CHAPTER VI
A WARNING
Joe Matson's brain was in a whirl as he left the boarding house whereShalleg had made his strange threat. The young pitcher had never beforegone through such an experience, and it had rather unnerved him.
"I wonder what I'd better do?" he mused, as he walked along the street,where many men were busy clearing away the snow. "I don't like to reportwhat he said to me to any of the baseball authorities, for it would lookas though I was afraid of him. And I'm not!" declared Joe, sturdily."Shalleg wasn't himself, or he wouldn't have said such things. He didn'tknow quite what he was doing, I guess."
But, the more Joe thought of it, as he trudged along, the more worriedhe became.
"He has a very bad temper, and he might do me some injury," mused Joe."But, after all, what _can_ he do? If he stays on the Clevefield team,and I go to St. Louis, we'll be far enough apart. I guess I won't doanything about it now."
But the youth could not altogether conceal the emotions that had swayedhim during the strange interview. When, a little later, he called at thehotel to see if Reggie and his sister had comfortable rooms, his facemust have showed something unusual, for Mabel asked:
"Why, Joe, what is the matter?"
"Matter? Nothing," he replied, with a laugh, but it was rather forced.
"You look as though--something had happened," the girl went on. "Perhapsyou haven't recovered from your efforts to rescue us from the stalledtrain last night."
"Oh, yes, I'm all over that," declared Joe, more at his ease now.
"It was awfully good of you," proceeded Mabel. "Just think; suppose wehad had to stay in that train until now?"
"Oh, they've been relieved by this time," spoke Joe.
"Yes, but they had to stay there all night. I can't thank you enough forcoming after us. Are you sure there is nothing the matter?" sheinsisted. "You haven't had bad news, about not making the St. Louisteam; have you?"
"No, indeed. I haven't had any news at all since that one letter fromMr. Gregory. And no news is good news, they say."
"Not always," and she smiled.
"Are you comfortable here?" asked Joe, as he sat in the parlor betweenthe bedrooms of brother and sister.
"Oh, yes. And Reggie likes it very much. He has a lot of business toattend to. Father is putting more and more on his shoulders each year.He wants him finally to take it up altogether. Reggie doesn't care somuch for it, but it's good for him," and she smiled frankly at Joe.
"Yes, work is good," he admitted, "even if it is only playing baseball."
"And that sometimes seems to me like hard work," responded Mabel.
"It is," Joe admitted. "How long do you stay in Riverside?"
"Three or four days yet. Why?"
"Because there'll be good sleighing, and I thought perhaps you'd like togo out for a ride."
"I shall be delighted!"
"Then I'll arrange for it. Won't you come over to the house thisevening?"
"I have an engagement," she laughed.
Joe looked disappointed. Mabel smiled.
"It's with your sister," she said. "I promised to come over and learn anew lace pattern."
"I'm just crazy about fancy work myself!" and Joe laughed in turn. "It'sas bad as the new dances. I guess I'll stay home, too."
"Do," Mabel invited. And when Joe took his leave some of the worrycaused by Shalleg's threat had passed away.
"I guess I'll say nothing about it," mused our hero. "It would do nogood, and if father and mother heard about it they might worry. I'lljust fight it out all alone. I guess Shalleg was only a 'bluff,' anyhow.He may be in desperate straits, but he had no right to make threats likethat."
Riverside was storm-bound for several days, and when she was finally dugout, and conditions were normal, there was still plenty of snow left forsleighing. Joe planned to take Mabel for a ride, and Reggie, hearing ofit, asked Clara to be his guest.
Two or three days passed, and Joe neither saw nor heard any more ofShalleg, except to learn, by judicious inquiry, that the surly andthreatening fellow had left the boarding house to which Joe had takenhim.
"I guess he's gone off to try his game on some other players in theLeague," thought the young pitcher. "I hope he doesn't succeed, though.If he got money I'm afraid he'd make a bad use of it."
There came another letter from Mr. Gregory, in which he told Joe that,while the matter was still far from being settled, the chances were thatthe young pitcher would be drafted to St. Louis.
"I will let you know, in plenty of time, whether you are to train withus, or with the big league," the manager of the Pittston team wrote. "Soyou will have to hold yourself in readiness to do one or the other."
"They don't give you much choice; do they?" spoke Reggie, when Joe toldhim this news. "You've got to do just as they tell you; haven't you?"
"In a measure, yes," assented Joe. "Baseball is big business. Why, Iread an article the other day that stated how over fifty million personspay fifteen million dollars every year just to see the games, and thevalue of the different clubs, grounds and so on mounts up to manymillions more."
"It sure is big business," agreed Reggie. "I might go into it myself."
"Well, more than one fortune has been made at it," observed Joe.
"But I don't like the idea of the club owners and managers doing as theyplease with the players. It seems to take away your freedom," argued theother lad.
"Well, in a sense I suppose it does," admitted Joe. "And yet theinterests of the players are always being looked after. We don't have tobe baseball players unless we want to; but, once we sign a contract, wehave to abide by it.
"Then, too, the present organization has brought to the players biggersalaries than they ever got before. Of course we chaps in the minorleagues aren't bid for, as are those in the big leagues. But we alwayshope to be."
"It seems funny, for one manager to buy a player from another manager,"went on Reggie.
"I suppose so, but I've grown sort of used to it," Joe replied. "Ofcourse the players themselves don't benefit by the big sum one managermay give another for the services of a star fielder or pitcher, but itall helps our reputations."
"Is the St. Louis team considered pretty good?" Reggie wanted to know.
"Well, it could be better," confessed Joe, slowly. "They reached oneplace from the top of the second division last season, but if I playwith them I'll try to pull them to the top of the second half, anyhow,"he added, with a laugh. "The Cardinals never have been considered sovery good, but the club is a money-maker, and we can't all be pennantwinners," he admitted, frankly.
"No, I suppose not," agreed Reggie. "Well, I wish you luck, whatever youdo this Summer. If I ever get out to St. Louis I'll stop off and see youplay."
"Do," urged Joe. He hoped Mabel would come also.
When Joe reached home that afternoon his mother met him in the livingroom, and said quickly:
"Someone is waiting for you in the parlor, Joe."
"Gracious! I hope it isn't Shalleg!" thought the young pitcher. "If hehas come here to make trouble----" And his heart sank.
But as he entered the room a glad smile came over his face.
"Hello, Charlie Hall!" he cried, at the sight of the shortstop of thePittston team, with whom Joe had been quite chummy during the leagueseason. "What good wind blows you here?"
"Oh, you know I'm a traveling salesman during the Winter, and I happenedto make this town to-day. Just thought I'd step up and see how youwere."
"Glad you did! It's a real pleasure to see you. Going back at the gamein the Spring, I expect; aren't you?"
"Sure. I wouldn't miss it for anything. But what's this I hear aboutyou?"
"I don't know. Nothing to my discredit, I hope," and Joe smiled.
"Far from it, old man. But there's a rumor among some of the old boysthat you're to be drafted to the Cardinals. How about it?"
"Well, Gregory told me as much, but it isn't all settled yet. Say,Charlie, now you're here,
I want to ask you something."
"Fire ahead."
"Do you know a fellow named Shalleg?"
Charlie Hall started.
"It's queer you should ask me that," he responded, slowly.
"Why?" Joe wanted to know.
"Because that's one of the reasons I stopped up to talk to you. I wantto warn you against Shalleg."
"Warn me! What do you mean?" and Joe thought of the threats the man hadmade.
"Why, you know he's out of the Clevefield team; don't you?"
"No, I didn't know it," replied Joe. "But go on. I'll tell you somethingpretty soon."
"Yes, he's been given his unconditional release," went on Charlie. "Hegot to gambling, and doing other things no good ball player can expectto do, and keep in the game, and he was let go. And I heard somethingthat made me come here to warn you, Joe. There may be nothing in it, butShalleg----"
There came a knock at the door of the parlor, and Joe held up a warninghand.
"Wait a minute," he whispered.