The Young Pitcher
1911
The Varsity Captain
Ken Ward had not been at the big university many days before herealized the miserable lot of a freshman.
At first he was sorely puzzled. College was so different from whathe had expected. At the high school of his home town, which, beingthe capital of the State, was no village, he had been somebody. Thenhis summer in Arizona, with its wild adventures, had given him aself-appreciation which made his present situation humiliating.
There were more than four thousand students at the university. Kenfelt himself the youngest, the smallest, the one of least consequence.He was lost in a shuffle of superior youths. In the forestry departmenthe was a mere boy; and he soon realized that a freshman there was thesame as anywhere. The fact that he weighed nearly one hundred and sixtypounds, and was no stripling, despite his youth, made not one whit ofdifference.
Unfortunately, his first overture of what he considered good-fellowshiphad been made to an upper-classman, and had been a grievous mistake.Ken had not yet recovered from its reception. He grew careful afterthat, then shy, and finally began to struggle against disappointmentand loneliness.
Outside of his department, on the campus and everywhere he ventured,he found things still worse. There was something wrong with him, withhis fresh complexion, with his hair, with the way he wore his tie,with the cut of his clothes. In fact, there was nothing right abouthim. He had been so beset that he could not think of anything buthimself. One day, while sauntering along a campus path, with his handsin his pockets, he met two students coming toward him. They went toright and left, and, jerking his hands from his pockets, roared ineach ear, “How dare you walk with your hands in your pockets!”
Another day, on the library step, he encountered a handsome bareheadedyouth with a fine, clean-cut face and keen eyes, who showed the truestamp of the great university.
“Here,” he said, sharply, “aren't you a freshman?”
“Why—yes,” confessed Ken.
“I see you have your trousers turned up at the bottom.”
“Yes—so I have.” For the life of him Ken could not understand whythat simple fact seemed a crime, but so it was.
“Turn them down!” ordered the student.
Ken looked into the stern face and flashing eyes of his tormentor,and then meekly did as he had been commanded.
“Boy, I've