vouch, for the truth of
the rumor, that they've had a scout over in Chester every day for a week
past."

"What for?" asked Specs.

"Trying to get a line on Donohue's delivery so as to report whether he's
the wonder they've been told. But Jack was too clever for them, I guess.
They say he had his battery off practicing in secret most of the while;
and whenever Donohue did pitch for the local games he was held back.
That's why some people said they believed he must be over-rated, and
might prove a disappointment. But Jack only gave them the merry ha! ha!
and told them to wait and see."

"But it's long after three right now, and still no sign of the game
starting," continued Specs, a little anxiously.

"Yes," spoke up Oliver from his seat near by, "and, believe me, that
bank of clouds looks a mite higher than it did when the Harmony fellows
arrived. Unless they jig up right smart now, we'll get our jackets wet,
you mark my words."

The others scoffed at his dismal prediction. With that bright sun
shining up in the heavens, it did not seem possible that any such
radical change in the weather could take place within a couple of hours.

"Hey! Big Bob, what's the matter with starting this game right away?"
called Ernest, as the stalwart right-fielder of the local team chanced
to be passing in the direction of the players' bench after chatting with
friends.

"Umpire hasn't shown up yet!" called the accommodating Bob, raising his
voice, as he knew hundreds were just as curious as Ernest concerning the
mysterious reason for play not having commenced. "He had a break-down
with his car on the way. Telephoned in that he would be half an hour
late, and for them to get another umpire if they couldn't wait that
long."

"Well, apparently, they've decided to wait," said Specs, resignedly,
settling back in his seat for another fifteen minutes of listening to
the chatter of a Babel of tongues and merry laughter. "Good umpires are
almost as scarce as hens' teeth; and that Mr. Merrywether is reckoned as
fair and impartial as they make them. So the game will start half an
hour late after all!"

"Too bad!" Oliver was heard to say, with another apprehensive look in
the direction of the southwest, as though to measure the location of
that cloud bank with his weather-wise eye, and decide whether it gave
promise of stopping play, perhaps at a most interesting stage of the
game.

Most of those present did not begrudge the half hour t