Batting to Win

n caused the piece of furniture to creak and groan, while from the thick cushions a cloud of dust arose, m

ll you, when you're going to liberate a colony of sneeze germs. I-er-

nice and quiet? Why can't you sit still and enjoy a good think once in a while? Besides, do you want to give that chair spinal meningi

"It's like getting out of the middle of a featherbed to leave it. And say, it does act as if it was go

e had made a pretense of studying. "Why do you do it, I ask? You may consider tha

ed by the enforced idleness of winter. "Sid, you are most decidedly out of order-I think I'm going to sneeze again," and he held up a pro

d arisen from the easy chair, and the

s!" cautioned Tom, looking about for something to

he two windows in the rather small living room and study, occupied by the three chums, who w

p some!" ex

ts and dogs, to say nothing of little puppies, ar

ix-cylindered voice in a one-cylindered body, and which timepiece was resting at a dangerous ang

seball practice in two weeks. I'm sick of the inside cage, and the smell of tan ba

from his chair, and joined Sid at the window, down which rain drops were chasing

ide?" asked Sid. "I should think you'd lose some

et some decent weather soo

ir way to," g

old easy chair, "which remark," he added, "is one a little boy made in the midst of a driving s

but I'm going to sew up a rip in my pitcher's glove. I think maybe if I do the weather man

hing for needle and thread, there came a change of atmosphere in the room. The rain came down as insist

urmured Sid. "Guess I might as well get at

on this trigonometry," added Phil, as,

piece fussed away, as if reminding its hearers that time and tide waited for no man, and that 99-cent alarm clocks were especially exacting in the matter.

one side of the apartment to decorate as he saw fit. The fourth side of this particular room was broken by two windows, and not of much use, while one of the other walls conta

atively rare bird, nesting; or walk many miles to get a picture of a fox, or a ground-hog, just as it darted into its burrow. In consequence Sid's taste did not run to gay flags and banners of the college colors, worked by the fair

only had one place of honor for one girl's photograph at a time. But they sometimes changed girls. Then, on their side, were m

he occupants thereof. Each lad had a desk, and a bureau or chiffonier, or "Chauffeur" as Holly Cross used to dub them. These articles of furniture were more or less in confusion. Neckties, handkerchiefs, collars and cuffs were piled in a

elusion that it was a rare Oriental. Learning to the contrary he and his chums had decided to keep it, since,

ld have suffered the fate of the walls, the rug or the couch and easy chair. Altogether it was a fairly typical student apartment, and it was occupied, as I hope my readers wi

"How in the mischief do you shove a needle throug

ble," observed Tom. "N

Where did you ever learn to use a thimble?" and he walked over to

of the Randall 'varsity nine. "Comes in ha

ything to do, Tom, I wish you'd get busy on some of my footwear. I just got a batch back fr

in fact better, for it fits my hand," and he held up and gazed critically a

comparative silence, though the pushing of Tom's needle through the le

e this year," observed Tom judicial

ked Sid, for Tom had been el

nt. It's all right enough to have a team that can hold down Boxer Hall and Fairview Institute, but you can't

h no malice in his voice. "You want to do be

quoted Tom, smiling. "I t

tively the three lads started, then, as a glance at the clock showed that they

oming?"

some of the royal fami

m, for it seemed as if he expected some one. A moment later there came a rap on the door, and then, w

ssenger. I have a no

startled query in Sid's vo

ger, so christened in ages gone by-perhaps because of the chastisements

me?" repeated S

t was for you," and, handing the yout

e note, and rap

Tom, Sid Henderson, the old anchorite, the pe

man?" and he glanced at several pictures of pretty girls th

then began to tear it into bits. The pieces he thrust in

llows," he announced in

ried Tom. "You're crazy. List

wer, as the lad began delving

o-morrow to see her, old sport? My, but you've got 'em

s still oddly calm. "I've got to go,

nt from Sid's usual gentle manner-that Phil and Tom looked at each

ust yet. I've got to go-I promised-t

d Tom, for the proctor of Ra

o hours yet, before locking-up time, and if I get caught-

, and the note he received, and had so quickly destroyed, seemed to have worked the change in him. Slowly he drew o

idor. He almost collided with another youth on t

rophy offered for the championship of the Tonoka Lake League! Just heard of it. Dr. Churchill told me. Some old geezer that did some endowing f

ever called. "Come on in," went on Tom, "and chew it all over for us. Say, it'

room, Phil and Tom reaching

asked Holly, looking at S

out," was the he

ed Holly. "It's great! It will be the

d breaking away from the detaining hand of Holly, the strangely-acting boy turned dow

ten into old Sid?

ttle while ago; seemed quite put out about it,

much patched fore and aft with retaining boards-a sofa that was a fit companion

Do you want to wreck our

to repair a bad fracture. "Hello!" he exclaimed a moment later, as he picked up from the floor a scrap of paper. "You fellows are ge

declared Tom. "That must be

t was blank on one side, but, at the sight

ows, look he

e word, though there were pen tracings of parts of other words on the edges. But the word that stoo

e," mus

that means Sid is going to get into tro

o use the word. "Certainly something is up o

nless Sid wants our help, of course. I guess we shouldn't ha

l. "Go ahead, Holly. Tell us about

th much anxiety on the part of Phil and Tom, Holly launched into a description of the loving cup. But, unc