ut made a number of highly significant
gestures, of a nature to cause Hugh to fancy the other were punching
some fellow's head in a satisfactory fashion. And somehow actions
spoke louder than words in that case.

"Don't let this queer business weigh too heavily on your mind, Thad,"
warned the other, as they prepared to separate. "We've got a game
ahead of us, remember, and it's mighty important that the catcher
behind the bat should keep his wits about him."

"I guess I know all that, Hugh," chuckled Thad. "Once I get to
playing ball, and there's going to be nothing interfere with my
work as a backstop. I'm feeling in tip-top condition right now, and
everything working right expect to be a factor in bringing Belleville
down into the dust day after tomorrow."

"Once we get that game pulled off," observed Hugh, "and we won't
have another championship one for two weeks, because Allendale and
Belleville meet the next Saturday, though we expect to play another
team from Jenkintown, just to keep our hands in, you know. Our
next job will be to hustle with that strong Allendale combination,
that broke up everything last season, and went through with only
one defeat."

"But next week, with nothing on our hands, Hugh, we can turn our
attention to this miserable business again, can't we?"

"Why, I know of no reason to prevent it," observed the other. "Let's
hope that by then Brother Lu will have decided town life is too dull
for him, and be once more holding down the railroad ties in his
journeying through the country. I've read that it's mighty hard for
a genuine tramp to settle down to any civilized sort of existence.
You see, they're of a sort of migrating gypsy breed, and get as
uneasy as a fish out of water when stalled for any length of time."

"'Course that would settle it all beautifully," agreed Thad, with
a relieved look on his honest face; "but according to my mind it
would be too good to come true. That sly chap means to play the
game to the limit. As long as he isn't half starved he'll hang
on there, and work upon the sympathy of those poor people. The
only sure way to get him dislodged would be to cut his rations short;
though to do that you'd have to hurt Matilda and her sick husband.
But give me a little time, and I'll fix him, that's right, I will!"

If Brother Lu could only have seen and heard all this he might have
been made a bit uneasy, under the conviction that his soft berth
in his sister'