Show CAe v t II a BOOTH TH AU AUTHOR OF- OF BEAUCAIRE- BEAUCAIRE TOE THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN PENROD ETC I 1915 BY I SYNOPSIS Sheridan's attempt to make a business business business busi busi- ness man of his son Bibbs by start startIng starting Ing him In the machine shop ends in lu Bibbs going to a sanitarium a nervous nervous nervous nerv nerv- ous wreck On Op his return Bibb Bibbs 1 is ty met at the station by his sister Edith r He He finds himself an Inconsiderable and end unconsidered figure in the New NewHouse NewHouse NewHouse House of the He sees Mary lary V Vertrees looking at him front from froma fronta a a summer house next door The Ver- Ver old old town family and impoverished call on the new- new J iy j rich and afterward discuss them M Ia ry puts Into words her parents ii s n ish that she marry narry one of ot the n kola boys A li jr J the die Ie Sheridan housewarming bo Banquet banquet t Sheridan lIp spreads eads Mary far franl frankly ly encourages encourages en en- ages JI Sheridan's attention Bibbs he is to be sent back machine f ne shop Mar Mary tells her herz z f- f mother I banquet and shocks r mother by talking of at Jim as a possibility Jim tells Bibbs is not a lunatic just lunatic just juster er r He proposes to Mary who If accepts him Sheridan tells Bibbs he must go back back- to the machIne machue shop snap as soon as he is strong enough in spite of Bibbs Bibb's pica to be allowed to write Bibbs has to break to his father tather the news Dews of ot Jims Jim's sudden r r death All the rest of the family helpless In their grief becomes rJ temporary master of the house At Atthe Atthe th the funeral he meets Mary and rides home om with her Mrs Sheridan pleads with Bibbs to return to the machine shop for Cor his fathers father's sake and he hec consents c Mutual love of ot music an Intimate friendship bew be- be w en Bibbs and nd Mary Mar Mary sells ier ter piano plana to help out the finances ot of othe he Vertrees family Sheridan finds Roscoe in an Intoxicated Intoxicated condition during office hours and takes him home Friendship between Bibbs and Mary l ripens into a more Intimate intimate intimate inti Inti- mate relation and under Marys Mary's In Influence In In- fluence fiu nce Bibbs decides to return to the machine shop Sheridan finds his son Roscoe's Roscos affairs In a muddled condition owing to his Intemperate habits Bibbs under the inspiration of Marys friendship makes good Inthe in inthe inthe the machine shop Sheridan is in inured injured inured in- in while attempting to show the boy bor how to do his work Edith leaves for or New ew ot easl- easl bly to visit a friend Roscoe tells his father that he is going to quit oss ess and go a away way with his Ins hist r t wife Si an n lOu o uiS s s e Is la going to take Bibbs into tHe tiie theoffice l with him and make a business man IDan of at him A telegram from Edith announces an an- t t her marriage to Lamhorn Doctor Gurney tries without success success success suc- suc cess to Induce Sheridan Sharidan to hire he up r his plan to force torce BIbba Bibbs Into a a. business bustness bust bus ness Iless career career Mrs Sheridan tells her beT husband that she believes Bibbs is ill in ii love loe with Mary Bibbs overhears Sibyl tell Mrs Sheridan that Mary had hac set her cap for Jim and since sincer r his death she had been een trying to toland land Bibbs Later Sheridan declares that Mary had refused Jim Jiw too roo jF me and youre you're too toog g gentle to say them Tell TeU nie me though Isn't It true Y You tl didn't believe that Id I'd tried to make you tall fall In love lov with m Never Never for tor an Instant You tou didn't believe Id I'd tried to make you want t to marry meNo theNo the the- me No no DO nol nolI I 1 believe bellev It Bibbs You thought that I was was was' fond Cond of you you knew I 1 cared for tor you you but but didn't think I might be In be-In In Jo lore c with you n But t you thought that I 1 might marry you without without with with- out being In Iu love with you because you did believe I 1 had tried to marry your Brother and and and- Mary 1 I only knew for knew for the first time time-thet time that you that that you you were were were- Were ere d desperately poor poor the she said s You cant can't even een say that Bibbs It was vas true I did try to make Jim want to marry me I did And Aull she Bauk down Into the chair weeping bitterly again BIbba Bibb was agonized Mary be he groaned I didn't know you could cry Listen she said Listen till I 1 get through I I want you to understand We were wore poor and we weren't fitted to 1 be We Ve never bad had been and we didn't know what to do it Wed We'd been en almost rich Were there re was plenty but my father CaUler wanted to take advantage of or the tha growth of at the town towo be he wanted to be richer but J Instead yell Instead d- d well eJI just Jus about V r rr r the th time your father your ta father r Jt finished finh b ll L next door we found we hadn't any any- thing People say that sometimes meaning that they haven't ha anything In comparison with other people of ot their own kind but we really hadn't anything any any- thins thing thing we we hadn't anything at nt all Bibbs And we couldn't do llo anything You might wonder why I didn't try tobe to be a stenographer and and I 1 wonder myself myself my my- self why when a family loses its money people always say the daughters daugh I tors ought to go and be stenographers Its It's curious as curious as If a wave of ot tb the handmade handmade hand made walle you ou Into a stenographer No o Id I'd been raised to be either married comfortably comfortably com com- well well-to-do old If It J 1 torta ly or a maid chose not to marry The poverty came cameon cameon cameon on slowly Bibbs s but at last it was aUther al aU althere there and there ther and I 1 didn't l ut know how bow to be a steno stenographer aI ber I didn't hInt know how to tobe tobe tobe well-to-do well 01 old be anything except a n maid or somebody's wife and wife and I couldn't be a well-to-do well old maid Then Bibbs ibbs I did dill what Id I'd been raised to know how bow to do 1 I went out to be fascinating und and be married I did It openly at least and with a kind of ot decent decent decent de de- cent honesty I 1 told your brother hother I had meant to fascinate him and find that Iwas I Iwas Iwas was not In love loe with him but I 1 let Itt him think that perhaps 1 I meant to marry him I think I 1 did dill mean to marry him I had ball never neer cared carell for tor anybody and I 1 thought it ml might bt be there really wasn't anything more than a kind of excited fondness I cant can't be lit sure but I 1 think that though I 1 did dill mean wean to marry him himI I never ne should have hae done dOlle It ft it because tl ause that sort of a marriage Is its Is its it's lege lege something would ba have ve stopped me Something did stop me it wa waa your sister law Sibyl She meant no DO harm but harm but she was horrible and fhe be put what I was doing into luto such horrible words words and and they were the truth truth truth-oh oh I saw myself She was WIlS proposing a miserable compact with me rue and and I 1 coul couldn't 1 breathe reathe the air of the same room with her though Id Ill so cheapened myself she had hall a n ri right ht to assume that I 1 would But ut I couldn't I 1 left her and 1 I wrote to your brother just just a quick scrawl 1 I told him bim just what Id I'd done doue I Tasked asked askel his pardon and aud audI andI I said I would not marry many him I posted post post- post posted ed cd t the letter but he never neer got It lt That Tha t was the afternoon he was killed That's all Bibbs Now you OU know what I did and and you know know me uie She pressed her lter clenched hands tightly against her eyes ees leaning far fur forward her bt head bead ad bowed before him Bibbs had bad forgotten himself lon long ago his heart broke for her you you you- Isn't there there there- Wont out you you you- he stammered r Mary Im I'm going with fa- fa a ther her Isn't then there some way you could use the money without Without Without-without- without Sh She gave a choked little laugh You gave me something to live for tor lie bp said You kept me alive I t think think- think and Ive I've hurt burt you Uke like this thin Not you you you-oh oh nor no nor You could forgive me Mary Oh Ob a thousand times tier Her right i J mj went out in a faltering gesture and Ju Just jus his own for tor an In Iu In- In stant stant But theres there's nothing to forgive for tor- give you And you cant can't u 1 i If Cant what Bibbs You couldn't couldn't- Marry you she said for tor him Yes No no no noP She sprang up facing him and without knowing what sho she did dili she he set her ber hands upon his lIllI breast pushing him bim back from her a little I cant can't I cant can't Dont Don't you see Mary Mary MaryNo No no And you must go now Bibbs Bibb I 1 cant can't bear any auy more more more- plea please please- e- e Mary Never never never she cried In Ina a passion of tears You Vou mustn't come coma any more I cant can't see you dear Never never never uever Somehow In helpless stumbling obedience obedience obe obe- to her beseeching gesture be he begot begot got himself to the door and out of ot the house CHAPTER Sibyl and Ito Roscoe coe were were upon the point of len leaving when BIbba Bibbs returned to the new house He lIe went straight to Sibyl and spoke to her quietly but so o that t the tIll others might bear When you said Raid that If Id I'd stop to think Id I'd realize that no one would be apt to core care enough about me to marry Juie we me you were right b lie he said I thought t perhaps you weren't and so I 1 asked askell Miss Vertrees es to marry me we It proved what you said of ot me uie and aud disproved disproved dis dis- proved what you said of her bel She re rt fused meet And having thus spoken he lie quitted the room as straightforwardly as he be had entered It lies Hes so HO queer Mrs Sheridan gaSI gasped gashed d. d Who on earth arth would thought of his ills doln dole that I told you said her bel husband grimly Y You ou didn't tell us hed he'd go o over there and and and- I 1 told you she sue wouldn't have ve him I told you yon she wouldn't have Jim didn't UtI n t I Sibyl was altogether taken aback Do you OU suppose Its It's true Do you yon suppose she wouldn't lIe He didn't look Jook exactly like a 1 young man that had hall Just got things fixed find up flue fine with hl his girl Irl said Sheridan SherMan Not Notto to me he didn't 1 But Lut why would would would- I 1 told you yon he be interrupted angrily she aint that kind of ot a girl Irl If It you got to ha have proof well Ill I'll tell ten you and get It t over oyer with though Id I'd pretty near Just as soon not have vc to talk a whole lot nl about out my ray dead boys boy's private ate af at- fairs She wrote to Jim to-Jim Jim she couldn't take him and It was a n good straight ht letter too oo It came to Jims Jim's office he never cever saw It ft She wrote It the thc afternoon afternoon after arter noon he was hurt I remember cr I 1 saw her put a letter In n the mail mall box that afternoon said Roscoe Dont you remember Sibyl I told you about It It-I It I was waiting for tor tory y you u while you were In there so long talking to her mother It was Just before he he- fore we saw we-saw saw that something was wrong over here bere and Edith came and called 1 me Sibyl shook her head bead but she re re- re- re And she was not cast down for tor although some remnants of ot perplexity perplexity perplexity per per- were left In her eyes eJes they were dimmed by an Increasing glow of or triumph and she departed departed after after some further fragmentary discourse visibly discourse visibly elated After Arter all the guilty gumy had not been exalted and she perceived vaguely vague vague- ly but none none the less surely that her Injury had bad been copiously a avenged She bestowed a conte contented glance upon the theold theold old bouse house with the cupola as ns she and Roscoe Hoscoe crossed the street When they had bad gone Mrs Irs Sheridan Indulged In reverie but after atter n a while she said uneasily Papa you think It would be he any use to tell Bibbs 1 s about that letter I 1 dont don't know Inlow he be answered walkIng walking walk walk- Ing moodily to the window I been think in about It lt Ue came to a de de- I reckon I 1 will And he went up to Bibbs' Bibbs room Well you Jou goin oln back on what you said he Inquired brusquely as he opened the door You gob oln to take It back und and lay Iny down on me again No o. o said Bi Bibbs Well ell pt I 1 didn't have bae any cal eal to accuse you yon of that t. t I dont don't know as you over ever did go o back hack on anything you said ald ex exactly etly though the Lord knows you youve laid down on me enough h hYou You cert certainly have bae Sheridan was barred baffled This was not what he wished to say but his bis words were unmanageable unmanageable unmanageable able he found himself unable to control control control con con- them and Hl his querulous abuse went on onn In spite of him I 1 cant can't say sayI I expect much of you you not not from the way you always been up to now now un un unless less you yon turn over a new leaf leut and I dont don't dont don't see any encouragement to think youre you're goin to tp do that If you yon po go o down there and show a spark o 0 real up git-up I reckon the e office U 11 ta fall 11 In a faint nut snut l if jourA er to show any you better begin right right- at atthe atthe atthe the be beginning and begin to show It to to- morrow morro 11 Yes Ill Yes Ill I'll try You better If It Its It's In you Sheridan Sheridan Sheri Sheri- dan was nonplused He had bad always been able to say whatever he wished to say but his tol tongue ue seemed bewitched lIe He had halt come to tell teU Bibbs Bibba about Marys Mary's letter and 1111 to his own nn angry ry astonishment he found It Impossible Im im- possible to do anything except to scold like a drudge You better come down there with your mind made up to hustle harder than the hardest man that's under you or you'll not get on very good with me I tell you The way to get ahead ahead and and you better set It down In your books the hooks the J J Y Yr r rk fr r You Dont Don't Know What Work Is Yet way to get et ahead Is to do lIo ten times th the work of the hardest worker that works work for rOt you But you ou dont don't know what wha t work Is Is yet All youve you've ever ever ver verdone done was Just stand around and feed a machine a child could handle and nUll then come home bom and take a bath and go cabin 1 I tell you youre you're up against a mighty different ut proposition now an anIf and If youre you're worth your salt salt antI and you never showed any signs of It yet yet not not any uny signs that stuck out enough h to bang somebody on ou the We head and make em sit up UI and acid take toke notice well notice well I want to say suy right here bere and now and and you better listen because J I want to tosa sa say Just what I 1 do lIo say aay I say saylie say say- say say-or He lie meandered to a 11 full stop HI HI mouth hung bung open ollen and his mind was a aho ho hopeless blank Bibbs ibbs looked up pa patiently patiently patiently-an an old oM old look Yes father tuther Im I'm listening all nIt said Sheridan frowning hea heavily t all nil I 1 came to say and nOlI you better see sec t t you ou remember er It He lIe shook his head hall warningly ly went out closing lo the door behind him with a crash However no sound of or footsteps footstep Indicated his departure He lle stopped Just outside O the door and stood there a n minute or more Then abruptly lie he turned the knob and exhibited exhibited ex x to his son a forehead liberally covered with perspiration ra I Look book ok here he said crossly That TIm t girl over oer yonder wrote Jim |