CHAPTER XVII
HAROLD MAKES A PROMISE
The Clearfield _Reporter_ was quite enthusiastic over the game in itsMonday's issue. There had been, it declared, for some time a demand fora baseball team to represent the city, a demand which had now beensatisfied in the recent formation of the club which had given such agood account of itself on Saturday. It was to be hoped that theorganization would prosper and receive the support of the many lovers ofclean sport residing in the town. The _Reporter_ gave the game almostplay by play, indulging in a wealth of baseball slang and metaphorworthy of a metropolitan journal. It was quite evident that the writerhad thoroughly enjoyed his task. He dealt out praise lavishly and wasespecially complimentary to the Rutter's Point pitcher, who, it seemed,had struck out ten batsmen besides fielding his position perfectly.Incidentally the _Reporter_ provided the information that the Clearfieldplayers had failed to obtain.
"Melville Mason," said the paper, "gives every promise of becoming atop-notch twirler, and there is no doubt a berth awaiting him in one ofthe big league teams if he wants it. He has been playing ball for sixyears, and last season was second-choice pitcher on the Erskine Collegeteam. He is nineteen years of age. The Rutter's Point team is to becongratulated on securing the services of so accomplished a player. Weare assured by Captain Billings that Mr. Mason receives no salary."("Bet you he's having his expenses paid, though," commented Gordon, whenhe and Dick read the _Reporter_ that morning.) "We trust," concluded the_Reporter_, "that a third and determining game will be arranged betweenSaturday's adversaries and that it will be played on the local grounds,where, doubtless, a large audience will be on hand to enjoy it."
"That isn't a bad idea," said Lanny. "We took in forty-three dollarsSaturday. I dare say we could do even better the next time. And I don'tbelieve but what the Pointers would be willing to play here if they gottheir twenty-five per cent. again."
"We might offer them a third of the receipts," suggested Gordon.
Dick looked puzzled. "You fellows are frightfully keen on the financialend of it, seems to me," he said. "What's the idea, Lanny? What are wegoing to do with the money we get, anyway? We can't buy balls with allof it."
"Well, there's no harm in having it," replied Lanny evasively. "Younever know when you'll need money."
"I know when I need it," said Dick grimly. "That's most of the time."
"It wouldn't be a bad scheme to sound Billings," said Gordon. "You mighttell him we'd like to play a deciding game, and that--er--that asClearfield is interested in the series it would perhaps be best to playhere. If Billings kicked, you could offer him a third. I dare say we'dget a couple of hundred people easily for the next game, and that wouldgive the Point something like seventeen dollars."
"I don't believe they're as much on the make as you Shylocks," objectedDick. "Still, I'll talk it over with him some day. Perhaps, though, itwould be better to wait and see if they won't propose the gamethemselves. Then we'd be in a better position to make conditions."
"Isn't he the nifty old diplomat?" asked Lanny admiringly.
"A regular fox," agreed Gordon. "Work it your own way, Dick."
"We can't play them for about three weeks, anyway," said Dick. "We'refilled up with games until the third of September. I got a letter fromTyson over in Springdale this morning. He says they'll play us there aweek from next Saturday if we'll come over. What do you say?"
"I say yes, by all means," replied Gordon, with enthusiasm. "And I guesswe're all eager to have another try at those chaps after what they didto us in June."
"Well, it won't be quite the same team, Tyson says, and they're callingthemselves the Independents."
"We'll call them down," laughed Lanny. "We play Logan the day afterto-morrow, don't we?"
"Yes, and that reminds me that I must see to getting notices printed andsent around. I wish you'd do that, Gordon. I've got to go out to thePoint in half an hour. I'll write out the copy and all you'll have to dois to take it down to the printers. They'll strike them right off anddistribute them for us this afternoon."
"All right. I'll go there first thing. I'm going to see Morris for a fewminutes this morning. Any little message I can take from you, Dick?"
"Message? No, not that I know of. Tell him I hope he will hurry up andget well again."
"Of course, but--ah!--is there any other member of the family----"
"Oh, you run away!" laughed Dick.
If Dick expected to find a chastened and much reformed pupil at thePoint that Monday morning, he was doomed to disappointment. He gatheredfrom a remark that the boy let fall that Mrs. Townsend had kept herpromise to speak to him, but Dick doubted if she had accomplished much.And yet there was improvement visible. Harold had actually mastered twoof the four lessons and Dick gathered some encouragement.
"I guess we won't go on with this," he said toward the end of theperiod. "You haven't studied it, Harold. We'll take it over to-morrow.How did you like the game Saturday?"
"Oh, pretty well! You fellows going to play us again?"
"Maybe, some day. We play Logan Wednesday. Do you care to come over andsee it? We might have another lesson in scoring."
"I guess so. We're going to play a team from Bay Harbor on Saturday.Say, Loring says if I'll learn to score, I can be official scorer forthe team. I guess I'll do it."
"Fine! Then you come over Wednesday, and we'll try it again. You didvery well the other day."
"Did I really? Gee, but there's a lot to put down, isn't there? Caspar'sgot six games arranged for the team. Loring says if I'm scorer they'lltake me with them when they go away to play."
That was really no news to Dick, since it was at his suggestion thatLoring had made the offer. But he pretended to be surprised andinterested, and said all he could to encourage Harold to learn to score.And Harold became so enthusiastic that he walked over to the trolley carwith Dick, talking volubly all the way.
"I wish you'd make a real try at those lessons to-day, Harold," Dicksaid, at parting. "Won't you?"
Harold grinned noncommittingly.
But the next morning he went through with flying colors, and when Dickcomplimented him he laughed. "Gee, I can get that stuff all right if Iwant to," he said carelessly. "It's easy."
"Why don't you, then?"
"Aw, what's the use? I'd rather play around, anyway."
"Don't you want to go to Rifle Point, Harold?"
"I guess so. I don't care much. If I do, Loring will be always bossingme about. I'd rather go somewhere else, I guess."
"Loring's being there will make things easier for you," said Dick. "Ifancy he's pretty well liked and the fellows will be nice to you on hisaccount. But I'll tell you one thing plainly, Harold: You won't get toRifle Point this Fall."
Harold opened his eyes widely. "I won't?" he exclaimed.
"Certainly not. And you won't get there next Fall unless you buckle downand learn something."
"Loring said I could!"
"Loring probably thought you were more advanced than you are, then,"replied Dick. "I'm sorry, Harold; but facts are facts."
"Then what'll I do this Winter?" asked the boy lugubriously.
"How about another year where you were?"
"I won't! I hate that place! I won't go back there, no matter whatanyone says!"
"Then you might have a tutor."
That suggestion didn't seem to make much of a hit. Harold scowled for aminute in silence. Then: "Don't you think I could get in this Fall,Lovering, if--if I studied hard?"
Dick hesitated.
"I'm entered, you know," pleaded Harold. "I should think I might,Lovering."
"Yes, you might," returned Dick grimly, "but it would mean studying agood deal differently than the way you've been studying, Harold. Itwould mean getting your nose right down into the books, putting yourwhole soul into it, and giving up a lot of playtime. Think you could dothat?"
It was Harold's turn to hesitate. Finally, though, he nodded.
"Well, do you think you _wou
ld_ do it?" asked Dick.
"Sure, if--if you'll help me!"
"I'll help you, all right, Harold. But there must be no changing yourmind about it later. If we start this thing, we're going to keep it up.If you'll work honestly and do the very best you know how, I'll get youso you can pass the exams this Fall. What do you say? Is it a bargain?"
"You bet!" said Harold.
"All right. Hand me those books, please." Dick turned the pages and madenew marks on the margins of them. "There; we'll start off with eightpages instead of four, Harold. We've got to pretty nearly break allexisting records, I guess."
Harold whistled softly. "Gee!" he murmured. "Eight pages of that stuff!"Dick looked across inquiringly. Harold squared his shoulders with thesuggestion of a swagger. "Oh, I'll do it, all right!" he said. "You justwatch me!"
Wednesday's game with Logan attracted a smaller audience to the athleticfield than had the Saturday contest but Tim Turner emptied his pocketsof twenty-two dollars and fifty cents afterward, and as Logan receivedonly her expenses there was nearly twenty dollars left. The game wasone-sided, Clearfield winning by a score of 17 to 4. The Loganpitchers--she used two of them--were easy for the home-team batsmen,while Tom Haley was hit safely but thrice. Two of Logan's runs resultedfrom errors, Jack Tappen, who had been reinstated, being one offender,and Gordon the other. Jack dropped an easy fly, and Gordon made anatrocious throw to second.
On Thursday Gordon was called to the telephone after breakfast. It wasLouise Brent at the other end of the line, and Louise informed him thatMorris wanted Gordon to come over there if he could. "It's somethingabout the automobile," explained Louise. "There's a man here to look atit, Gordon."
Gordon promised to go right over, and did so. What passed in the sickchamber is not to be set down here, but later Gordon went out to thestable and stood around while a man with grimy hands and a smudge on theend of his nose inspected the blue runabout pessimistically and gruntedat intervals. Finally:
"About fifty dollars will do it," he said, in a sad tone of voice."There'll have to be new spokes set in that wheel, and them fenders'llhave to be straightened out again, and it'll need a new lamp and theradiator's sprung and likely leaks and----"
"Fifty dollars will fix it as good as new?" asked Gordon.
"I don't know how good it was when it was new," responded the mandolefully. "But fifty dollars'll fix it up in good shape, likely."
"All right. I'll tell him, and he will let you know. Could you start onit right away?"
"Likely I could. I'd have to haul it down to my place, though."
"How long would it take?"
"Two or three weeks, likely."
"All right. Much obliged. We'll let you know for certain to-morrow.Fifty dollars is the cheapest you could do it for?"
"Well"--the man scratched his head reflectively--"maybe I could do itfor forty-five, if I didn't find anything else the matter with it.Likely there ain't."
They called him "Mr. Likely" during the following three weeks, for whichperiod of time the runabout was in his care. Mr. Likely was a bornpessimist, and about every two days he called up the Brents' house toinform whoever answered the telephone that "that wheel's a lot worse'n Ithought it was, and'll likely have to have a new rim," or "I got to sendout West for a new lamp, and it'll likely take two weeks or more." But,to anticipate, Mr. Likely made a good job of it, and in the course oftime the blue runabout was returned to the Brents' stable, shining andpolished like a brand-new car. By that time the family had moved out tothe cottage at the Point, and it was Gordon who saw the automobile runinto the carriage-room under its own power and who locked the doorafterward and pocketed the key.
Morris' leg had knitted so well by the time Clearfield played Springdalethat he was allowed to make the trip to the neighboring town in acarriage and witnessed the contest from a position far more comfortablethan the sun-smitten boards of the grandstand. That was a pretty goodgame to watch, too. There was plenty of hitting on both sides, enougherrors to add interest, and several rattling good plays. The game was indoubt until the last inning, when Clearfield, with a one-run margin,trotted into the field to do her best to hold the home team scoreless.Tom Haley had been touched up for eight or nine hits--Dick and Haroldmade it eight, but the Springdale scorer insisted on nine--and, as luckwould have it, the head of the local batting list was up when the lastof the ninth began. But Tom and Lanny worked together finely, and,although one runner got as far as second, the game ended with aspectacular catch by Fudge in deep center, and Clearfield went home withthe ball. The final score was 7 to 6, and Clearfield derived a lot ofsatisfaction from that victory.
The Saturday before she had played Locust Valley, and had been prettybadly defeated, and the following Wednesday she had barely pulled out ofthe game against Corwin with a victory. Corwin had journeyed toClearfield for the contest and the club treasury had had anothertwenty-odd dollars added to it. What puzzled Manager Dick Lovering thosedays was the interest displayed by the whole team in the condition ofthe exchequer. It seemed to Dick that every fellow was showing astrangely commercial spirit.