t was now borne in on her heart that she had been making a terrible
mistake in reference to the way she was bringing up her darling
Claude.

Needless to say, Hugh had chuckled joyously after that little talk.
He guessed he would have little trouble now in removing the scales
Mrs. Jardine had allowed to cover her eyes with regard to the benefits
to be derived by any boy, no matter how weak he might be, through a
judicious system of athletic exercises, the same to be lengthened as
he gradually grew more capable of standing fatigue.

"Hello!" Hugh called.

A voice he immediately recognized as that of Horatio Juggins greeted
him. "That you, Hugh?"

"Just who it is; what's the matter, Horatio? Feeling the effects
of your little jog this afternoon? I hope not, for your sake,
to-morrow."

"Oh! come off, Hugh," the other quickly replied. "I'd be a fine
candidate for a fifteen-mile Marathon race, wouldn't I, if seven
miles knocked me out? I'm as fit right now as a fiddle. But Hugh,
can you come right over here now? Something dreadful has happened."

Hugh had a chilly feeling pass over him. It seemed as though some
sort of bad news was coming. Had the great meet been called off,
for some unknown reason or other? Somehow that struck him first as a
dire possibility, since it would grievously disappoint thousands of
eager boys and girls, not to mention many older folks with young hearts.

Now Hugh had intended to take that evening quietly, resting after his
strenuous afternoon, and absolutely refuse to allow Thad, or any
other fellow, to coax him outside the door. But already this resolve
began to weaken. That dim mention of some possible tragedy happening
started him going.

"Of course I can come over, Horatio," he told the boy at the other
end of the wire; "and I'll do so right away on condition that it's
no joke. Tell me what's up first."

"Oh! I meant to do that, Hugh," his friend hastened to say, and Hugh
could detect a tremor to the boyish voice that told of excitement.
"You see, it's K.K."

"What's happened to him?" demanded Hugh, his mind instantly suggesting
all manner of terrible possibilities, from a sudden attack of sickness
to an accident whereby his life might be in danger; for with boys these
things sometimes happen as unexpectedly as a flash of lightning from
a clear sky.

"Why, he never came back again from that run this afternoon, Hugh!"
Horatio was saying, in an awed tone now.

"What'