CHAPTER XXIII
AN EVIL INFLUENCE
It was with a thrill that Joe gathered up his hand-baggage when thetrain rolled into the Union Station at St. Louis. Here was the citywhere he had first broken into the big league, where he had fought hisfirst battles and won his spurs in fast company. If he had not played onthe Cardinals, he might not have attracted the attention of McRae andbeen traded to the Giants; if he had not been on the Giants he would nothave had his present chance of getting into the World's Series; if heshould get into that dreamed of Series there would be that neat littlesum with which to start housekeeping--and here Joe put his hand into hisbreast pocket to touch that little glove.
His pleasant musings were interrupted by a vigorous clap on the shoulderand the sound of a well-remembered voice.
"Hello, Joe, old man!" it said, and the next instant Joe was shakinghands with good old Rad Chase, who had come down to meet him.
"Rad, old boy, there's no man on earth I'd rather meet," he declared,after introducing him to Jim. "How are things going in little old St.Louis?"
"Fine as silk," grinned Rad. "The only thing we're missing is theeminent Mr. Matson on our team. If we had him, we'd make a mighty strongbid for the flag. I see that you've been up to your old tricks in NewYork. They're beginning to put your name and Hughson's together whenthey talk of the Giants' chances to win the pennant."
"You mustn't believe all you hear," laughed Joe. "But I'm glad to seethat you're cleaning up things here in the West. Those three straightfrom Chicago last week was some ball playing."
"Let's hope it isn't only a spurt," said Rad. "We need some Giant scalpsin our wigwam just now. About three out of four will do."
"Guess again," laughed Joe. "But tell me how are the old boys? How isCampbell? Has he got any new neckties this year?"
"Has he?" grinned Rad. "He showed me one yesterday that had a regulardelirium-tremens effect. I'm afraid to go to sleep for fear I'll dreamof it."
"Come up to the hotel with us and have dinner," invited Joe, as hesignaled for a taxi.
"You bet I will," replied Rad, heartily. "I've got a hundred things Iwant to talk to you about and now that I've got my hooks on you, I'mnot going to let go in a hurry."
They had a royal meal and a delightful evening together, and about teno'clock Rad rose to go.
"Barclay and I'll go with you a way," said Joe. "McRae doesn't care, aslong as we're back by eleven."
They strolled through the brilliantly lighted streets until they hadreached Rad's home and then Joe and Jim Barclay started to return.
Finding that they were a little later than they thought, they weremaking a short cut through a side street, when their attention was drawnto a man who emerged with unsteady steps from a saloon on the corner.There was something familiar about him, although they could not get aclear view of his face.
Suddenly Joe gave vent to a startled ejaculation:
"Great Scott, Jim!" he exclaimed, "it's Bugs Hartley!"
"So it is," replied Jim, looking more closely. "And he's pretty wellloaded. What'll McRae say?"
"What he'll say will be plenty," returned Joe, "and he won't stop withtalking. He'll fire him from the team. Look here, Jim, we've got to gethim into the hotel without Mac seeing him."
"How are we going to do it?" asked Jim.
"I don't know, but I'm going to try. Hello, Hartley," he called, comingup beside the man.
Hartley turned and looked at our hero sourly.
"Hello yourself," he said with a lurch. "Whaz mazher?"
"Nothing's the matter," replied Joe, "except that you'd better come homewith us right away. It's nearly eleven o'clock and it's time we were inbed. We don't want McRae to make the rounds and find our rooms empty.Come along."
Hartley, with an intoxicated man's stubbornness, was inclined to arguethe question, but Joe and Jim ranged themselves alongside and halfurged, half dragged him along, until they drew near the hotel.
"You stay here," directed Joe, who had thought out a way of smugglinghis team-mate into the hotel, "while I go on and fix things up."
He slipped in and found the head porter to whom he passed a bill, at thesame time telling him what he wanted. The porter suggested that they gothrough the servant's quarters in the rear of the hotel and upstairs bya freight elevator that he arranged to have in readiness. Joe went backto where he had left the others, and by dint of strenuous efforts he andJim finally got Hartley up to his room without detection. There theysurrendered him to the tender mercy of his room-mate, who helped him toget undressed and put him to bed.
Joe and Jim adjourned to their own room. They were flustered anddistressed. They felt bitterly indignant at Hartley who, by hisrecklessness, was threatening to wreck the chances of the team. Yet theyfelt that they could not have acted differently from what they had.
"He's a peach, isn't he?" said Jim, indignantly.
"That's what he is," returned Joe. "And it's his regular turn to go inthe box tomorrow. He'll be in fine condition to pitch. They'll knock himall over the lot."
"Just when the team was moving along so smoothly," groaned Jim. "It'slike throwing a monkey wrench into a ship's engines. Before you know it,the whole thing's ready for the scrap heap."
"It's too bad," assented Joe. "But all we can do is to hope that itwon't happen again. Perhaps when he comes to his senses, he'll realizewhat a close call he's had and cut out the liquor for good."
As Joe had predicted, the Cardinals made merry with Hartley's curvesthe next day and won the game with ease. Joe put the second game on theright side of the ledger, and Hughson accounted for the third. Markwithhad a bad day, however, in the concluding game, and the team had to besatisfied with an even break, where they had fondly hoped for three outof four or possibly a clean sweep.
They were a trifle luckier in Chicago, where they won two out of three,rain preventing the last game. Cincinnati yielded three straight, thoughthe Queen Cityites took the fourth, and in Pittsburgh, where they woundup their first Western invasion, they broke even.
"Not so bad for a road trip, nine out of fifteen," said Larry Barrett,as he was talking it over with Joe. "As a matter of fact it's betterthan we did at home. But the Giants always have been a good road team.But now you've had a chance to size up every team in the league. You'veseen their weak points and their strong ones. Tell me straight, who doyou think will win the pennant?"
"The Giants," replied Joe, without a second's hesitation.
"That listens good," laughed Larry. "There's nothing like feeling sureof a thing. I only hope you're right."
But a time was coming when Joe would have given a great deal to be halfas sure as he was that afternoon.