Page:The spirit of the leader (IA spiritofleader00heyl).pdf/171

 game. Northfield had been counted on to win without much trouble, but Rahway was the victor by a score of 8 to 6. Infield errors had accounted for four of her runs. Post had dropped two thrown balls and had been the cause of spoiling what should have been a sure double play.

The school blamed the Owl for the defeat. Campus gossip said that if the nine had had any assurance that Martin would come back, it would have held itself together until June. Post was rated as hopeless. Only Jennings knew that Post, awakening to the fact that the infield doubted him, had begun to doubt himself.

Three days later the nine went to Rawlings and was defeated 5 to 3. This time three wild throws by Post tossed the game away. And the Owl came to school the following Monday morning to find himself publicly ostrasized and condemned. Some one left a card on his desk in his home room. It bore three words:

 The Northfield Jackass

The Owl read the card, holding it close to his near-sighted eyes, and then calmly replaced it on the desk where he had found it, leaving it where all who passed in the aisle might see it.