White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-12-17
JINX STUFF
By DOUGLAS MACK

Needless to say George was on hant
next morning. He purposely sat nea
the man he had met the previous day
1t would also be unnecessary to stat
that George was excited. Augie Swift
| seemed to feel better. He made al
error on hard chance, but the mex
time up he slammed a curve into thu
next county, and the men beside
George grinned wickedly.
Pitchers don't like to have Augit
make an error" he declared. "He al
| ways hits homer to make up for it.
Walker grabbed Augie soon as thu
game ended, and handed him his card
I'm going to sign you for the Greer
Sox," he said without ado.
"What'll you pay?' Augie demanded
"Say, youngster, we're not in the
habit of signing contracts until WE
know what fellow can do. Now
Every WELL" Augie interrupted, ant
walked away.
"Say, Aug-Mr. Swift, I'll make vol
| a proposition. Just a minute"
So it was that three days latel
George escorted the new phenom into
Doc Bells presence and introdced
him. Doc stuck forth his hand, but
Augie shook his head. 1.-THE first
time you meet man." he said, don't
shake hands until you part. It's bad
luck" This took Docs cork under
II s'pose," he growled. you carry
a rabbit foot, and"
"Sure," Augie butted in, and pro
duced the evidence. 1t was on gold
chain about his neck.
Doc grew businesslike. "Well, this
amt got nothin' to do with ball
playin'. When"
tits got everything to do with ball
playing" the phenom interrupted
again.
"Say, when I'm talkin', want to
finish. You listen to me, or sixteen
rabbit feet won't save your neck Get
a uniform for him, George, and we'll
see what lemon he is" He turned
away as though that settled matters.
We'll shake hands now,' Augie
said.
"Darned if"
"I'll have bad luck-if you don't.
Better shake"
They did.
A uniform was found, and Walker
gave some advice. "You better forget
that superstitious stuff. There's moth
ing to it, and there isn't man on the
club that pays any attention to it,
"But there's something to it-every-
thing. I've been following it since the
first time l pulled a glove on. 1
couldn't play without it,"
Keep it to yourself, them
He worked out and took to his new
surroundings like night crawler
hunts his hole when the anglers light
is on him. His fielding was soon the
talk of the league. That he was a
little weak with the willow was over
looked. That he was superstitious
boob was not realized, even when it
was known that he always circled the
third sack at the start of each inning.
Personality" the fans called it, and
the players let it go at that because
the big hole was plugged at last and
the team was winning.
Cordelia, Docs pretty flapper daugh-
ter, fell for Augie with bang. And
he wasn't long discovering this. He
took her to a show; thenceforth they
became fast friends, to Docs horror.
He could never become reconciled to
Augie's disposition and sharp tongue,
even though he loved his playing.
Augie's superstitions seemed to be
sprouting, for he was continually
springing new ones. Then finally the
storm broke. He had gone around
the sack at the start of the first, and
just as Billings wound up for the
pitch, Augie remembered that his be-
loved rabbit foot lay on washstand
in the clubhouse. With whoop he
started forward, as an easy grounder
passed him unmolested Augie kept
on going.
"You idiot-now what?" Doc rose
from the dugout bench.
Got to get my good luck" Augie
laughed. "Be back in a minute"
When he got back he made two sue
cessive outs that were hair-raisers.
And he slammed a vicious double,
first time up. Doc turned to Walker.
"a star-and a nut! How can we
knock that foolishness out o. him?
He'll make me the laughin' stock of
the league. And" he added, "he's got
Cordelia hypnotized. It's drivin' me
crazy!"
He called a conference that night,
at Walkers suggestion, and Augie