inventive work, or whether he was troubled over business matters concerning his new position.

Then there came to the lad’s mind a memory of his mother’s anxiety the night he had come in from the game, and he wondered if the two had any connection. But he knew it would not do to ask, for his father seldom talked over business matters at home.

Finally, seeming to feel Joe’s look, Mr. Matson, after a quick glance at his son, began to scan the paper.

“Go on with your studying, Joe and Clara,” commanded Mrs. Matson with a smile. “Don’t dispute any more.”

“I was only asking Joe if he knew any nice boys,” spoke Clara in vindication. “I know how fond he was of playing baseball back in Bentville, and I was wondering if he was going to play here.”

“Guess I haven’t much chance,” murmured Joe half gloomily, as he drew idle circles on the back blank leaf of his book.

“Why not?” asked Clara quickly. “The girls say the boys have a good nine here, even if they were beaten last Saturday. There’s going to be another game this Saturday, and Helen Rutherford is going to take me.”

“Oh, yes, there’s a good enough team here,” admitted Joe. “In fact the Silver Stars are all right, but every position is filled. I would like to play—I’d like to pitch. I want to get all the practice I can on these small teams, so when I go to boarding school I’ll have something to talk about.”

“And you’re still set on going to boarding school?” asked Mrs. Matson, sighing gently as she looked at her son.

“I certainly am—if it can be managed,” replied Joe quickly.

Mr. Matson started so suddenly that the paper rattled loudly, and his wife asked:

“What’s the matter, John, did something in the news startle you?”

“Oh—no,” he said slowly. “I—I guess I’m a bit nervous. I’ve been working rather hard lately on an improvement in a corn reaper and binder. It doesn’t seem to come just right. I believe I’ll go to bed. I’m tired,” and with “good-nights” that were not as cheerful as usual he left the room. Mrs. Matson sighed but said nothing, and Joe wondered more than ever if any trouble was brewing. He hoped not. As for Clara she was again bent over her lessons.

The Silver Star nine was variously made up. A number of lads worked in different town industries, one even being employed in the harvester works where Mr. Matson was employed. Others attended school.

Joe Matson had attended the academy in the town of Bentville whence they moved to Riverside, and on arriving in the latter place had at once sought admission to the high school. He was given a brief examination, and placed in the junior class, though in some of the studies the pupils there were a little ahead of him, consequently he had to do some hard studying.

The ambition to attend a boarding school had been in Joe’s mind for a long while, and as his father was in moderate circumstances, and soon hoped to make considerable from his patents, Joe reasoned that his parents could then afford to send him.

Among others on the nine who attended the high school were Darrell Blackney and Sam Morton, who were in the senior class, and Tom Davis, whose acquaintance Joe had made soon after coming to Riverside. There was a school nine, but it was made up of the smaller boys and Joe had no desire to join this. In fact none of the lads who were on the Silver Stars belonged to the school team.

“Well, I’m through, thank goodness!” finally exclaimed Clara, as she closed her books.

“And I am too,” added Joe, a moment later. “Hope I don’t flunk to-morrow.”

“Are you going to the game Saturday?” asked Clara.

“Oh, I guess so. Wish I was going in it, but that’s too much to hope for.”

“Don’t you know any one on the nine?”

“Yes, Tom Davis.”

“He’s the boy back of us, isn’t he? His sister Mabel is in my class.”

“Yes,” assented Joe, “but Tom is only a substitute.”

“Maybe you could be that at first, and then get a regular place,” suggested Clara.

“Um!” murmured Joe. He didn’t have a very high opinion of girls’ knowledge of baseball, even his sister’s.

When Joe reached home from school the following afternoon he saw his mother standing on the front steps with a letter in her hand.

“Oh, Joe!” she exclaimed, “I was just waiting for you. Your father——”

“Is there anything the matter with father?” the lad gasped, his thoughts going with a rush to one or two little scenes that had alarmed him lately.

“No, nothing at all,” answered his mother with a smile. “But he just hurried home from the factory with this note and he wanted you, as soon as you came home, to take it to Moorville. It’s for a Mr. Rufus Holdney there. The address is on it, and I guess you can find him all right. You’re to wait for an answer. Go on your wheel. It’s only a few miles to Moorville, and a straight road, so your father says.”

“I know where it is,” answered Joe. “Tom Davis has relatives there. He pointed out the road to me one day. I’ll go right away. Here, catch hold of my books, mother, and I’ll get my wheel out of the barn,” for a barn went with the house Mr. Matson had rented.

A little later the lad was speeding down the country road that pleasant spring afternoon. Joe was a good rider and was using considerable strength on the pedals when suddenly, as he turned a sharp curve, he saw coming toward him another cyclist. He had barely time to note that it was Sam Morton, the pitcher of the Silver Stars, and to utter a warning shout when he crashed full into the other lad.

In a moment there was a mix-up of wheels, legs and arms, while a cloud of dust momentarily hid everything from sight. At first Joe did not know whether or not he was hurt, or whether Sam was injured. Fortunately Joe had instinctively put on the brake with all his strength, and he supposed the other lad had done likewise.

Then, as the dust cleared away, and Joe began to pull his arms and legs out of the tangle, and arise, he saw that Sam was doing the same thing.

“Hope you’re not hurt much!” was Joe’s first greeting.

“Humph! It isn’t your fault if I’m not,” was the ungracious answer, as Sam felt of his pitching arm. “What do you mean by crashing into a fellow that way for, anyhow?”

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know that curve was so sharp. I’d never ridden on this road before.”

“Well, why didn’t you blow your horn or ring your bell or—or something?”

“Why didn’t you?” demanded Joe with equal right.

“Never mind. Don’t give me any of your talk. You’re one of the fresh juniors at school, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know that I’m ‘fresh,’” replied Joe quietly, “but I am a junior. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I couldn’t help it.”

“Yes you could, if you knew anything about riding a wheel.”

“I tell you I couldn’t,” and Joe spoke a bit sharply. “I was into you before I knew it. And besides, you ran into me as much as I did into you.”

“I did not. If you don’t know enough to ride a wheel, keep off the roads!” snarled the pitcher. “If I’m stiff for Saturday’s game it will be your fault.”

“I hope you won’t be stiff,” spoke Joe, and he said it sincerely.

“And if my wheel is broken you’ll have to pay for it,” went on Sam.

“I don’t think that’s right,”