nection with the new league we were reading
about yesterday, Jim," explained Joe, "and I knew that you would be
interested and so I called you in."

Jim's jaw set a trifle, but he only nodded and Westland went on:

"I'm a business man, Mr. Matson, and so are you. So I won't beat around
the bush, but come straight to the point. You're the greatest pitcher in
the country, and we want to secure your services for the new league. We've
got oceans of money behind us, and we're prepared to let you name your own
terms. We'll give you anything in reason--or out of reason for that
matter--if you'll sign up with us."

He delivered himself of this with the air of a man sure of having his
offer accepted. But if he had expected Joe to gasp with astonishment and
delight, he was disappointed.

"Well," said Joe quietly, after a moment's pause, "that's certainly a very
liberal proposition----"

"Oh, we're no pikers," put in Westland complacently.

"But there's one little thing in the way," Joe went on; "and that is that
I'm already signed up with the Giants for the next two years."

Westland saw that he was in for a tussle and braced himself.

"Of course, of course," he said, with the tolerant smile of a man of the
world. "I didn't think for a minute that McRae would let his kingpin run
around loose without being signed up. But you know what baseball contracts
are. They're so jug handled that no court would uphold them for a minute.
In fact, McRae wouldn't dare to bring it into court. He may threaten and
bluster, but that will be the end of it. That ten-day clause alone would
kill it with any judge."

"Even admitting that I could break my contract with the Giants and get
away with it," said Joe, leading him on, "what guarantee would you have
that I wouldn't do the same thing with you if I should want to?"

"The guarantee of your own self-interest," replied Westland, flicking the
ash from his cigar. "We'd make it so much worth your while to stay with us
that there wouldn't be any inducement to go anywhere else."

"In other words," said Joe, with a touch of sarcasm, "if you once bought
me you'd rely on your money to see that I'd stay bought."

"Now, now, Mr. Matson," put in Westland deprecatingly, "there's no use
putting it in so harsh a way as that. This is simply business I'm talking
to you, and in this world every man has got to look out for Number One.
Now I don't know how much money McRae pays you, but I make a guess that