Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-10-24
ANDREWS Of
THE APRIL
FLOOD By WIN. Fl.
OSBORNE
Copyright, 1908, by T. c. Mcclure

T-Pm sorry" he faltered. 81
thought it right to be different. I'm
getting along so we'll over in town, and
this spring / thought perhaps that we
that II might build somewhere
around here and"- He paused. I'm
sorry" he repeated.
The girl flushed. She glanced over
toward the mountain. 1t was in the
month of April, but the mountain top
was still white with the winters snow.
I'm sorry, too," she replied in a
tone that indicated that she was not
so sorry as she seemed. Andrews start
ed off. Suddenly he returned and once
more laid down his hat.
Louise" he exclaimed impulsively.
"tell me something. / can stand 1t,
and I want to know. We-we've grown
up together. You can afford to be
frank with me- Is there anybody
else?"
She slowly shook her head. emo one
in particular" she said.
"What is it, then?' he persisted. She
looked him full in the face.
''I'll tell you, Stephen Andrews" she
said. "It is not your fault, but you
are not my kind of a man. Oh, |
know" she added hastily, ''you are a
college fellow and what these people
call smart and all that She hest
tated. 81 don't know" she continued,
whether l have been reading too
many novels in my time or not, but l
-I-there must be something more in
the man that II don't know just how
to express it. 1 think you understand"
Andrews smiled in spite of himself.
"You mean," he said, shat I wear
spectacles and that I don't tan up
quite so much as the other fellows in
the summer. l am not impulsive. My
name is not Ivanhoe. Is that it, LOU
isew
The girl sighed and looked off to-
ward the white hills. II do like strong,
muscular men," she admitted. She
had no hesitation in saying this to An
drews, for she generally said to him
just what she meant. Andrews smiled
a grim smile. He had never told her
that he held the record for boxing and
wrestling in his college class, and he
did not propose to tell her now.
Like John Duryea, for instance"
he suggested. Again the girl flushed,
for as she sat there she had contrasted
the two men, somewhat to the detri-
ment of the man before her.
''As you please" she answered, bit
coldly. Suddenly she turned to him.
"You said," she went on, that
thought you were not impulsive. Tell
me honestly, if this house were on fire,
and l were upstairs, and you were
down below. would you brave the dan
ger that might exist and rush in to my
rescue at the risk of your life? Would
you do that?"
Andrews smiled again. Would John
Duryea p he asked. The girl nodded.
"He would know he would" she
answered. Andrews shook his head.
tits a hard thing to answer" he re-
piled. circumstances might alter
cases. l should stop to think first, and
them
81 can't tell" returned the man. II
would do the best / could. It's nice
question:" he added.
He said all this in an amused sort of
way. The girl was serious. Andrews
became serious again. He knew too
we'll that the girl was uttering her
ughts-thoughts that with other
girls exist, but remain unuttered. He
realized with bitterness that the man
who looks and acts like hero is the
man, after ALL Duryea was such a
man.
II am sorry" he reiterated. and he
went.
John Duryea was not youth Of in
tellect but he had kindling eye, and
he had that appearance Of animal cour-
age and spirits that is so taking. An
drews envied him. He would have CIV
en- all his intelligence and experience,
he would have relinquished all the les
sons he had learned in youthful ad-
versity and hard work. to be in the
shoes of this man Duryea.
The snow on the mountains melted
melted in day and night. The riv-
er rose. 1t rose so much that the town
talked of it, The roar of the waters
could be heard afar off. Duryea called
at the girls house. "Come down and
see the flood" he said. They had been
down before, but it was at all times an
interesting sight They strolled toward
the long bridge. The waters roared
under this bridge like cataract. The
eye could detect clearly the trembling
Of it's timbers.
'We'd better not go on the bridge
exclaimed the girl, halting just befol {
they reached it. Duryea threw back
his shoulders.
Come on" he said, with an air of
bravado. "I'n take care Of YOU" The
girl looked at him with admiration and
laughed. They went. She shivered as
she felt the timbers tremble beneath
her feet. The man lightly put his arm
about her. 1t was good to feel his
strength. 1t gave confidence. Sud
denly he pointed down the road