“Wait a minute! Tell you what I’ll do. I believe in you. I believe you’ll make good. Get me? So I’ll hand you over a ten-dollar bill right now. That’ll pay your expenses both ways. If you make good you can pay it back to me. If you don’t, forget it. That’s fair, ain’t it?” “Yes, sir, but I don’t know whether I want to--to do it. If I was sure of a chance to play and knew what I’d earn----” “You’re sure of a chance to play the very minute you show you can play. And whatever you get for a salary will be three or four times what they pay you in the freight house, at least.” It occurred to Wayne that Mr. Farrel had managed to learn quite a few particulars about him in the short space of four hours! Secretly he was overjoyed by the prospect of joining a real baseball team and earning money, but something whispered caution, and so, after a minute’s deliberation, he said: “I’ll think it over, Mr. Farrel, and let you know tomorrow if you’ll tell me where I can find you.” “That’s all right,” answered the other heartily enough, but there was a look on his face suggesting that he would have been better pleased had Wayne closed with the offer then and there. “I’ll be at the Union House until noon tomorrow. You think it over and let me know by twelve o’clock. I was going down to Philadelphia tonight, but I thought maybe I wouldn’t be around here again for a while and it mightn’t do me or you any harm if we had a little chat. Get me? But, say, Mr. Sloan, you take my advice and don’t talk much about this business. And don’t let anyone con you into signing a contract. A lot of these baseball scouts are regular thieves. That sounds like talking down my own business, don’t it? Well, there’s scouts and scouts, and some of ’em’ll sign you up hard and fast before you know what’s happened. And when you go to look over your contract you’re getting the core and the club’s got the apple. See me before you talk to anyone else, will you? Just give me an option on your services until tomorrow noon, eh?” “Why, yes, sir. I don’t expect anyone else will be after me, though.” “No, I guess not. I’m only playing it safe. You see, I’ve taken some trouble to talk with you about this, and missed an appointment in Philadelphia this evening, and it’s only fair for me to get the first chance, ain’t it? You see that yourself, I guess. Well, I’ll be moving. Don’t forget to come around by twelve tomorrow. Ask for Chris Farrel--F, a, r, r, e, l--in Room 28. I’ll be looking for you. Good-night, Mr. Sloan. Much obliged to you. Don’t trouble. I know the way out. S’long!” Mr. Chris Farrel, with a big, black cigar in a corner of his mouth at last, and searching for matches with an anxious hand, nodded and passed out, leaving Wayne a prey to excitement and incredulity. CHAPTER XV PATTERN GIVES ADVICE