picture
that athletic field presented. Hugh had good eyesight, and he could
detect the longing expression in the effeminate features of the boy
whose mother seemed bent on making him a weakling and a "sissy."

"Poor Claude, I certainly do pity you," Hugh was telling himself as
the big car rolled on amidst a cloud of dust. "Deep down in your
heart you are yearning to be as other natural boys are, who have red
blood in their veins. If your dad had lived I warrant there'd be a
different story to tell, because they say he liked all kinds of
healthy sport; but, somehow, Mrs. Jardine has taken a dislike to such
things that seems to keep growing stronger all the time, until it's
become a regular mania with her. But unless she changes her mind
there'll be a day coming when she'll bitterly regret it all. I
suppose now, if she had a daughter she'd prevent her from associating
with Sue, and Ivy, and Peggy, as well as all the other high-school
girls whose mothers actually allow them to go to dances with us boys,
and even cheer the Scranton players in a rattling good baseball game."

There was an air of feverish expectation rampant throughout the whole
town, and wherever young people got together the talk was of nothing
else save the great event on the programme for the next day. Even
many older persons seemed to have become infected with the sporting
virus, because memories of other days were being recalled; and it was
remarkable how many elderly men had once been deeply interested in
just such things, though, of course, along somewhat less modern lines.

Then again there was an undercurrent of talk that carried a thrill
along with it. Stories that could not be confirmed, but were
believed more or less, began to be circulated to the effect that some
irresponsible parties meant to start something during the tournament
that was calculated to bring disrepute upon the town of Scranton. It
was even darkly hinted that the partly built, new, wooden fence had
been set on fire as a lark; and squads of curious boys and girls even
circulated along its entire length, bent upon ascertaining if such a
thing could really be true.

When they failed to find any evidence of a fire, they were still
unconvinced; for, of course, it would be policy on the part of the
management to conceal all traces, so as to save the good name of the
town.

These rumors could not be traced to any particular source, but there
are always a certain number o