Page:Lefty o' the Bush.djvu/216

 "Bancroft comes Wednesday, this week."

"And you will pitch?"

"I don't know; I presume so."

"Oh, I'll see it unless father positively refuses to let me go. I must see that game! I hope you pitch as well as you did before."

"I hope so myself," he laughed, "although for a time in the first inning I was almost led to believe I couldn't pitch at all."

"I'll never forget it," she breathed. "It was dreadful. The crowd was howling at you so, and you seemed utterly unable to get the ball over. I confess that I, too, thought you were useless as a pitcher. But when you redeemed yourself, and the crowd became satisfied that you could hold Bancroft, how quickly the howling turned to cheers! I can hear them now, crying: 'Oh, you Lefty!' It was splendid!"

Janet's cheeks were bright, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm reawakened by those exciting moment. Watching the movements of her lips, revealing flitting glimpses of perfect teeth; listening to her voice, as sweet as that of Bassanio's beloved maid; entranced by the violet light of her eyes, all aglow with earnestness; he was stirred as never before in all his life.

Then and there came the knowledge that she