CHAPTER XII.
STARTLING NEWS FROM THE JUGGINS BOY "Burr-r-r-r!" That was the telephone bell ringing.
"Hugh, will you answer it, since the chances are the call is from some one of your numerous boy chums ?" the voice of Mrs.Morgan came from the dining-room, where she was looking after the silver and china, after washing up the supper dishes, for they temporarily chanced to be without a hired-girl.
Hugh guessed as much himself.

He had already been called to the phone several times since arriving home after his seven-mile spin.
Once it had been Claude's mother, begging him to be sure and call at her house early in the morning, because she wanted to have a good, long, earnest talk with 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.