The man known as "Pop" Gainer had been a football coach at Harvard University where he had befriended Chief Brandon. When he retired, he started operating a health farm in a wooden area near the city.
Dick Tracy needed to recuperate following the case of Karpse, and he checked into Pop's health farm at Brandon's suggestion. Tracy noticed some odd things around the farm, which lead to the exposure of Pop's son Mickey Gainer being part of a stolen jewelry ring run by Nails Wolley.
Pop was reluctant to help Tracy, since it meant implicating Mickey in illegal activity. Pop believed that the could convince Mickey to give up his criminal ways, but Mickey fled when the Wolley gang was dismantled. Pop agreed to help Tracy find Mickey.
The trail of Mickey Gainer led to Tracy and Pop being captured by the murderous Scardol, with whom Mickey had sought refuge. Scardol planned to kill Tracy and Pop by smothering them in a mass of wet concrete. Mickey was so shocked by the thought of being involved in the murder of his own father that he freed Tracy and Pop. In the ensuing conflagration, Scardol was knocked into the path of the wet concrete and killed.
Mickey saved his badly wounded father's life with a blood transfusion. At this point, Pop learned that Mickey had a wife and young son. Pop agreed to look after his son's family while Mickey served his prison term.