“Well, we certainly want to lick the Springs team,” said the pitcher. “And, if I can’t pitch, I guess it’ll be up to Tom.”
“I would if I could——” began Tom. But Walter cut him short.
“You will, too, if I have to go down there to the store and drag you out,” he said positively. “Here we are, fellows! Let’s give ’em a cheer now just to show we’re here!”
And so, as the car turned into Main Street, a vociferous greeting issued from the rear seats of the trolley, announcing to the world at large that the Blues were home again with another scalp!
Tom went back to Derry that evening by a late train and John Green and Star were at the station to meet him with the buggy. And all the way home to the farm Tom regaled the hired man’s ears with a history of the great victory, John Green, whose notions of baseball were scanty and confused, listening with flattering attention, while Star, nestling between Tom’s legs, wiggled with ecstasy. On Monday, Tom went back to Amesville and to the store and his labours. And for a fortnight life was busily monotonous. He didn’t play with the Blues again, either in the field or the pitcher’s box. Thorny’s disability only lasted a day or two and he finished out the season for the team. The Monday lesson didn’t come off, for the reason that a driving autumn rain set in Monday forenoon and lasted three days. After that the occasion never occurred when both Tom and Thorny were at liberty, and some ten days later Thorny went off to college in Illinois, and Tom didn’t see him again until near Christmas time.
And then, one fine crisp autumn day, Sidney came back and Tom went down to the station at noon to meet him.
[CHAPTER XIV]
COACH TALBOT MAKES A CALL
It was awfully nice to have Sidney home again. Tom didn’t realise until now how much he had really missed him. And Mrs. Morris, too; and Mr. Morris to a lesser extent. They were all three sunburned and healthy-looking and very glad to be back once more. Mr. Morris left the carriage at his office and the others went out to Alameda Avenue together, Sidney rattling off a history of the summer with sparkling eyes, appealing to his mother every other minute for confirmation. In a lapse of Sidney’s chatter, Mrs. Morris told Tom how disappointed they had been when he had written that he could not visit them. “Sidney felt so badly,” she said, “that he immediately went out and tried to drown himself!”