Football -- Juvenile fiction; Schools -- Juvenile fiction
To Jimsy’s credit be it said that he didn’t hide behind any such
anonymity as “A Friend” or “Wellwisher” or “Fair Play.” No, sir,
Jimsy came right out and signed the bottom of that chirographic
bombshell plainly with his name, thus: “James Duffy Carnochan.” It
was a bombshell, too, if for no other reason than that it exploded
so unexpectedly. It was addressed to Coach Cade, and it reached that
already harassed gentleman by the first mail delivery on Saturday
morning. It ran as follows:
Mr. John Cade,
87 Academy street,
City.
DEAR SIR:
You might like to know that one of your football players isn’t
eligible to play on your team. His name is Renneker but it
wasn’t that last August when he played first baseman for the
Maple Leafs baseball team of New London, it was George Ralston.
He got twenty-five dollars for playing first baseman and if you
don’t believe it please communicate with John Worrall in Care
Broady Silk Mill, New London. Worrall managed the Maple Leafs
and paid the money to Ralston or Renneker cash before the game
started, as he will tell you. I guess he can’t deny it anyway,
not if you ask him right out.
Wishing you a successful season,
Resply yours,
JAMES DUFFY CARNOCHAN.
Coach Cade frowned, read the epistle a second time, laughed shortly and
thrust it into a pocket. He had received similar communications before
to-day, sometimes written in good faith, sometimes purely mischievous.
Then he reflected that here must be an example of the former sort,
since the writer had not only signed his name but, evidently as
an after-thought, placed an address on the flap of the envelope.
Nevertheless, in the press of other matters Coach Cade forgot the
letter for several hours, and it wasn’t until he pulled it forth from
his pocket when seeking another document that he recalled its annoying
existence. This was just after early dinner was over at training table,
and Gordon Renneker was still in sight by the dining hall door. The
coach excused himself to Tod Tenney and made after the player.
“Renneker,” he said, overtaking the big fellow just outside the hall,
“got a minute to spare?”
Renneker assented and followed the other along the path that led
around to the gymnasium. Coach Cade produced the letter and handed it
to Renneker. “Got that in the morning’s mail,” he explained. “I’m not
taking any stock in it, you understand, but you’d better see it.”
Gordon Renneker read the epistle through calmly and handed it back,
with a smile. The smile, however, was not quite natural, and the coach
noted the fact. “Well,” he asked, “what about it?”
“I’d say,” replied Renneker, “it’s a case of mistaken identity.”
“Probably,” agreed Johnny, eyeing him sharply nevertheless. “I presume
you never played baseball on this team?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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