Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

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Guess we ' ll have to leave you. So long, flaggy -pole. ' ' So long, boys, ' ' said Joe, and his manner was unchanged. He went his way, with his head down thinking deeply about the game. Joe had now proven his worth, if never before, for it takes a wonderful person indeed to remain com- posed during the taunts and jeers of his companions. Saturday came at last, welcomed by all. A field just outside of Centersville was crowded with spectators from both villages, gay colors were flying every- where and hundreds of voices could be heard cheering. Old men, veterans of the Rebellion, leaned on their canes and peered through their spectacles, smiling on the young warriors. Here and there through the crowd, as the waves of cheering died dovm, a word could be distinguished, Goodbye, Centersville, Take out Carlto- vn, Skunked to be, ' ' ' ' The game is ours, ' ' and other phrases signifying the keenest interest and utmost loyaltj on the part of the rooters. At length the game began. Carltown, being the visitor, was up to bat first. The red-haired boy took his pjlace in the box, while ' ' ' Baldy ' ' stood behind the batter, ready to catch anj-thing the Carltown lad should miss. Each team did its best, for every lad had a lassie whose eyes were fixed upon him. ' ' Reddy ' ' put the ball over the plate. ' ' Strike one ! ' ' called the umpire. Not such a worse pitcher, if he keep up at that rate, said Joe who was standing in the crowd, much interested in the game. The boy from Carltown woke up and knocked the ball away over in center field. He took third base before Centersville ' s fielder could get the ball back into the diamond. Ben Perry, the opposing pitcher was next up. ' ' Reddy ' ' shook ever so much as he realized the reputation of the person at bat- Ball one! sang out the ump ire, Ball two . . . Ball three! Reddy ' ' knew there was no time to waste so he put one over the plate. Ben was not caught napping nor was his strike a vild one. He hit the ball squarely and knocked it almost twice as far as the first batter, thus bringing his catcher in and scoring himself. Three outs quickly followed; then Centersville was up to bat. Baldy struck out the first thing. Reddy was next up and he made second, but was caught off his guard and put out. Next was the short-stop ; he showed great speed — true to his long legs — and brought in a score. Jones, the second-baseman, made third and was brought in by Popplewell who bunted and made first, M ' hile Carlto ra fumbled with the ball. The next batter made an cut and the score stood two to two, at the end of the fi rst inning. The next five innings quickly followed, Carltown having the upper hand with the score six to three in her favor. Joe stepped out to Reddy and asked him to allow him to pitch for them.

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A noun. And so he replied to every question until he came to the word with, which he called a conjunction, because of embarrassment upon realizing his position in a strange class. ' With ' a conjunction? 0 no, an adverb. An adverb? Sit doAvn. Next. A murmur went through the class as Joe sat down. He looked about him and was met by sneers from all. A little girl bobbed up from her seat and in her squeaky voice gave the sentence correctly. Joe realized his mistake. He had kno vn the correct answer but had failed to give it and now he could only do better the next time for this time had passed. When the shadows were lengthening eastward, the rural school was dis- missed, and the children, swinging their books, tramped leisurely homeward- A group of boys crowded about Joe and tried to make things as miserable for him as they could. You can ' t tell us nothin ' said one, while another commented on his clothes and asked if they came from Paris. We ' re goin ' to have a game of baseball Saturday, announced a lad noted for his red hair and freckled face, but you won ' t get to play- Doncha wish yer was? Who ' re you to play? asked Joe. Carltown, spoke up another boy. It ' s between us and Carltown. But we can ' t let you play. The other side might git skirred, thinkin ' we was a army an ' you the flagpole with a green-and-white flag. ' ' Everyone laughed. But Joe, seeming not to mind it, went on. Who ' s our pitcher? ' Our, ' listen to that will you, ' our, ' said a boy with a shaved head and apparently an empty one. Me, proudly replied the freckled lad. I, ' Reddy ' Gawsons, am the pitcher of Centersville and ' Baldy ' there is my catcher. Some pitcher I am too, can sling ' em right and left, spit-ball, curve, inshoot, er anything yer want. That ' s me. Who ' s Carltown ' s pitcher? A feller they call Ben Perry. He ' s a star mentally and physically both, they say, but I ' m gonna try to beat him if I can. We can ' t let you play as we know of, but of course in case we run kinda short we might let you carry water to the players or be third assistant to the umpire. ' ' Unmindful of the hilarity at his expense, Joe continued, How do the two teams stand this season ? How many games have they lost and won ? ' ' Carltown has won about eight games this season and lost none; we have won about seven and lost one- But say, what ' s that to you? You can ' t play.

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You pitch! said Reddy scornfully. Why we wouldn ' t think of such a thing. Git outa the diamond. Take ' flaggy-pole ' out shouted Popplewell. Hogs out of the diamond! shouted Baldy. Joe stood his ground and pleaded calmly, I only want you to give me a chance- You want to vdn the game and I want you to win it, but you know you can ' t, if you keep up at this rate. I onlj ' want a chance. Let me pitch the seventh inning. If any man makes first, you may throw me out. That is fair. Only try me. ' ' There was a heated discussion among the players as to whether or not Joe should be put as pitcher in Reddy ' s place. At length they decided to give the new boy, a trial though it was much against Reddy ' s will. I ' m not doing this against you, ' ' said Joe to ' ' Reddy as he walked out to the box, but I am doing it for CentersviUe. Joe proved that he could pitch. Three opposing players were successively fanned out, none of them even fouling the baU. Only once did Joe fail to put the ball over the plate. The umpire scratched his head, as Carltown came into the field, and the great crowd of spectators from both villages asked each other the quv ' stiou, ' ' What manner of boy is this and where did he come from ? ' ' CentersA ' ille went up to bat but no one scored. Then Carlto vn went up and Joe gave the three batters a fan-out similar to that of their fellow-players. The home team was up again and this time for two scores. The eighth inning ended with the score six to five in favor of Carltown. There seemed to be a great deal of commotion among the crowd of onlookers. Fans from Carlto vn were going wild, hats were flying in the air and everj ' other sound was drowned by their shouts of victory ; while a few thoughtful ones eyed the new boy and realized that victory was yet to be obtained with such a person as he on the opposing side- No joyous shouts, were heara from the CentersviUe fans though most of them smiled confidently when they looked at Joe. The ninth and last inning followed- Joe took his place and Ben Perry was at bat. The shouts of the crowd had ceased ; everj- one gazed in breathless sus- pense, for at last the two great players were facing each other. Joe purposely threw a ball but Ben, expecting it to be a strike, struck at it. His strike was a wild one and missed the ball a good foot. Joe again threw a ball and again Ben struc-k at it, witii the same result. Then the Carltown lad saw the trick and de- cided not to strike at the next one. Joe put the next one, however, over the plate. Strike three! called the umpire. Batter out! Joe ' s expression remained unchanged, though, could we have looked into his heart, we might have seen him smiling. CentersviUe cheered to the top of her voice but Carltown was quiet. The new pitcher was acting beyond her realiza-