CHAPTER VIII
RECKLESS DRIVING
In New York, the preparation for the World Series was rapidly takingform. Little else was thought or spoken of. Pictures of the teams andplayers usurped the front pages of the newspapers, crowding all othernews into the background. For the time being the ballplayer was king.
It was generally agreed by the experts that the contest would be close.Neither side could look for a walkover. The fight would be for bloodfrom the very start.
On paper the teams seemed pretty evenly matched. If the Red Sox werea little quicker in fielding, the Giants seemed to have "the edge" ontheir opponents in batting. It was felt that the final decision would bemade in the pitcher's box.
And here the "dope" favored the Red Sox. This was due chiefly to theaccident that had befallen Hughson. Had that splendid veteran beenin his usual shape, it was conceded that New York ought to win andwin handsomely. For Boston could not show a pair to equal Hughson andMatson, although the general excellence of their staff was very high.
But with Hughson out of the Series, it looked as though Joe's shoulderswould have to bear the major part of the pitching burden; and thoughthose shoulders were sturdy, no one man could carry so heavy a load asthat would be.
Thus the problem of New York's success seemed to resolve itself intothis: Would Hughson have so far recovered as to take part in the games?And behind this was still another question: Even if he should take part,would he be up to his usual form after the severe ordeal through whichhe had passed?
So great was the anxiety on this score that almost every new editionof the afternoon papers made a point of publishing the very latestnews of the great pitcher's condition. Most of these were reassuring,for Hughson really was making remarkable progress, and it goes withoutsaying that, regardless of cost, he was receiving the very bestattention from the most skilful specialists that could be secured.
In the meantime the National Commission--the supreme court inbaseball--had met in conclave at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.They really had little to do, except to reaffirm the rules which hadgoverned previous Series and had been found to work well in practice.
The Series was to consist of seven games, to be played alternately onsucceeding days in the two cities. The place where the games were tostart would be decided by the toss of a coin. If rain interfered withany of the games, the game was to be played in the same city on thefirst fair day.
The Series was to finish when either of the teams had won four games.Only in the first four games played were the players to share in themoney paid to see them. This provision was made so that there should beno temptation for the players to "spin out" the Series in order to shareadditional receipts. It was up to each team to win four straight gamesif it could.
Of the money taken in at these first four games, ten per cent. was to goto the National Commission and ten per cent. into the clubs' treasuries.The balance was to be divided between the two teams in the proportion ofsixty per cent. to the winner and forty per cent. to the loser.
The players had no financial interest whatever in any money taken in atother games, which went to the clubs themselves, less the percentage ofthe National Commission.
"Hurrah!" cried Jim Barclay in delight, as he broke into the roomsoccupied by Joe and himself.
"What's the matter?" asked Joe, looking up. "Dropped into a fortune? Gotmoney from home?"
"We've won the toss of the coin!" ejaculated Jim. "New York gets thefirst game."
"Bully!" cried Joe. "That's all to the good. That's the first break inthe game and it's come our way. Let's hope that luck will stay with usall through."
"And just as we supposed, the first game will start on Friday,"continued Jim. "So that we'll have about a week for practice before wehave to buckle to the real work."
"McRae told me this morning that he had almost all the practice teamtogether now, and that we'd start to playing against them on Monday,"said Joe.
"It's up to us to make the most of this little breathing spell, then,"returned Jim. "I think I'll take a little run down to the beachto-morrow. Care to come along?"
"I've got an engagement myself to-morrow," Joe replied. "I'm going foran automobile ride with Reggie Varley and Miss Varley. By the way, Jim,why don't you come along with us? Reggie told me to bring along a friendif I cared to. There's plenty of room, and he has a dandy auto. Flieslike a bird. Come along."
"Where are you going?"
"Out on Long Island somewhere. Probably stop at Long Beach for dinner."
"Sure, I'll come," said Jim readily. "But don't think I'm not on to yourcurves, you old rascal. You want me to engage Reggie in conversation sothat you can have Miss Varley all to yourself."
"Nonsense!" disclaimed Joe, flushing a trifle.
"Well, then," said the astute Jim, "I'll let you have the front seatwith Reggie, while I sit back in the tonneau."
"Not on your life you won't!" said Joe, driven out into the open.
"All right," grinned Jim resignedly. "I'll be the goat. When do westart?"
"Reggie will have the car up in front of the Marlborough at about ten,he said. We'll have a good early start and make a day of it."
"All right," said Jim. "Let's root for good weather."
They could not have hoped for a finer day than that which greeted themon the following morning. The sun shone brightly, but there was justenough fall crispness to make the air fresh and delicious.
Reggie was on time, nor did Mabel avail herself of the privilege of hersex and keep them waiting. The girl looked bewitching in her new fallcostume and the latest thing in auto toggery, and her rosy cheeks andsparkling eyes drew Joe more deeply than ever into the toils. Jim'smischievous glance at them as they settled back in the tonneau while hetook his seat beside Reggie, left no doubt in his own mind how mattersstood between them.
Whatever else Reggie lacked, he was a master hand at the wheel, and hewound his way in and out of the thronging traffic with the eye and handof an expert. They soon reached and crossed the Queensboro Bridge, andthen Reggie put on increased speed and the swift machine darted like aswallow along one of the magnificent roads in which the island abounds.Beautiful Long Island lay before them, dotted with charming homes andrich estates, fertile beyond description, swept by ocean breezes,redolent of the balsam of the pines, "fair as a garden of the Lord."
Jim, like the good fellow and true friend that he was, absorbed Reggie'sattention--that is, as much of it as could be taken from the road thatunrolled like a ribbon beneath the flying car--and Joe and Mabel werealmost as much alone as though they had had the car to themselves. Andit was very evident that neither was bored with the other's society.Joe's hand may have brushed against Mabel's occasionally, but that wasdoubtless due to the swaying of the car. At any rate, Mabel did not seemto mind.
At the rate at which they were going, it was only a little while beforethey heard the sound of the breakers, and the great hotel at Long Beachloomed up before them.
Reggie put up his car and they spent a glorious hour on the beach,watching the white-capped waves as they rushed in like race horses withcrested manes and thundered on the sands. Then they had a choice andcarefully selected dinner served in full view of the sea.
"Some hotel, this," remarked Reggie as he gazed about him. "Make a dentin a man's pocketbook to live here right along."
"Yes," agreed Jim. "They give you the best there is, but you have to paythe price. Reminds me of a story that used to be told of a famous hotelin Washington. The proprietor was known among statesmen all over thecountry for the way he served beefsteak smothered in onions. One man whohad tried the dish advised his friend to do the same the next time hewent to Washington."
"But onions!" exclaimed his friend with a shudder. "Think of one'sbreath."
"Oh, that's all right," replied the other. "When you get the bill itwill take your breath away."
Reggie laughed, and, as the afternoon was getting on, ordered the car tobe brought around. They had thoug
ht to go out along the south shore asfar as Patchogue, before turning about for home.
They were bowling along on the Merrick Road in the vicinity of BayShore, when an automobile behind them came rushing past at a recklessrate of speed. It almost grazed Reggie's car, and the quick turn he wasobliged to make came within an ace of sending the car into a ditch.
"My word!" cried the indignant Reggie. "Those bally beggars ought to bepinched. A little more and they'd have smashed us."
"Half drunk, most likely," commented Jim. "They'll kill somebody yet ifthey keep that up. By Jove, I believe they've done it now!"
From up the road came a chorus of yells and shouts. They saw the flyingautomobile hesitate for a moment and then plunge on, leaving a limp andmotionless form sprawled out in the road behind it.