Page:Stanwood Pier--Crashaw brothers.djvu/203



DWARD ran with Payne to the players’ bench. Keating was picking out his bat from the row on the ground; Edward put his  arm over his shoulder and said to him,—

“Keat, Jim wants me to bat for you.”

Keating looked up, startled; for just that instant he could not keep the disappointment  from showing in his eyes. Then his face lighted, and he grasped Edward’s hand.

“A home run, Ned,” he said. “You’re the fellow for it.”

Edward turned to Rigby, who was substitute catcher for Payne.

“What size shoes do you wear, Rigby?” he asked.

“Eight and a half. Why?”

“Let me have ’em, quick.”

That was the first intimation the nine had that Edward was going into the game. They