Conneaut High School - Tattler Yearbook (Conneaut, OH)

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VICTROLAS VICTOR RECORDS H. B. KURTZ BRUNSWICK PHONOGRAPHS ( hick had been silent. Now he spoke. ‘“Yon know what you’re doing, Morris?” Morris laughed a harsh assent. McCabe and you other fellows, there’s just one thing left to say. If Houser plays, I don’t.” “Beggars must not be choosers,” replied Morris hastily. However, it your standards are so high and mighty and you °n t P y on a ‘cooked up game, I guess we can get along without you.” Delaney, surprised at this speech, looked up and seemed about to say something, then changed his mind. It was a big game. The mayor was there and Ellsworth with a crowd ol his baseball men, a good many prominent citizens and politicians, half the 1 niversity, besides the two schools almost to a man. East High did not make much of a showing, so far as numbers were concerned, and noise—for weren’t they going to win? On the other side the West High rooters were beginning to realize that they were not expected to win. Nevertheless, they cheered and thundered so loudly when their nine came out that they almost convinced their rivals that they were going to win. As the two teams lined up, they were evenly matched, to a man. All eyes were now turned, when the West Highs saw Houser on the diamond. ‘‘What's lie playing for?” asked some one. “Don’t know----- Crack! Gosh, did you see that?” Both schools were yelling like demons as they saw Houser eating up the bases. Much to everyone’s surprise the East High won! Ilouser stopped to speak to some friends after tin game. The giandstand was emptying fast and it was several moments before In1 noticed that the nine had gone ahead. He quickly threaded his way to the gym and happening to pass an open window, looked in. He saw Captain Andrews of the West High and the rest of his team huddled together. All but Andrews were bawling like babies, and he was saying things. They were square things, too, and they cheered the men mightily. They finally left Andrews and lie, when they were gone, broke down, too. It is a sad thing to see a man cry. Houser s face was white when he turned away. “Good Lord ” he breathed, “I never thought it meant so much to them—and thev cared—like that.” “ That night Houser and McCabe sat smoking in room 1.3. Houser had built a wood fire in the grate and for a while the two watched it m silence. A log fell with a thud and the fire glared up, casting a glow on the shining silver cup on the table. Page Sixteen THE TATTLER

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H. B. KURTZ Tile HALLMARK Store Quality Jewelry this city ever put out, and what's more they’re going to win the hig game Saturday, for we don’t stand a ‘look-in’ of a chance. Morris McCabe’s jaw fell. “Say that again ‘Chick.’ and tell more of the particulars.” ‘‘Chick” told them. West High, a new school barely started in its third year, of whom you would expect “punk” athletics, had a decidedly good team. Even McCabe’s cold, hard face expressed admiration as “Chick” told how its nine, mostly raw material, had practiced and worked and slaved, and turned out a team worthy of its name. The public opinion was that it should win, and deserved to win. A celebration was being planned for them when they did win, and— “That’s enough, ‘Chick,’” interrupted McCabe. “Where did they get their pitcher?” They got him clean—lie’s all right.” “Well, all we can do is to get a man dirty if we’re going to beat that-------school. Bah! who would have thought anything like this would have come? 1 tell you, fellows, we’ve got to win.” “What do you propose?” “According to ‘Chick’s’ story their strength is in their pitcher. There’s only one man in this school who can get around him, and that’s Houser.” “Houser be blowed! We’ve got some two thousand students, and there must lx some one else,” cried Delaney. “You know there isn’t. Go ahead and get him.” The boys were silent as they waited for Delaney to come back with Houser. “Well, Houser, we thought we could get along without you, but we can’t,” said McCabe. McCabe, you know as well as any one that I can’t play. My work’s down and I’m in ‘Dutch’ with the faculty.” “You’ve got to, 1 tell you. We will cook up some special exam, papers and you can try them.” McCabe talked persuasively for ten minutes. At the end of that time Houser looked thoughtful. ‘‘I think 1 could get by that pitcher, lmt it means a lot of time and training for me. McCabe’s eyes glistened. “You shall have a nice, new-------” “Morris, it is not worth that much.” “On the contrary,” said Morris coldly, “it is. First, think of the school ;to be defeated by this dinky High would be a lasting disgrace. Besides, as Captain of the team, it would hurt me. If we lose the game, I lose my college. You know what terms I’m going in on.” THE TATTLER Page Fifteen

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hallmark—means Quality. H. B. KURTZ “Well, Houser, old top, it was a big game. “Big!” Houser sprang to his feet. “ W hy, man, do you know, il was the littlest, meanest, dirtiest game this school ever played. Here’s hoping the school will never see another such game as this one.” “Calm yourself,” said McCabe. “There’s the cup on the table, here’s your money,—what’s got into you, man? Aren t you glad you won? And best of all, there’s the mayor’s letter.” “Yes,” Houser took up the letter. “The cup goes to the school, thank fortune, and I won’t take the money, but this is mine. He gazed a little sadly at that small sheet of paper, his letter. It was perhaps the highest compliment a school boy could get. It congratulated him and offered him a position to fill a place that led to why, if a boy had any ambition this opportunity was enough to make him anything. Houser felt that it was the grandest moment of his young life when the mayor had put this letter into his hands saying that the country needed men who could play such a “big game. “Houser, aren’t you proud of it?” Houser smiled a little ruefully. “In a way, yes. But of course 1 didn’t accept his offer, and 1 won't take the money. “You—what?” “No. T told him that to play a big game I was not the man— that he needed a big man.” Morris McCabe looked astonishment personified. “You threw away the opportunity of a lifetime—for what ? “For the man who can play the game square and decent, with no dirty work.” “And who is that?” “‘Chick.’” McCabe arose, walked over to the window, and for a long time gazed out into the night. The little clock in the corner struck ten. Morris McCabe picked up his hat. Silently the two men shook hands. As he neared the door he turned and said, slowly, “Houser, ‘Chick is not the only man. You have played a bigger game than he. Lorell Hoskins. “Now, mv son,” said the conscientious father, ‘'tell me why I punished you?” “That’s it,” blubbered the boy indignatly. “First you pound the life out of me, and then you don’t know why you did it.” I wouldn’t be an angel, ’Cause angels have to sing: I'd rather be a senior, and do most anything. THE TATTLER Page Seventeen