by HarveyKent, adapted from Adventure Comics #40 by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman
The next morning was clear and bright, the brightest I’d seen in many months. I had thought that, with the light of day, my Quixotic taste for adventure would fade away like a dream. It hadn’t. If anything, it had strengthened. I was now determined that the Sandman would continue to walk, to mete out justice. And I would be he. The radio company might want to sue me for using their character’s name, but let them try. They’d have to find me first.
As I looked out at the new day dawning, I began to feel that I was on the threshold of something, that a new age was dawning with that golden sun, an age of heroism and valor, and I was going to be one of the pioneers of that age. I softly chuckled at my own grandiose thoughts. Lee Travis would laugh himself silly, if I ever told him. It was now Friday, and I was planning to meet him at the Stork Club this evening, and I truly wished I was able to talk with him about it, but I doubted Lee would be sympathetic to my vigilante actions. (*) After all, hadn’t he posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the mystery-man known as the Crimson?
[(*) Editor’s note: See “The Secret Origin of the Golden Age Sandman,” Secret Origins v2 #7 (October, 1986).]
“Wesley!” Tom Schaffer cried out anxiously, bursting into the room as I was sitting down to my breakfast. “Can you believe it, Wesley?! It’s just as if the Sandman had heard me pleading for help!”
“What is, Tom?” I asked calmly.
“Look here!” Tom said, holding up the morning edition of the World Telegraph. “It says this morning the police found Vivian, unharmed, fast asleep in her room! Tied to the foot of her bed was the Tarantula, and another thug — both asleep! There was sand sprinkled lightly over them all — the Sandman’s signature!” He placed the newspaper in front of me and bade me read it.
“Oh, the papers are getting the story all wrong as usual, saying it was all a publicity stunt, but I can’t believe that,” Tom sputtered. “I’ve known Vivian for years — she’d never do a thing like that. But the Sandman! He answered my prayer! By George, it’s unbelievable! It’s amazing! It’s — for heaven’s sake, Wesley, say something!”
“Remarkable, Tom,” I agreed with a wry smile. “Remarkable!”
The End