Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-08

following the last game Of the triple
tie.
First" and Smith struck the fore
finger of one hand with the forefin-
ger of the other, did you ever play
a game of ball before you came to
Atlanta?"
No; never did" answered Cor
don.
Second" tapping the second fin
ger, did you ever see a game Of ball
before you came to Atlanta?"
No, I never did"
Third" tapping the third finger,
how in h l beg your pardon Mrs.
kelly-how did you learn to play the
outheld and bat-especially bat?"
Gordon laughed heartily
That's where 1 had you all guess
ing, didn't 1? But, Billy, the explana-
ton is very simple My father bought
me pitching gun five years ago
one OF those things some Of the COL
lege teams tried. When mine came
1t proved unsatisfactory, so my ia
Their pulled it apart and he and be-
gan experimenting with 1t, and the
result was we finally built a pitching
gun that could do anything any
pitcher in the world could do. II
could throw a curve ball or a fast
ball, or a drop ball or a raise ball.
1t could even throw a spit ball And
speed! Why, Billy, it 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, l 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 a
month. Is it any wonder that I was
able to win those games for you down
in Atlanta. or that was able to win
| that game for the Red Sox this aft
ernoon?
And as for my fielding. where could
you get fungo hitter that would
| give me the practice that gun gave
me? You know how fast / can run,
Billy. I developed that the same way
l developed my batting and fielding.
, Undoubtedly am naturally a fast
! runner, and doubtless am what you
might call natural ball player, but
| without that pitching gun, Billy, 1
| never would have had the nerve to
/ apply to you for a job"
We'll, l want to tell you some
thing" observed Smith. Did you
| know you batted out of turn in that
last game in Atlanta?"
mo. Did II"
Yes; 1t was Bailey's turn to bat,
| but l took a desperate chance when 7
| told you to take crack at the bah,
and l got away with il. 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 l was going up to bat?'
Eyes; he's up here"
Tell him I want to see him to-
morrow, will you, Billy?" 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 NIL
! dred and smiled
A few minutes later Bill Smith
wished them long life and happiness,
| said, Goodbye" and departed A
bellbOy delivered a telegram addressed
| to Mrs. Gordon Kelly. II 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
| deserve to have came when 1 won
you"
THE END.