“I don’t know about that, either. As I said before, it isn’t like it used to be. Ball players are pretty smart nowadays, and by the time they’re getting by they’ve worked up a nice little business on the side or saved up a tidy bunch of money.” “If they’re the saving kind,” answered the coach with a smile. “You know yourself, Ben, you wouldn’t deliberately advise Pollock to become a professional ball player. Now would you?” “N-no, I guess I wouldn’t. Still, if there wasn’t anything better----” “There is, though, for that chap. I don’t know what it is, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s naturally smart and not afraid of work. If he was my boy, I’d put him into college, give him a couple of years to look around and decide on a profession or an occupation, and then see that he buckled down and worked hard. What’s his father like?” “Dead. He lives with an uncle out at Derry. The uncle’s a farmer and a bit tight-fisted, they tell me. Maybe Tom will get the property when the old man dies. I don’t know.” “Well, he’s got two more years at high school. By that time--I’ll have a talk with him some day. I haven’t much money myself, Ben, but I’d scrimp a bit to see a kid like that make good and not go to waste.” “Why, say; so’d I, Bat. I’m fond of that boy, too. You’ve no idea how plucky he is. Why, when I ran across him at the boarding-house, Bat, he’d been teaching himself to pitch with one of these ten-cent books! And he was doing it, too! Look here, let’s you and me sort of keep an eye on him, Bat. I haven’t a pile of money, either, but I’d spend a little to help Tom through college, if that was what you were thinking of.” Coach Talbot nodded. “Something of the sort. Of course, if he showed up strong in a couple of years, he could get into a college and not have to pay anything. Take my own college, for instance. There’s a lot of old grads who are always on the lookout for promising athletes. Any fellow who looks real good to them can get through four years without its costing him a cent. It’s done right along. But, somehow, I don’t like it. It may do for some fellows, Bat, but it’s--it’s----” “I wouldn’t let a boy of mine do it--if I had one,” declared Mr. George with emphasis. “Maybe in a couple of years, Bat, you and I will be flusher. Then Tom’s got a pretty good position with Cummings and Wright. Cummings is real fond of him; you can see that. In two years he might be able to save quite a little himself. Then, maybe, you and I, we could----” Mr. Talbot nodded again. Then he laughed softly. “We’re a funny pair to be adopting a boy, Ben!” “I wasn’t meaning to exactly adopt him----” “I understand. We’ll think it over. Anyhow, at least we can keep an eye on the chap and see that he doesn’t---- Hello! here’s trouble!” Tom had fanned the first batsman, but the second, after waiting craftily, had drawn a pass. The Petersburg coachers shouted joyfully: