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THAPPY DAYS]
The Nine Wonders.
RAYMOND.
CHAPTER I.
THE NINES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND THE
ASTONISHED UMPIRE,
Parry Parton was a drummer’for a
New York house, and had traveled all
over the upper part of the State for five
ears, selling goods to country merchants,
le was a jolly fellow, full of energy, pluck
and good sense, whom all his customers
liked and trusted. He was never known
to misrepresent the quality of his goods,
although in telling a story around the
stove in a country store or hotel he drew a
long bow and shotfar, Everybody liked
him, and so’ he had many friends in the
little towns in the upper part of the State,
many of whom would fight for him at any
moment if necessary,
One day be was in the little village of
Homesdale, which nestles at the foot of a
range of the Adirondacks, selling a new
line of goods which his employers were
trying to introduce to the merchants up
in that region, It was on a Saturday,
when a goodly number of the young men
who earned a livelihood lumbering, or
rather logging, up in the mountains, had
come home tostay overSunday, Heknew
nearly all the boys, and shook hands with
them as he ran across them. -
“Say, Parry,” said one of them in front
of the post-oflice, “‘ we are going to havea
baseball game down: behind the school-
house, and want you to umpire it for us.
There's a Nine here from Crow Hill, who
say they can wipe up the earth with us,
and We are going to give’
BY P. T.
em a chance to
0 it. .
“Wave you got an iron ‘pot for an
umpire to wear over hiy head?” Parry
asked him,
“Oh, you won't need one,” Jaughed the
youth, who was a stalwart lad of eighteen,
“We'll agree not to kick against any de-
cision you may make,’
obat will the Crow Hillers agree not to
sick f”
i
. “* Yes, I guess they will,” was the reply.
“Well, if both sides will agree not to
kick, or even attempt to argue any point
with me, I'll act as umpire—otherwise I
n't.” .
won't, -
The youth went in ‘search of others of
his Nine and told them what Parton had
said, and they at once agreed to have him
umpire the game. The post master had
usually umpired their games, but on that
particular day he was unable to do so.
‘Teddy Robinson, another stalwart youth
of eighteen, was the captain of the Homes-
dale Nine, and a jollier boy than he never
He had a
swung an ax or turned a log. i
ruddy face that always hada ready smile,
which widened into a hearty laugh when
one was due, Everybody liked Teddy, and
if he had an enemy in the world he didn’t
know it.
“Say, Parton,” he called to the commer-
cial drummer afew minutes later, ‘just
wait here till the Crow Millers get to-
gether, and -we'll go down to the ball
grounds and show ’em how to play the
game, We've got some of the greatest
baseball players you ever saw, I sawa
game played at Utica last year between
two crack teams and thought it was fine,
but I'm blest if we couldn't play ’em blind
any day in the week,”
“Who’s your pitcher, Teddy?” Parton
asked.
“Tom Knatt, and heis great. Ife can
send a ball straight as a cannonball and
about as swift; then he can give it a twist
like a corkscrew, or make it dodge about
like a leatber wing bat, or-——"
‘Cheese it, Teddy!” laughed Parton,
“T’ve heard all that sort of thing before;
it’s stale.”
“Yes, you've heard it—but have you
ever seen it?”
No, and never expect to,” was the re-
ply. . .
“Well, wait and see him
do it, Mere
comes the Crow Hillers now.”
The boys from Crow ILill came up and
shook hands with the drummer, for he
had sold goods in their Jittle town ever
since he began selling in that part of the
State. They were satisfied with him as
umpire, and readily agreed not to kick on
any ruling or decision he might make.
At the proper time they all adjourned to
the old field Below theschoolwouse, where
aregular diamond had been marked off.
There was quite a crowd of men, women
and children on hand to see the game, and
the commercial drummer went among
them shaking hands with many of them
whom he knew, and making as many ac-
quaintances as possible. He was very
popular with the girls, many of whom
ave him smiles that others had long
wished for in vain. Dut be was impartia
in his cheery greetings, treating all alike,
for he was after business all the time.
** Now, boys!" he called out to the two
Nines, when they assembled on the ground,
“ This is to be a friendly game, you know,
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and you have agreed to make no kick on
the umpire. In most games the umpire
generally loses nearly all his friends,
Sometimes he gets off with a broken head
or a black eye, and generally feels glad it’s
no worse with him. I am going to run this
game fair according to my understanding
of the rules, without favor to either Nine,
Vow play ball!” .
The Crow_Hill Nine went to the bat,
while Tom Knatt skipped to the box as
itcher for the Homesdale team. Billy
Patten put on the mask and gloves, and
stood behind the plate to catch. They were
all sturdy looking and’ good-natured
youths, whose muscles had_grown strong
through wielding the ax and crow-bar,
The young pitcher began with a twister
that puzzled the batsman, who let it pass
to the catcher. .
«One strike {” called out the umpire,
The second delivery was even more of a
puzzle than the first, and again the
“spat” was heard all over the field as the
ball landed in the catcher’s hands,
“Two strikes |”
The third time the batsman struck vig:
orously, but fanned the air, the ball nes-
ting in the hands of the catcher,
* Well!” said Parton, under his breath ;
“T’'ve seen some good pitching in the big
League games, but never anything like
this. Ife makes the ball zigzag, curve or
turn like a corkscrew in the air, No won-
der he can’t hit it.” -
The whole Nine were puzzled, for the
first mau at the bat was the crack bats-
man of the team, They watched the sec-
ond one as he took up the willow, hoping
he would have better luck. But he
the same fate as the other—beating the air
all the time,
The third fared no better, and the Crow
Hill Nine went to the field, their captain
going into the box. He was a splendid
specimen of an eighteen-year-old moun-
taineer, and very popular with the youn
people of both places, He sent balls at the
t: if intending to knock out
something at all hazards—the bat, bats-
man or catcher.
But the Homesdale boys batted him all
over the field, ‘Two were caught out, two
home runs made and two three-baggers,
“Great Scott!” ejaculated Parton, to
himself, as he quietly watched the game;
“these fellows are wonders in their way.
I never saw better work in my life in any
League game, They are strong as mules
and quick as lightning. That fellow Wi
mer is the best sprinter going.”
The Homesdale team went to the field
with three runs to their credit, and Knatt
again went into the box, He pitched out
two in quick succession, The third bats-
man, after missing twice, knocked outa
hot grounder to center field and sprinted
to first. He took a desperate chance to
reach second. Dick Crenshaw, at that
base, seeing that he could not stop the ball
unless he remained on the runner's line,
sprang forward to give the runner a fair
show, and had to leap fully three feet in
the air to get it. But he got it, and came
down almost on his hands in order to
touch him with it.
“Out!” cried the umpire, “and it wasas
fine a play as I ever saw.”
“I was within a foot of it,” said the run-
ner as he rose to his feet.
“A miss is as good as a mile,” remarked
Teddy Robinson, the Homesdale captain,
“ Not always,” sung out ddie McCoy of
the same team, “I know a miss who is
better than ten thousand miles,” |
“Oh, just listen!" giggled a bevy of
girls seated on the grags out on the left,
“Who is she, Eddie?” a voice in the
crowd asked,
“Weare on the school-house grounds
now,” he replied, **and I never tell tales
out of scheol,” . .
“Ts she a good sprinter?” another asked,
* You bet she is—nothing can catch her
—at least I can’t.” .
Amid great laughter a certain little
furiously as the others looked in her direc-
tion. . .
The Homesdales went to the bat again,
and had a walk over. They were quick as
lightning and committed no errors. Yet
there was a degree of crudeness in all they
did—a roughness that would be noticeable
only where crowds from cities met to view
the game, But withal,a manly spirit of
both Nines. .
‘The Crow Hillers never made a run, but
they played the game to the end, doing
their best in each inning, , It was the
pitching that worried them most, for they
seldom touched the ball. As base runners
they were as good as the Ilome team, but
they never got a chance to compete with
them in that line save to a
extent,
locked arms with Tom Knatt, the pitcher,
of the field.
balls you do
Pp “T can hit your hat three
out of five at sixty or seventy feet.
“But the curves and twists and spiral
courses you give them—how about that?”
“Oh, I picked it up by degrees in
the same way,” he laughed. “I knew I’
pitch ‘em out, but didn’t say so,
they look tired, though?” and he Jaughed |’
gleefully as he remembered incidents of
the game, .
“Yes, so they did, and I was as much
surprised as they were.’ Do
could do that in every game
“Of course, why not?”
“You wouldn’t get rattled if
were knocked all over the field, would
‘ou
““No, why should I?”
“Some pitchers do,” he remarked.
“ Well, 1 wouldn't, Lamnot buil
times
a
“4
way. .
“Well, [want to see if I can arrange a
game for you boys with a city team—and
L bac!
you wi
but I don’t want a soul-outside the Nine
to know it, Will they keep it dark?”
“Yes, if I tell ’era to. Tout see Teddy
and tell him about it. ‘They'll all do what-
ever he sare
“Then I'll see him. Don’t say a word
about what I've said to you.”
hey returned to the post-office, which
was the place of general rendezvous in the
village, and a little later Lhe drummer had
a talk with the captain of the team, That
the next town to sell
customers there,
ing a lon
the firm
goods to two regular
after writing and mail-
g letter to the junior partner of
by whom he was employed,
CHAPTER IL
TUE DRUMMER'S LETTER AND WHAT FOL-
ED It, ~
Down in the city of New York the firm
of Bagley, Barton ‘0. Was considered
one of the most solid_commercial houses
in the country. Old Joe B
founder of it and had mas:
runniog up well into the millions ; Barton,
his partner, had been blessed with anex-
travagant wife and family, hence his
wealth did not increase in proportion to
his interest in the firm, yet he was rated
asa veryrich man. When I’rederick Bac-
ley, the only son of the head of the house,
was admitted as a junior partner, he
threw a tremendous ‘amount of energy
into the work of increasing its business.
Ile was a young man of great business
judgment, coupled with a magnetic man-
ner and presence that made him friends
wherever. he went. Notwithstanding the
fact that a number of salesmen were ke t
on the road, he frequently went over the
field himself to visit the customers of the
house and encourage the traveling sales-
blue-eyed maiden on the grounds blushed | men,
fair play was in evidence all the time in Be
very limited | o
. body just for
When the game ended Parry Parton |i i
and led him aside—down to the lower end e
‘Say, Tom,” he said, “tell me how you i
managed to get the knack of pitching the | m
got it by pitching stones,” he re-|#
Didn’t | e4
you think you | scie!
a n
our balls | $<
' a
$ that
th all the money I can raise;| fiv
evening he left the village and went on to| black
At the time of the opening of ourstory-
Parry Parton had been with the house for -
five years, From the first week of his con-
nection with it he won and held the friend-
ship of the junior partner, both by his wit,
pluck and great good humor,
Often when he would return to the city
the junior partner would be hts boon com-
panion until the exigencies of business
‘orced him out on the road again, Thus
the two became not only chums but warm
personal friends, each having the most im--
plicit confidence in the integrity of the
other, Naturally both of them lived pret-
ty well up to the limit of their income,
The head of the house would not allow his
son to draw out a dollar above a stipu-
lated amount agreed upon, but the young
man’s credit was good anywhere in the
financial circles of the city. *
He had
ad often said to young Parton that -
if he saw a chance to make good money on
the quiet, outside of the business of the
house, to promptly let him know, and that
if the prospect was good he could put upa
neat little sum as an investment,
ew 3 after Parton’s visit to the
little village of Homesdale the junior part-
ner received a private letter in his mail
from the young salesman, It was dated
at Homesdale, and read as follows:
“My Dear Frep—At last I think I have
stumbled upon a bonanza, which
S
$
os
9
ab
new personally nearly all
ou know I am ready to oblige any:
the fun of the thing,
g to umpire anything from a funeral down to
ance, was asked to umpire
naturally thought of the peril that
of a baseball. game runs up
em.
3
e game I
enough to fit me; so they promised not to kick,
e
and [ umpired the game.
“ Now let me tell you, old man, that I have
1
dreds of games played by crack teams
and New
. here is
ers; in fact, I consider them
of the Diamond Fi
ears that hecan pitch out any ted in”
nited States. ® ¥ team in
ow, if we will
and back them agai
the two oceans,
the boodle,
baseball world.
have I regretted
month instead
nocent hilarit;
“N take those fellows in hand
net any other Nin
ing my salary ever
of investing in red | h i
“They are fst what I say—nine wonders—
and if you will put up the ‘filthy lucre’ to back
these fellows and fail to win, I will sign an
agrecment tolet you draw half my salary and
ck i uu are reimbursed,
provided alwa)
floor when the divvy is made of the profits,
“Yours till death,
“Parry.”
As soon as young Bagley read the char- »
acteristic letter of the traveling salesman
e went out to the telegraph office and
sent a dispatch to Parton in these words: :
“Letter received. I’ judg
Clinch the bonanza at ones your Judgments
(Signed) “ Frep.”*
Parton was at Ellington when the dis:
patch reached him, and he waited another*
day in order that he might drive over to:
Homesdalo in a buggy, it being Sunday:
when the firm woul
attend to business, Ie reached the village
at about ten o’clock in the forenoon, very
much to the surprise of those who had
assembled at the post-office,
co
“ What’ .
“ “Nothing in the world,” he replied
except a natural desire to come over ani
see you folks, -
»
are square and honest, the women sweet
and beautiful, i
enough fora king.” . a
“Good for you, Parry !” laughed several .
of the men inthe party. “ We'll putupa
headstone over you when you die, with
paint and in- ©
8 that Icome inon the ground
&
not expect him to*;,-
e,
lol” Breeted one of the merchants. '
sup?” m
and the cooking good,