The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-10-22

He had made and held most of 500, 900.
Only the year before, his rubber legs
had betrayed him. They would have
sent him wobbling out of baseball only
as a player and a handler of men.
Instead, they had carried him over to
Jersey as manager of the Buckaroos.
In 1915 he had married Bridgeon
Haley. She, too, was a dancer. She
was in the chorus of Charles Dilling-
hams Golden Girl" when they met
and fel! in love. And they, too, had but
n child. And here he was now, squat
ting on his launches and talking to
him.
"Shane!" he growled. "Quit foolin'
around with that curve. How many
times have I got to tell you you're too
young and strong to need control?
get it and they'll start setting them
selves. But with that speed Of yours
it would be suicide for anybody to set
himself. Nobody knows where the ball
will strike. It might knock his brains
out: Lay off it. Now, burn it in"
Shane Leathern, the hope Of the
father, was 20, a year older than Pat
had been when he crashed into big
league baseball. But he was better ed
ucated. He had a year in Yale behind
him.
Shane seemed not to hear his father.
He caught the ball the catcher threw
him. He twisted it in his glove. He
looked at the catcher, wound up and
The ball sizzled through the air. You
could no more see it than you could
see a bullet. The catcher grunted as
it struck his mitt and it struck his
mitt before Shane had completed his
follow-through. Speed. Power.
That's it," Pat growled. Never mind
that ChriSty Matthewson fade-away.
Keep your second finger off the
stitches. You don't need so much curve.
speed"
Shane turned and grinned at him,
his teeth shining through thick lips.
He was more like Denis than he was
like Pat. Bigger than either. He was
5 feet, II inches. He weighed 189,
though that might surprise you. His
build was deceiving. great shoulders
Streamllning down through slim hips.
He had the Leathern gray eyes but
they were not sad like old Denis nor
bitter like Pats. They were smiling.
Old Denis noted them. He noted
everything Shane did and was. And
what Shane did and was worried him
vaguely. His form was perfect. Pat had
been teaching him baseball since the
boy was 10. Nevertheless, Denis was
stage OF progress. He distrusted per-
fiction, anyhow. He distrusted ma
turalS." He had knocked too many of
them out of the ring.
But. he told himself at once, that
was not the reason for his worry. The
reason was Bridgeon, Shane's mother,
Pats wife. his W daughter-in-law.
He thrust aSiHn for tho moment tho
fact that he had never liked Bridgeon.
No more had Maggie, God rest her
soul.
woman" Maggie had Whispered more
than once. "And she is making Pat
unhappy. And, if she can, she will
break Shane to her will"
when Maggie died. But she had spoken
the truth. Bridgeon was climbing and
dominating. And she despised the
things that he, Denis, and Pat stood
for. She was a my deah, how d'ya
do? I'm SO pleased!" Hadn't he heard
her himself the thousand times? And
the look of hate that blazed out of her
efe her wnen ne smiled at 'ne s''ilneSS
,a RIridge osa was always talking about
What are you and Pat?" she'd blaze.
Athletes. And what are athletes?
Skilled laborers! Through making a
living at 40. All their lives set down in
little record books. Their pictures be-
hind the bars of saloons. Who do they
know? Nobody but a lot of buns"
":Bums!' says She" Denis would
mock, licking his lips and looking
watchfully past her. rs that the Ian
guage Of a lady?"
1T comes from living with the likes
Of you" she'd say sweetly, and then
her anger would rise in her again.
But Shane. my son, will be a gentle
man. He'll be q lawyer or a doctor.
He will go to college and meet the best
people. Maybe he'll get to be a great
surgeon or 9 Judge. Anyhow, he'll never
be another. Tyrone Phantom, the great
Irish mauler,' or Pat Leathern, the
home run baby I'm sick and tired Of
hearing about two grown men famous
because they're good at games!"
Shut up" Pat would end the ar
gl1rnent, for Bridgeon would shut up.
Domtneering though she might be, she
HAANAA 0~ NA A-@ HavaAaA