Billie eagerly hurried from the players' bench with a look of surprise and expectancy on his sun-tanned face. Madge experienced for the first time a sudden sense of shyness at his coming. His lithe form and his nimble step somehow gave her a pleasure that seemed old yet was new. When he neared her, and, lifting his cap, spoke her name, the shade of gloom in his eyes and lines of trouble on his face dispelled her confusion. "Billie, Pat tells me he's given you ten days' notice," she said. "It's true." "What's wrong with you, Billie?" "Oh, I've struck a bad streak--can't hit or throw." "Are you a quitter?" "No, I'm not," he answered quickly, flushing a dark red. "You started off this spring with a rush. You played brilliantly and for a while led the team in batting. Uncle George thought so well of you. Then came this spell of bad form. But, Billie, it's only a slump; you can brace." "I don't know," he replied, despondently. "Awhile back I got my mind off the game. Then--people who don't like me have taken advantage of my slump to----" "To knock," interrupted Miss Ellston. "I'm not saying that," he said, looking away from her. "But I'm saying it. See here, Billie Sheldon, my uncle owns this team and Pat Donahue is manager. I think they both like me a little. Now I don't want to see you lose your place. Perhaps----" "Madge, that's fine of you--but I think--I guess it'd be best for me to leave Kansas City." "Why?" "You know," he said huskily. "I've lost my head--I'm in love--I can't think of baseball--I'm crazy about you." Miss Ellston's sweet face grew rosy, clear to the tips of her ears. "Billie Sheldon," she replied, spiritedly. "You're talking nonsense. Even if you were were that way, it'd be no reason to play poor ball. Don't throw the game, as Pat would say. Make a brace! Get up on your toes! Tear things! Rip the boards off the fence! Don't quit!" She exhausted her vocabulary of baseball language if not her enthusiasm, and paused in blushing confusion. "Madge!" "Will you brace up?" "Will I--will I!" he exclaimed, breathlessly. Madge murmured a hurried good-bye and, turning away, went up the stairs. Her uncle's private box was upon the top of the grand stand and she reached it in a somewhat bewildered state of mind. She had a confused sense of having appeared to encourage Billie, and did not know whether she felt happy or guilty. The flame in his eyes had warmed all her blood. Then, as she glanced over the railing to see the powerful Burns Carroll, there rose in her breast a panic at strange variance with her other feelings. Many times had Madge Ellston viewed the field and stands and the outlying country from this high vantage point; but never with the same mingling emotions, nor had the sunshine ever been so golden, the woods and meadows so green, the diamond so smooth and velvety, the whole scene so gaily bright.