that afternoon.

"I'm sorry, Nan, but you're way off. We'd do well to win at all, let
alone get a shutout."

"You're a fine manager!" she retorted, hotly. "Why won't we win?"

"Well, the Rube's not in good form. The Rube----"

"Stop calling him that horrid name."

"Whit's not in shape. He's not right. He's ill or something is wrong.
I'm worried sick about him."

"Why--Mr. Connelly!" exclaimed Nan. She turned quickly toward me.

I crowded on full canvas of gloom to my already long face.

"I'm serious, Nan. The lad's off, somehow. He's in magnificent
physical trim, but he can't keep his mind on the game. He has lost his
head. I've talked with him, reasoned with him, all to no good. He only
goes down deeper in the dumps. Something is terribly wrong with him,
and if he doesn't brace, I'll have to release----"

Miss Nan Brown suddenly lost a little of her rich bloom. "Oh! you
wouldn't--you couldn't release him!"

"I'll have to if he doesn't brace. It means a lot to me, Nan, for of
course I can't win the pennant this year without Whit being in shape.
But I believe I wouldn't mind the loss of that any more than to see him
fall down. The boy is a magnificent pitcher. If he can only be
brought around he'll go to the big league next year and develop into
one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever produced. But somehow
or other he has lost heart. He's quit. And I've done my best for him.
He's beyond me now. What a shame it is! For he's the making of such a
splendid man outside of baseball. Milly thinks the world of him.
Well, well; there are disappointments--we can't help them. There goes
the gong. I must leave you. Nan, I'll bet you a box of candy Whit
loses today. Is it a go?"

"It is," replied Nan, with fire in her eyes. "You go to Whit Hurtle and
tell him I said if he wins today's game I'll kiss him!"

I nearly broke my neck over benches and bats getting to Whit with that
message. He gulped once.

Then he tightened his belt and shut out Hartford with two scratch
singles. It was a great exhibition of pitching. I had no means to
tell whether or not the Rube got his reward that night, but I was so
happy that I hugged Milly within an inch of her life.

But it turned out that I had been a little premature in my elation. In
two days the Rube went down into the depths again, this time clear to
China, and Nan was sitting in the grand stand with Henderson. The Rube
lost his next game, p