Evening star., 1922-09-17

Mrs. Ormsby called on me this
afternoon" said Maizie. We've been
good friends. Tom. and she feels
awfully bad about it. OF course she
has to pull for her husband. 1t means
a lot to them both if he makes good,
but neither one of them want to do
it at our expense"
We'll" said Tom, what are you
going to do? That's base ball I've
been up against just that sort OF
problem myself more than once. Bob's
as some other guy. 1 always figured
it would take a couple of more years
before he would be ripe for this
going, but maybe not. l met a guy
today who used to be a ballplayer,
and now he's selling auto trucks. He
says he's getting by o. K"
Maizie was silent. She couldn't
a glib salesman. His heart was
welded to the life of the ballplayer.
Some job like Brick MoGovern's was
his natural goal.
Barry unused aloud: Il was a fool
not to have put no dough away while
I was goin' good. By now we could
have staked ourselves to a ranch. A
years would have done it That's
what guy gets for being too sure
Of himself
Maizie went to bed that night and
muffled her sobs in a pillow. 1t seemed
such a pitifully little thing that stood
in their path to happiness Just a
matter of base ball dropping safely
on the green turf! But who can
fathom the strange ways Of OF Joe
Slump? Mark well what happened
the very next day:
X X \
DRIcK McGovERNs club was
ID struggling to break into the first
division. They faced the heavy-hit-
ting Tigers before a holiday crowd,
and for eight innings trailed along in
the ruck. Then, in the ninth, they
staged a rally with two out. Peewee
Patterson and Marty Kirk worked
their way to third and second. The
II
hit meant tie score and due credit
to the man who was taking Tom
Barry's place. Over on the first base
coaching line stood the Big Bombar-
dier eyes dutifully taking in every
significant movement on the field. 1t
was then that fate played a mean
trick on Maizie's husband. All through
the game he had been trying to de-
cipher the signals of the opposing
catcher, as a good coach is supposed
to do. Now he was absolutely certain
that he had them. With two strikes
on the youngster at bat and the game
hinging on the next play. the catcher
and on the outside. For full ten
seconds Barry hesitated, and then the
instinct Of q ball player outweighed
all other considerations.
Hit 1t out, Bobby" he called. THE
old life, Bobby" And with a sweep
Of his right hand he brushed the dust
from the knees Of his uniform.
Tho youngster at bat looked in
Barry's direction and pulled his cap
moro firmly into place as an ac-
acknowledgement that he understood.
The use of his name, instead of the
familiar Boy" or kid" coupled with
tho phrase '9Iit it out" meant a curve
ball. Barrys gesture showed him
where to expect 1t. He set himself.
and the next minute there was the
sharp crack Of bat against leather.
and the ball swept cleanly along the
left-held foul line. Ormsby was
thrown out at third base, trying to
stretch his hit, but not before Patter-
son and Kirk had scored, tying up the
game and making extra innings nee
essary. It was Ormsby's only hit In
three days.
Barry returned to the dugout and
slumped down by the side of Brick
McGoYern. FOR . minute or two the