CHAPTER VII
THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS
If Mabel had counted on creating a sensation, she succeeded beyond herwildest hopes.
For a moment, Joe thought that he must have taken leave of his senses.
"What!" he cried, incredulously, half rising to his feet.
This sudden ejaculation drew the attention of all the others seated at thetable.
"Land sakes, Joe!" expostulated his mother, "you almost made me upset mytea cup. What's the matter?"
"Enough's the matter," responded Joe, jubilantly. "That is, if Mabelreally means what she said just now."
"What was it you said, Mabel dear?" asked Clara.
"Come, 'fess up," invited Jim.
"I guess I'll let Reggie tell the rest of it," said Mabel, blushing underthe battery of eyes turned upon her.
"All right, Sis," said Reggie, affably. "Bah Jove, I give you credit forholding in as long as you have. The fact is," he continued, beamingamiably upon all the party, "the governor asked me to take a trip to Japanand China, and Mabel put in to come along. I didn't twig what the littleminx was up to, until she said we could go on the same steamer that tookthe baseball party. Lots of other women--wives of the managers and playersand so on--will go along, I understand. So there's the whole bally storyin a nutshell. Rippin' good idea I call it--what?"
"Glory hallelujah!" cried Joe, grasping Mabel's hand, openly this time.
"It's simply great!" cried Jim, enthusiastically.
"You darling, lucky girl!" exclaimed Clara, while Mr. and Mrs. Matsonsmiled their pleasure.
"Had you up in the air for a minute, didn't it, old top?" grinned Reggie.
"I should say it did," Joe admitted. "I thought for a minute I was goingcrazy. Somebody pinch me."
Jim reached over and accommodated him.
"Ouch!" cried Joe, rubbing his arm. "You needn't be so literal."
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for my friends," said Jim, piously.
Questions poured in thick and fast.
"How can you possibly get ready in time?" asked Clara. "It's thesixteenth now, and the teams leave Chicago on the nineteenth."
"Oh, we're not going to make the trip across the country," explainedMabel, flushed with happiness. "Reggie and I will join the party in SanFrancisco or Seattle, or wherever they start from. So that will give usnearly a month, and I'm going to spend most of that right here--if you canstand me that long."
Clara came round the table and gave her an impulsive hug.
"I'd be glad to have you stay here forever," said Mrs. Matson fervently.
Just here a thought struck Joe.
"It's the greatest thing ever that you're going as far as Japan," he said."But why can't you keep on with us and swing right around the circle?"
"You greedy boy!" murmured Mabel.
"We've thought of that too," explained Reggie. "The governor promisedMabel a trip round the world as soon as she got through with the finishingschool. She could have gone last year if she had chosen, but she got sointerested in baseball----"
"Reggie!" murmured Mabel, warningly.
"Well, anyway," said Reggie a little lamely, "she didn't go, and so I putit up to the governor that there was no reason she couldn't go now. Hesaw it the same way--he's a rippin' good sort, the governor is--and he'sleft it to us to make the trip all the way round--that is, if I can getthrough my business in Japan in time."
"If you don't get through in time, there'll be murder done," threatenedJoe.
In the animated talk that ensued all took a part. But toward the end ofthe meal, Joe noticed that Jim was a little more subdued than was usualwith him, and that some of the sparkle and vivacity had vanished fromClara's eyes and voice.
He glanced from one to the other and knew the reason. He knew how deep thefeeling was growing between the two and realized what the comingsix-months' separation would mean to them. A generous impulse came to himlike a flash.
"Listen folks," he said. "Surprises seem to be in fashion, so here'sanother one. Clara's going along with us."
Astonishment and delight held Clara speechless--then she rose and flungher arms impulsively about her brother's neck, and for the second timethat day Jim would have been willing to let her be a sister to him also.
Jim reached his brawny hand across the table.
"Put her there, Joe, old boy!" he said. "You're the finest fellow thatever wore shoe leather."
"Won't it be just glorious!" exulted Mabel.
"There never was such a boy in all the world," murmured Joe's mother.
"But, Joe dear, won't it be too great an expense?" suggested Clara. "Youknow it's less than a month since you sent us that thousand-dollar billthat took us to the World's Series."
"That's all right, Sis," reassured Joe, patting her hand. "Remember Icleared nearly four thousand dollars extra in the World's Series, and thiswon't put much of a dent in that. You just go ahead and doll yourselfup--and hang the expense."
And so it was settled, and it is safe to say that a group of happier youngpeople could not be found anywhere than those who discussed excitedly,until late into the night, the coming trip with all its marvelouspossibilities.
The next two days flew by all too rapidly. The girls, of course, hadplenty of time, but Joe and Jim had a host of things to attend to and avery limited time to do them in. But somehow, Joe made time enough to saya lot of things to Mabel that, to lovers at least, seem important, andJim, though not daring to go quite so far, looked and said quite enough todeepen the roses in Clara's cheeks and the loveliness in her eyes.
It was hard to part when the time for parting came, but this time therewas no long six-months' separation to be dreaded--that is, as far as theyoung folks were concerned.
Mr. and Mrs. Matson had counted on having their son with them throughoutthe fall and winter, but they had been accustomed for so long to mergetheir own happiness in that of their children that they kept up brightfaces while they said good-bye, although Mrs. Matson's smile wastremulous.
A day and night of traveling and the ball players reached Chicago, where,at the Blackstone, they found McRae awaiting them--the same old McRae,aggressive, pugnacious, masterful, and yet with a glint of worry in hiseyes that had not been there at the close of the World's Series.
Robbie was there too, rotund and rubicund, but not just the Robbie who haddanced the tango with McRae before the clubhouse on the occasion of thegreat victory.
But if worry and anxiety had set their mark upon the manager and trainerof the Giants, it had not affected the players, who were lounging aboutthe corridor of the hotel.
A bunch of them, including Burkett and Denton and good old Larry, gave thenewcomers a tumultuous welcome.
"Cheer, cheer, the gang's all here!" cried Larry.
McRae clasped Joe's hand in a grip that almost made him wince.
"So the new league hasn't got you yet, Joe?" he cried.
"No," laughed Joe, returning his clasp; "and it never will!"