attention.

"Dry up! She's coming on to St. Louis."

"She is? Good! Will she see you play?"

"Well, I don't know. It doesn't look as though I was going to get a
game--especially against New York."

"Cheer up! There might be something worse."

"Yes, I might have another run-in with Shalleg."

"That's so. Seen anything of him lately?"

"No, but I hear he's been writing letters to Mr. Watson, intimating that
if the boss wants to see the team come up out of the subway, Shalleg is
the man to help."

"Some nerve; eh?"

"I should say so!"

It was a glorious sunny day, perhaps too hot, but that makes for good
baseball, for it limbers up the players. The grandstand and bleachers
were rapidly filling, and out on the well-kept diamond of Robison Field
the rival teams--the Cardinals and the Giants--were practicing.

Mabel Varley and her brother had come to St. Louis, stopping off on
business, and Joe had called on them.

"I'm coming out to see you play," Mabel announced after the greetings at
the hotel.

"I'm afraid you won't," said Joe, somewhat gloomily.

"Why not?" she asked in surprise. "Aren't you on the pitching staff?"

"Yes, but perhaps you haven't been keeping track of where the Cardinals
stand in the pennant race."

"Oh, yes, I have!" she laughed, and blushed. "I read the papers every
day."

"That's nice. Then you know we're pretty well down?"

"Yes, but the season isn't half over yet. I think you'll do better."

"I sure do hope so," murmured Joe. "But, for all that, I am afraid you
won't see me pitch to-day. Mr. Watson won't dare risk me, though I think
I could do some good work. I'm feeling fine."

"Oh, I do hope you get a chance!" Mabel exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Anyhow, I'm going to have one of the front boxes, and there are to be
some girl friends with me. You know them, I think--Hattie Walsh and Jean
Douglass."

"Oh, yes, I remember them," Joe said. "Well, I hope you see us win, but
I doubt it."

And now, as the game was about to start, Joe looked up and saw, in one
of the front boxes, Mabel and her friends. He went over to speak to
them, as he walked in from practice.

"For good luck!" said Mabel softly, as she gave him one of the flowers
she was wearing.

"Thanks," and Joe blushed.

As yet the battery of the Cardinals had not been announced. Clearly
Manager Watson was in a quandary. He and Boswell consulted together,
while the players waited nervously. Some of the newspaper re