the turmoil-第20节

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with　the　best。　　Myself；　I　and　the　wife　never　had　time　for　much　　o'　that　kind

o'　doin's；　but　it's　all　right　and　good　for　the　chuldern；　and　　my　daughter

she's　always　kind　of　taken　to　it。　　I'll　read　you　a　poem　she　　wrote　when　I　get

you　up　at　the　house。　　She　wrote　it　in　school　and　took　　the　first　prize　for

poetry　with　it。　　I　tell　you　they　don't　make　'em　any　　smarter　'n　that　girl；　Mr。

Farver。　　Yes；　sir；　take　us　all　round；　we're　a　　pretty　happy　family；　yes；　sir。

Roscoe　hasn't　got　any　chuldern　yet；　and　I　　haven't　ever　spoke　to　him　and　his

wife　about　itit's　kind　of　a　　delicate　matterbut　it's　about　time　the　wife

and　I　saw　some　　gran'…chuldern　growin'　up　around　us。　　I　certainly　do　hanker

for　about　　four　or　five　little　curly…headed　rascals　to　take　on　my　knee。　　Boys；

I　　hope；　o'　course；　that's　only　natural。　　Jim's　got　his　eye　on　a　mighty

splendid…lookin'　girl；　lives　right　next　door　to　us。　　I　expect　you　heard　　me

joshin'　him　about　it　back　yonder。　　She's　one　of　the　ole　blue…bloods　　here；　and

I　guess　it　was　a　mighty　good　stockto　raise　HER！　　She's　one　　these　girls　that

stand　tight　up　and　look　at　you！　　And　pretty？　　She's　the　　prettiest　thing　you

ever　saw！　　Good　size；　too；　good　health　and　good　　sense。　　Jim　'll　be　just　right

if　he　gets　her。　　I　must　say　it　tickles　ME　to　　think　o'　the　way　that　boy　took

ahold　o'　that　job　back　yonder。　　Four　　months　and　a　half！　　Yes；　sir〃



He　expanded　this　theme　once　more；　and　thus　he　continued　to　entertain　the

stranger　throughout　the　long　drive。　　Darkness　had　fallen　before　they　　reached

the　city　on　their　return；　and　it　was　after　five　when　Sheridan　　allowed　Herr

Favre　to　descend　at　the　door　of　his　hotel；　where　boys　were　　shrieking　extra

editions　of　the　evening　paper。



〃Now；　good　night；　Mr。　Farver；〃　said　Sheridan；　leaning　from　the　car　to　　shake

hands　with　his　guest。　　〃Don't　forget　I'm　goin'　to　come　around　and　　take　you　up

toGo　on　away；　boy！〃



A　newsboy　had　thrust　himself　almost　between　them；　yelling；　〃Extry！　　Secon'

Extry。　　Extry；　all　about　the　horrable　acciDENT。　　Extry！〃



〃Get　out！〃　laughed　Sheridan。　　〃Who　wants　to　read　about　accidents？　　Get　out！〃



The　boy　moved　away　philosophically。　　〃Extry！　　Extry！〃　he　shrilled。　　　〃Three

men　killed！　　Extry！　　Millionaire　killed！　　Two　other　men　killed！　　　Extry！

Extry！〃



〃Don't　forget；　Mr。　Farver。〃　Sheridan　completed　his　interrupted　　farewells。

〃I'll　come　by　to　take　you　up　to　our　house　for　dinner。　　I'll　　be　here　for　you

about　half…past　five　to…morrow　afternoon。　　Hope　you　　'njoyed　the　drive　much　as

I　have。　　Good　nightgood　night！〃　　He　leaned　　back；　speaking　to　the　chauffer。

〃Now　you　can　take　me　around　to　the　　Central　City　barber…shop；　boy。　　I　want　to

get　a　shave　'fore　I　go　up　home。〃



〃Extry！　　Extry！〃　screamed　the　newsboys；　zig…zagging　among　the　crowds　like

bats　in　the　dusk。　　〃Extry！　　All　about　the　horrable　acciDENT！　　Extry！〃　　It

struck　Sheridan　that　the　papers　sent　out　too　many　〃Extras〃；　they　printed

〃Extras〃　for　all　sorts　of　petty　crimes　and　casualties。　　It　was　a　mistake；　　he

decided；　critically。　　Crying　〃Wolf！〃　too　often　wouldn't　sell　the　　goods；　it

was　bad　business。　　The　papers　would　〃make　more　in　the　long　　run；〃　he　was　sure；

if　they　published　an　〃Extra〃　only　when　something　of　　real　importance　happened。



〃Extry！　　All　about　the　hor'ble　AX'nt！　　Extry！〃　a　boy　squawked　under　his　　nose；

as　he　descended　from　the　car。



〃Go　on　away！〃　said　Sheridan；　gruffly；　though　he　smiled。　　He　liked　to　see　　the

youngsters　working　so　noisily　to　get　on　in　the　world。



But　as　he　crossed　the　pavement　to　the　brilliant　glass　doors　of　the

barber…shop；　a　second　newsboy　grasped　the　arm　of　the　one　who　had　thus　　cried

his　wares。



〃Say；　Yallern；〃　said　this　second；　hoarse　with　awe；　〃'n't　chew　know　who　　that

IS？〃



〃Who？〃



〃It's　SHERIDAN！〃



〃Jeest！〃　cried　the　first；　staring　insanely。



At　about　the　same　hour；　four　times　a　weekMonday；　Wednesday；　Friday；　　and

SaturdaySheridan　stopped　at　this　shop　to　be　shaved　by　the　head　　barber。　　The

barbers　were　negroes；　he　was　their　great　man；　and　it　was　　their　habit　to　give

him　a　〃reception；〃　his　entrance　being　always　the　　signal　for　a　flurry　of

jocular　hospitality；　followed　by　general　excesses　　of　briskness　and　gaiety。

But　it　was　not　so　this　evening。



The　shop　was　crowded。　　Copies　of　the　〃Extra〃　were　being　read　by　men　　waiting；

and　by　men　in　the　latter　stages　of　treatment。　　〃Extras〃　lay　upon　　vacant　seats

and　showed　from　the　pockets　of　hanging　coats。



There　was　a　loud　chatter　between　the　practitioners　and　their　recumbent

patients；　a　vocal　charivari　which　stopped　abruptly　as　Sheridan　opened　the

door。　　His　name　seemed　to　fizz　in　the　air　like　the　last　sputtering　of　a

firework；　the　barbers　stopped　shaving　and　clipping；　lathered　men　turned　　their

prostrate　heads　to　stare；　and　there　was　a　moment　of　amazing　silence　　in　the

shop。



The　head　barber；　nearest　the　door；　stood　like　a　barber　in　a　tableau。　　His

left　hand　held　stretched　between　thumb　and　forefinger　an　elastic　section　　of

his　helpless　customer's　cheek；　while　his　right　hand　hung　poised　above　　it；　the

razor　motionless。　　And　then；　roused　from　trance　by　the　door's　　closing；　he

accepted　the　fact　of　Sheridan's　presence。　　The　barber　　remembered　that　there

are　no　circumstances　in　lifeor　just　after　it　under　which　a　man　does　not

need　to　be　shaved。



He　stepped　forward；　profoundly　graave。　　〃I　be　through　with　this　man　in　　the

chair　one　minute；　Mist'　Sheridan；〃　he　said；　in　a　hushed　tone。　　〃Yessuh。〃　And

of　a　solemn　negro　youth　who　stood　by；　gazing　stupidly；　〃You　goin'　　RESIGN？〃　he

demanded　in　a　fierce　undertone。　　〃You　goin'　take　Mist'　　Sheridan's　coat？〃　　He

sent　an　angry　look　round　the　shop；　and　the　barbers；　　taking　his　meaning；

averted　their　eyes　and　fell　to　work；　the　murmur　of　　subdued　conversation

buzzing　from　chair　to　chair。



〃You　sit　down　ONE　minute；　Mist'　Sheridan；〃　said　the　head　barber；　gently。　　　〃I

fix　nice　chair　fo'　you　to　wait　in。〃



〃Never　mind；〃　said　Sheridan。　　〃Go　on　get　through　with　your　man。〃



〃Yessuh。〃　　And　he　went　quickly　back　to　his　chair　on　tiptoe；　followed　by

Sheridan's　puzzled　gaze。



Something　had　gone　wrong　in　the　shop；　evidently。　　Sheridan　did　not　know　　what

to　make　of　it。　　Ordinarily　he　would　have　shouted　a　hilarious　demand　　for　the

meaning　of　the　mystery；　but　an　inexplicable　silence　had　been　　imposed　upon　him

by　the　hush　that　fell　upon　his　entrance　and　by　the　odd　　look　every　man　in　the

shop　had　bent　upon　him。



Vaguely　disquieted；　he　walked　to　one　of　the　seats　in　the　rear　of　the　　shop；

and　looked　up　and　down　the　two　lines　of　barbers；　catching　quickly　　shifted；

furtive　glances　here　and　there。　　He　made　this　brief　survey　after　　wondering　if

one　of　the　barbers　had　died　suddenly；　that　day；　or　the　night　　before；　but

there　was　no　vacancy　in　either　line。



The　seat　next　to　his　was　unoccupied；　but　some　one　had　left　a　copy　of　the

〃Extra〃　there；　and；　frowning；　he　picked　it　up　and　glanced　at　it。　　The　　first

of　the　swollen　display　lines　had　little　meaning　to　him：　　　　　Fatally　Faulty。

New　Process　Roof　Collapses　Hurling　Capitalist　　　　　to　Death　with　Inventor。　　Seven

Escape　When　Crash　Comes。　　Death　　　　Claims



Thus　far　had　he　read　when　a　thin　hand　fell　upon　the　paper；　covering　the　　print

from　his　eyes；　and；　looking　up；　he　saw　Bibbs　standing　before　him；　　pale　and

gentle；　immeasurably　compassionate。



〃I've　come　for　you；　father；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Here's　the　boy　with　your　coat　　and

hat。　　Put　them　on　and　come　home。〃



And　even　then　Sheridan　did　not　understand。　　So　secure　was　he　in　the　　strength

and　bigness　of　everything　that　was　his；　he　did　not　know　what　　calamity　had

befallen　him。　　But　he　was　frightened。



Without　a　word；　he　followed　Bibbs　heavily　out　throught　the　still　shop；　　but　as

they　reached　the　pavement　he　stopped　short　and；　grasping　his　son's　　sleeve

with　shaking　fingers；　swung　him　round　so　that　they　stood　face　to　　face。



〃Whatwhat〃　　His　mouth　could　not　do　him　the　service　he　asked　of　it；　　he　was

so　frightened。



〃Extry！〃　screamed　a　newsboy　straight　in　his　face。　　〃Young　North　Side

millionaire　insuntly　killed！　　Extry！〃



〃NotJIM！〃　said　Sheridan。



Bibbs　caught　his　father's　hand　in　his　own。



〃And　YOU　come　to　tell　me　that？〃



Sheridan　did　not　know　what　he　said。　　But　in　those　first　words　and　in　the

first　anguish　of　the　big；　stricken　face　Bibbs　understood　the　unuttered　　cry　of

accusation：



〃Why　wasn't　it　you？〃





Standing　in　the　black　group　under　gaunt　trees　at　the　cemetery；　three　days

later；　Bibbs　unwillingly　let　an　old；　old　thought　become　definite　in　his　　mind：

the　sickly　brother　had　buried　the　strong　brother；　and　Bibbs　　wondered　how　many

million　times　that　had　happened　since　men　first　made　a　　word　to　name　the　sons

of　one　mother。　　Almost　literally　he　had　buried　his　　strong　brother；　for

Sheridan　had　gone　to　pieces　when　he　saw　his　dead　son。　He　had　nothing　to　help

him　meet　the　shock；　neither　definite　religion　nor　　〃philosophy〃　definite　or

indefinite。　　He　could　onl