his father just as the latter was leaving the lunch table.

"Dad, can I have a few minutes' talk with you about one of my
ambitions?" pleaded Fred.

"Certainly, my boy," replied the wealthy, retired lawyer. "I'm
glad, indeed, to hear that you have any ambitions. Come into
the library, if you can let your luncheon go that long."

"If you don't mind, Dad, I'd rather eat while I talk," urged Fred.
"I have to be back at school before three."

"What---under discipline?" inquired the lawyer.

"No, sir; it's baseball that I wish to talk about."

"Well, then, Fred, what is it?" asked his father.

"Why, sir, we're going to get together on baseball, this afternoon.
The start for the season is to be made early this year. Gridley
expects to put forth the finest High School nine ever."

"I'm glad to hear that," nodded the lawyer. "School and college
athletics, rightly indulged in, give the budding man health, strength,
courage and discipline to take with him out into the battle of
life. We didn't have much in the way of athletics when I was
at college, but I appreciate the modern tendency more than do
some men of my age."

Fred, though not interested in his father's praise of athletics