Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-05-22
Was Welcomed by
Brass Band
By JACK wooDFoRD
s.as. .s...... II. !. .........s..s.......s..

az WV mt III liS olatiOh ~
L Washington. Bill Randolph, tall,
dark. the very hero of all romantic
novels and short stories to the life.
Going home for the first time since
five years Of remarkable living which
3 had begun with a chance job as fifty
second assistant property man on a
Hollywood lot and wound up with SEN
sati0nal stardom. Martin Hollings-
worth was three times as old as Bill,
but when he heard Bill taking pull
man car reservation for Richmond,
he spoke up Immediately:
$50 you're going TO Richmond. too,
young man, a.a.
Eyes. sir said Bill respectfully, for
Martin was the sort of man that you
were instinctively respectful to.
'Your home, sir?" Martin persisted.
well. yeh." Bill admitted; 81 sup
pose you'd call 1t that. I was born
there. Went to Richmond college.
Then | bummed around the country
O Bit"
They walked toward tine train shed.
"If you were born in Virginia. SIR"
Martin pointed out, "youre always a
Virginian; and If you were born in
Richmond, Richmond is always your
home" H .....
4. "Yep," Bill began, "but-" But Mar
tin wasn't listening He was beam
ing. Every step nearer to the Rich
mUnd train that he took made him
beam all the more. He was not, how
ever. so young as when he had left
Richmond, thirty-fve years before;
not nearly so young
In tile ear. they had adjoining seats
Martin continued to talk:
Been away from Richmond for
nearly forty years" he explained
"Been In the American consular serv-
ice abroad I've retired It will GER
tainly be wonderful to get back to
Richmond and see some of my old
friends. OF course, most Of them will
be dead. I expect there'll be quite
a delegation at the station"
Bill pricked up his ears.
"Oh. yeh," Martin said, little jeal-
ously
"Yes, sir" Martin returned. his eyes
glowing.
81 expect there'll be band; and,
Of course, the newspaper people TAX
ing pictures. All that sort Of thing.
I've enjoyed my work abroad; but
there wasn't day that | didn't pic
ture coming back to Richmond again.
was little more than poor boy,
when l left there Just finished law
school. The consular appointment
came as sort of surprise. The con-
sui at Paniuria died suddenly. They
rushed me right Off. I've been there
ever since .t..
"Paniuria?" Bill echoed. where's
that?" Martin looked at him indul-
gently.
what! You never heard Of Pan
juria? Why! Do you know that the
copra yield there is the largest in the
world?"
"Copra" echoed Bill. "What's
copra?" Martin chucked to himself
Modern youngsters, he reflected were
remarkably ignorant. Funny, too, that
the good looking well dressed young
man didn't seem at all impressed to
be seated next to the retired Amerl-
can consul from Panjurla. Well, he'd
see. when he got to Richmond. The
band and everything. Bill was study
ing him silently.
ha AunraA tha
the welcome at Richmond. Nobody
had ever thought much of him or his
family when he had left II would,
he had told himself, do his psyche a
lot Of good to see himself welcomed as
a conquerlng hero returning to Rich
mond as a wOrld-famous character. He
scowled at the thought OF the others
expectations. Was II possible that an
obscure American consul, from some
country that nobody had ever heard
of, whose leading business was a trade
in a product that nobody had ever
heard of, would shade his limelight
q little?
II was when he saw red clay. along
the right Of way, that something curl
Gus began to happen to BIZ He felt
suddenly choky as he reflected what
would he the old mans reactions II
there were no welcoming committee
for him. When the train stopped at
Ashland he gave the porter certain
instructions about his baggage, ex-
cused himself to Martin, and dropped
off. BIZ spoke to the driver Of n taxi.
BEAT that train into the Broad
Street station" he instructed. sand
I'll give you fifty bucks"
At the Broad Street station, forty
Ave minutes later, Martin Hollings-
worth stepped Off train to be greeted
BY newspaper men with flashlights
full band, and the hysterical atten-
tlons Of u crowd the inevitable crowd
that can be swayed to concentrate It's
attentions upon whatever leaders d.
rect. In the background lowered BIZ
Randolph, directing proceedings. When
Martin made an imprombtu speech,
Bill started the applause; the car that
was to have carried Bill took Martin,
in state. down Broad street. Nobody
ever knew quite what had happened,
because Bill was careful who he spoke
to and who he bribed-and everything
went off splendidly
Tired but happy that night, Martin
connded to Bill, in the lobby Of the
Jefferson, that such homecoming was
worth having served thirty years IN
Panjuria for.
"Ysh," Bill agreed noncommlttallT;
and tAsn he added, with a grin: II
never had so much fun over q cSs
t.ation In ny life And he was
zuspslssd to nnd, ~ he said II, that he