The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-08

All at once, they knew not why,
everybody was standing up and cheer
ing. When they sat down GWendolyn
caught sight of the box at which the
people were looking.
Mother" she said, in an aWed
voice, that's the President of the
United States!"
AS she spoke, her words were
drowned in a roar that shook the
stand and visibly frightened her par
ents. The home team was coming
from the club house.
Cannon! Gannon!"
The cry rose up from all around
them. Men, and even women, were
shouting it frantically. Mr.. Cannon
trembled, but his wife remained rigid.
Paddy! Paddy! Paddy"
Cannon did not seem to mind the
cheering. He tipped his hat absently,
his eyes scanning the stands.
Gwendolyn tried to make him see,
but he had forgotten the location of
the seats he had sent her, and there
were thousands waving the same way.
Mr.. Cannon watched his son with
growing pride. He saw another play
er take him by the arm and lead him
to one of the boxes.
Mary" he cried suddenly, in a
hoarse voice, look"
He pointed-and they saw their son
shaking hands with the President of
the United States.
Mr. Cannon leaned back to wipe
the sweat from his brow, but his wife
kept her eyes on Patrick. She was
to see a greater thing. For from a
box close to the Presidents came a
shout: "A fellow townsman, Paddy"
and Patrick went over and had right
hand taken in both of old Mortimer
Braidlaws!
They were both so overcome that
they did not pay much attention to
what the ceaseless cheering was about
But Gwendolyn saw everything that
took place-which on the field was
little more than Paddy Gannon's
shoots and curves and the futile efforts
of the opposing team to hit them.
AS inning after inning passed, Gam
non no longer scanned the stands.
The terrific speed he used in the early
part of the game seemed to fade
away In the ninth inning, with the
score one to nothing against them, the
opposing team hit him for three
straight singles.
The crowd leaped to it's feet, and
the Gannons, reused, stood up also.
They saw their son standing YEARLY
in the center of the diamond, appar-
emily not hearing the cries of the
agonizing fans, Hold em, old boy!
Hold 'em!"
Suddenly he looked at the grand.
stand, and then smiled-his first smile
of the day. A thrill ran through the
vast, now silent, throng. He smiled
with the burden of three straight outs
to be made-or loss of the world S
championships his shoulders.
Boom! Boom! Boom!"
He no longer looked weary; he was
fierce, determined, energy incarnate
He send the ball across the plate with
binding speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Strike!
Strike! Strike!"
Not even foul could be made of
him. But one more batter remained
Strike! Strike! Strike!"
He had won! His teammates
reached him first, and high above Their
heads he soon surveyed the field. His
eyes first sought his people, and he
found them still in their places in the
stand. He smiled and waved his hand
paddy! Paddy" cried Mr.. Cannon
waving his hat frantically.
1t was the first time he had ever
used the nickname in his wife's hear
ing, but she did not care.
"Ah!" she cried, tears streaming
down her worn cheeks. "Ah, Paddy!
dear little Paddy"
-. NeSsep In The ROsarp Magazine.