1 .The place. BLOSSOM BEND: One of those slow towns where the Tuesday morning Express arrives Wednesday afternoon. If Monday's train gets out of the way. 2 The Boy _ At the age of eleven months and four teeth _ Afraid to call his cradle his own. 3 At school he rubbed great holes in his stockings _ Where his knees shook together. 4 "How little have they gotta be before you'll fight?" 5 Nineteen _ Meek, modest and retiring. The boldest thing he ever did was to sing out loud in church. 6 The Girl _ Has never been taught to coquet _ But she can work wonders for an amateur. 7 The Rival _ He bullied his way through four grades at school _ And licked the teacher as a graduation exercise. 8 "Mildred and me just finished freezing the ice cream _ We wanted to surprise her ma." 9 "Pretty hot work _ But I wanted to surprise you." 10 One mile later _ Mostly up hill, and no shade. 11 His Old Fashioned Grandmother _ She raised him through the croup, measles and whooping cough _ and felt slighted when he dodged the mumps. 12 The Rolling Stone _ Has gathered no moss. But he has picked up a lot of soil. 13 "Tell that nasty old tramp to get right out of our yard." 14 "Put me out!" 15 "We made him scoot _ Didn't we?" 16 "There's only one we, Granny _ That's you." 17 "... And I promised Mildred to come over tonight _ Look at my Sunday suit _ They'll think I've outgrown it." 18 "Now just you stop worrying, Sonny _ You can wear Granddaddy's suit." 19 "Be sure and come over tonight _ Harold will be so disappointed if you're not there." 20 "It's just as good as the day your Granddaddy bought it in '61. There wasn't another suit like it _ The peddler said so." 21 Evening _ The Gathering may last into the wee small hours _ As late as 9:30. 22 First to arrive _ Dressed strictly up to date _ For the Spring of 1862. 23 "That peddler lied to Granny!" 24 "I LOVE YOU - I LOVE YOU - I LOVE YOU" 25 "Ma wants some gasoline _ She's scouring pa's neck." 26 "Come on _ Let's have some more fun." 27 "_ _ _ It's the same tramp that's been hangin' ' round town all day! The whole community is 'roused _ There'll be no sleep here tonight _ _ _" 28 "Every able bodied man must act as a deputy _ _ _" 29 "Sorry _ That's the last badge _ _ _" 30 "What a pity, Harold _ I know how disappointed you must be." 31 "Oh, I just KNOW you'll capture the tramp _ It's a wonderful chance!" 32 "H-E-Y!" 33 "H-E-Y!" 34 "Poor Sonny - There ought to be some way to help him." 35 Daybreak stings the boy with the realization that he is helpless, hopeless and useless _ A weakling. 36 "Why, what's the matter, Sonny?" 37 "It's no use, Granny _ I'm a coward _ I'm a coward." 38 "Nothing is ever as bad as it seems, Sonny _ Every cloud has a silver lining." 39 "When Granddaddy was your age _ _ _ 40 ... He thought he was the biggest coward in the whole world, but ... 41 ... on the morning of April 7, 1862 ... 42 "I hates 'em all _ Go an' get 'em!" 43 "I can't! They sent me to steal General Bell's code, but I can't go through with it _ I'm a coward _ I'm a coward." 44 "Look! The magic charm of Zuni! Him as holds the mystic Idol is all powerful! He conquers _ Nothin' can harm him. Nothin' - Nothin'." 45 "See! The charm protects _ Zuni never fails _ Go an' get 'em!" 46 "I'm afraid I made it too strong, sir." 47 "You're no soldier _ You're a regiment!" 48 "But I have no magic charm, Granny." 49 "They've trapped the tramp in the old Miller shack! He's wounded five _ An' scared Hail Columbia outta the rest!" 50 "Here comes more deputies! Sheriff needs every able bodied man over at the shack_ Feelin' poorly, myself." 51 "If I lead will you all follow me?" 52 "Come on _ Nothing to fear _ I GOT HIM!" 53 "It's no use. We'll never capture him without bloodhounds_ An' he'd probably chew up a half dozen o' them." 54 "It was your wonderful charm that did it, Granny _ It wasn't me..." 55 "There was no charm, Sonny. It was all you _ Nobody but you _ Granny knew her real boy better than he knew himself." 56 "But the charm saved Granddaddy?" 57 "Bless your heart, Sonny. That story was all a fib _ Just a little white fib." 58 "DO YOU LOVE ME?" 59 "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" 60 "RIGHT NOW?" The ENDHome