s
and troubles of which he seemed the center. He even forgot to detail
to his chum his strange interview with the reporter until they were
seated in a quiet nook of one of the great restaurants. Then, in
response to some jesting allusion to the Children's Crusades by
Swanson, he told the big shortstop of the array of statistics Feehan
had presented.

"He's a square little guy," said Swanson. "And he's got more brains in
that funny-looking little head of his than this whole bunch has. He
dopes things out pretty nearly right, and when he is convinced that he
is right he goes the limit. Between us there is a certain left-handed
pitcher who is in hot water right now and don't know it. Speaking of
the devil," he added quickly, "there's his wings flapping, and look who
he is with--across the far corner there, at the little table."

McCarthy's eyes followed the route indicated and suddenly he lost
interest in his food. At a small table were Williams, Secretary
Tabor--and Betty Tabor.

McCarthy was silent and moody during the walk back to the hotel and
seemed to have lost interest in the great glaring city, which was just
commencing to dim its illumination for the night. They were in bed
with the lights out when Swanson said:

"Cut out the worrying, kid. I wouldn't have a girl no one else wanted.
Besides, either her father has been told by Clancy to watch that crook
or else Betty Tabor is stringing him along to learn something. She
despises Williams, and she wouldn't laugh at him or eat with him unless
she had a purpose in it."

McCarthy could have blessed him for the words, but he assumed a dignity
he did not feel and said:

"I don't see why I should be especially interested."

"Cut out the con stuff, Bo," laughed Swanson, relapsing into his old
careless baseball phraseology. "You dope around like a chicken with
the pip and look at her like a seasick guy seeing the Statue of Liberty
and then think no one is onto you."

Reply seemed inadvisable, so McCarthy grunted and rolled over. There
was a silence and then Swanson added:

"And say, Bo, this Williams is in trouble. There's me and you on his
track. Clancy is wise and watching him. Old Technicalities has him
doped crooked in the figures, and now Betty Tabor is smiling at him to
get the facts--he hasn't a chance. It's darn hard to fix a baseball
game."

CHAPTER XV

_Baldwin Baits a Trap_

"Willie says that one petticoat will ruin the best