That night there was a big banquet given to the tourists by the railroad officials who had had the party in charge from the beginning and by some of the leading citizens of San Francisco. It was a jolly occasion, where for once in affairs of the 147 kind the “flowing bowl” was notable for its absence. The stalwart, clear-eyed athletes who, with their friends, were the guests of the occasion, had no use for the cup that both cheers and inebriates.
A striking feature of the table decorations was a cake weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds, on whose summit was a bat and ball, and whose frosted slopes were accurate representations of the Polo Grounds and the baseball park at Chicago. It is needless to say how pronounced a hit this made with the “fans” of both sexes. It was a great send-off to the globe-encircling baseball teams.
The next day, Joe and Jim took the girls down to the pier to see the ship on which they were to sail. It was a splendid craft of twenty thousand tons and sumptuously fitted up. The girls exclaimed at the beauty of her lines and the superb decoration of the cabins and saloons.
“The Empress of Japan!” read Clara, as she scanned the name on the steamer’s stern.
“Most fittingly named,” said Jim gallantly, “since she carries two queens.”
“What a pretty compliment,” said Clara, as she flashed a radiant look at Jim.
“I’m afraid,” said Mabel, “that Jim’s been practising on some of the nice girls in the party.”
“Have I, Joe?” appealed the accused one. 148 “Haven’t I been an anchorite, a senobite, an archimandrite——”
“Goodness, I thought you were bad,” laughed Clara. “But now I know you’re worse.”
“Keep it up, old man, as long as the ‘ites’ hold out,” said Joe. “I guess there are plenty more in the dictionary. But honest, girls, Jim hasn’t looked twice at any girl since he came away from Riverside.”