Zane Grey

The Young Pitcher Zane Grey

There were more than four thousand students at the university. Ken felt himself the youngest, thesmallest, the one of least consequence. He was lost in a shuffle of superior youths. In the forestrydepartment he was a mere boy; and he soon realized that a freshman there was the same as anywhere. The fact that he weighed nearly one hundred and sixty pounds, and was no stripling, despite his youth, made not one whit of difference. Unfortunately, his first overture of what he considered good-fellowship had been made to an upperclassman, and had been a grievous mistake. Ken had not yet recovered from its reception. He grewcareful after that, then shy, and finally began to struggle against disappointment and loneliness. Outside of his department, on the campus and everywhere he ventured, he found things still worse. There was something wrong with him, with his fresh complexion, with his hair, with the way he wore histie, with the cut of his clothes. In fact, there was nothing right about him. He had been so beset that hecould not think of anything but himself. One day, while sauntering along a campus path, with his handsin his pockets, he met two students coming toward him. They went to right and left, and, jerking hishands from his pockets, roared in each ear, "How dare you walk with your hands in your pockets!