"It still feels a little odd to have you 'remembering' things from years that have not yet been," interrupted Hootsey.
"Let him finish the story," admonished Elephant.
"I am sorry," said Rube. "But it is a memory to me, and a prediction to you. I will try to be more careful about naming years if I can remember to be. But in any event, I was eighteen years old at the time, and already the most valuable player in the Big Leagues! Excuse me if I seem to boast, but I feel that I am justified this time. I was the hero of the hour.
"Still, I came up too late in the season to make a trip to Chicago with the Giants that year, but the next season we made our first trip to Chicago the second week in June. And the first thing I did, as soon as I got there, was to make a beeline for that firehouse.
"The only one there when I first got there was the Lieutenant. I walked up to him and said, 'Lieutenant, do you remember me?'
"'Never saw you before in my life,' he said.
"'Well, remember about three years ago you caught me sleeping back of that stove there?'
"'Oh, are you that kid from Cleveland that said he's a ballplayer?'
"'Yes!' I told him. 'Remember me? My name is Marquard. Richard
Marquard.'
"'Of course,' he said, not really interested. 'What are you doing here?'