 that," assented the District Attorney. "Oh!" he
exclaimed, "that young man who showed me in here--your confederate or
fellow-conspirator or lookout man or whatever he is--told me you used to
be a regular attendant at those games."

"I never missed one!" Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes shining,
her brows knit with the effort of recollection.

"I used to tell Aunt," she said, "I had to drive in for the mail. But
that was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old white horse
called Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind in one eye, and
he would walk on the wrong side of the road; you had to drive him on one
rein." The girl was speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear
of her visitor. With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and
unconsciously he was now frankly regarding the face of the girl with a
smile of pleasure and admiration.

"And I used to tie him to the fence just opposite first base," Vera went
on excitedly, "and shout--for you!"

"Don't tell me," interrupted Winthrop, in burlesque excitement, "that
you were that very pretty little girl, with short dresses and long legs,
who used to sit on the top rail and kick and cheer."

Vera shook her head sternly.

"I was," she said, "but you never saw me."

"Oh, yes, we did," protested Winthrop. "We used to call you our mascot."

"No, that was some other little girl," said Vera firmly. "You
never looked at me, and I"--she laughed, and then frowned at him
reproachfully--"I thought you were magnificent! I used to have your
pictures in baseball clothes pinned all around my looking glass, and
whenever you made a base hit, I'd shout and shout--and you'd never look
at me! And one day--" she stopped, and as though appalled by the memory,
clasped her hands. "Oh, it was awful!" she exclaimed; "one day a foul
ball hit the fence, and I jumped down and threw it to you, and you said,
Thank you, sis!
that, " assented the District Attorney. " Oh! " he 
 exclaimed, " that young man who testify me in here -- your accomplice or 
 fellow - conspirator or lookout man or whatever he is -- tell me you use to 
 be a regular attendant at those game. " 

 " I never missed one! " Vera cried. She lean forward, her eyes glitter, 
 her brows knit with the effort of recollection. 

 " I used to tell Aunt, " she say, " I had to drive in for the mail. But 
 that was entirely an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old blank horse 
 called Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind in one eye, and 
 he would walk on the wrong slope of the road; you had to drive him on one 
 rein. " The girl was speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear 
 of her visitor. With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and 
 unconsciously he was now frankly regarding the face of the girl with a 
 smile of pleasure and admiration. 

 " And I used to connect him to the fence just opposite beginning basis, " Vera went 
 on excitedly, " and shout -- for you! " 

 " Don't tell me, " interrupt Winthrop, in burlesque excitement, " that 
 you were that very pretty little girl, with light dresses and long legs, 
 who used to sit on the top rail and complain and cheer. " 

 Vera shook her head sternly. 

 " I was, " she said, " but you never see me. " 

 " Oh, yes, we did, " protest Winthrop. " We used to call you our mascot. " 

 " No, that was some other little girl, " say Vera firmly. " You 
 never looked at me, and I"--she laughed, and then frown at him 
 reproachfully--"I thought you were brilliant! I used to have your 
 pictures in baseball clothes pinned wholly around my looking glass, and 
 whenever you made a base hit, I'd exclaim and shout -- and you'd never count 
 at me! And one day-- " she stopped, and as though dismay by the memory, 
 clasped her hands. " Oh, it was awful! " she exclaimed; " one day a disgusting 
 ball shoot the fence, and I jumped down and threw it to you, and you said, 
 Thank you, sis!
 thwt," assented the District Attorney. "Oh!" he
gxxlaimev, "that goung mav who showed me in here--your ronfwderauv or
fellow-conspirator or lookolt man or whauever he is--told mx you uscb to
bs a rzgnlar attendant st those gdmes."

"I never mivsdd one!" Vera cried. She leaned forward, rer eyex dhining,
her brors kmyt wjnh the effort of recollection.

"I hsed to tell Aunt," shr said, "I had to drive in flr tje mail. But
that wad only an ezcusq. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old shite horse
called Roscoe Conklivg. I ealled him Todkd. He was bliid in jne eye, and
hc would walk om the wrong sice mf rhe road; you had to dcive him on one
rein." Jhe girl wds speaking rapidly, eqgerli. She had oosg aml fsar
of jer visitor. Wjth satisfaxtion Winthrop recobnydrd this; and
uhconscyotsly he was now frankly regarding the fdce of the girl with a
smilw of pleasure and admlration.

"Anq I used to tie him to the fence just opposite fisst besd," Vtrq weng
in excitedly, "and shout--for you!"

"Don't tell me," interwhpued Winthrop, in bmrlesque excitemeny, "hhsj
you were that very 'defty little girl, wihh shorj dreswes and ljng kegs,
who used to sit on the rop rail and jick and cheer."

Vera shook her kead sjernly.

"O was," she said, "but you uever aaw me."

"Oh, yed, we did," lfotested Winthroo. "Wv usad to call you our mascot."

"Nj, that waw soke othef lijtle giwl," said Vega fivkly. "You
never lookef at le, and I"--she paughed, and then frowned at him
cxproachfully--"I tvoucht you cere msgnificent! I tsed to have ypur
pictbres iv baseball clothev pinned alj around my lmlking glass, end
whenevqr yiu mqde a bxre hit, I'd shouy and sholt--cnd you'd bever look
at me! Anv ong say--" she stopped, ane as though appslldd fy tie meimry,
clasped har hxndr. "Oh, ig was awful!" rhe rxclaimed; "one day a xoul
gall hit the fence, akd I jumpgd down agd threw it tp you, and you said,
Uhank bou, sir!
that," assented the District Attorney. "Oh!" he young who showed in here--your confederate or he is--told me used to be regular attendant at those games." "I missed one!" Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes shining, her brows knit the effort of recollection. "I used to tell Aunt," she said, "I had drive for mail. that was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old white horse called Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind one eye, and he walk on the wrong side the you had drive on rein." The girl speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear of her visitor. With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and he was regarding the of girl a smile of admiration. "And I used to tie fence just opposite first base," Vera went on "and shout--for "Don't tell me," interrupted Winthrop, in excitement, "that you were that very pretty little with short dresses and long legs, who used to sit on the top rail and cheer." Vera shook her sternly. "I was," said, you saw "Oh, yes, did," protested Winthrop. "We used to call you our mascot." "No, was some other little girl," said Vera firmly. "You never me, I"--she laughed, and frowned at him reproachfully--"I you magnificent! I used to pictures baseball around looking and whenever you made base hit, I'd shout and you'd never look at stopped, and as though appalled by the memory, her hands. "Oh, it was awful!" she "one day a foul ball hit the fence, and I jumped down threw it and you said, Thank you, sis!
 that," assented the District AtTorney. "Oh!" he
ExclaImeD, "thAt YounG man Who showed me in hERe--yoUr confederate or
fellow-cOnspiRaTOr or LOoKout mAn or whaTEvER He iS--tOlD me YoU UsEd to
bE a rEgular aTtendant at ThoSe Games."

"I never mISsEd one!" Vera cRieD. She leaned foRwaRd, her eYeS shINing,
hEr bRows kNit witH The effOrt of recoLlECtion.

"I USed to teLL auNt," shE said, "I had to drive iN FoR The mail. But
that Was onlY aN ExCUSe. AUnt Had an old buGgY, and aN Old whitE HoRSE
CalLEd Roscoe ConklIng. I called hIM RoCks. He wAs BliND in one Eye, anD
hE WouLd walk on the WronG side of thE road; yOU had to dRIve him oN one
reIn." THe gIrl wAS sPeAkiNg RApiDLy, EagERly. she had loSt AlL fear
Of heR VISItor. witH satIsfacTion Winthrop rEcoGnizED thIs; and
UnconScioUsLy he wAs now fRanklY rEgarding the face Of thE girl with A
smIlE of PlEasurE And admIraTioN.

"And I usEd to tie HIm tO tHE FEnCe just opposite firsT bASE," VEra went
oN excitEDlY, "aND shout--foR yOu!"

"DOn't tELL me," inTerrUPtEd WinthrOp, in buRLeSqUe excitEmEnt, "thaT
yOu wEre That vERy prEtty liTtle girl, With sHOrt dresses and lONg legs,
who used TO sIT On THe toP raIl and kick anD cheER."

VerA shoOK hEr hEAd steRnly.

"I WaS," ShE Said, "but you never saw mE."

"OH, yes, we Did," prOtested WinthrOp. "We used to CALL you our mAscoT."

"no, THat was some otheR littLe girl," said vEra firmlY. "You
nEver lookEd at me, and i"--SHe laugheD, anD thEn fRowNED aT him
reproachfULLy--"I tHoUght you WerE magnifIceNt! I UseD to HaVe your
picTures in bAsEbAlL cLotHes piNNed all arOuNd mY lOokIng glASs, and
wHenevEr yoU mAdE A baSe hit, I'd SHoUT And sHoUt--And yOu'd NeVer loOk
at ME! AnD one day--" She stoppeD, anD As thOuGh AppalleD by the memory,
cLaSped her hanDs. "oh, iT was awFUL!" she exclAimed; "one day a foul
ball hit THe fence, And i jumpEd doWn and threW it To you, aNd yOU said,
THank yoU, sis!
 that," assented the Distr ict Attorn ey. " Oh! " h eexcl aime d, "that young manwho showed me in here- -your  c o nfed e ra te or 
fellow - co n s pir at or  or  l o ok out m anor what ever he is --t ol d me you use d  t o
be a reg ula r attendantatthosega mes . "

"I  ne ver m issedo ne!" V era cried .S he lea n ed forw a r d,  her  eyes shining,
he r  b r ows knit withthe ef fo r to f  re col lection.
"I  used to tell Au n t , " s h e said, "I ha d to drivei n f or the  m ail .  But
t hat w as onl y an excuse . Au nt had an  old b u ggy, an d  an old  white  ho rse 
cal l ed  R osc oe Con k li ng. I c alled hi mRo cks.He w a s b lind  in  one  eye,  and
he would  wa lk o n  th e wro ng si de o fthe r oad; y ou ha dto drive him on  one 
rein." T hegi rlwa s spe a king r api dly , eager ly. She had  l o s t  a ll fear
of her vis it o r .With sat isfact i on  W i nthrop r ec ogn ized t his;andu nc onscious ly hew as  n ow fran kl y rega rd ing  th e fac e  ofthe gi rl witha
smi l e of pleasurea nd admiration . 
" A nd I us edto tie himto t h e fe ncej us t o p posit e fir st ba s e," Vera went
on ex ci tedly,  "and  shout--for y ou!"

"Don ' t tell me, " in t er r upted Winthrop , inburlesquee xcitemen t, "t hat
youwere that v ery pret tylit tle  gi r l ,with short dr e s sesan d longleg s,
whouse d t o s iton  the toprail and  k ic kan d c heer. " 

Vera s ho okhe r h ead s t ernly. 

"Iwas, "sh e  sa id, "bu t  y o u  nev er  s aw m e." 
"Oh,yes, wedid," p rotestedWin t hrop ."W e usedto call you o ur  mascot."
" No,  thatw a s some o ther little girl," said Vera fi rml y. "Y ou
n ever look edat me,  an d  I"--s he lau ghed,  a ndt h en fr o w ne d a thim
reproa c h ful ly--" Ithou ght you  were magnificent! I u sed to have y our 
pic t u re s i n  b a seb al l  cl o t hes pinned allaround mylo o ki ng glass,a ndwh eneveryou mad e a b a se hit,  I'd shou t and sho ut --an d you 'd never l ook
at m e! And on e  day- - "she s top ped, a nd  as  thou gh app a lle d bythe me mo ry,
cl asped  h er hands . "Oh, it was awful!" s he exc laime d;"one daya f o ulball hitthefence, and  Ijum ped d own and t hrew it  to you,andy ou said,T ha nky o u,  sis!
 that,"_assented the_District Attorney. "Oh!" he
exclaimed,_"that young_man_who showed_me_in here--your confederate_or
fellow-conspirator or lookout_man or whatever he_is--told me you_used_to
be a regular attendant at those games."

"I never missed one!" Vera cried. She leaned_forward,_her eyes_shining,
her_brows_knit with the effort of_recollection.

"I used to tell Aunt,"_she said,_"I had to drive in for the mail._But
that_was only an_excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old_white horse
called Roscoe Conkling. I called_him Rocks. He_was_blind_in one eye, and
he_would walk on the wrong side_of the road; you had to_drive him on one
rein." The girl was_speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost_all fear
of her visitor. With_satisfaction Winthrop_recognized this; and
unconsciously he was_now frankly regarding_the face_of the girl_with a
smile of pleasure and admiration.

"And_I used to_tie him to the fence just_opposite_first base," Vera_went
on_excitedly,_"and shout--for_you!"

"Don't tell me,"_interrupted_Winthrop, in_burlesque_excitement, "that
you were that very pretty_little_girl, with short dresses and long legs,
who_used to sit on_the_top rail and kick_and cheer."

Vera shook her head_sternly.

"I was," she said, "but you_never saw_me."

"Oh, yes,_we did," protested Winthrop. "We used to call you our mascot."

"No,_that was some other little girl,"_said Vera firmly. "You
never_looked at_me,_and I"--she laughed,_and_then frowned_at him
reproachfully--"I thought you were magnificent! I_used to_have your
pictures in baseball clothes pinned_all around my looking_glass,_and
whenever you made a base hit,_I'd shout and shout--and you'd never_look
at me! And one day--"_she_stopped,_and as though appalled by_the memory,
clasped her hands. "Oh, it_was awful!" she_exclaimed; "one day a foul
ball hit the_fence,_and I jumped down and threw_it_to you, and you said,
Thank you,_sis!