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 *port for early practice, and he means it. Besides, Kewpie's no more of a pitcher than—than I am!"

"I know, Laurie," said Polly persuasively, "but maybe with practice, and if you showed him—"

Ned chortled. Laurie, although he wanted to smile, kept a straight face.

"Of course," he agreed, "I might do that. Well, I'll do it, though I'll feel like a perfect ass when I speak to Pinky about it."

"There," said Polly in triumph. "I knew we could do something if we all put our heads together! And I do hope it will be all right. Kewpie's really a very dear boy, and he certainly did wonderfully at football last fall and he's just got to keep on. I do think, though, that we should keep this quite to ourselves, don't you, Ned?"

"Don't just see how we can. If Kewpie gets on the baseball squad he's almost sure to know something about it. He's not such a fool as he looks sometimes, Polly."

Polly stared. "I don't see—" she began. Then the twinkle in Ned's eye explained. "Of course I didn't mean that, silly! I meant that