"This letter from Federal League headquarters, urging me to grab the offer the Feds have made me. Twenty-seven thousand dollars for three years, a certified check for the first year's salary, and a thousand dollars bonus. That means that I can get ten thousand right in my hand by signing a Federal contract--more than enough to save my folks." Janet's face beamed, and she clapped her hands. "I had forgotten about their offer! Why, you're all right! It's just the thing." "I wonder?" She looked at him, and grew sober. "Oh, you don't want to go to the Federals? You're afraid they won't last?" "It isn't that." "No?" "No, girl. If there was nothing else to restrain me, I'd take the next train for Chicago, and put my fist to a Fed contract just as soon as I could. I need ten thousand dollars now, and need it more than I ever before needed money." Janet ran her fingers through his hair, bending forward to scan his serious and perplexed face. She could see that he was fighting a battle silently, grimly. She longed to aid him in solving the problem by which he was confronted, but realizing that she could not quite put herself in his place, and that, therefore, her advice might not come from the height of wisdom and experience, she held herself in check. Should he ask counsel of her she would give the best she could. "I know," she said, after a little period of silence, "that you must think of your financial interest in the Blue Stockings." "I'm not spending a moment's thought on that now. I'm thinking of old Jack Kennedy and Charles Collier; of Bailey Weegman and his treachery, for I believe he is treacherous to the core. I'm thinking also of something else I don't like to think about." "Tell me," she urged. He looked up at her, and smiled wryly. Then he felt of his left shoulder. "It's this," he said. She caught her breath. "But you said you were going to give your arm the real test yesterday. The Grays won, and the score was three to one when you hurt your ankle and were forced to quit. I thought you were satisfied." "I very much doubt if the Grays would have won had not Cap'n Wiley insisted upon pitching the opening innings for his team. The man who followed him did not permit us to score at all. I was the only one who got a safe hit off him. The test was not satisfactory, Janet." Her face grew white. It was not like Lefty to lack confidence in himself. During the past months, although his injured arm had seemed to improve with disheartening slowness, he had insisted that it would come round all right before the season opened. Yet lately he had not appeared quite so optimistic. And now, after the game which was to settle his doubts, he seemed more doubtful than before. She believed that he was holding something back, that he was losing heart, but as long as there was any hope remaining he would try not to burden her with his worries.