Continuing from my earlier two stories, where the Time Tunnel is in functioning order, Tony and Doug have safely returned, and the Time Tunnel is being used primarily for preserving history and solving mysteries.

The Old Ballgame

October 27, 1912

It was a chilly afternoon; Theodore Roosevelt had been non-fatally shot by a would-be assassin two weeks earlier. In Europe, the First Balkan War had just begun and the Negro League's New York Lincoln Giants were playing the National League's New York Giants in an exhibition game.

Tony sat in the bleachers with his scorecard on his lap taking notes. "Smokey" Joe Williams of the Lincoln Giants had just struck out Giants outfielder George Burns to end the first half of the inning. Tony added a 'K' denoting a strikeout and wrote, "Not the comedian," in his notes. Tic-Toc had sent him back to make a record of the Lincoln Giants's statistics for at least the next five seasons, a welcome assignment as a reward for his past work, which gave him the opportunity to follow the team on the road and experience early 20th century New York.

The crowd stood up and spread their arms for what he had been surprised to learn was called "the Lucky Seventh," the seventh-inning stretch by another name.

"Did I miss anything?" A woman's voice asked.

Althea Hall sat down carrying a bag of peanuts. She was making conversation; baseball was an Americanism she just hadn't managed to take to. After their meeting on The Titanic, Tony had managed to reconnect and arrange a successful surgery to remove her tumor. They had been enjoying each other's company for several months, each wanting to experience everything life had to offer.

"Williams struck out three more," Tony humored her; he knew she didn't come for the game.

"I'm thinking about buying a car," he said.

"Do you think you need one?"

"It'd make it easier to get around, we wouldn't have to rely on the streetcars' schedule."

He hadn't told her the First World War was approaching; she hadn't asked about the immediate future. She was curious about the world he came from, and as an Englishwoman and educator, was spellbound hearing him talk about Robin Hood, King Arthur, and his adventures in the past.

"Road trips, rides in the country, parking in some dark field… Aunt Edwina would not approve!" Althea laughed, took hold of his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. Her Aunt Edwina was welcoming to Tony but she was constantly waiting to see if he'd propose to her niece or not. "I would like to see the West," she added. He'd also told her about his run in with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett.