Screenland (May-Oct 1940)

ill a hollow voice. "What happened just now is a secret I will carry with me to the grave." "Where to ?" The chauffeur broke in unsympathetically. "Anywhere I can find some peace," Andy sighed. "Grant's Tomb, Prentice," Betsy said practically. And then as the car stopped in front of the edifice she turned to Andy. "Come on inside. Maybe the coffins will cheer you up." "Yeah, it's a fine world," Andy said, grim and tight-lipped. "Back in Carvel there's people waiting to laugh at my funeral and here in New York you got coffins to cheer me up!" "I'm sorry. I meant maybe you'd feel glad to be alive," Betsy whispered contritely. But it was impressive standing there in the half-darkeness looking down on all that remained of one of America's great sons. "Andy, won't you tell me what your problem is?" Betsy whispered hopefully. "I'm a woman. Maybe I could help." And then as Andy shook his head, "You musn't give up, Andy. Look at Ulysses S. Grant ! Did he surrender when things looked dark?" "He never had any trouble like / got," Andy blurted. "All he had on his hands was the Civil War." "Then pretend you've only got the Civil War." Betsy said comfortingly. Andy's chin went out at that. General Grant wouldn't surrender. He would use strategy. "Come on, General Grant!" he thought desperately. "What would you do? Remember Gettysburg ! Remember Appomattox! Give, Ulysses!" With Grant for an inspiration he cast his mind backwards trying to remember all he knew about Daphne Fowler. And then came the inspiration. In almost every one of those pictures her dog was with her. "I got it!" Andy's voice rose jubilantly. "General Grant rides again ! A dog, that's it. There's nothing like a dog. Betsy," he fixed his eye sternly on her, "have you a dog?" "No," Betsy shuddered. "But we've got a cat." "Cats is — I mean cats are not the same thing at all," Andy said severely. "Most people love dogs. S'pose you were walking down the street and you saw a kind of distinguished looking young fellow leading a dog. What would you do?" "I'd run like the dickens," Betsy said promptly. "I'm scared of dogs. Or maybe I'd inch over to the curb and try to sneak by without the dog seeing me." "No, no, Betsy !" Andy was exasperated.. "You're supposed to love dogs ! You'd want to go over and pet him." "Then I'd just sort of reach over and pet him and then hurry on about my business." "Wouldn't you speak to the man withthe dog?" Andy demanded impatiently. And then as she hesitated, "He's a charming young gentleman. He's a fellow dog-lover. You'd want to get acquainted, drawn by the bond of our little four-footed friends. Well, anyway," he said irritably seeing her uncertain look, "do you know where I could borrow a dog? I got troubles and I need the consolation of a dumb animal." Betsy looked at him, helpless in her love. "If you want a dog I suppose I'll have to figure out some way to borrow you one," she sighed. And Betsy did. Not only one dog, but two. A giant St. Bernard and a tiny poodle. Again Andy left Betsy parked in the car around the corner while he strode up and down in front of Daphne's home, his two dogs straining at the leash, his heart going into high when he saw her come out of the house with her dachshund. Afterwards Andy never knew exactly what happened, except there was no leash strong enough to hold a St. Bernard with a grudge against a dachshund. It was a dog fight to end all dog fights, with Daphne screaming in terror and her chauffeur the only master of the situation. For it was he and not Andy' who restored order out of chaos and brought the dachshund back to his mistress' arms. "I'm awfully sorry, Miss Fowler," Andy looked at her beseechingly. "Can you maybe forgive me on account of we're both doglovers ?" "Nice dogs !" Daphne glared at him. "But not wild animals like yours." Had any general rallied after such a defeat? It didn't help Andy to know his father was going through his own difficulties. For at the Surrogate's Court the Judge discovered that the Carvel trustees had all the advantages of the law on their side since Harlan Wyatt, the former president of the orphanage, had switched the United States securities in the orphanage trust funds to European bonds and conditions in Europe had made those bonds worthless. The case would be tried on Monday and the Judge felt he didn't have a leg to stand on. Andy too had only a few days to make good. He had seen in the papers that Daphne was to preside at the Dog Lovers' Banquet being given the next evening. Again it was Betsy he turned to, and loyal as always she hired a complete dress outfit for him, even to giving him her father's black pearl stud. The banquet was being held in one of New York's most exclusive night clubs but that didn't phase Andy. Didn't he have eight dollars in his pocket and wasn't that enough for anything? He ordered lavishly without even looking at the menu. If he wanted to get anywhere with Daphne wouldn't he have to be a playboy, a man