Heroes

It has now been a month since Francis returned to Frenchtown; pleasantly, he notes how the townspeople, familiar with his presence, now smile at him when he passes by in his army fatigue jacket, his scarf, and his hat. Accustomed now to this pleasant familiarity, Francis is still impatient for Larry’s return. He carries his pistol around in his duffle bag everywhere he goes, constantly prepared for the moment when he can complete his final mission.

Hoping to hear information about Larry, Francis continues to frequent the St. Jude Club. Although he never joins in on the conversations or pool games, the other veterans respect his silence and his anonymity. Finally, when all the veterans fall into a periodic silence, Francis summons the courage to ask what has become of his former hero, Larry.

Spurred to emotion by Francis’ sudden question, Arthur leads a toast to “the patron saint of the Wreck Center.” Then, the Strangler, the old bartender who seldom drinks, toasts from behind the bar to the men who wear the Silver Star. Prompted again by Arthur, the Strangler unveils the “Frenchtown Warriors” scrapbook: a collection of newspaper clippings about all the young men of Frenchtown who had served in the war, including the announcement that Larry had earned the Silver Star for his bravery in combat. With a somber tone, the Strangler tells Francis that he is glad that he no longer has to add to the scrapbook.

In the midst of the toasts and reminiscing, Arthur leans in close to Francis and tells him that he recognizes Francis’s voice. Francis admits, finally, to his real identity, and Arthur recalls that Francis, a Silver Star hero in his own right, had once been the Wreck Center Ping-Pong champion. Bonded now by their shared childhood in addition to their service in the war, Arthur agrees to keep Francis’s identity a secret from the rest of the veterans.