Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-12-03
ANDREWS Of
THE APRIL
FLOOD By VIM. H.
OSBORNE
Copyright, 1905, by 7. C. Mcclure

"I-l'm sorry" he faltered 81
thought it right to be different I'm
getting along so we'll over in town. and
this spring l thought perhaps that we
that IL might build somewhere
around here and He paused Pm
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 seem ed 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 l 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. "No one
in particular" she said.
what is 1t, then?" he persisted. She
looked him full in the face.
''I7l tell you, Stephen Andrews" she
said. ut is not your fault, but you
are not my kind of 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 have been reading too
many novels in my time or not, but 1
-1-'there must be something more in
the man that II don't know just how
to express it. think you understand"
Andrews smiled in spite of himself
"You mean," he said, that wear
spectacles and that don't tan up
quite so much as the other fellows in
the summer. / am not impulsive My
name is not 1vanhoe. Is that it, Loll-
ise?"
The girl sighed and looked off to-
ward the white hills. 81 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
1v chn ~ 1,fx
"You said," she went on, that
thought you were not impulsive. Tell
me honestly, if this house We're 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?" he asked. The girl nodded.
"He WOULD know he would" she
answered. Andrews shook his head.
Its hard thing to answer" he re-
piled. Circumstances might alter
cases. should stop to think first, and
them
"And then?" pursued the girl.
II can't tell" returned the man. 'I
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
well that the girl was uttering her
thoughts-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
man.
~ am sorry" he reiterated. and he
went.
John Duryea was not youth of in
be 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 adj
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-
err 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 its timbers.
WED better not go on the bridge"
exclaimed the girl, halting just before
they reached it. Duryea threw back
his shoulders.
"Come on" he said, with an air of
bravado. "Pll 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.
Look he shouted in her ear 'Here
comes Andrews" The girl looked.
Sure epOuoh II was ADdraxys rrppipo