“I cannot say, as I am out of college; but I shall be interested in the sport, and I expect to do some coaching.”
“Would you mind saying where?”
“I have no objections. I have been invited to coach the team at Fardale, where I once attended school. As I hope to enter my brother there this fall, I shall accept the invitation.”
“Your brother—he is the youthful pitcher concerning whom the papers had so much to say this morning. The story of your meeting with him was most romantic.”
Now Merry frowned a bit.
“In many particulars the story was not quite accurate,” he declared. “I saw the reporters were determined to tell some kind of a yarn about it, and I gave them the bare facts. They were not satisfied, and some of them resorted to imagination in their elaboration of the particulars.”
Jack Ready had remained in the background, but now he stirred slightly, upon which Merriwell at once introduced him to the visitor.
“Mr. Hazard,” said Jack, bowing profoundly. “I see you are delighted to meet me. It is a great honor. You may tell your grandchildren about it as they gather about your knees.”
Hazard regarded the queer fellow with a puzzled expression.
“This is our third-baseman,” said Frank. “He is a very entertaining chap, both on the diamond and off.”