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Show A GOLDEN 1ALL. British Soldiers Played the National Game With It Probably no game of ball, by professional pro-fessional or college team, waa ever watched with such Inner Interest but with such outward Indifference aa one described In Gertrude Vanderbllt'a "Social History of Flatbuah." It happened hap-pened In revolutionary times, when the British soldlerB were stationed on Long Island. The Inhabitants bad hidden hid-den their valuables In all possible places. One lady concealed some gold W coins In a ball-shaped pincushion of the kind worn by the Dutch housewife, house-wife, suspended at her side. She was. sitting sewing one day when a party of British soldiers entered en-tered the room. A young officer, spy-lng spy-lng what to him was a novelty, cut with his Bword tho ribbon by which the cushion was hung, and began a game of ball. Soon the rest of tho company joined the sport. Boisterously, from hand to hand, the ball was batted to and fro. It was roughly snatchod and tossed, and sometimes it fell into the ashes of the fireplace, and barely escaped es-caped conflagration. Now and again a soldier would catch It on the tip of his sword and send It spinning on with a rent In its side. Every moment threatened to reveal the precious contents. To show the least anxiety was to betray the secret, and the owner was forced to sit unmoved, un-moved, apparently Intent on ber work, and to see her fortune flying through the air, at the mercy of the enemy. At last the cushion, torn and battered, but still guarding Its treasure, was returned re-turned to Its mistress, and the Intruders, Intrud-ers, tired of their play, left the house. Youth's Companion. |
