had a glorious swim, and at
noon time surprised the Turnpike household by arriving for luncheon,
having during his business career eaten that meal--packed by his
mother's hands--in the office. Quite frankly, and with the mimicry
which was the pride of his father and a constant source of astonishment
to his mother, he related the whole story. His mother grieved despite
her laughter: his father laughed and sorrowed not. "It'll come out
right in the end," he said philosophically, "and if it don't, you'll
soon get another job."

"Sure," said William; "don't you worry, Ma," he added. After the meal
he departed, his head full of a plan that had been nebulous only after
his first reading of the letter, but which now seemed to promise much.
The more he thought it over, the better he liked it, and despite the
heat, he walked quickly to the "Emporium" of one Walter Wadsworth.
Walter was the owner, manager, and entire staff of the "Emporium,"
which consisted of a rickety two-storied structure with a shooting
gallery on one side, and a peanut, candy, tobacco, and fruit department
on the other side. Walter, whose friendship with William was as old
almost as the boy himself, owned the building and the land, as well as
a more valuable property near by. But his greater claim to importance,
in the opinion of most of the boyhood of Toronto, lay in the fact that
for years he had held the refreshment privileges in the baseball park.

After a few preliminaries, William said, "The team's due next week,
ain't they?"

"According to schedule," answered Walter, a thick-set, pleasant-faced,
middle-aged man, who wasted few words, and who, in his day, had been a
star of the diamond.

"How's the chances for a job?"

"I thought you were in the law business, young fellow?"

"Well--I was kinder makin' a dab at it."

"Chucked it already?"

"No," said William, "it kinder chucked me.

"Umph! Watcher want?"

"Well, what's the matter with me having a basket and selling stuff
around the stands?"

"You're on, William: you're on. I've had an awful bunch of dubs on the
job so far this season, and I'd be glad to let you have a try."

"All right: and what do I get for it?" asked William in a business-like
tone.

"Well, of course, you see the game for nothing."

"Yes--" said William, slowly, "or some of it, between sales."

"Well, I never knew any one of the boys yet but could give all the
details of the game, whether his sales were go