Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26
CHAPTER XII.

w of Gordon Kelly that Farms
worth. the newspaper man, had
secured from Mildred Deery at her
bungalow, and which was published
in his paper, the great baseball pub
lie had heard nothing of the $50 900
player since the day late in May
when he left the hospital in Atlanta
and disappeared. The public knew
nothing of his palatial home in the
Georgia mountains, it knew nothing
of his vast wealth, Of his peculiar
life, Of the tragedy Of his fathers
death. 1t knew nothing Of the grand
romance of Gordon and Mildred, or
of Gordon's conflicts with Forrest
Cain. or of his capture and detention
by the mountaineers. All the public
knew was that Gordon Kelly. the most
widely advertised ball player in the
world, the man the Red Sex had pal
the stupendous sum Of $4,000 for,
the player every fan" on the Amer
lean League circuit was most anxi-
Gus to see perform, had mysteriously
disappeared.
The name of Gordon Kelly had be-
come a byword wherever baseball
was played or discussed. Every time
"a EAHg CT va any AEdttl III any CITY OF
town made a home run he was a
Gordon Kelly" Ball players in the
big leagues. college ball players,
schoolboy players. and even the ur-
chins playing ball in the back lots
were always talking about the great
player This continued all summer
long all over the country. so that de-
spite the fact that the public did not
know what had become Of Gordon
Kelly, his name was constantly on
everybody's lips and he was con-
stanty referred to in the newspapers.
Gave Up Hope.
The Red Sox management practi-
cally gave up hope of ever seeing him
again before the season was half over
but every pay day a check was drawn
to his order and mailed to his last
known address in Atlanta The first
half Of the season was fraught with
injuries to the Red Sox players, and
If ever they needed Gordon Kelly Il
was in the first few months of the
championship season. But by the
first of July the worlds champions
got going in their proper stride and
won game after game in the same
Impressive manner that had enabled
them to NOV down their opponents
in the season Of 1912 and eventually
capture the American League pen
nant and later the highest honors in
baseball-the worlds championship.
The Red Sox pitchers-the back
bone OF team-began going good"
about the first of July The heavy
hitters took confidence and found
their batting eyes" again. The loyal
supporters Of the team took heart and
hocked to Fenway Park to encourage
their favorites and squeeze" hard
for victory.
That rabid Boston organization
known far and wide as the "Roya
Rooters," forgot the fancied griev-
ances it had against the clubs man
agement that dated back to the last
worlds series, and marched to the
baseball grounds en- masse and with
a brass band playing "Tessie." The
old time Boston spirit-the spirit that
made Boston the greatest baseball
city in the wOrld-returned as the Red
Sox forged triumphantly toward the
top Of the baseball column.
Red Sox Climb.
BY the first of August the Red sox
were in third place, after fioundering
around among the tail-enders for half
the saeson. BY the first of Septem-
Der the worlds champions were in
second place, only the Athletics, of
Philadelphia, standing between them
and the leadership in the American
League pennant fight. The men were
playing with a dash and vigor that
surpassed their 1912 form. Iris
Speaker, the great center fielder, led
the league in batting and every day
he was getting his two or more safe
hits, most of them solid drives for
two or three bases or home runs.
Duffy Lewis, the left fielder, was close
up in his stockwOrk, and his fielding
and throwing were better than ever
Harry Hooper in right field was hav-
ing his best year, batting better than
he had ever done before and running
the bases like deer, Heine Wagner,
captain of the team and the man most
upon for defensive work,
played with a steadiness that was the
marvel Of the baseball world. Larry
Gardner, the third baseman, fully re-
he fvRsr to, tie