The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-16
stop calling him that horrid

| Why-Mr. Connelly? exclaimed
Nan. She turned quickly toward me.
| l crowded on full canvas of gloom
to my already long face
"I'm serious, Nan. The lads off,
somehow. He's in magnificent physi.
cal trim, but he can't keep his mind
on the game. He has lost his head.
I've talked with him, reasoned with
him, all TO no good. He only goes
down deeper in the dumps. Some
thing is terribly wrong with him. and
of course if he doesn't brace I'll have
to release"
| Miss Nan Brown suddenly lost a
little of her rich bloom. ooh! you
wouldn't-you couldn't release him.
all have to if he doesn't brace. 1t
means a lot to me, Nan. for OF course
! can't win the pennant this year
without Whit being in shape. But
believe ! wouldn't mind the loss OF
that any more than to see him TALL
| down. The boy is magnificent
pitcher If he can only be brought
around he'll go to the big league
next year and develop into one OF
the greatest pitchers the game has
ever produced. But somehow or
other he has lost heart. He's quit
And I've done my best for him. He's
beyond me now What a shame It
isl For he's the making OF such
| a splendid man outside of baseball.
! Milly thinks the world of him. Well,
well; there are disappointments-We
can't help them. There goes the
gong. must leave you. Nan. I'll
bet you a box of candy Whit loses
today. Is it go?'
st is" replied Nan. with fire in
her eyes. You go to Whit Hurtle
and tell him | said If he wins to-
days game I'll kiss him.
nearly broke my neck over
benches and bats getting to Whit
with that message. He gulped once.
Then he frightened his belt and
shut out Hartford with two scratch
singles. 1t was a great exhibition
of pitching. ] had no means to tell
whether or not the RUDE got his
reward that night, but ! was so hap
py that ] Rugged Milly within an inch
OF her life.
But it turned out that | had been
little premature in my elation. In
two days the RUDE went down into
the depths again, this time clear to
China, and Nan was sitting in the
grand stand with Henderson. The
RUDE lost his next game. pitching
like a schoolboy scared out of his
wits. Henderson followed Nan like
shadow, so that ] had no chance
to talk to her. The Rube lost his
next game and then another. We
were pushed out of second place.
II we kept up that losing streak
little longer, our hopes for the
pennant were gone. | had begun to
despair of the Rubc. For some oc-
cult reason he scarcely spoke to me.
Nan flirtcd worse than ever. 1t
seemed to me she Haunted her con-
quest of Henderson in poor Wits
face.
The Providence ball team came
to town and promptly signed Hem
derson and announced him for Sat
urday's game. Cairns won the first
of the series and Radbournc lost
the second. 1t was the Rube's turn
to pitch the Saturday game and re-
solved TO make one more effort to
put the 1ove-sick swain in something
like his old fettle. So | called upon
Nan.
She was surprised to see me, but
received me graciously. | fancied
her face was not quite so glowing
as usual. | came bluntly out with
my mission. She tried to freeze me
but | would not freeze. was out
to win or lose and not to be lightly
laughed aside or coldly denied. II
played to make her angry, knowing
the real truth of her feelings would
show under stress.
For once in my life l became a !
knocker and said some unpleasant
things-albeit they were truc-about ,
Henderson. She championed Hen
derson royalty, and when. as last
card, ] compared Whit's fine record
with Henderson'S, not only as ball |
player, but as a man, particularly in
his reverence for women, she flashed |
at me like little lioncss
What do you know about it? Mr..
Henderson asked me to marry him.
Can a man do more to show his re-
spect? Your friend never so much /
as limited such honorable intentions.
What's more-hc insulted me" The
blaze in Mans black eyes softcned
with a film of tears. She looked
hurt. Her pride had encountered a
fall.
ooh, no, Nan, Whit couldn't in
suit lady" | protested.
Couldn't hea That's all you know
about him, You know - | prom
ised to kiss him l. he beat Hartford
that day. So when he came | -
did Then the big savage began to
rave and he grabbed me up in his
arms. He smothered me; almost
crushed the life out of me. He
frightened me terribly. When | got
away from him-the monster stood
there and coolly said | belonged to
him. ran out OF the room and
wouldn't see him any more. At first
| might have forgiven him if he had
apologizeG-said he was sorry. but
never a word. Now | never will for
give him
had to make a strenuous effort
to conceal my agitation. The Rube
had most carefully taken my fool
advice in the matter of wooing a
woman.
When ! had got a hold upon NV
self, turned to Nan white-hot with
eloquence. Now I was talking not
wholly for myself or the pennak,
but for this boy and girl who were
at odds in that strangcst game OF
life-loyc.
What I said I never kneu brt Nal