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THE PURPLE PENNANT

sight of the two runners flying home, made him hesitate for one fatal instant. When the ball did reach the first baseman's impatient glove Jones was crossing the bag.

Scott slid unchallenged past the plate and tallied the home team's second run, and Clearfield exulted strenuously and waved purple flags. Two runs looked very large just then, but Dick wanted more and sent Lanny after them. Jones had instructions to steal on the second pitch and Lanny to hit it out if he could. Newton drove Lanny back from the plate with his first delivery and it went for a ball. Then, after throwing twice to first to teach Jones discretion, he sailed a low one over. Lanny swung at it but missed and Jones beat out the throw to second by an eyelash. Clearfield howled its glee. That steal upset Newton and he allowed a pass. With men on second and first and Joe Browne up another tally seemed quite within the bounds of reason, but Newton found himself again and, working Browne into the hole with two strikes and one ball, fooled him on an outshoot that looked very wide of the plate. Clearfield shrieked disapproval of the decision, but disapproval didn't put the runners back on the bases or return Browne to the plate. Still, two runs were

two runs, and, unless Springdale did a lot better

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