The Mount Holly news., 1918-10-22
Girl
or Game
By R. RAY BAKER


soar among the clouds in winged
If Hazel NOrrin said ''yes" then it
would be aviation; if she replied mega
lively that meant the plunge. All this
about soaring and plunging, you must
had to do with Steve's
mental state. The war had not yet
its steel-scaled arm to Amer
lea, and Steve was considering nei-
ther aero journeys nor ocean voyages,
literally speaking. He was still in Cliff
ton college, senior, and his favorfte
form of combat was baseball.
After being with Hazel once on the
occasion of a theater party early in his
senior year his admiration for her in
creased to a friendship which became
so warm as the time for graduation ap-
preached that it finally ceased to be
friendship, as far as his feelings were
concerned.
Steve reached the point mentioned
In the first paragraph at the same time
his hand found the point of picket in
the fence inclosing the garden Of her
home. He had met Hazel late that
afternoon by an accident, ostensibly.
She was not supposed to know that he
had fingered full half-hour near the
millinery store where she worked,
waiting for her to appear so he could
walk nonchalantly toward her and be
surprised to meet her.
Steve had no real reason for believ-
ing that she cared for him. He was
aware that some six or eight students
were reported to have proposed to her
and been rejected during the last three
years, but he was willing to take
chance on being the seventh or the
ninth, or even the thirteenth.
Steve knew that his red head and
freckles didn't jibe with her creamy
complexion and black hair, but he was
not to blame for the contrast.
He picked splinter from the fence,
realized he was more nervous than he
had been at any time since his initia-
tion into Tau Beta Chi, floundered des-
perately for words, then got a grip
on himself and let It out with:
Hazel. I'm not going to beat about
the bush. I'm not capable of pouring
out sentimental, gush and crawling on
my knees, but I want to marry you,
and hope this Is not so sudden that
you can't decide my fate here and
now."
She laughed lightly and placed her
hand over his as It rested on the fence
and replied:
I'm glad you're not capable Of SEN
timental gush,' because I'm rather
tired of it myself. like the way you
go about this, without moons or bab-
bling brooks and I'll admit I care a
lot for you, but I can't answer now.
First / must have proof that you are
the kind Of fellow / would marry and
thet you really care as much as you
say. But I am not saying 'no'-just
remember that"
The next day he received a letter
from her. 1t read:
"Dear Steve-Remember what
you told me yesterday / am giving you
a chance to prove your affection. To-
morrow Clifton meets Alton for the
state college baseball championship.
My cousin. VIII Forbes, will pitch for
Alton, and In letter I just received
he told me that it means everything
for him to win the game. as he ex-
poets to try for professional league.
Here's your chance to prove that
you love me. If the opportunity Of
fers to miss a ball or strike out at a
critical point Of the game and you can
help Alton to win you surely can prove
beyond doubt that you care as you say
you do.~
The letter stunned poor Steve, with
his heart eating itself out for Hazel
and the rest of him all wrapped up In
the national game. Steve would ra-
ther play baseball than anything else in
the world except have Hazel for a
wife. Then, too, his love for his alma
mater was strong. and his regard for
honor and fair play was stronger
"How can she ask such a thing?'
he groaned aloud as he sank back in
the only rocking chair his apartment
of the rooming house afforded. He
longed for his pipe, but he was in
training.
Il can't do It," he repeated over and
over. ut wouldn't be honorable or
square; and simply can't bring my
self to it. But HAZEL can't give
her mp. She means too much to me
even If she does ask impossible-al
most mpossible-things."
The day of the game turned out
bright and clear in spite of Steve's
wish that a deluge might visit the dia-
mond. He saw her in the grand stand
as hs logged out to center field for
practice, and tipped his cap in answer
to her jaunty wave of the hand.
The contest started with prospects
of close struggle. Each side scored
run In the second inning, and Alton
pushed another across in the fourth.
Clifton evening it up In the fifth. Thus
the score stood tie at the opening of
the eighth.
The first Alton man to bat was re-
tired on pop fly to third.
But his successor hit clean Texas
Lacquer which landed him on second.
He achieved third on a sacrifice
grounder, knocked between second and
first by the next man at the plate.
left little suspicion in its abrupt bust.
nesslike wording that III. stood for
Helen and B. for Beatrice. Perhaps
Patrick Henry Madison had seldom re-
ceived editorial letters so encouraging.
perhaps he read between the lines-at
all events he wrote q letter of con-
siderable length sending in his next
nonmilitary Story-the hero this time
was South Sea island planter, with
out suspicion of khaki-and of so
friendly character that III. B. Shan
ley was constrained to write an
equally friendly letter in reply. Again
that editor congratulated him on his
rare discernment in keeping his he
roes out of the war game. "Unless you
can tell your story like a genius and
have an entirely new twist, any war
story now would be deadwood. They
have all been written except the really
great ones" The correspondence con-
tinued for several months and the
stories appeared at close intervals.
Then "Patrick Henry asked permis-
sion to meet Fl. B. Stanley and the
interview was carefully arranged to
take place In the Purple Book editorial
office on the afternoon in the week
when Mr.. Truman played golf. He
had quite set himself at ease on the
matter of enlisting now, so sure was
he Of Helen's attitude on that score,
and If was only hecause he had NOT