The Washington herald., 1915-04-11

he was a cripple The game was
more beautiful and wonderful to him
because he would never be able to play
it. For Willie had been born with one
leg shorter than the other; he could not
run and at II years of age it was all
he could do to walk with a crutch.
Nevertheless Willie knew more about
baseball than any other boy on Mad
denis Hill. An uncle of his had once
been a ballplayer and he had taught
Willie the fine points of the game. And
this uncle's ballplayer friends, who oc-
casionallv visited him, had impaired TO
Willie the vcrnacular OF the game. so
that Willies knowledge of players and
plav. and particularly of the strange
talk. the wild and whirling words on the
lips of the real baseball men, made him
the envy of every boy on Madden's Hill,
and A mine of information. Willie
never missed attending the games play
ed on the lots. and he could tell why
they were won or lost
Willie suffered considerable pain,
mostly at night. and this had given him
A habit of living awake in the dark
hours. grieving over that crooked
leg that forever shut him out of the
heritage of youth He had kept his
secret well; he was accounted shy be-
cause he was quiet and had never been
able TO mingle with the boys in their
activity. No one except his mother
dreamed of the fire and hunger and pain
within his breast His schoolmates
called him Daddy" 1t was a name
given for his bent shoulders, his labor
ed gait and his thoughtful face, too old
his wears. And no one, not even his
mother. guessed how that name hurt
Willie.
1t was a source of growing unhappi-
ness with Willie that the Madden'S Hill
boys were always beaten by the other
teams of the town. He really came to
lose his sadness over his own misfor-
tune in bordering on the wretched play
OF the Nladden's Hill baseball club. He
had all boys pride in the locality
where he lived. And when the Bogg' 5
Farm team administered a crushing de-
feat to Madden's Hill Willie grew des-
perate.
Monday he met Lane Griffith, the cap
tain OF the Madden's Hill nine.
Hello, Daddy said Lane. He was
a fondnesS for Willie.
Lane, you got an orful trimmin up
on the BoggS. What'd you wanter let
them country jakes beat you for
Jaw, Daddy, they was lucky. Umpire
had hayseed in his eyes! Robbed us!
He couldn't see straight. Wen trim
them down here Saturday.
NO, YOU won't-not without team
work Lane, you've got to have mana
ger"
"Durn it, Wherere we soin' TO get
one?" Lane blurted out.
You can sign me- | can't play, but
] know the game. Let me coach the
BOYS"
The idea seemed to strike Capt Crit
fifth favorably. He prevailed upon all
the boys living on Maddens Hill to
come ont for practice after school.
Then he presented them to the man
aging coach The boys were inclined
to poke fun at Daddy Howarth and rid
icule him: but the idea was novel one
and thev were in such a state of sub
lection from many beatings that they
welcomed any change. Willie sat on a
bench improvised from soap box and
put them through a drill of batting and
fielding. The next day in his coaching
he included bunting and sliding. He
PLAYED his men in different positions,
and for three more days he drove them
numerically.
When Saturday came, the day for the
game with Boge's Farm, wild protest
went I'D from the boys. Willie eXper
fenced his first bitterness as a manager.
Out OF forty aspirants for the Aladden's
Hill team he could choose but nine to
play the game And as conscientious
manager he could use no favorites.
Willie picked the best players and as
signed them to positions that, in his
Judgment. were best suited TO them.
Bob Irvine wanted TO play FIRST base
and he was down for right field. Sam
Wickhart thought he was the fastest
fielder, and Willie had him slated to-
catch. Tom L-indsays feelings were
hurt because he was not To play in the
infiCld. Eddie Curtis suffered a fall in
pride when he discovered he was not
down to play second base Jake |
Thomas. Tay-Tav Mohlcr and Brick |
Grace all wanted 10 pitch The manager
had chosen Frank Price for that i'm
portant position. aud Franks one ambI |
ton was to he d Shortstop.
So there was deadlock. For awhile |
there seemed no possibility of game
Willie sat on the bench. the center of |
Il crowd OF discontinued. quarreling
boys. Some were Jealous. some were
some tried to pacify and per-
suade the others. All were noisy.
] ,ane Griffith stood by his manager and
stoutly declared the players should play
the positions TO which they had been as
signed or not at al And he was en-
tcring into hot argument with Tom
Lindsay when the Bo2g's Farm team
put i'll an appearance
The way that team from the country
walked out upon the field made a great
difference The spirit OF Madden'S Hill
reused Ia battle The game began swift
" and went ON wildly. 1t ended almost
before the Hill boys realized it had
commenced They did not know how
they had won. bn, they gave Daddy
credit for il They had a bon
fire that night To celebrate the victory
and they talked baseball until their
parents became alarmed and hunted
them up.
AIaddcn's Hill practiced all that next Il
week and on Saturday beat the Seventh
Ward team. In four more weeks they