Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-02

ton. 1 found myself getting UP on
my toes to watch the high curved
flight of each shoe as it was pitched,
and when Uncle Nels hung a double
header on the stake for a ten-point
count Barry and 1 pounded each other
on the back.
well, don't want to harrow YOU all
up by going into all the details of the
match. Uncle Nels won the first, lost
the second. and then took two
straight games by steady clever pitch
ing. When he finished there were
streaks Of perspiration and black sand
on his weather-beaten old face, and
the Palm Beach trousers were a
wreck, but he was surrounded by a
crowd of enthusiastic admirers who
shook him by the hand and told him
what wonder he was.
We'll. wellw says to Barry. Some
hero, eh?''
I'll say So" says Barry. Look at
that pose, Why, he's got the discus
weakling. But I fear that it's only a
fleeting glory. Tomorrow he goes up
against Lefty Welsh, from Cedar
Falls. Iowa, and they tell me he's sure
to get trimmed. Lefty. they say, has
won three state championships and is
sure to put it all over Uncle Nels."
IT don't believe it can be DONE"
says I.
x y T. y
pUT it could. The old boy made a
good showing. but he was out
classed from the start. However. he
finished as runner-up and they pinned
big r-plated badge on him for
being second. There was record
breaking crowd out to watch the
finals and, as you can imagine, very
few people in town didn't know Uncle
Nels either by sight or reputation
when 1t was over. I heard them talk
ing about him in the grandstand.
That's him. The Swedish wonder.
They say he's got all kinds OF money.
too. Don't look it. does he? Fact.
though. Made it numbering up in
Minnesota"
And we were so tickled by 1t all that
Barry and arranged a special stone
crab dinner for Uncle, Nels at the
hotel that night and tried to get him
to make a speech. We got nothing
out of him in the line of oratory,
though.
IT amt so foolish as that" says he.
II just been havin' good time, that's
ALL
After that, though, Uncle Eels was a
parsonage. Wherever he went every
one seemed to know him. He was
asked to go on fishing trips, jitney
rides and state picnics. But that sort
Of thing didn't seem to turn his head.
He'd just sidestep the new corners
and go of with his old friend, Hank
Snively. the reformed undertaken
from Petoskey, Mich; the one he met
| coming down on the boat, who had
first told him about the place. You'd
see them sitting together In the park,
or starting off with their bamboo
poles for the fishing pier. They'd
come to be great side kicks, Uncle
Nels and Hank.
So last Friday, when. the old boy
failed to show up for luncheon. we
concluded that the sea trout or fioun-
ders must be biting particularly well
down OF the pier. But when dinner
time came and no Uncle Nels put in
an appearance, we began to get wor-
ried. We waited until nearly Z
, o'clock. and then Barry jumped in his
| roadster and drove down to the bay
on scouting trip. He came back to
report that the man at the bait stand
said he hadn't seen Uncle Nels down
there at all that day. Next he tried
Hanks boarding house, only to find
that Snively was missing. too.
Now what mischief do you suppose
those two old sports are up to-" asked
Barry.
Barry shook his head. IT hope moth
ing has happened to them" says he.
I 'Whaddye mean. happen?' says I.
"Well" says Barry. tits been pretty
well advertised around that both Of
them have more or less money. You
know how Inez has spread the news
about her rich uncle, and understand
that Snively hasn't been at all ret
icent about the twenty-eight hundred
he Inherited from his sister in Bridge.
! port"