She had a son named Claude, whose life was rendered miserable by the lofty ambition of his mother to make him a genius.  She never ceased talking upon all sorts of elevating subjects; and where other boys were allowed to lead normal lives, and have lots of innocent if strenuous fun during vacations, and holidays, poor Claude led a life of bondage.

He was rather an effeminate-looking boy, tall and slender, with a face entirely destitute of color such as would indicate abounding spirits and good health; but it was no wonder, everyone knew how he was being made such a “sissy” of by his doting “mamma.” despite all this there seemed to be a spark of ordinary boyish spirits concealed under Claude’s superior airs.  He sometimes stood and watched the other fellows engaged in playing prisoner’s base, or some such rough-and-tumble game, with envy.  Once upon a time his mother, chancing to pass along the street in her fine car, was horrified to discover her darling Claude actually taking part in some “rowdy game,” in which he scrambled with the rest just as vehemently, and was, moreover, even worse off than the other boys with regard to soiled garments and disheveled hair.  Evidently the long suppressed spirit of the lad had broken bounds, and for once he allowed himself to be natural.

The other fellows never tired of telling how she had called to him almost frantically, as though she believed he had become inoculated with some deadly germ, and must be contaminated, bundling the boy into the car, and actually crying with dismay when she found that he actually had a scratch upon his nose, which had been bleeding.  But it was also noticed that Claude grinned at his late fellow wrestlers as he was borne triumphantly away, as though to emphasize the fact that he had, at least, enjoyed one real period of excitement in his life, to remain as a bright spot for many days.

Hugh had often wondered whether there might not be some way through which this deluded mother might be shown what a terrible error she was making in bringing up her boy to be so inane and useless.  He needed physical development more than any other fellow in Scranton High.  Constant feeding upon lofty ideas, and never given a chance to develop his muscles, was wrecking his health.  Mr. Leonard had even gone to Mrs. Jardine and entreated her to let him undertake a moderate programme of athletic exercises with Claude; but he might as well have tried to lift the high-school building as to make her change her set ideas.

Hugh and Thad had been out on a particular night after supper, visiting another boy who chanced to live on the outskirts of town.  He had received a wonderful collection of curios from an uncle living out in India, after whom he had been named; and upon being especially invited over to view these things, which included a wonderful assortment of rare postage stamps, the two chums had made it a point to accept, being greatly interested in all boyish “hobbies.”