him about Claude's future; and also to let
him know how brimful of gratitude a mother's heart could be toward
the brave boy who, at the risk of his own life, had saved her only
child for her.

Hugh had promised he would see her, although he expected to be very
busy on the morning of the athletic tournament and then expressed the
hope that Claude and herself would honor the tournament with their
presence. This she hastily assured him she meant to do, because it
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 vo