Monday morning and recitations once more. Monday afternoon and baseball practice again. Things went well on the field, for the candidates for the team had returned with renewed ambitions. Besides, there was a game with Benson High School two days later, and that was something to work for. Laurie managed to hit the ball on the nose every time he stood at the batting-net, and later on, in the five-inning practice game, he caught for an inning and, so far as he could discern, didn’t do so badly.
Back in No. 16 at half-past five, he found Kewpie awaiting him, Kewpie looking disheveled, weary, but triumphant. “I’ve got it!” he announced excitedly before Laurie was well through the door. “I’ve got the hang of it at last! That guy’s a corker, Nod, and he says I’ll know as much about it as he does in another month!”
“Restrain your enthusiasm, Kewpie,” urged Laurie. “No use telling the whole dormitory about it. These walls aren’t awfully thick, and I can hear Elk tramping around up-stairs like a hippopotamus right now.” But Laurie looked very much pleased and settled himself to hear Kewpie’s gladsome tidings. And when Ned came in a little later he heard them all over again, and after Kewpie had reluctantly torn himself away the twins agreed that, even allowing for a slight exaggeration of the facts as set forth by their late visitor, stock in the Association for the Reclamation of Kewpie Proudtree had advanced many points. The next afternoon the lady members of that association were also taken into the secret, and there was much rejoicing.
Polly and Mae learned the news at Bob’s tennis tea, for that long heralded affair was at last taking place. The court was finished and marked, the new creamy-white net was up, and, near at hand, a wicker table bore the paraphernalia of afternoon tea. Practice kept Laurie away until well after five, and Kewpie was missing for a time, too, but Ned and George Watson and Hop Kendrick and Hal Pringle and half a dozen other boys were there from the start. The gentler sex was represented by Polly, Mae, and Bob’s aunt, the latter presiding at the tea-table. Bob beat George Watson, 6 to 4, in an exhibition set, and then Mae and Hal Pringle played Polly and Hop Kendrick. After that there was tea and sandwiches and cake, and then Bob took on Hal and Lee, and the set went to 9 to 7 before Bob finally broke through on Hop’s service and won. The court was all that Bob’s fondest hope had pictured. Mr. Starling arrived before the party broke up and went through three games with Mae to the delight of the audience, by that time swelled with the arrival of Kewpie and Laurie.
Benson won from Hillman’s the next afternoon, 13 to 7. The home team played rather ragged ball in the field, although the pitching of George Pemberton and Nate Beedle was satisfactory enough. Nate relieved Pemberton in the fifth inning, too late to prevent three runs that put the visitors well in the lead. Laurie saw the game from the bench, for Cas Bennett wore the mask from start to finish.
On Saturday afternoon Hillman’s met Tudor Hall School and played a much steadier game. The Blue dislodged the opposing pitcher in the third inning and put the game safely away with six runs. Later four more were added, and the total of ten was more than enough to win, even though Tudor Hall staged a rally in the first of the ninth and hit Croft, who had succeeded Pemberton in the seventh, to all corners of the field and got three runners across the plate before Pat Browne, in right field, pulled down a fly and ended the fracas. Again Laurie was a non-combatant, although Elk Thurston caught during the final two innings and behaved rather well during that hectic ninth.
The following afternoon Ned, as self-appointed secretary and treasurer, rendered an accounting of the Pequot Queen fund, showing a balance in the treasury of $1.42. All bills had been paid, and the question of disposing of the balance came before the meeting. Kewpie’s suggestion was typical.
“Pay it to Miss Comfort,” he said, “and we’ll trade it out in cake!”
“It isn’t ours,” Ned reminded him sternly. “Besides it’s not for you to be thinking of cake, old dear.”
It was Polly’s suggestion that was finally adopted. They would give the vast sum to Brose Wilkins to be used for the purchase of flower-seeds for the boxes and beds. That momentous question settled, they set forth to call at the Pequot Queen, or, as Laurie reminded them they should now call the boat, the Lydia W. Frye.