antagonists. Clancy stole off first base so far that the Rube,
catching somebody's warning too late, made a balk and the umpire sent
the runner on to second. The Rube now plainly showed painful evidences
of being rattled.

He could not locate the plate without slowing up and when he did that a
Rochester player walloped the ball. Pretty soon he pitched as if he
did not care, and but for the fast fielding of the team behind him the
Rochesters would have scored more than the eight runs it got. When the
Rube came in to the bench I asked him if he was sick and at first he
said he was and then that he was not. So I let him pitch the remaining
innings, as the game was lost anyhow, and we walked off the field a
badly beaten team.

That night we had to hurry from the hotel to catch a train for
Worcester and we had dinner in the dining-car. Several of my players'
wives had come over from Worcester to meet us, and were in the
dining-car when I entered. I observed a pretty girl sitting at one of
the tables with my new pitcher, Henderson.

"Say, Mac," I said to McCall, who was with me, "is Henderson married?"

"Naw, but he looks like he wanted to be. He was in the grand stand
today with that girl."

"Who is she? Oh! a little peach!"

A second glance at Henderson's companion brought this compliment from
me involuntarily.

"Con, you'll get it as bad as the rest of this mushy bunch of ball
players. We're all stuck on that kid. But since Henderson came she's
been a frost to all of us. An' it's put the Rube in the dumps."

"Who's the girl?"

"That's Nan Brown. She lives in Worcester an' is the craziest girl fan
I ever seen. Flirt! Well, she's got them all beat. Somebody
introduced the Rube to her. He has been mooney ever since."

That was enough to whet my curiosity, and I favored Miss Brown with
more than one glance during dinner. When we returned to the parlor car
I took advantage of the opportunity and remarked to Henderson that he
might introduce his manager. He complied, but not with amiable grace.

So I chatted with Nan Brown, and studied her. She was a pretty,
laughing, coquettish little minx and quite baseball mad. I had met
many girl fans, but none so enthusiastic as Nan. But she was wholesome
and sincere, and I liked her.

Before turning in I sat down beside the Rube. He was very quiet and his
face did not encourage company. But that did not stop me.

"Hello, Whit; have a smoke before you go