had been sent to all the leading newspapers of the United
States.

There was no question that the contract was genuine. It had been
submitted to bank cashiers who were familiar with Mr. Matson's writing,
and they had pronounced it his signature beyond the shadow of a doubt. The
paper had been examined under powerful glasses and found to be a single
piece. Everything was in proper form, and it was clearly up to Mr. Matson
to explain what seemed to be explainable only in one way, namely, that he
had signed the contract.

There were many worthy charities that could find a good use for the
thousand dollars that the great pitcher had so rashly offered.

This was the gist of the story in all the papers. There were various
suggested explanations. One paper hinted that men had been known to sign
papers when they had dined and wined too well.

Another thought that the denial was purely a "diplomatic" one. Others
ventured the hypothesis that the whole thing was an advertising dodge,
designed to set the country agog with excitement and stimulate big
audiences for the coming season.

But underneath all the suppositions one thing seemed to be unquestioned by
the papers, and that was that Joe had signed a contract to play with the
All-Star League and had left the Giants in the lurch.

Joe felt as though the ground were slipping from beneath his feet. He was
perfectly innocent, and yet he already stood convicted in the public mind
of having done a thing that he loathed and abhorred. And the worst of it
was that he had not the slightest clue to the scoundrel or scoundrels who
had brought this thing about.

"It's beyond me, Mac," he said at last in despair, as he looked up and saw
the Giants' manager's eyes fixed upon him as though they would read into
his soul. "They seem to have a strangle hold on me. And yet as black as
things look I tell you straight, Mac, that you know every bit as much
about this as I do."

"That's all right, Joe," returned McRae. "I'll admit I'm flabbergasted.
Who wouldn't be? There's a plot here somewhere, and the fox that planned
it has been mighty cunning in covering up his tracks. But there never yet
was a lie that didn't have a weak point somewhere, and soon or late we'll
find it."

Mabel and Clara, as well as Jim, were beside themselves with anger at the
dastardly trick. They racked their brains to find the explanation, but
every time they came up against a blank wall.

"I certainly can't unders