The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-06-12
CHAPTER TX


Ezurd to the gym, and they went to
the ONCE. The coach was excited
and smiling.
eyes, sir, break Of a lifetime in
O way. You never heard OF Ike
HIP"
IKE Hill? You mean the base
ball scout2 Sure I've heard OF Ike
HILL"
mighty few young ball players
itching for the big time that
haven't. Well, I've worked out our
schedule Of games for the spring.
We open with Southern College
April IS. That's not so long from
now, when you think about It"
But Ike Hill"
"I'm coming to that. We're play
ing Southern on our own diamond,
and Hill Is stopping on his way
to New York to see the game"
"You mean"
you're going to pitch and
you're going to show Ike Hill
what you've got, that's what I
meant"
Good granny" Rosy MUIR
INJURED. His heart jumped and
then stood still.
"And If you show the stuff that's
In you, you are headed straight
for the big top, McAfee. Nothing
can stop you. Only" he added,
his voice thick with meaning,
you've got to show your stuff"
'But--but--" Rosy gulped.
Its true haven't seen you in
action enough to make any final
pronouncemen on your pitching
your weak points, your strong
ones But I've been watching you
pretty close, and DR.. Tollivar, who
knows good stuff when he sees It,
haG been observing. We've got our
heads together, and coming from
two directly different directions
we have reached the same con-
ciusion. Your chief fault Is you
90 UP In the air.
you fly of the handle. You
tote a chip on your shoulder. You
think people mean things they
don't, and you're too thin-skinned.
You're going into competition now
where iron nerves count, and your
hide has TO be as thick as a rhi-
noceros'. Nothing Gun dent you
short Of q pop bottle on the skull.
TN other words, you've got 10
learn control OF two things - your
fool temper and your arm. think
the last depends on the first. Any
way, from now on I'll be watching
you, and we'll straighten you out
30 that when Ike Hill looks you
over he'll see something good"
Coach Hurd ciapped him on the
shoulder. And you've got the
stuff, too, soni"
ITO thank you,' Rosy said, and
rose. He asked as an after
thought, How did you manage TO
get Hill TO stop by? He'll be go
ing UP from Florida spring train
ing, but this Is a long way out OF
his way"
doc Tollivar worked IT,"
"Ahl" Rosy said without par
ticular meaning. He examined the
coach questioningly.
"Prexy used To be ball player
too"
I'll see. A pitcher?"
"And one OF the best-when he
was going good. One of the worst
when he was going bad"
"Was-was Or. Tollivar ever at
the big leagues?"
"A season. He went TO pieces
when he beaned batter and
never after that was he worth a
cuss. Finally he had TO turn to
something else.
HE went 10 school and then TO
college and wrote something that
made him famous OF something,
and then he was called here as
president, and because he knows
this territory and the mountain
folks, he's made the school almost
over and raised the enrolment
from less than 900 TO more than
800, and put II up In Grade A rat
Ing - into the big time. II you want
10 know. That's the kind OF man
he o."
yes" Rosy said. and went out.
All he could do was Just stand
there IN the last rays OF the set
ting sun, while the sound OF cam
pus life In late afternoon drifted
10 him OH the bland air.
30 Or. T'olliyar had beaned O
man and gone 10 pieces and all he
could do then was become an edu-
Gated man and rebuild q SCHOOL,
Rosy fell TO practice with a ven
geance. Now and then he could
take time out 10 remember that DR..
Tollivar had engineered all this for
him. But Rosy never looked at the
thick, grave college president with
out thinking Of day when he had
gone 10 pieces after striking a play
or on the head with a pitched ball,
and that other day long ago when
q certain Socks Tolliver did the
same thing and killed q man. That
the two had Connection he could not
doubt.
Sometimes Rosy felt a name
less hate for the president, and at
other times he had q pathetic hum
aer 70 love Or. Tollivar. But he
never could get his nerve up to
DO either one or the other COM
p1eteIy.
Toward the close Of that week
Rossy saw Cousin Steve Hogs
new car parked over at the girls
cottage. Rossy's eyes stood out Of
~ ~ s fis dirty thief has sold on
euosiki1 Of my timber TO blow him
self 70 carl Now he's car1ng
hannah arolindI"
And Hannah went driving with
him. tool -
Anyway, something was hap
Deni1r 20 Hannah. AZ che barn-
ssrsnin, the following SATURDAY
,izhE she was just about the Dig
80 thing around the gymnasium
VA havs gave her the grand rush.