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Show THE PINOH HITTER. A Baseball Story. By J. Ai, Waldron, in tho Magazine or Fun. iThc sun was on its western way, and Tans 'by thousands, grave and gay, tho stands and field and bleachers rilled, and at "Play ball!" the throng was stilled, i Tho game was crucial, Tor tho racobe- , tween the clubs was Tor rirst place. Each nine's great "rllngcr," in the box "had I everything," worked like an ox, and every wflo put Into play curve balls and swirt and' radeaway. Each tfattlng order quickly passed I three up, three down and no one "sassed" tho umpires, for each batter relt that next time up he'd get a wolt. What seemed to bo a cracking hit would always rind a Holders mitt. The players on both sides hair spont, perspiring to their benches wont as inning artcr inning sped, with nolthcr an eyelash ahead. And thus tho game proceeded till tho sun was hidden by a hill; a rull twolvo Innings had boon rought, tho score remaining re-maining naught to naught. Tho visitors Jhclr thirteenth hair had played, and once more got tho laugh rrom Tans whoso rronzlcd cheors, and kicks classed them among sheer lunatics. Tho lQCjtl manager was seen with a Istrango nlaycr near tho screen. "A now pinch bluer!" was tho cry, quick rollowed by somo ribaldry. Tho rirst man up was not tho $?rst; ho bunted, sprinted and got rirstr5" Tho second batter banged away and hit Into a doublo play I Tho rans despairing, uttering groans, shrieks, whistles, howls, laments and moans. Tho man who works tho megaphone pronounced a speech In eyon tone and Pinch-hit Billy camo to bat. Ills nnmo was Splogolhauson- hat. Ho was a-stranger to all thorc a stranger to tho bleachers' blare a stranger to tho mighty thrall that hovers over blg-loaguo ball. Fresh rrom tho bushes, groon as grass, ho scorned to lack what thoy callod "class." Ungainly, with a rreckled pate, ho lumbered slowly 'to tho plate. Ho legs would a piano bear, his shouldors massive were and square, and yot his aspoct on tho wholo was that ono dcop in a hole. Tho pitcher oyed him with a grin, whllod ho seemed rattlod at tho din. "Ono ball!" tho ump bohlnd tho plate, with gesture, criod. Fans wore 'Olato. "One striker' tho next decision camo, 1 and stands and bloachers wore ariamo. "Two strikes I" The crowd was in a rrlght, and rrenzied rootors shrlokod, "Good nlghtl" Tho third ball pitched, at mighty rate, came Talrly squarely o'er the-plate the-plate or, rather, it was coming pat. 'TWas met by Sptegolhausonhat. It lort his bat to boat tho cars and seomod as. though 'twas bound Tor Mars. Homo run? Why, It was ortcn talked that this bush-lcagor might have walked hair way across tho continent bororo that hall Us course had spont. Next day a thousand Tans or more tho doctors to asylums boro. All pitchers now, when he's at bat, Just walk this Spiegclhausenhat. |