CHAPTER XIII
JOE IS PESSIMISTIC
"Have you seen the editorial in the Purple?" asked King.
Joe Perkins, who had pushed his book away as the other entered hisstudy, swung around in his chair and shook his head.
"About the mass-meeting?" he asked. "No, I haven't seen the paper yet.What does it say?"
Gregory King leaned over the table until the inky-smelling sheets ofthe college weekly were under the green glass shade of the student-lamp.
"Listen, then, benighted one! 'It is to be hoped that every student whocan possibly do so will attend the mass-meeting to be held on Wednesdayevening next in Grace Hall for the purpose of raising money for theexpenses of the University baseball team. A victory over Robinson thisspring decisive enough to obliterate----'"
"Hear! hear!" cried Joe.
"Yes, elegant word, isn't it?" grinned the other. "'To obliterate thestigma of last year's defeat is what every friend of the college hopesfor and expects. But unless enough money is placed at the disposalof the management, to meet the expenses of the team, such a victorycan not be secured. The nine has never been self-supporting and everyspring it has started in with a deficit of from fifty to a hundred andfifty dollars, which has been paid by the Athletic Committee from thegeneral fund. Heretofore the Committee has, besides making good thedeficit, paid over to the baseball management sufficient money to carrythe team through the first half of the season. This spring, however,the Committee is unable to do this. The football receipts last fallwere scarcely more than half as large as usual, while the expenses weremuch greater. As a result, the sum at the disposal of the baseballteam, the track team, and the crew is extremely small, and the formerhas received as its share the sum of one hundred and fifty dollarsonly--a sum not nearly sufficient to carry it through the first half ofthe season.
"'It becomes necessary, therefore, to secure funds from some othersource. Subscriptions have been invited from the alumni, but the resultof this step is uncertain. A popular subscription is necessary and willbe asked at the meeting on Wednesday. The amount required to insurethe success of the nine is not large, and it is the duty of the studentbody to see that it is raised before the meeting is adjourned. ManagerPatterson will make a statement of the association's condition, andthere will be addresses by Dean Levatt, Professor Nast, Coach Hanson,Captain Perkins, A. Z. Tidball, '04, and others. It is to be hoped thatthe meeting will be attended by every member of the university.'"
"Not bad," commented Joe. "But whether Patterson has made a mistake bystating frankly that the meeting is called to secure money remains tobe seen."
"What else could he say? The fellows aren't going to be gulled intothinking that they're invited to a mass-meeting to play ping-pong!"
"I know, but there are lots of fellows who won't come if they knowthey're to be asked to dive into their pockets."
"Then let them stay away," answered King forcibly. "Any chap that isn'twilling to give a dollar or two to beat Robinson isn't worth botheringwith!"
"I dare say; but we've got to have a lot of money, and if every fellowof that sort stays away--" He shook his head doubtfully.
"Oh, get out! You're pessimistic this evening. Cheer up; the tide'scoming in! We'll get all the money we need, and lots more besides.You'll see."
"Hope so. Fact is, Greg, I'm a bit down in the mouth over the showingwe made Saturday. If we don't do better Wednesday I sha'n't blame thefellows if they refuse to pony up for us. A nine that plays ball like alot of girls doesn't deserve support."
"Well, we were pretty rotten Saturday, Joe, and that's the truth. Butwe'll stand by you better next time. We'll give a good exhibition ofunion-made, hand-sewn baseball on Wednesday that'll tickle the collegeto death. By the way, there's a long fairy tale from Collegetown herein the Purple about Robinson's team. To read it you'd think theyexpected to walk all over us and everybody else. They're talking aboutbeating Artmouth next week! How's that for immortal cheek?"
"Oh, they've got a good nine, Greg, and they know it. And you and Iknow it. We might as well face it, too."
"Well, what if they have? Great Scott, man, haven't they had good nineslots of times before and been beaten out of their boots? What do wecare for their old Voses and Condits and 'Hard-hitting Hopkinses'?Maybe we've got a good battery ourselves, and a man or two who can slugthe ball!"
"Maybe we have," answered Joe dryly, "but you couldn't just name them,could you?"
"Certainly I can name them! You're just as good a catcher as thatCondit wonder of theirs. And Gilberth can pitch all around Vose, whenhe wants to. And----"
"Yes, when he wants to," said Joe significantly.
"Well, he will want to when it comes to Robinson," said King.
"Perhaps. And how about the hard sluggers?"
"Oh, well, there's Motter, and Billings, and----"
"Yourself; you're a better batsman than either of them, Greg. Butthere's no use in running down Hopkins; he's a wonder at the bat; andwe've got to get busy and turn out a few fellows like him. Saturdaythere wasn't more than three decent hits made in the whole idioticgame."
"My cheerless friend, please forget Saturday," begged King. "It wasn'tnice, I know, but it showed up the weak spots, and that's something tobe thankful for."
"Not when there's nothing but spots," lamented Joe.
"Besides, we kept them from scoring; and for a while it looked asthough we couldn't."
"And even that was just a piece of good luck."
"Good luck? Why, it didn't seem so to me. I never saw a fielder lookmore certain of making a catch than Weatherby did. And the way hepulled down that ball was mighty pretty, too."
"I don't mean that it was luck for him; I mean that it was just by luckthat I put him in your place when you went into the box; I almost sentLowe out there. If I had it's dollars to cents he wouldn't have judgedthat ball so as to have caught it."
"Well, all's well that ends well, old chap. Cheer up! By the way, I wasmighty glad Weatherby made that catch and kept our slate clean; for hissake, I mean. I've noticed that yesterday and to-day the fellows at thetable have been very decent to him. I guess he rather made a hit withthem Saturday."
"I'm glad of that," Joe responded heartily. "To tell the truth, Greg,Weatherby's been bothering me a good deal; Hanson and I picked himout for a good man, and I think he is, but all this badgering by thefellows has made him pretty near worthless. I hope to goodness it'sdone with now."
"It's been Tracy more than any one else," said King. "He's ratheroverdone it, I think."
"I should say so! The trouble with Tracy is that he gets it into histhick head that he's a sort of public conscience, and you can't get itout. I don't think he really intends to be mean; I've known him to doseveral mighty decent things--kind-hearted, you know."
"Seems as though his sense of proportion was out of gear; and you can'tfaze him, either."
"Well, I don't know; sometimes I manage to jar him a bit. I got at himlast week and asked him to go easy on Weatherby, and so far he's doneit. I put it to him on the score of justice and that sort of thing,you know. I've noticed, by the way, that you've been kind of takingWeatherby's part lately. Do you like him?"
"I don't know whether I do or don't," answered King slowly. "I thinkmaybe I could like him very well if he'd give me a chance, but thetrouble is he won't let you get near him. He's the most independent,stand-offish sort of chap ever."
"I know. It's rather against him, that kind of thing. But I fancy,Greg, that that manner of his is sort of defensive; I don't believehe's really so independent as he is--well, shy. He thinks fellows don'tcare to know him and so puts on that let-me-alone air just to hide thefact that he's downhearted."
"Do you? Well, maybe you're right. It never occurred to me."
"Yes; and something Professor White said the other day bears me out.He came up to see me about Weatherby. It seems he's taken rather ashine to him, and had him home with him overnight last week. He saysthat Weatherby's frightfully cut up over
the way the fellows have beentreating him; thinks no one wants to have anything to do with him onaccount of that affair down at the river, you know, and is just aboutready to throw up the sponge and light out. In fact--" Joe stopped,remembering that Anthony had requested him not to talk of Jack'sflight. "Anyhow, it seems rather a shame, don't you think? The chap'sa nice-looking, gentlemanly sort, and apparently has lots of pluck, inspite of what happened at the wharf that day."
"That's what I think. I believe the truth of that business is thatWeatherby doesn't know how to swim, Joe."
"Really? Did he ever say so?"
"Oh, thunder, no! He never's talked about it to me; I'd be scared todeath to ask him. But that seems a reasonable sort of explanation,doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does. And it's funny that it never occurred to me. Somehow,you take it for granted here that every fellow knows how to swim; we'resuch a lot of water-rats, you know. I believe you've hit it, Greg. Butif that's the case, why didn't he out and say so?"
"Well, I don't know. Maybe we didn't give him a chance at first, andthen, when he did have a show, maybe he got spunky and wouldn't. It'sthe sort of thing I could understand his doing."
"Yes, it is. Well, anyhow, he's cut up more rumpus and made more worrythan any freshie I ever knew. And I hope to goodness it's over. I wanthim to play ball. Going? Don't forget to drum up the meeting. Bring acrowd with you and start the enthusiasm early in the game. And, by theway, if you ever have a chance, you might just try and find out aboutWeatherby; whether he can swim, you know. So long, Greg."
Jack would have been distinctly surprised had he known that he was thesubject of so much discussion. He was beginning to congratulate himselfthat the men with whom he associated seemed to have forgotten theunpleasant incident, and were, in a manner, making his acquaintance allover again. There was no denying the fact that since his performanceof Saturday on the diamond the fellows at the training-table had shownthemselves very friendly toward him. Of old he had usually eaten hismeals in silence, save for an occasional word with Joe or King orthe trainer. Nowadays the fellows greeted him as one of themselves,included him in their conversation, and even asked his opinionsometimes. And unconsciously he was bidding for their friendship. Heno longer answered all inquiries with monosyllables, but forgot hisrole of injured innocence and entered into the talk with sprightlinessand interest. Once he had even made a joke. It was a good joke, but itseffect was embarrassing. Every one was so surprised that for a fullquarter of a minute not a sound greeted it. Then the table broke intolaughter. But by that time Jack was all self-consciousness once more,and for the rest of the meal ate in silence.
But his shyness wore off again, and by the middle of the week hiscompanions had adopted a way of listening when he spoke as though whathe had to say was worth hearing. The effect of this was like a tonic toJack's vanity. He began to recover his naturally good spirits and thechange in him was noticeable. Anthony saw and was delighted.
The friendship between him and the younger boy had worked back into itsold lines. Sometimes, more and more infrequently as time passed, Jackthought he could detect a difference in Anthony's attitude toward him;fancied that the other was reserved in manner. But the difference, ifdifference there was, was slight and did not seriously impair Jack'senjoyment of Anthony's friendship.
Anthony himself in those days was not aware that he showed at timesany of the doubts that assailed him. He did not mean to. He had arguedwith himself over the matter of the lost watch and had at lengthpractically convinced himself that, despite all evidences against hisfriend, Jack was not guilty of theft. It is probable that even hadAnthony detected Jack in the act of stealing he would still have keptmuch of his liking for the boy, even while detesting his offense.Anthony was big enough morally to view wrong-doing with pity as wellas disfavor, and his affection for Jack--a big-hearted, generousaffection--would have weighed in the boy's favor.
But Anthony had made up his mind to believe in the other's innocence,and believe he did. Sometimes the doubts would creep back despite him,and it was at such times that Jack believed he detected a differencein Anthony's manner toward him. Meanwhile, Anthony had purchased awonderful alarm-clock for the sum of eighty-five cents; wonderful forthe reason that it gained an hour each day as long as it stood on itsfeet, and lost twenty minutes each day if laid comfortably on its back.Anthony corrected it every evening by Jack's watch, and persevered inhis efforts to lead it back into a life of veracity and usefulness.
"There's some position," he declared, "in which that thing will keepexact time. 'Tisn't on its feet, and 'tisn't on its back; it'ssomewhere between. Patience and study will find the solution."
So he propped it at various angles with his books, and even laid iton its head, but whether the numerals XII pointed toward the floor,the ceiling, or the dormer-window the result was always surprisingand never satisfactory. And finally, after he had once awakened andprepared his breakfast before discovering that the alarm had gone offat five instead of half-past six, he gave up the struggle, settled thetimepiece firmly on its little legs, and accustomed himself to beingalways one hour ahead of the rest of the world.
Weatherby's Inning: A Story of College Life and Baseball Page 13