“It looks like some boy,” replied Mrs. Tiptop, as she handed the letter to Tommy.
It did not take him long to read it, and then he cried out:
“Say, momsey, this is great news! It’s a challenge from the Millton Junior Athletes! They’ve got a ball nine, and they want to play my team. Oh, say, this will be fun!”
“I didn’t know there was a nine in Millton—that is, a small team,” said Mrs. Tiptop. “There wasn’t one when you were there.”
“I tried to start one,” spoke Tommy, “but we moved away too soon. But Dan Danforth, George Squire, Patsie Cook, Billy Newhouse, Pete Johnson and some of the others have a regular nine now. And they have uniforms, Dan writes me. He wants to come here for a game. Oh, I’m glad our team all have suits now! I must write to Dan and tell him to come on, and we’ll beat his nine.”
The Riverdale Roarers lost their game of ball that day. Some of them said afterward that the umpire was unfair to them, and others admitted that the Hightstown boys were the better players. Tommy was inclined to believe the last.
“We’ve got to play better than this two weeks from Saturday,” he said after the lost game.
“Why?” asked Teddy.
“Because a team of fellows from Millton, where I used to live, is coming here. I’ve just got to beat ’em!”
“We’ll help you!” exclaimed Billie, eagerly. “But who do we play this Saturday week?”