For an assignment that requires her to write about her "Most Interesting Relative", Brenda asks her parents for help. Lester suggests his aunt Lucy, who was a woman brakeman. After Mary hears about Sandra's supposed relative who was a Moroccan prince, she searches through an old trunk to find information about an interesting relative of hers. What she finds is that she had an uncle, Corporal Mortecai Hurley, who was in the Civil War's 54th Infantry. She persuades Brenda to re-write her paper on Mortecai. Not to be outdone, Sandra goes to the library and finds out that Mary's uncle Mortecai was actually a "coward" in the war, and deserted his infantry disguised in the flag made to look like a dress. Mary and Lester tell Brenda and she becomes upset. She and Mary talk, and Mary apologizes for making her re-write her paper in the first place. But they decide that since the assignment calls for her to write about her "Most Interesting Relative", she can still turn in the assignment on Mortecai, because although it is embarrassing, it is still interesting. (This episode was taped after the pilot to add additional characters and provide background for those in the pilot episode.)