“We’ve won the toss of the coin!” ejaculated Jim. “New York gets the first game.”
“Bully!” cried Joe. “That’s all to the good. That’s the first break in the game and it’s come our way. Let’s hope that luck will stay with us all through.”
“And just as we supposed, the first game will start on Friday,” continued Jim. “So that we’ll have about a week for practice before we have to buckle to the real work.”
“McRae told me this morning that he had almost all the practice team together now, and that we’d start to playing against them on Monday,” said Joe.
“It’s up to us to make the most of this little breathing spell, then,” returned Jim. “I think I’ll take a little run down to the beach to-morrow. Care to come along?”
“I’ve got an engagement myself to-morrow,” Joe replied. “I’m going for an automobile ride with Reggie Varley and Miss Varley. By the way, Jim, why don’t you come along with us? Reggie told me to bring along a friend if I cared to. There’s plenty of room, and he has a dandy auto. Flies like a bird. Come along.”
“Out on Long Island somewhere. Probably stop at Long Beach for dinner.”
“Sure, I’ll come,” said Jim readily. “But don’t think I’m not on to your curves, you old rascal. You want me to engage Reggie in conversation so that you can have Miss Varley all to yourself.”
“Nonsense!” disclaimed Joe, flushing a trifle.
“Well, then,” said the astute Jim, “I’ll let you have the front seat with Reggie, while I sit back in the tonneau.”
“Not on your life you won’t!” said Joe, driven out into the open.
“All right,” grinned Jim resignedly. “I’ll be the goat. When do we start?”
“Reggie will have the car up in front of the Marlborough at about ten, he said. We’ll have a good early start and make a day of it.”
“All right,” said Jim. “Let’s root for good weather.”
They could not have hoped for a finer day than that which greeted them on the following morning. The sun shone brightly, but there was just enough fall crispness to make the air fresh and delicious.
Reggie was on time, nor did Mabel avail herself of the privilege of her sex and keep them waiting. The girl looked bewitching in her new fall costume and the latest thing in auto toggery, and her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes drew Joe more deeply than ever into the toils. Jim’s mischievous glance at them as they settled back in the tonneau while he took his seat beside Reggie, left no doubt in his own mind how matters stood between them.