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save whatever papa gave him; and put it in the bank。  I  reckon it 'll just

about kill your father to put somebody in his place as  president of the

Realty Company; Bibbs。  I know he can't move Roscoe  over; he told me last

week he'd already put as much on Roscoe as any one  man could handle and not

go crazy。  Oh; it's a pity〃  She stopped to  wipe her eyes。  〃It's a pity

you didn't run more with Jim; Bibbs; and  kind o' pick up his ways。  Think

what it'd meant to papa now! You never  did run with either Roscoe or Jim any;

even before you got sick。  Of  course; you were younger; but it always DID

seem queerand you three  bein' brothers like that。  I don't believe I ever

saw you and Jim sit  down together for a good talk in my life。〃



〃Mother; I've been away so long;〃 Bibbs returned; gently。 〃And since I  came

home I〃



〃Oh; I ain't reproachin' you; Bibbs;〃 she said。  〃Jim ain't been home  much of

an evening since you got backwhat with his work and callin'  and goin' to

the theater and places; and often not even at the house for  dinner。  Right

the evening before he got hurt he had his dinner at some  miser'ble rest'rant

down by the Pump Works; he was so set on overseein'  the night work and

gettin' everything finished up right to the minute he  told papa he would。  I

reckon you might 'a' put in more time with Jim if  there'd been more

opportunity; Bibbs。  I expect you feel almost as if you  scarcely really knew

him right well。〃



〃I suppose I really didn't; mother。  He was busy; you see; and I hadn't  much

to say about the things that interested him; because I don't know  much about

them。〃



〃It's a pity! Oh; it's a pity!〃 she moaned。  〃And you'll have to learn to

know about 'em NOW; Bibbs!  I haven't said much to you; because I felt it  was

all between your father and you; but I honestly do believe it will  just kill

him if he has to have any more trouble on top of all this!  You  mustn't LET

him; Bibbsyou mustn't!  You don't know how he's grieved  over you; and now

he can't stand any morehe just can't!  Whatever he  says for you to do; you

DO it; Bibbs; you DO it!  I want you to promise  me you will。〃



〃I would if I could;〃 he said; sorrowfully。



〃No; no!  Why can't you?〃 she cried; clutching his arm。  〃He wants you to  go

back to the machine…shop and〃



〃And'like it!〃 said Bibbs。



〃Yes; that's itto go in a cheerful spirit。  Dr。 Gurney said it  wouldn't

hurt you if you went in a cheerful spiritthe doctor said  that himself;

Bibbs。  So why can't you do it?  Can't you do that much for  your father?  You

ought to think what he's done for YOU。  You got a  beautiful house to live in;

you got automobiles to ride in; you got fur  coats and warm clothes; you been

taken care of all your life。  And you  don't KNOW how he worked for the money

to give all these things to you!   You don't DREAM what he had to go through

and what he risked when we were  startin' out in life; and you never WILL

know!  And now this blow has  fallen on him out of a clear sky; and you make

it out to be a hardship to  do like he wants you to!  And all on earth he asks

is for you to go back  to the work in a cheerful spirit; so it won't hurt you!

That's all he  asks。  Look; Bibbs; we're gettin' back near home; but before we

get there  I want you to promise me that you'll do what he asks you to。

Promise  me!〃



In her earnestness she cleared away her black veil that she might see  him

better; and it blew out on the smoky wind。  He readjusted it for her  before

he spoke。



〃I'll go back in as cheerful a spirit as I can; mother;〃 he said。



〃There!〃 she exclaimed; satisfied。  〃That's a good boy!  That's all I  wanted

you to say。〃



〃Don't give me any credit;〃 he said; ruefully。  〃There isn't anything  else

for me to do。〃



〃Now; don't begin talkin' THAT way!〃



〃No; no;〃 he soothed her。  〃We'll have to begin to make the spirit a  cheerful

one。  We may〃  They were turning into their own driveway as  he spoke; and

he glanced at the old house next door。  Mary Vertrees was  visible in the

twilight; standing upon the front steps; bareheaded; the  door open behind

her。  She bowed gravely。



〃'We may'what?〃 asked Mrs。 Sheridan; with a slight impatience。



〃What is it; mother?〃



〃You said; 'We may;' and didn't finish what you were sayin'。〃



〃Did I?〃 said Bibbs; blankly。  〃Well; what WERE we saying?〃



〃Of all the queer boys!〃 she cried。  〃You always were。  Always!  You  haven't

forgot what you just promised me; have you?〃



〃No;〃 he answered; as the car stopped。  〃No; the spirit will be as  cheerful

as the flesh will let it; mother。  It won't do to behave like〃



His voice was low; and in her movement to descend from the car she failed  to

here his final words。



〃Behave like who; Bibbs?〃



〃Nothing。〃



But she was fretful in her grief。  〃You said it wouldn't do to behave  like

SOMEBODY。  Behave like WHO?〃



〃It was just nonsense;〃 he explained; turning to go in。  〃An obscure  person I

don't think much of lately。〃



〃Behave like WHO?〃 she repeated; and upon his yielding to her petulant

insistence; she made up her mind that the only thing to do was to tell  Dr。

Gurney about it。



〃Like Bildad the Shuhite!〃 was what Bibbs said。





The outward usualness of things continued after dinner。  It was  Sheridan's

custom to read the evening paper beside the fire in the  library; while his

wife; sitting near by; either sewed (from old habit)  or allowed herself to be

repeatedly baffled by one of the simpler forms  of solitaire。  To…night she

did neither; but sat in her customary chair;  gazing at the fire; while

Sheridan let the unfolded paper rest upon his  lap; though now and then he

lifted it; as if to read; and let it fall  back upon his knees again。  Bibbs

came in noiselessly and sat in a  corner; doing nothing; and from a

〃reception…room〃 across the hall an  indistinct vocal murmur became just

audible at intervals。  Once; when  this murmur grew louder; under stress of

some irrepressible merriment;  Edith's voice could be heard〃Bobby; aren't

you awful!〃 and Sheridan  glanced across at his wife appealingly。



She rose at once and went into the 〃reception…room〃; there was a flurry  of

whispering; and the sound of tiptoeing in the hallEdith and her  suitor

changing quarters to a more distant room。  Mrs。 Sheridan returned  to her

chair in the library。



〃They won't bother you any more; papa;〃 she said; in a comforting voice。

〃She told me at lunch he'd 'phoned he wanted to come up this evening; and  I

said I thought he'd better wait a few days; but she said she'd already  told

him he could。〃  She paused; then added; rather guiltily: 〃I got kind  of a

notion maybe Roscoe don't like him as much as he used to。  Maybe maybe you

better ask Roscoe; papa。〃  And as Sheridan nodded solemnly; she  concluded; in

haste: 〃Don't say I said to。  I might be wrong about it;  anyway。〃



He nodded again; and they sat for some time in a silence which Mrs。  Sheridan

broke with a little sniff; having fallen into a reverie that  brought tears。

〃That Miss Vertrees was a good girl;〃 she said。  〃SHE was  all right。〃



Her husband evidently had no difficulty in following her train of  thought;

for he nodded once more; affirmatively。



〃Did youHow did you fix it about thethe Realty Company?〃 she  faltered。

〃Did you



He rose heavily; helping himself to his feet by the arms of his chair。   〃I

fixed it;〃 he said; in a husky voice。  〃I moved Cantwell up; and put  Johnston

in Cantwell's place; and split up Johnston's work among the four  men with

salaries high enough to take it。〃  He went to her; put his hand  upon her

shoulder; and drew a long; audible; tremulous breath。  〃It's my  bedtime;

mamma; I'm goin' up。〃  He dropped the hand from her shoulder and  moved slowly

away; but when he reached the door he stopped and spoke  again; without

turning to look at her。  〃The Realty Company 'll go right  on just the same;〃

he said。  〃It's likeit's like sand; mamma。  It  puts me in mind of chuldern

playin' in a sand…pile。  One of 'em sticks  his finger in the sand and makes a

hole; and another of 'em 'll pat the  place with his hand; and all the little

grains of sand run in and fill it  up and settle against one another; and

then; right away it's flat on top  again; and you can't tell there ever was a

hole there。  The Realty Company  'll go on all right; mamma。  There ain't

anything anywhere; I reckon;  that wouldn't go right onjust the same。〃



And he passed out slowly into the hall; then they heard his heavy tread  upon

the stairs。



Mrs。 Sheridan; rising to follow him; turned a piteous face to her son。   〃It's

so forlong;〃 she said; chokingly。  〃That's the first time he spoke  since he

came in the house this evening。  I know it must 'a' hurt him to  hear Edith

laughin' with that Lamhorn。  She'd oughtn't to let him come;  right the very

first evening this w

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