her.
Now 1t has happened" she repeated.
Stratton stood aside.to allow her to
pass by. He had tall, we'll knit fig
ure clad In a baseball suit of spotless
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 1t and the careless mop of chest
nut hair tossed back from a nice fore
head. What delightful man he might
be TO know II he wasn't so devoted to
that vretched baseball, she thought.
As she nodded a farewell and called
the dog to heel she heard the voice of
Jim calling from the field
Two o'clock, Hillary Stratton! Game
called at 3, you know"
"Comlngr' 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"
I've suffered the penalty" murmur-
ed Bertha as she realized her stiffen-
ing neck and surveyed her ruined sun
shade. How l hate that silly game,
and yet-he did look handsome in that
uniform. l 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, BerthaF'
Bertha heSitated and Tom Brooke
laughed good naturedly, quite mtsun-
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, dearie"
II do want to CO." announced Ber.
tha suddenly. Perhaps really ought
to see a game before | 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. l tell you, girls, Pomer-
oy'll get swatted today all right"
"Who is Hilary Stratton?" asked |
Bertha in a 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 a thousand acres Of Pomeroy
land and erected fine house thereon.
She also learned that Hilary, the only
son, was a baseball enthusiast. He
had pitched for his college nine. and
his reputation was country wide. No,
he was not professional player He
was in business with his father, but
he played occasionally now, and today
he 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 moro about that
game and another game OF which she
knew not the first rudiments.
1t was great afternoon. It was a
glorious contest but the most aston
lshing thing was that when the hotel
boys batted tho Pomeroys out of the
game and Bertha Wyatt tried to sym
Dathize with her brother she failed to
feel anything but pride In the deep
'hested 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"
said Tom jocosely. Nevertheless |
detected her shamelessly roofing for
your side, Mr.. StrHtton."
Hilary Stratton scarcely concealed
his surprise at sight OF Bertha Wyatt,
out he asked after her injury and beg
sed to replace the broken sunshade
with another one. But Bertha shook
ler sunny head.
1T would make me feel lots BETTER"
le urged. "a red and white para
'oP'- Those were his colors, and Ber-
ha tried to look unconscious Of the
act as she gently refused 1t.
If Stratton was surprised to see the
air hater of baseball there, her broth
n Bob was "clean fiabbergasted," as
le expressed 1t.
What in thunder came over your"
le demanded suspiciously He turn
d TO the others and addad trinn /