Evening star., 1926-03-21

two on a spare and finished with
cinch that Perce wasn't rolling Will
six feet or so at every shot and ke'
ball sticks when you put it down an,
that foul line is put there for, anywa
HE was bowling with Lonnie
away from the foul-line razzing.
IT'S a dirty trick" said the Old
Timer.
The Kid, thinking he was talking
about the foul line, remained silent.
ITS a dirty trick repeated the
Old Timer, 'the way Perce Elicit is
always picking on Lonnie Krauss.
Why didn't he shoot that 46S. or the
725 a couple weeks ago when it
woulda got him something. But, no,
here he is coming around here and
picking on Lonnie. Bulleve me, if
Lonnie wasn't SO worried over the
alleys, and upset by guys like you
running their number 10 tractors
over the foul line, he'd turn around
and make Perce Elicit pretty darn
sick
Attends to Business.
whats he worrying about the al
ieys for?" asked the Kid.
"Yes, sir" went on the Old Timer
Just as though the Kid had not
spoken at all, 'if Lonnie Krauss
wasn't one of the best alley condi-
'tioners in the world he would be one
of the best duckpin shooters. But
East Is East and West is West, and
never the twain shall meet, as the
poet says"
Yes" said the Kid, getting
curious.
keeping alleys as slick and fine as
these are: or, rather as slick and fine
l. s,ts r.%< n s-1n
ing here tonight" continued the Old
Timer, takes time and lots of
'grease-elbow grease you know.
And that's what's spelling Lonnie's
game. You Know how soda clerks get
sick of fee cream sodas, candy sales
men grow to hate candy, and cooks
lose their appetite? Well. Lonnie gets
that way. Here he is, let's say. bowl
ing with Perce Elicit. Every time be
picks up the ball to shoot, you can
just imagine him saying to himself,
Well, it will take half an hour at least
after we close tonight to get this alley
In shape. Look at that streak there,
where Perce threw that last one into
the gutter And here l am bouncing
another one down. l wish I'd taken
up foot ball. like Red Grange: or
pitching, like Dutch Reuther.'. Don't
you see, feeling that way he loses his
enthusiasm and his heart isn't in the
game; and so his game suffers"
"It may suffer- said the Kid, but
you wouldn't hear re complaining II
my game suffered from the same
disease
Impossible Task.
"well" agreed the Old Timer. "it
would be a little like turning a cater
pillar into a butterfly, but cheer up;
# can be done | used to be no bet
ter than you are myself. Well, then,
here's Lonnie worrying over the work
on the alleys, and here's Perce Fllett
always a-saying Come on, Lonnle:
lust one more game Yes. sir, and
one of these days Lonnie is going to
pick up one of these bowling balls
and once-more that guy Eilett on
the bean. And I'm telling you now
that if 1 happen to be on the jury
Lonnie will be acquitted and the YER
dict will be that Perce just went and
committed suicide. Come on, Lon
nier HUH
But why all this fuss about the
foul lne?" asked the Kid.
"Who the-who put all these gosh-
hanged d balls on this rack?' SAID
the Old Timer, shifting a half dozen
to the lower rack, where he wouldn't
pick them up and shoot them,
thoughtlessly. What were you say
ing? Oh, the foul line. What dlnefo
ence does sliding over the line make?
We'll what difference would it make
If Walter Johnson stepped out OF the
uitcher's box and ran half way to the
batter before delivering the ball?
Maybe you think that wouldn't make
any difference, but If you were hit.
ding against him, you'd soon ma
out-in the hospital" <.
49,. An Unfair Advantage.
"oh. that's different" protested the
Kid ,,
mot at ALL" contended the Old
Timer. I'm hitting against you ana
YOU are getting out of the pitchers
box: you're sliding over the foul line
on every shot so that you are aoou.
10 feet nearer to the pins when you
shoot than / am. The point is. now
ever. that if you get into a game YOU
are supposed to obey the rules,
whether the game happens 10 oe
cards, checkers or bowling.
d. "Is there a regular rule about the
foul line?" asked the Kid.
"Say, Schaf, this guy wants to
know if there really is a rule about
observing the foul line" called the
Old Timer to the floor manager.
Gotta rule book?"
Sure" said the obliging Schafer.
"I've been telling him since last sep
tember to keep off that line. but you
know how he is-from Missouri,
where the mules come from.
How the Rule Reads.
Here" said the Old Timer, taking
the rule book, ''I'll read it to you so
You'll be sure to get it straight:
"sA ball shall be considered foul
when a, player in delivering the BAH
permits any part of his foot Whlie at
rest to extend on, over or beyond the
foul line, or permits any part OF ms
nerson to come in contect with any
part of the alleys beyond the foul iine
any time before the delivered bail
shall have reached the pins.
A foul ball shall count as a ball rolieo'
but no credit shall be given for any
pins displaced or knocked down there
by. Such pins shall be respotteo at
. once.
"They couldn't give it any more
kick than that" said Schaf, without
putting wood alcohol in it,"
But that's for league matches,
insisted the Kid. What difference
does it make for just practce games?'s
None at all to you, | guess,
agreed the Old Timer. IF I couldn't
bowl any better than you do, L
wouldn't care. either: I'd probably quit
the game. But as long as YOU come
out here and initiate bowler, why
not have che courtesy to observe the
rules that howlers have to live up to?
Why, saSy one of the best young
bowlers in town lose a 400 set by
having a foul called on him in the
1t In,