Show l BOOTH l AUTHOR AI of MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE j I THE CONQUEST OF CAN CANAAN d PENROD EtC I I 1916 9 BY H kS- kS SYNOPSIS Sheridan's attempt to make a business business busi- busi ness man of his son Bibbs by start starting ing Ong ng him in n the machine shop ends iu ill Bibbs going to a sanitariUm a nervous nary nerv ous us wreck On his bis return Bibbs t is ii met at the station by his sister Edith He finds himself an inconsiderable And nd unconsidered figure In the New NewHouse NewHouse NewHouse House of the He sees Mary Vertrees looking at him from froma a summer house next door The Ver- Ver old town family and impoverished impoverished call on the new new- rich ly-rich and afterward discuss them Mary Blary puts into words her parents unspoken w wish wish sh that she marry one of the thES' Sheridan boys At the Sheridan housewarming banquet Sheridan spreads himself Mary frankly encourages entourages en en- Jim Sheridan's attention and Bibbs hears bears he is to be he sent hack back to the machine shop Mary tells her mother about the banquet bap and shocks her Iter mother by talking of Jim as a matrimonial possibility Jim tells Mary glary Bibbs is not a lunatic just lunatic just queer queer He proposes to Mary who halt half accepts him Sheridan tells Bibbs he must go back to the machne machine shop as soon as he Is strong enough in spite of Bibbs Bibb's pica a to be allowed to write Bibbs has to break to his father the news of ot Jims Jim's sudden death All the rest of the family helpless in In their grief Bibbs becomes temporary master of the house At Atthe Atthe the funeral he meets Mary and rides home with her Mrs Sheridan pleads with Bibbs to return to the machine shop chop for his fathers father's sake and he consents Mutual love lore of music rouses an Intimate friendship be- be Bibbs 8 and Mary Mary sells her ier piano to help out the finances ot of otlie he lie V Vertrees family Sheridan finds r- r r Roscoe in an Intoxicated condition during office hours an and ani takes him homo Friendship between Bibba Bibbs and Mary ripens Into a more intimate Intimate Intimate Inti Inti- mate relation and under Marys Mary's In Influence influence In- In fluence Bibbs decides to re return urn to the machine shop Sheridan finds his Is son Roscoe's affairs in a muddled condition owing to his Intemperate abita Bibbs under tho inspiration of f Marys friendship ma makes os good Inthe in inthe inthe the machine shop Sheridan herilan is in- in In Injured p.- p. while attempting to show the boy how bow to do his work Sibyl insanely in sanely anely jealous over Lamborn's Lamhorn's attentions at aU at- to Edith makes a scene scone Inthe Inthe in inthe the Sheridan home bome and Lamborn Lamhorn is 1 ordered out of or the house by hy Sheridan Bibbs finds great happiness in his work and his bis love Mary Edith leaves for New York lily lly to visit a friend Roscoe Romeo tells his father that he is going to quit the the business and go away with his wife Sheridan announces that he is going to take Bibbs Into the office with him and make a business man of liim bim And here bere I am ami she laughed completely com corn understanding I think were we're like those two In The Cloister ant anu the Hearth Im I'm Just jost the rough Bur- Bur crossbow man Denys who followed that gentle genUe Gerard and told everybody that the devil was dead He isn't though said Bibbs as a a. hoarse little bell in the next room b be began gan gun a series of ot sn an an- an Ings which proved to be ten upon count Ha He gets into the clock whenever Im I'm with you Joo And sighing deeply he rose rosei roseto i t. t to go Youre always very prompt about leaving me Theres little ti time In the one ne twenty- twenty I four tour hours boura when Im I'm not happy Its It's now when I have to say good night But nut now's the bad time time and and I 1 must musto go o through It it and s so good so-good good night And he be added with a pungent vehemence vehemence mence menco of ot which he was little aware I hate bate iti IU Do you your she said rising to go to the door with him But he be stood motionless mo mo- gazing at her wonderingly t Mary Your YonI eyes are so so so- He stopped t Yes But she looked quickly away y I dont don't know he said I thought V. V Just then then then- What did you yoo think h I dont don't know know know-It It seemed to me that l there was something I ought to understand under under- p stand stand and and She laughed and met hIs bis wondering gaze again frankly My Aly eyes are pleased she said Im glad clad that you miss me a little after atter you go But nut tomorrows tomorrow's coming taster faster than other days If It you'll let It It he be said She Inclined her ber head bead Yes Ill I'll I let iet ct If UI iti L Going to church said Bald Bibbs It It Iso is going god o to t when I I g with ith Youl J a i SI She went to the front door 1001 with him she sUe always went Trent that far They had formed tl n a little code of ot leave leav taking leave taking by habit neither of them ever speaking speak peak peaking ing of ot It but it was always th the same She always stood in the doorway until he lie reached the sidewalk and there thre he bo always turned and looked back and she waved her hand band to In him bim in Then he went on way half-way to the new nw house and looked back 8 again ln and Mary was not in n the doorway iy but the door was open and the light shone shone It was as as asIf asif asif if she ehe meant to tell him bim that she would never shut him out he could always see that friendly light of the open doorway doorway doorway-as as If it it were open for tOl him to come como back if It f he would He could see It until a wing of the new V house bouse came between when he went up the path The open doorway seemed to him the beautiful symbol of her friendship ot of her thought of him a symbol of ot herself herselt her her- self and of ot her ineffable kindness And Anil she Kept the door open open even even tonight though the sl sleet slet et and fine snow swept In upon her bare throat and arms and her Iter brown hair was strewn with tiny white stars tars Ills heart beart leaped as he be turned and saw that she was Wn there waving her hand to him as asIf asIf asif If he did not know that the storm touched her When i he had gone on Mary did as she always did did she she went into Info an unlit t ro room m across the hall ball from that in which they had hod spent the evening evening eve eve- evening ning and looking from the window watched him until be he was out of sight The storm made that difficult tonight but she caught a glimpse of him under the street lamp that stood between the two houses bouses and saw that he turned to look back again Then and not before she looked at the upper windows of ot Roscoe's house across the street Th They y were dark Mary waited but after a little while she closed the front door and returned to her window A moment later Inter two of or the upper windows windows win win- dows of ot no Roscoe's coes coe's house flashed into light and a hand lowered the shade of ot otone one of or them Mary felt the cold then It it was the third night she had seen those windows lighted and that shade lowered just after Bibba BIbbs had gone gooe Bibbs stopped at his last look loot back at the op open o door and with a thin mantle of ot white already upon his hla shoulders made hi bL his way gasping Inthe in inthe inthe the wind to the glee Iee of ot the sheltering wing of at the new house bOUge A stricken George muttering hoarsely hoarse hoarse- ly admitted ed him and Bibbs became aware of ot a paroxysm within the house bouse Terrible 8 sounds came from the li library U. U Sheridan cursing as never before before be be- fore tore his WIre wife sobbing lObbing her ber voice rising to an agonized squeal of ot protest upon each of ot a series of ot muffled detonations the the outrageous thumping of ot a bandaged bandaged band band- aged hand upon wood then Gurney sharply imperious Keep your hand band handin bandin in that sling sUng Keep your hand in that sling I say I I Look George gasped delighted to play herald for so important a tragedy and he renewed upon his face the ghastly expression with which he be had bad first beheld the ruins his calamitous gesture gestore laid before the eyes of ot Bibbs Look at a statue statuel Gazing down the hall Bibbs saw heroic wreckage seemingly Byzantine painted colossal fragments of a shattered shattered shat shat- torso appallingly human and glided elided and silvered slivered heaps of ot magnificence ma magnificence cence cence strewn among ruinous palms like the spoil spall of ot a barbarians barbarians' battle There had been a massacre In the oasis the oasIs the Moor bad had been hurled from his pedestal He hit at ole statue said George Pow My father Pow he hit er enl An you youma youma youma ma run ron tell me git quick quicks quick's s 's I IkIn Ikin Ikin kin she ehe she she sho you you yon pa goin bus' bus a blood He aint taken on tall now He aint tall to what he be was while ago You done miss' miss It it Mist Bibbs got him all quiet down to what he was Pow he bit hit er He took Bibbs' Bibbs coat and proffered a crumpled telegraph telegraph telegraph tele tele- graph form torm Here nere what come he said I pick er up op when he be done stomp In on er You read er Mist Bibbs you Bibbs you ma tell me tuba er to you soon's soona you come In Bibbs read rend the telegram quickly It was from New York and addressed to Mrs Mra Sheridan Sure you ou will win all approve step have taken 03 ItS was waa BO so wretched my health would probably suffered Buffered severely Robert and I were married this afternoon thought best have quiet wedding absolutely absolutely abeo sure Bure you will understand wisdom of ot step when you know Robert better am happiest woman In world are It leaving for tor Florida will wire address When settled will remain till spring love to all an father will like him too when he knows known him like Uko I do h he la is Just JuEt Ideal deal EDITH LAMHORN CHAPTER Bibbs convinced that the mere glimpse of ot him just then would prove nothing less than insufferable for tor his father was about to make his Ids escape Into the gold brocade room mom om when he heard Sheridan vociferously dem demanding de de- demanding m manding tUn his presence tl 77 h 1 l cp arc ato Theres Our Little Sunshine He Ho Cried T if lm t to come in here Hes He's out there I heard beard George just let him In Now you'll see And tear-stained tear Mrs Sheridan looking ou out into the ball hall beckoned to her ber son TUbbs went as far tar as fiB the doorway Gurney sat eat winding a strip sUlp of ot white cotton his black bag open upon a n chair near by end and Sheridan was striding striding ing up and down his hand BO so heavily wrapped in fresh bandages that beseemed he be seemed to be wearing a small boxing boxing- glove glo His eyes ees were bloodshot his forehead was heavily bedewed one side of ot his collar had bad broken loose and there were blood stains upon his right cuff cuil Theres our little sunshine he be cried as Bibbs appeared Theres the hope o 0 the family family my my lifelong pride and Joy I want want want- Keep your hand in that sling said Gurney sharply Sheridan turned upon him uttering a sound like a howl For Gods God's sake sing another tune he cried You said you came as a doctor but stay as a friend and in that capacity you undertake to sit up op and criticize me me- me Oh talk sense said the doctor and yawned Intentionally What do you want Bibbs to say Yon You were up there me meI I got hysterical hysterical hysterical oh ob Lord You sat up there and told me I got hysterical over You sat up there there me I didn't have as heavy burdens as many another man you knew I 1 just jost want you yoo to hear this Now listen He swung toward the quiet figure waiting in the doorway Bibbs will you come down town with me M. M Monday morning and let me start you with two vice presidencies a di dl- directorship rector stock tock and salaries I aak ask jou you No father said Bibbs gently Sheridan looked at Gurney and then faced his son once more And Id I'd like the doctor to hear What Ml 11 you do if It I 1 decide youre you're too priced high a man either to live Uve In my house bouse or work In my shop I Find other work said Bibbs There You hear bear him for tor yourself I Sheridan cried You hear what Keep your hand In m that sling sUng Yes fl II I hear bear him Sheridan leaned over Gurney and shouted in a a. voice that cracked and broke roke piping into falsetto He fine thinks of bein a plumber He wants to be a plumber so he can think He fell feU back a step wiping his forehead forehead fore tore head bead with the back of ot his left hand There That's my son That's the only son I Sot got now That's my IDY chance to live he cried with a bitterness that seemed to leave ashes in his throat my one chance to live that live that thing you see in the dooray doorway doorway door door- way ay yonder Doctor Gurney thoughtfully regarded regard regard- ed the bandage strip he had been winding and tossed it Into the open bag hag Wh ts t's the matter with giving Bibbs a chance to live Uve he said cool- cool ly y I would If I were you Youve You've had bad two that went into business Sheridan's mouth moved grotesquely before he could speak Joe Gurney e e said when he be could command him him- far tar of elf elt so 80 are you me the responsibility for the death of ot my myson mySon myson son James I accuse you of nothing said the doctor But Just once Id I'd like to have haveit it ou out with you on the question of Bibbs and Bibbs-and and while hes he's here too He got up walked to the fire and stood warming his hands behind his back and smiling Look here old fellow lets let's be reasonable he said You were bound boond Bibbs Bibba should go to the shop again and he be did go and hes he's made good there Now low see Isn't that enough Cant Can't you let him off now He wants to write rite and how do I you OU know that he couldn't do it t If It you gave gave him a chance How do you know I he hasn't some message message something something to say that might make the world just justa a little little bit happier or wiser Im I'm not I speaking as doctor now But I tell teU you one thing I know If It you take him down there you'll kill something that I II I feel Is in him Wm and Its It's finer I think than his bis physical body and you'll kill I it deader than a nail door And BO so I why not let It live Youve You've about come to the end of your string old fellow Why not stop this perpetual I devilish fighting and give Bibbs his hla I chance chance 1 I II 1 I her stood booking at him fixed axed d. d y y What Yours Yours with with nature Gurney sustained sus sus' tamed the daunting gaze of ot his bis fierce tierce antagonist equably You dont don't seem to understand that youve you've been struggling struggling gling gUng against actual law What taw law Natural law said Gurney Carney What do you think beat bent you with Edith Did Edith herself beat you 1 Didn't she obey without question something powerful that was against you Edith wasn't against you and you weren't agans' agans her but you set yourself against the power that had her in m its grip and It shot out a spurt of ot flame flame and and won In n n a walk alk What's taken Roscoe from you Timbers bear Just so much strain old man but you wanted to send the load across the broken bridge and you thought you could bully bolly or coax the cracked thing Into standing Well you couldn't isow ivow heres here's Bibbs There are thousands thousand of at men fit for tor the I life liCe you want him to lead lead and and so is he It wouldn't take naif half of ot Bibbs Bibbs' I brains to be twice as good a businessman business man as Jim and Roscoe put together What Sheridan goggled at him like a n zany Your Tour son Bibbs said the doctor composedly Bibbs Sheridan |