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.The Rube insisted on pitching Monday's game against the Torontos, andalthough poor fielding gave them a couple of runs, they never had a chance.They could not see the ball.The Rube wrapped it around their necks andbetween their wrists and straight over the plate with such incredible speedthat they might just as well have tried to bat rifle bullets.That night I was happy.Spears, my veteran captain, was one huge smile;Radbourne quietly assured me that all was over now but the shouting; all theboys were happy.And the Rube was the happiest of all.At the hotel he burst out with hisexceeding good fortune.He and Nan were to be married upon the Fourth of July!After the noisy congratulations were over and the Rube had gone, Spearslooked at me and I looked at him. Con, said he soberly,  we just can't let him get married on the Fourth. Why not? Sure we can.We'll help him get married.I tell you it'll save thepennant for us.Look how he pitched today! Nan Brown is our salvation! See here, Con, you've got softenin' of the brain, too.Where's your baseballsense? We've got a pennant to win.By July Fourth we'll be close to the leadagain, an' there's that three weeks' trip on the road, the longest an' hardestof the season.We've just got to break even on that trip.You know what thatmeans.If the Rube marries Nan--what are we goin' to do? We can't leave himbehind.If he takes Nan with us --why it'll be a honeymoon! An' half the gangis stuck on Nan Brown! An' Nan Brown would flirt in her bridal veil!.WhyCon, we're up against a worse proposition than ever. Good Heavens! Cap.You're right, I groaned. I never thought of that.We'vegot to postpone the wedding.How on earth can we? I've heard her tellMilly that.She'll never consent to it.Say, this'll drive me to drink. All I got to say is this, Con.If the Rube takes his wife on that trip it'sgoin' to be an all- fired hummer.Don't you forget that. I'm not likely to.But, Spears, the point is this--will the Rube win hisPage 29ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlgames? Figurin' from his work today, I'd gamble he'll never lose another game.Itain't that.I'm thinkin' of what the gang will do to him an' Nan on the carsan' at the hotels.Oh! Lord, Con, it ain't possible to stand for thathoneymoon trip! Just think! If the worst comes to the worst, Cap, I don't care for anything but thegames.If we get in the lead and stay there I'll stand for anything.Couldn't the gang be coaxed or bought off to let the Rube and Nan alone? Not on your life! There ain't enough love or money on earth to stop them.It'll be awful.Mind, I'm not responsible.Don't you go holdin' meresponsible.In all my years of baseball I never went on a trip with a bridein the game.That's new on me, an' I never heard of it.I'd be bad enough ifhe wasn't a rube an' if she wasn't a crazy girl-fan an' a flirt to boot, an'with half the boys in love with her, but as it is----Spears gave up and, gravely shaking his head, he left me.I spent a littlewhile in sober reflection, and finally came to the conclusion that, in mydesperate ambition to win the pennant, I would have taken half a dozen rubepitchers and their baseball-made brides on the trip, if by so doing I couldincrease the percentage of games won.Nevertheless, I wanted to postpone theRube's wedding if it was possible, and I went out to see Milly and asked herto help us.But for once in her life Milly turned traitor. Connie, you don't want to postpone it.Why, how perfectly lovely!.Mrs.Stringer will go on that trip and Mrs.Bogart.Connie, I'm going too!She actually jumped up and down in glee.That was the woman in her.It takesa wedding to get a woman.I remonstrated and pleaded and commanded, all to nopurpose.Milly intended to go on that trip to see the games, and the fun, andthe honeymoon.She coaxed so hard that I yielded.Thereupon she called up Mrs [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]