SECOND BASE SLOAN [Illustration: The White Boy, the Black Boy, and the Yellow Dog] Second Base Sloan BY CHRISTY MATHEWSON AUTHOR OF FIRST BASE FAULKNER, CATCHER CRAIG, ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY E. C. CASWELL [Illustration] GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1917, by DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, Inc. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I TWO BOYS AND A DOG 3 II JUNE STRIKES A BARGAIN 13 III THE SEARCH FOR WORK 28 IV DISPOSSESSED 44 V WAYNE PARTS WITH SAM 57 VI THE NEW HOME 71 VII THE LUCK CHANGES 84 VIII WAYNE LOSES A JOB AND FINDS ONE 100 IX BIG TOM MAKES AN OFFER 118 X NEW FRIENDS 131 XI THE CHENANGO CLUB 143 XII MEDFIELD CELEBRATES 159 XIII WAYNE BEATS OUT THE BALL 172 XIV “A GENTLEMAN TO SEE MR. SLOAN” 186 XV PATTERN GIVES ADVICE 198 XVI OFF TO HARRISVILLE 210 XVII TURNED DOWN! 225 XVIII “BADGERS” VS. “BILLIES” 236 XIX WAYNE LENDS A HAND 250 XX JUNE GOES TO WORK 263 XXI MR. MILBURN PROMISES 274 XXII SECOND BASE SLOAN 287 ILLUSTRATIONS The white boy, the black boy, and the yellow dog (Page 12) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE Wayne’s cry was uttered involuntarily as he leaped forward 104 Every other Medfield adherent made a joyful noise 182 His conviction that he could hit that ball was still strong 296 SECOND BASE SLOAN CHAPTER I TWO BOYS AND A DOG