Gordon contented himself with putting his head inside the screen door and announcing in a loud voice: Mother, Im going downtown. Is there anything you want? Mrs. Merricks voice floated down from upstairs in reply: No, dear; but please try to be on time for dinner. You know your father dislikes
But Gordon didnt hear the rest of it. He didnt need to. He knew what his father disliked. His father disliked having him late for his meals, disliked his going out in the evenings, disliked oh, so many things! Gordon sighed as he mounted his wheel. Life was really extremely difficult at times!
He was a well-built, athletic youth of fifteen years, with a pleasant, clean-cut face, dark brown eyes and hair and a well-tanned skin. He looked very much alive and rather enthusiastic, just the sort of a boy, in short, to undertake and carry through successfully such an enterprise as the formation of the Clearfield Baseball Club.
Fudge was waiting for him around the corner, and they set off together in search of Tom Haley. Tom lived in what folks called the East End, which was that section of the town near the railroad largely inhabited by workers in the mills and factories. Toms father was a foreman in the sewing-machine works, and the family occupied a tiny story-and-a-half cottage so close to the railroad tracks that it shook whenever the trains passed. Fortunately they found Tom at home, very busily engaged repairing the front steps, surrounded by carpenters tools and three junior members of the Haley family. He rescued the chisel from Tille, aged four, deprived the baby of a handful of nails, told George, aged six, to stop sawing the chair leg, and greeted his visitors.
Tom was sixteen, big, broad-shouldered and raw-boned, with an angular face and high cheek-bones liberally speckled with freckles. At present he was minus coat and vest and wore a pair of blue overalls. You kids get in the house now, he instructed the suddenly silent trio of youngsters, and tell your mother to keep you in there, too. Youve bothered me enough. Shoo, the whole lot of you!
They went, with many backward glances, and Tom cleared a space on the edge of the unrailed porch for Gordon and Fudge. Say, its some warm, isnt it? What you fellows up to to-day? Going to the pond?
No, were calling on you, replied Fudge.
Much obliged. Whats the game?
Baseball, said Gordon. Were getting up a team to play the Rutters Point fellows and we want you to join, Tom.
I dont mind, if there isnt much practice. Theres a lot to be done around the house here this summer. Were going to shingle next week, and after that well paint. Whos on the team?
Gordon explained all about it, read Bert Cables letter and Caspar Billings and told Tom the line-up of the nine as he had planned it.
Sounds all right, said Tom. When are you going to start?
Right away. If youll pitch for us well be all right. Ill answer Billings letter and tell him well meet him a week from Wednesday. Thatll give us a whole week for practicing.
All right, Im with you, only dont expect me to practice much, Gordon. Im pretty busy. Ill come out a couple of times, though; say let me see say Friday and Monday. Going to use the school field?
Yes. I dont suppose anyone will object?
Dont see why they should. Youd better see Mr. Grayson, though.
I will. No, that will be up to Dick. Hes going to be manager.
Dick Lovering? asked Tom, in surprise. Well, I dont see why not. He can get around all right. Have you asked him?
Yes, and he said he would. The only thing is, Tom, well have to pay his expenses if we go away from home very far. I told him we would. It wouldnt be much if we shared it. You see, Dick doesnt have much money. I guess theyre pretty hard-up. His father only left them that house theyre in and a little insurance money, and of course Dick cant do much to earn any.
He told me the other day, said Fudge, that he was trying to get work tutoring this summer over at the Point. He could do that finely if he could find anyone to toot. Hope he does. Dicks a peach.
Then well have first practice Wednesday, the rest of us, and well look for you Friday, Tom. Ive got to catch Harry before he goes home. Maybe his father wont let him off. If he wont well be in a bad way for a second baseman.
If you hold practice late say, half-past four I guess Harry could get there, said Tom. And we wouldnt play more than twice a week, I suppose. Who else are you going after besides the Pointers?
I dont know. Maybe Lesterville. Theyve got a pretty good club over there. I guess we can find games enough, Tom.
I suppose the Springdale team has disbanded, said Tom. Id like to get another whack at those fellows!
So would I, Gordon agreed. We never should have lost that last game, Tom. We all played like idiots, though. Six errors is going some!
It was an off-day with me, all right, grumbled Tom. I couldnt put em over the plate to save my life in the last four innings.
Well lick them at football this fall, asserted Fudge.
Bound to, agreed Tom, with a sly wink at Gordon. Fudge is going to play, you know.
You bet I am! exclaimed Fudge. Im going to p-p-play end. Im g-g-going
So am I, laughed Gordon. Right now. Come along, Fudge, and well hunt up Harry. Im glad youll come in with us, Tom. By the way, I suppose we ought to have a sort of meeting to organize pretty soon. How would it do if you all came to my house to-morrow evening? Well have to choose a captain and and talk things over.
Oh, youll be captain, said Tom. Its your scheme. Besides, who else is there?
You, or Harry, or Will Scott, or
Shucks, theyre not made for it. Itll be either you or Lansing, I guess. Anyway, Ill be over to-morrow, if you say so, about eight. So long. Ive got to get these boards down before dinner.
They found Harry Bryan in his fathers grocery. He, too, was very busy, but he stopped putting up orders long enough to hear Gordons tale, and was instantly enthusiastic.
Ill have to ask my dad, though, he said doubtfully. Hes keeping me pretty close to business, he added importantly.
What do you do, Harry? asked Fudge. Put the sand in the sugar?
Harry treated the insult with silent contempt. Ill ask him to-night, though, he continued, and let you know.
Telephone me, will you? Well have practice late in the afternoon, Harry. You wouldnt have to get away until after four.
I know. I guess he will let me. He ought to. Harry observed the yellow slips in his hand somberly. Ive been working pretty hard, I tell you.
I should think, suggested the irrepressible Fudge, that if you worked late to-night you could sand enough sugar to last the week out!
Say, theyre not going to let you play, are they, Fudge?
How could they do without me?
Itll be a peach of a nine! jeered Harry. He was only a year older than Fudge, but pretended to regard that youth with amused toleration, and so caused Fudge deep annoyance at times.
Well, weve got eight good ones, responded Fudge sweetly. If we could only find a fellow to play second base, wed be all right.
Its a wonder they dont put you there.
Oh, I was offered the position, bu-but I didnt want it. I prefer the outfield. Theres more re-re-responsibility there.
Telephone me, will you? Well have practice late in the afternoon, Harry. You wouldnt have to get away until after four.
I know. I guess he will let me. He ought to. Harry observed the yellow slips in his hand somberly. Ive been working pretty hard, I tell you.
I should think, suggested the irrepressible Fudge, that if you worked late to-night you could sand enough sugar to last the week out!
Say, theyre not going to let you play, are they, Fudge?
How could they do without me?
Itll be a peach of a nine! jeered Harry. He was only a year older than Fudge, but pretended to regard that youth with amused toleration, and so caused Fudge deep annoyance at times.
Well, weve got eight good ones, responded Fudge sweetly. If we could only find a fellow to play second base, wed be all right.
Its a wonder they dont put you there.
Oh, I was offered the position, bu-but I didnt want it. I prefer the outfield. Theres more re-re-responsibility there.
Youre a wonder! said Harry. What would you do if a ball came your way? Hold your mouth open and try to swallow it?
You wa-wait and see! If I co-co-couldnt catch a b-b-ball better th-th-than you
Calm yourself, Fudge! Youre off your trolley again! Ill be around to-morrow night, Gordon. Now Ill have to get busy. Watch Fudge as he goes out, will you? Last time he was in he got away with three or four pounds of prunes.
I took three of the old th-th-th-things, said Fudge bitterly, and they n-n-nearly killed me!
They left Harry surrounded by baskets, frowning over the order slips in his hand, and made their way back to the sidewalk and their wheels. As it was almost noon, Gordon decided not to risk his fathers displeasure by seeing any more of the fellows before dinner, and he and Fudge pedaled home, Fudge still sputtering about those prunes.
At a little after four that afternoon Gordon was back at Dicks to report success. All the members of the Clearfield Ball Club had agreed to play and to attend the organization meeting the next evening all, that is, save Harry Bryan, who was to telephone later.
Now, Dickums, if youll write to Billings and tell him
If Ill write!
Gordon laughed. Of course; youre the manager, arent you?
Humph! So I have to attend to the correspondence too, do I? It seems to me that you ought to write that letter. Bert sent it to you, and youre captain, and
Well, thats what I thought, responded Gordon cheerfully, until I got to thinking it over. Then I remembered that you were manager, and, of course, managers always attend to arranging contests; and there you are. Just tell him well play his team on Wednesday the sixteenth, Dickums, at the Point.
All right. I might call on him and tell him about it, though, for Im going over to the Point in the morning.
You are? What for?
To get a job, I hope. You know I got them to put up a notice in the hotel over there for me: tutoring in French, Mathematics, and English; references; terms on request. This afternoon a Mrs. Townsend called me up by telephone, and she wants me to come over in the morning and see about coaching her son. Hes going to Rifle Point School in the Fall and is weak on English and Math. Hes thirteen, she says. She seemed to think the price was all right, but she wants me to have a look at the youngster first. Sounded as though she was afraid I wouldnt like him. Id coach a Bengal tiger if I got paid for it. I need the money, Gordie.
Thats fine! Then why not see Billings instead of writing to him? You could arrange the whole thing in five minutes. Do you know where he lives?
No, but they can tell me at the hotel, I guess. By the way, why do you want to play over there? Why not have them come over here?
Because I saw Mr. Grayson awhile ago and asked him if it would be all right if we used the school field, and he said it would as far as he was concerned, but that hed just got notice from Mr. Brent that they are going to cut the field up pretty soon for building lots. I suppose we could use it until they begin to build on it, but I havent seen Mr. Brent yet, and I thought it would be safer to say wed play them at the Point. Theyll probably want another game, and then, if its all right about the field, we could play them here.
But that will leave us without an athletic field! exclaimed Dick, in dismay. I thought we had a lease or something on it.
Mr. Grayson says not. Says Mr. Brent just agreed to let us use it as long as it wasnt needed for anything else. Now he wants it put in the market for house lots. Rather tough, isnt it? I guess we can find another field somewhere, though.
Not in town, said Dick. Well probably have to go across the river somewhere. There are plenty of fields over there, but theyre as rough as the dickens. What did Mr. Grayson say about that?
Nothing much. He seemed to think it was up to the Athletic Committee.
Perhaps it is, but hes principal, and
Shucks, he wouldnt care a lot if we didnt have a field, I guess!
I dont think that, Gordie. Graysons not very keen about our athletics, I know, but hes been pretty decent, just the same. Well have to get busy right away and find a new place. The football fellows will want to start practice in something like two months. Does Way know about it?
I dont know. I saw Grayson after I left Way. I dont believe he does, for he didnt say anything. He will have to get the committee together and have a meeting, I guess. Whos on it now?
Arent you?
No, not this year. Theres Way, and Harry, and Bert
Well, Bert cant come. I think Will Scott is on it, isnt he?
Maybe; he probably is if Way belongs. Well, its up to Way. I thought Id ask Mr. Brent if we could keep on using the field for a while; or have Morris ask him. I dare say hed be more likely to say yes if Morris asks him. Come to think of it, Dickums, as youre manager
No, you dont! I wouldnt beard old man Brent in his den for a hundred dollars! If Ive got to do that, Ill resign!
All right, then, Ill do it! laughed Gordon. Or Ill see Morris about it. I dont see why he needs to cut up that field, though. Seems to me there are enough houses in this town already.
Wants the money, probably. Bet you Jonathan Brent would cut up the Garden of Eden for house lots if he had it!
You dont seem to care a whole lot for Mr. Brent, Dickums.
I dont, responded Dick emphatically. We wouldnt be like we are now as poor as church mice if father hadnt got mixed up with Mr. Brent in one of his real-estate schemes. Im not saying that Mr. Brent was dishonest, Gordie, but he was too sharp for dad, and dad got let in for a pile of money.
I didnt know that, said Gordon. You never told me, did you?
No. It was a long time ago, when I was just a kid. Dad moved here from Norwalk when I was three years old. He had quite a little money thirteen or fourteen thousand dollars it was and Mr. Brent got him to invest it in that South-west Division, as they called it. They got hold of a pile of land down the river toward the Point. You know; where the picnic grove is. They were going to sell it for factory sites and there was a railway coming through to connect with the Shore Line, and everything was fine on paper. But the bottom fell out of the scheme; the factories didnt come, and the railroad decided not to build; and the mortgages were foreclosed; and after it was all over Mr. Brent had the whole thing and dad had nothing! And it was all legal and above-board, too! And thats why Ive never had much use for Jonathan Brent; nor Morris, either, although Morris has never done anything to me.