Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-07-12
ANDY
WAS A
HERO
A-t.t-t't-i-F.i-t-t.f.F't'i-i-'F-i-i--t-i-i'i-
(6l by d. J. Walsh.l

VIVA LANG suddenly discovered
that she had taken seven wrong
stitches In her embroidery.
II was thinking of something
else" she said to herself severely.
snow shall have to take them out,
and II is simply disastrous to piece
Of fine linen to pick out stitches"
But before she took out the seven
misplaced stitches she let the en-
broidery hoops fall into her lap while
she continued her train of thought.
1t was sill In the large, pleasant
living room. WAS sister, Caroline,
had jumped into the brougham and
gone shopping soon after lunch. She
would not return until dinner time.
Viva half wished that she had gone,
too, although at the time she preferred
to stay at home and work on her EN-
broidery She was making wonder
difficult to keep the work secret with
her sister in the house.
The discovery of the false stitches
was less annoying than the slmulta-
neOus discovery that she had been
thinking about Andrew Worden.
81 am going to hear something con-
corning him." she thought with quick
ening heartbeats.
Three years before she had refused
to marry Andrew Worden. She dis
tlnctly remembered the somehow he
had whitened and WINGED when she
said:
ANDREW, dear, you're all right
enough, but you're not brave. You
simply couldn't say boo to goose.
II takes courage to buck the world
nowadays. The man | marry must
have courage; he must be brave. You
aren't. You are good and kind and
all that, but you haven't any hero
stuff In you, and so ! can't marry
you"
She pitled him in that moment as
he stood looking down at her, his hon
est face rather haggard, his shoulders
sinking as If she had placed too heavy
a burden upon them. Yet what she
said was apparently true; he had no
hero stuff in him. He was kind and
gentle and good, but not brave $3.50
she admired .bd~ro her rather impress
sively after that:
"You've turned Andrew down be
cause he doesn't compare with Len
! Sturtevant. Granted that Len Is Q
hero OF the popular order, maybe he
won't make any better showing In life
than poor old Andy"
Now after three years Caroline had
proved herself right In what she had
said about Len; he had not made
good. Tie popular idol had failed IN
ordinary private life. but II was not
| until he was no longer asked to the
houses OF his friends that Viva gave
up her ideal Of him.
And now she was thinking of Andy.
Two days after that settlement IN
which she had called him a coward
he had gone 10 Wyoming and she had
never heard from lIIIn since.
But she should hear from him; she
felt II strongly Perhaps he was com
Ing back ...f
"It would he Just like him." she
thought "He was simply mad about
me-"
The doOrbell rang and she went in
hutter, half expecting to find him
there. but II was her sister.
~ forgot my latch Key" Caroline
said She was flushed with outdoor
air and looked bright and handsome
Some people there we're who thought
her even better looking than Viva, al
though that was not really the caHe,
for WAS dark eyes gave distinction
10 her face.
Caroline entered the liying-rOOm and
sank down upon the davenport.
ash down here beside me, Viva"
she said "T've got something to tell
You"
"About Andy2" viva could not keep
back the question.
"Yes' How did you know? ! ran
across his sister, Mrs. Pelk, at Da.
vern's. haven't seen her in ages.
We sat down for moment In the
restroom and she told me about
Andy. But you can read for yourself
In the papers this evening; II will be
out then. She said when the report
err came to interview her about II she
had to confess that she hadn't heard
one word. Andy is so extremely mod
est that when he writes his letters
he tells very little. but a deed like
that"
"What deed?' WAS eyes were
shining. "Tell me, Caroline" she
painted.