ad he made
such a hit among his schoolmates. It was sweet, at last, to taste
the pleasures of local fame.

He stood gazing about him, drinking in the evident delight of
the High School boys. In fact he did not hear the coach's order
until it came again.

"Try another one, Ripley!"

The young man moistened his fingers, placing the ball carefully.
Of a sudden his arm shot out. Again the coach struck for what
looked a fair ball, yet once more Mr. Luce fanned air and the
catcher straightened up, ball in hand.

Pumph! The lazily thrown ball landed in Ripley's outstretched
left. He moistened his fingers, wet the ball, and let drive
almost instantly. For the third time Mr. Luce fanned out.

Then Fred spoke, in a tone of satisfied self-importance:

"Coach, that's all I'll do this afternoon, if you don't mind."

"Right," nodded Mr. Luce. "You don't want to strain your work
before you've really begun it any other candidates for pitching
want to have a try now?"

As the boys of the squad waited for an answer, a low laugh began
to ripple around the gym. The very idea of any fellow trying
after Ripley had made his wonderful showing was wholly funny!

Coach Luce called out the names of another small squad to scatter
over the gym. and to throw the ball to anyone he named. Except
for the few who were in this forced work, no attention was paid
to the players.

Fred Ripley had walked complacently to one side of the gym. A
noisy, gleeful group formed around him.

"Rip, where did you ever learn that great work?"

"Who taught you?"

"Say, how long have you been hiding that thousand-candle-power
light under a bushel?"

"Rip, it was the greatest work I ever saw a boy do."

"Will you show me---after the nine has been made up, of course?"

"How did you ever get it down so slick?"

This was all meat to the boy who had long been unpopular.

"I always was a pretty fair pitcher, wasn't I?" asked Fred.

"Yes; but never anything like the pitcher you showed us to-day,"
glowed eager Parkinson.

"I've been doing a good deal of practicing and study since the
close of last season," Fred replied importantly. "I've studied
out a lot of new things. I shan't show them all, either, until
the real season begins."

Fred's glance, in roaming around, took in Dick & Co. For once,
these six very popular sophomores had no one else around them.

"Whew! I think I've taken some wind out of the sails of Mr.
Self-satisfied Pre