The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-16
THE WASHINGTON HER ALD SUNDAY MAY &c. 1915

girl sitting at one of the tables witt
my new pitcher, Henderson.
Say, Mac" l said to Mccall, who
was with me, "is Henderson mar
ried?"
Nav, but he looks like he wanted
to be. He was in the grand stand
today with that girl"
WHO is she? Oh! little peach!
A second glance at Henderson:
companion brought this compliment
from me Involuntary.
Con. you'll get it as bad as the
rest Of this mushy bunch of bal
players. We're all stuck on that kid
But since Henderson came she's been
frost to all of us. An it's put the
! Rube in the dumps"
who's the girl?"
That's Nan Brown. She lives in
Worcester an is the craziest girl fan
| ever seen. Fiirt! Well, she's got
them all beat. Somebody introduced
the RUDE to her He has been mooney
ever since"
That was enough to whct my Gu
riositI and | favored Miss Brown
with more than one glance during
dinner. When we returned to the
parlor car | took advantage of the
opportunity and remarked to Hen
derson that he might introduce his
manager. He complied, but not with
amiablc grace.
SO | chatted with Nan Brown, and
studied her. She was pretty, laugh
ing, coqucttish little mink and quite
baseball mad | had met many girl
fans, but none so enthusiastic as Nan.
But she was wholesome and sincere,
and l liked her..
Before turning in I sat down be-
side the Rube. He was very quiet
and his face did not encourage COM
pany. But that did not stop me.
"Hello, Whit; have a smoke be-
fore you go to bed:" | asked cheer
fully.
He scarcely heard ME and made
no move to take the proffered cigar.
All at once it struck me that the
rustic simplicity which had charac-
terized him had vanished.
whit, old fellow. what was wrong
today" l asked. quietly, with my
hand on his arm.
Mr.. Connolly, I want my release.
I want to go back to Rickettsville,"
he replied hurriedly.
For the space of few seconds |
did some tall thinking. The situation
suddenly became grave. | saw the
pennant for the Worcesters fading.
dimming.
you want to go home?" L began
slowly. "Why, Whit. I can't keep
YOU. | wouldn't try If you didn't
want to stay. But I'll tell you conf
dcntially, if you leave me at this
stage I'm ruined"
"How's that?' he inquired, keenly
looking at me.
"Well, I can't win the pennant
without you If l do win it there's
big bonus for me- | can buy the
house | want and get married this
fall ii | capture the flag. You've
met Milly. You can imagine what
your pitching means to me this year.
That's all"
He avertcd his face and looked out
OF the window. His big jaw quivercd.
"If it's that-why, I'll stay,
reckon" he said huskily.
That moment bound Whit Hurtlc
and Frank Connolly into far closer
relation than the one between play
or and manager. | sat silent for a
while, listening to the drowsy talk
OF the other players and the rush
and roar OF the train as it sped on
into the night.
Thank you. old chap" | replied.
at wouldn't have been like you to
throw me down at this stage. Whit.
you're in troublc2"
ayes"
Can | help youth any way;
81 reckon not"
Don't be too sure OF that I'm
pretty wise guy, if | do say it my
sell. might be able to do as much
for you as you're going 10 do for
me" |
The sight OF his face convinced
me that | had taken a wrong tack.
1t also showed me how deep Whit
trouble really was. badc him good
night and went TO my berth, where
sleep did not soon visit me. A saucy,
sparkling-eyed woman barred Whit
Hurtlc's baseball career at its TIRES
hold.
Women are Just as fatal to ball
PLAYERS as to men in any other walk
If life. had seen a strong athlete
grow palsied just at scorntul
slight. It's a great world, and the
women run it. So | lay awake rack
ng my brains to outwit pretty dis
organizer; and | plotted for her sake.
Married, she would be out OF mis-