read the communication slowly.
'They want you to turn professional,' someone shouted from first base, the arrival of a telegram being an uncommon occurrence during a baseball game. Matthew walked in from the outfield to join William, trying to make out from his friend's face if the news were good or bad. Without changing his expression, William passed the telegram to Matthew, who read it, leaped high into the air with delight, and dropped the piece of paper to the ground to accompany William, racing around the bases on the way to the first home run ever scored without anyone actually hitting the ball.
The pitcher watched them, picked the telegram up and read the missive himself and then he threw his ball into the bleachers with gusto. The little piece of yellow paper was then passed eagerly from player to player around the field. The last person to read the message was the second former who, having caused so much happiness but received no thanks, decided the least he deserved was to know the cause of so much excitement.
The telegram was addressed to Mr. William Lowell Kane, whom the boy assumed to be the incompetent hitter. It read : 'Congratulations on winning the Hamilton Memorial Mathematics Scholarship to Harvard, full details to follow. Abbot Lawrence Lowell, President! William never did get his home run as he was sat heavily upon by several fielders before he reached home plate.
Matthew looked on with delight at the success of his closest friend, but he was sad to think that it me - ant they might now be parted. William felt it too, but said nothing; b the two boys had to wait another nine days to learn that Matthew had also been accepted to Harvard.
Yet another telegram arrived, this one from Charles Lester, congratulating his son and inviting the boys to tea at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Both grandmothers sent congratulations to William, but as Grandmother Kane informed Alan Lloyd, somewhat testily, 'the boy has done no less than was expected of him and no more than his father did before him.'
The two young men sauntered down Fifth Avenue on the appointed day with considerable pride. Girls' eyes were drawn to the handsome pair, who affected not to notice. They removed their straw boaters as they entered the front door of the Plaza at three fifty - nine, strolled nonchalantly through the lounge and observed the family group awaiting them in the Palm Court. There, upright in the comfortable chairs sat both grandmothers, Kane and Cabot, flanking another old lady who, William assumed, was the Lester family's equivalent of Grandmother Kane. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lester, their daughter Susan (whose eyes never left William), and Alan Lloyd completed the circle leaving two vacant chairs for William and Matthew.
Grandmother Kane summoned the nearest waiter with an imperious eyebrow. 'A fresh pot of tea and some more cakes, please!
The waiter rriade haste to the kitchens. 'Pot of tea and some more cakes for table twenty - three,' he shouted above the clatter, 'Coming up,' said a voice from the steamy obscurity.
'A pot of tea and some cream cakes, madarn,' the waiter said on his return.
'Your father would have been proud of you today, William,' the older man was saying to the taller of the two youths.
The waiter wondered what it was that the good - looking young man had achieved to elicit such a comment, William would not have noticed the waiter at all but for the silver band around his wrist. The piece so easily might have come from Tiffany's; the incongruity of it puzzled him.
'William,' said Grandmother Kane. 'Two cakes axe quite sufficient; d - ds is not your last meal before you go to Harvard.'
He looked at the old lady with affection and quite forgot the silver band.
13 That night as Abel lay awake in his small room at the Plaza Hotel, thinking about the boy, William, whose father would have been proud of him, he realised for the first time in his life exactly ~vhat he wanted to achieve. He wanted to be thought of as an equal by the Williams of this world.
Abel had had quite a struggle on his arrival in New York. He occupied a room that contained only two beds which he was obliged to share with George and two of his cousins. As a result, Abel slept onlywhen one of the beds was free. George's uncle was unable to offer him a job, and after