Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-08
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IT. | EveyI OF Game

following the last game of the triple
tie.
First" and Smith struck the fore
finger of one hand with the forefn-
ger of the other, did you ever NAV
game Of ball before you came 10
Atlanta ?"
NO; never did" answered Cor
don.
Second" tapping the second fin
ger. did you ever see a game of bali
before you came to Atlanta?"
NO, | never did"
Third tapping the third finger.
chow in h beg your pardon Mrs
Kelly-how did you learn to play the
outtield and bat-especially bat?"
Gordon laughed heartily
That's where l had you all guess
ing, didn't 1? But, Billy, the explana-
tion is very simple. Ny father bought
me a pitching gun five years ago
one of those things some of the col
lege teams tried. When mine came
it proved unsatisfactory, so my IA
Their pulled it apart and he and I be-
gan experimenting with il, and the
result was we finally built pitching
gun that could do anything any
pitcher in the world could do. 1t
could throw a curve ball or a fast
ball, or a drop bah or a raise ball.
1t could even throw a spit ball And
speed Why, Billy, il had Joe Wood
and Walter Johnson beaten to death =.
No human being could have the speed
that gun had All you had to do was
wind the spring to the desired speed
| and press the trigger.
He Heard That Yell.
THAT gun could hurl a ball further
than anyone could bat it, and so high
in the air that you could hardly see
| it. I used to place the gun in the
pitchers box and. with Steve, a lit
| tie colored boy on my place to pull
| the trigger, / would practice batting
| by the hour Steve would set the
| spring to suit himself and the way
| those balls used to come whizzing
| across the plate was a caution. / got
/ more batting practice in a day than
| an ordinary ball player gets in
month. Is it any wonder that was
| able to win those games for YOU down
/ in Atlanta. or that l was able to win
/ that game for the Red Sox this aft
| ernoon?
And as for my fielding. where could
| you get a fungo hitter that would
| give me the practice that gun gave
/ meg You know how fast / can run,
| Billy. l developed that the same way
I developed my batting and fielding.
! Undoubtedly I am naturally a fast
] runner and doubtless I am what you
\ might call a natural ball player, but
/ without that pitching gun, Billy, l
/ never would have had the nerve to
( apply to you for a Job"
/ We'll, I want to tell you some-
/ thing" observed Smith. Did you
know you batted out of turn in that
| last game in Atlanta?" ,
| mo. Did u"
| Yes; it was Bailey's turn to bat,
| but l took a desperate chance when I
| told you to take a crack at the ball,
1 and I got away with it. That accident
at the plate made everybody forget
| about it, if they ever noticed it,"
Didn't I hear Whiskey's yell this
afternoon as was going up to bat? ?"
YES; he's up here"
| Tell him l want to see him to-
! morrow, viii you. Billy2" I can't al
| low such an admirer as he is to go
! unrewarded"
THE Red Sox got their $4,000 back
when you made that hit to-day, Cor
! don" remarked Smith, but they can
/ use you in the worlds series, all right.
/ Going to play in it?"
| Gordon waved his hand toward Mil
I dred and smiled.
A few minutes later Bill Smith
! wished them long life and happiness,
| said, Good bye" and departed A
| bellboy delivered a telegram addressed
| to Mrs. Gordon Kelly. It was from
! Mildred's father, and it made her hap
| pier than ever. She raised her arms
and placed them around her husbands
neck
Gordon, dear" she said, softly,
| haven't you had glory enough out Of
baseball? You win never want to play
again, will you, dear?"
Never, HOneybunch; all the glory 1
deserve to have came when l won
you"
THE END.