October 19, 1968
3205
The Schooner Bay Historical Society decides to place a statue of a local hero in the town square. The president of the society, Miss Elvira Grover takes it upon herself to choose the person without the voting of the other members, and decides upon her ancestor--Captain Horatio Figg, a supposed hero of the Mexican War who died at sea.
The Captain is overcome with rage at this choice, which Carolyn takes for jealousy because he himself was not picked. Not so he says, at least not in part, Captain Figg was a coward who demanded to be put off the ship, fled from all combat and actually returned to Schooner Bay and died there. Carolyn, who is writing an article on Figg, tells the Captain she must have proof of his accusations. Triumptly, the Captain takes her to Figg's gravestone, situated in the pet cemetery on the old Figg homestead but he can not prove that the seaman's medals were fakes or that he was not hero at the Battle of Vera Cruz.
Carolyn takes the historical society to view the gravestone, Miss Grover is extremely proud of the find. The epitaph on the marker is the same motto that hangs below Figg's portrait--"When Duty Called He Did Not Hesitate." A sudden rainstorm sends the group scrambling for cover, and is over almost as soon as it began. However the rain was strong enough to brush away some ivy covering the bottom of the marker. Miss Grover faints at the sight of what is written there and several of the other members laugh. The rain had revealed a missing line--"When Duty Called He Did Not Hesitate. He Ran Like Hell." Needless to say Carolyn does apologize to Captain Gregg, whose pride is restored.
SrRui
Editor
melchycat
Retired
Mafeu
Retired
boechsner
GeorgeFergus
AdamGerace
