"W-why, I suppose so," he said slowly. "My contract with them has another year to run. To tell the truth, though, Joe, I'm somewhat unsettled."

"Why," said Joe, "you're not going to give up the game for the stage, are you?"

"Oh, nothing like that," replied Altman. "I'd rather play ball than eat, and I'll stick to the game as long as this old wing of mine can put them over the plate. But whether I'll be with the White Sox or not is another question."

"Some other team in the American league trying to make a d.i.c.ker for you?"

asked Joe.

"Not that I've heard anything about," responded Altman. "But the American League isn't the whole cheese in baseball--nor the National League, either, for that matter."

"I see Westland has been talking to you," said Joe. "I don't want to b.u.t.t in, Nick, but don't let him put one over on you."

"The new league seems to have barrels of money," replied Altman, evading a direct answer. "This fellow Westland seems aching to throw it to the birds--he's got a wad in his pocket that would choke a horse."

"Yes," said Joe dryly, "I've seen that wad before. But take a fool's advice, Nick, and stick to the old ship."

"That's all very well," said Altman. "But a man's worth all that he will bring in any other line of work--and why shouldn't it be so in baseball?

Who is it that brings the money in at the gate, anyway? We're the ones that the public come to see, but it's the bosses that get all the money."

"Lay off on that 'poor, down-trodden slave' talk, Nick," said Joe earnestly. "You know as well as I do that there are mighty few fellows who get as well paid for six months' work as we ball players do. But, leave that out of the question for a minute--don't you suppose the backers of this new league are just as eager to make money out of us as anybody else? Do you think they're in the game for the sport of it? And don't you know that the coming of a new league just now is likely to wreck the game?

You know how it was in the old Brotherhood days--they did the same crooked work then that they're trying to do now--bribing men to jump their contracts by offers of big money. The game got a blow then that it took years to recover from, and there wasn't a single major league player that in the long run, didn't suffer from it. Play the game, Nick--and let's show these fellows that they can't buy us as they would so many cattle."

Altman was visibly impressed, and Westland, who had been watching proceedings out of the corner of his eye, thought it time to intervene. He strolled down toward them and without looking at Joe, spoke directly to Altman.

"Train's coming, Nick," he said. "I just heard the whistle. I'll stay with you so that we can get seats together in the smoker."

"Well, good-bye, Joe!" said Altman. "I'm glad to have seen you again, anyway, and I'll promise not to do anything hastily."

And as Jim and Clara came hurrying up at that moment, Joe had to be content with the hope that, at least, he had put a spoke in Westland's wheel.

The train was in sight now, and all thoughts of baseball were banished for the moment at the thought of what that train was bringing to him.

With a rush and a roar the train drew up at the station. The colored porter jumped down the steps of the parlor car to a.s.sist the descending pa.s.sengers.

Joe uttered an exclamation, and Clara gave a little squeal of delight as two young people, whom a family resemblance proclaimed to be brother and sister, came hurriedly down the steps.

In a moment they were the center of an eager and tumultuous group.

"Mabel!" exclaimed Joe,--at least that was all that they heard him say just then. What he said to her later on is none of our business.

The girls hugged and kissed each other, much to the aggravation of the masculine contingent, while Reggie Varley extended his two hands, which were grasped cordially by Joe and Jim.

The romance which had culminated in the engagement of Mabel Varley and Joe dated back two years earlier. Joe had been in a southern training camp, in spring practice with his team, when one day he had been lucky enough to stop a runaway horse which Mabel had been driving, and thus saved her from imminent danger and possible death. The acquaintance, so established, rapidly deepened into friendship and then into something stronger.

Mabel was a charming girl with l.u.s.trous brown eyes, wonderful complexion and dimples that came and went in a distracting fashion, and it was no wonder that Joe before long was a helpless but willing captive. She, on her part, developed a sudden fondness for the great national game to which she had hitherto been indifferent.

They had met many times during the season, and with every meeting her witchery over Joe had become more potent. He had stolen a glove from her during one of his visits to Goldsboro, her home town in the South, and during the exciting games of the last World's Series he had worn it close to his heart when he had pitched his team to victory.

And when he told her this on the night following the famous game that had set the whole country wild with excitement, and told her too, that victory meant nothing, unless she shared it with him, she had capitulated and promised to become his wife.

Reggie, her brother, had formed Joe's acquaintance earlier than Mabel and in a less pleasant way. He was a rather foppish young man who cultivated a mustache that the girls called "darling," and affected what he fondly believed to be an English accent.

In a railway station he had left his valise near where Joe was sitting, and, on his return, found that the valise had been opened and some valuable jewelry stolen from it. He had rashly accused Joe of the theft, and had narrowly escaped a thrashing from that indignant young man, in consequence.

The matter had been patched up at the time, and afterward, when Joe learned that he was Mabel's brother, had been forgiven entirely. The men were now on the most cordial of terms, for Reggie, despite his peculiarities and though he would never "set the river on fire" with his intellectual ability, was by no means a bad fellow.

There was a merry hubbub of greetings and exclamations while the men arranged for the baggage and the girls asked each other twenty questions at once and then the party paired off for the walk to the Matson home--that is, Joe and Mabel and Jim and Clara, formed the pairs, while Reggie was, so to speak, a fifth wheel to the coach!

Not that this bothered Reggie in the least. He ambled along amiably, dividing his talk and attentions impartially, serenely unconscious that each pair was willing to bestow him upon the other.

"We ought to have a band playing 'See, the Conquering Hero Comes,'"

remarked Jim to Mabel, who was walking in front with Joe.

"I know he's a hero," said Mabel, her eyes eloquent as she looked at Joe.

"I can hardly pick up the paper but what it calls him the hero of the World's Series."

"I don't mean a baseball hero," said Jim, "but a real, honest-to-goodness hero--the life-saver and all that kind of stuff, you know."

"Yes," joined in Clara, "you came a day too late, Mabel. You ought to have seen Joe at the Opera House last night. He was simply great."

"At the Opera House?" Mabel repeated, in some bewilderment.

"Sure," chaffed Jim. "Didn't you know Joe'd gone on the stage?"

"Yes," said Clara, carrying out the mystification. "He made a hit, too."

"There was at least one man in the audience he made a hit with," chuckled Jim.

"Don't let them fool you, Mabel," said Joe, tenderly. "There was just a little excitement at the Opera House last night and Jim and I took a hand in stopping it. They're making an awful lot of a very simple matter."

"You've no idea what a voice Joe has for public speaking," persisted the irrepressible Jim. "Last night he was a howling success."

"Clara, dear, tell me all about it," entreated Mabel. "We girls are the only ones who can talk sense."

Thus appealed to, Clara told about the circ.u.mstances of the night before, and, as may be imagined, Joe did not suffer in the telling. If the latter had needed any other reward for his exploit he found it in Mabel's eyes as she looked at him.

"I thought I knew all about you before," she said, in a half whisper, "but I'm learning all the time!"

CHAPTER VI

CIRCLING THE GLOBE

When the party reached the Matson home, motherly Mrs. Matson took Mabel into her arms as she had long since taken her into her heart. Then Clara took her up to her room to refresh herself after the journey, while Jim and Joe took care of Reggie and his belongings.