"peculiar" man. He had one great grudge against the world it seemed.
Other boys were straight and healthy, but for some unaccountable
reason Heaven had seen fit to give him a crippled grandson. Little
Carl Adkins was a pitiable looking object. They sometimes saw him shut
up in a closed carriage, and being whisked through the town; but few
had ever been able to pass a word with the poor boy. These reported
that he was really bright, and had a woe-begone look on his drawn
white face, as though his life had known little of joy.

His grandfather hated the sight of other lads, because they reminded
him that his boy had none of their abounding health and good looks. He
loved the child almost fiercely, partly on account of the boy's
misfortune. They said he kept a servant whose main duties were just to
attend to little crippled Carl.

Jack remembered an occasion when by sheer accident he had chanced to
be passing close to the property of the so-called miser, when he heard
a soft "Hello, there!" and glancing up discovered a white, peaked face
amidst some vines covering a stone wall. He had heard something about
the strange habits of Philip Adkins, and how jealously he guarded his
deformed grandson from coming in contact with the outside world, under
the belief that people would pity the lad, and some be rude enough to
mock his misfortunes.

Jack had stopped and given the little fellow a friendly smile. He had
even spoken to Carl, and when the boy eagerly answered him, entered
into quite an animated little chat, replying to many feverish
questions the other poured out, mostly concerning the things he knew
other boys did, for he was a great reader, that being his one
enjoyment.