Having said this, he left the office and the store, heedless of some parting words from Cope, who was far more agitated than he had been before the interview. There was triumph in Benton King’s heart, for the last shadow of uncertainty regarding the identity of Kingsbridge’s star pitcher had vanished. He had felt before that he was on the right track, but now he was positive about it; Henry Cope’s refusal to answer his point-blank question had been admission enough. CHAPTER XXV THE TEST AND THE DENIAL At the post office, as he had hoped, King met Janet. Since Sunday, he had scarcely caught a glimpse of her, but he knew she sometimes came for the mail near that hour, and the knowledge brought him there from the mill. As she was leaving, he joined her, making an excuse to walk in the same direction. They chatted about various trivial things, Janet seeming quite light-hearted. He, however, was troubled; he wished that she would speak of baseball, which would make it easier for him to introduce the matter that was on his mind. Coming in sight of the parsonage at last, he decided to delay no longer. “I understand,” he said abruptly, “that Kingsbridge’s great pitcher, Locke, is in trouble.” “In trouble?” she exclaimed, surprised. “How?” The undisguised depth of her interest, and her all too apparent alarm, gave him a stab of anger. “Oh,” he answered, with pretended carelessness, “it has just leaked out that he played a rather slick two-handed game with Bancroft and Kingsbridge, and Mike Riley is making a holler about it. He professes to hold first claim on the man. If so, this town will lose the mighty southpaw.” Her alarm became almost panicky. “I don’t understand, and I don’t believe a word of it. It’s only another of Riley’s tricks. How can he have any claim on Lefty?” He explained. “Oh,” said Janet, “is Lefty really and truly a college man? I felt sure he could not be just an ordinary professional player. He seems far too refined and well bred.” “He’s a college man, all right. He looked familiar to me at first sight, but I was not sure I had seen him before. His name is Hazelton, and he did some pitching for Princeton this year, but I don’t think he was a regular on that team until the end of last season. I suppose he thought that, coming away up here in the bush, he could get by under a fake name without being found out. They’re wise to him, however, and now he’s in bad. It should end his career as a college pitcher.” “That would be a shame!” King shrugged his shoulders. “Why so? A college player who goes into the game professionally deserves no sympathy if exposed. He’s crooked, and he has no right ever again to appear on his college nine.” “I don’t believe Lefty would do anything crooked,” she declared stoutly. “He has an honest face. You’re prejudiced against him, Bent.”