LEFTY O’ THE BIG LEAGUE [Illustration: HE WAS SAYING TO HIMSELF: “ONE MORE! ONLY ONE MORE! I MUST GET HIM――I’VE GOT TO!”] LEFTY O’ THE BIG LEAGUE BY BURT L. STANDISH Author of “Lefty o’ the Bush,” “Lefty o’ the Blue Stockings,” “Lefty o’ the Training Camp.” _ILLUSTRATED_ GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC. _All Rights Reserved_ _Printed in the United States of America_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I GETTING IN BAD 11 II A CALL-DOWN FROM THE MANAGER 17 III THE RIOT AT THE THEATER 24 IV ONE AGAINST SCORES 31 V FRIENDLY BUCK FARGO 36 VI WHO WAS TO BLAME? 42 VII WITHOUT GRATITUDE 48 VIII THE MAN WHO KNEW 56 IX SOMETHING SUB-ROSA 63 X “WHEN THE CAT’S AWAY” 70 XI ALL IN 77 XII LEFTY’S FAILURE 82 XIII THE DISCHARGED WAITER 89 XIV BERT ELGIN’S LUCK 97 XV THE REASON WHY 103 XVI THE PURLOINED LETTER 108 XVII GUILE 114 XVIII THE MAN IN THE CORRIDOR 120 XIX NOT QUITE PROVEN 125 XX JANET HARTING WONDERS 131 XXI THE YELLOW STREAK 139 XXII LEFTY’S CHANCE COMES 147 XXIII THERE’S MANY A SLIP 152 XXIV THE UNEXPECTED 158 XXV THE STRUGGLE 167 XXVI GAINING GROUND 174 XXVII A CHANCE TO MAKE GOOD 181 XXVIII A BAD BEGINNING 186 XXIX TAKING A BRACE 193 XXX THE TRICKY TWIRLER 198 XXXI ONCE TOO OFTEN 206 XXXII THE SPIKING OF SCHAEFFER 213 XXXIII THE TELEGRAM 219 XXXIV NOTHING ELSE POSSIBLE 225 XXXV FOR WANT OF A LIE 231 XXXVI DROPPED OUT OF SIGHT 240 XXXVII OPENING THE SEASON 245 XXXVIII THE TWO MANAGERS 250 XXXIX THE MEETING IN THE GRANDSTAND 254 XL THE SURPRISE 263 XLI THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME 270 XLII THE TRUTH AT LAST 279 XLIII THE LUCKY SEVENTH 285 XLIV THE LEADING RUN 294