Show CAe TT 1 BOO BOOTH OF F MONSIEUR BEA URE BEAUCAIRE THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN PENROD ETC I I 1915 2 BY Y HARPER h 1 SYNOPSIS Sheridan's attempt to make a business business busi busi- n ness ss man of his son Bibbs by start starting starting ing ins him in the machine shop ends in Bibbs going to a sanitarium a nervous new nerv ous pus pu wreck On his bis return Bibbs h Is met ct at the station b by his sister slater Edith He finds himself an inconsiderable and unconsidered figure In the New NewHouse Newhouse House of the He lie sees Mary tary Vertrees looking at him from froma a summer house next door The Ver Ver- old town family and Impoverished impoverIshed call on the Sheridan new new- rich iy-rich and afterward discuss them Mary dary puts Into words her parents unspoken wish that she marry mam one of ot the Sheridan boys oos At the Sheridan housewarming banquet Sheridan spreads himself Mary frankly entourages en en- Jim Sheridan's attention and Dibbs Bibbs hears he is t to be sent back to the machine shop Mary tells her mother about the banquet and shocks her cr mother by talking of ot Jim as aa a matrimonial possibility Jim tells Nary Mary Bibbs Dibbs Is s not a lunatic just lunatic Just queer lIe He proposes to Mary who Half accepts him Sheridan tells teUs Bibbs Bibba he must go back to the machne machine shop as soon as he Is strong enough h in spite of or Bibbs Bibb's plea pica to be DO allowed to write Bibbs has to break to his father the news of ot Jims Jim's sudden Budden death All the rest root of the family helpless in their grief griet Bibbs becomes temporary master of the house At Atthe Atthe the funeral he meets Mary and rides home homo with her Mrs Sheridan pleads with Bibbs to return to tie the machine shop for his fathers father's sake and he consents Mutual love lore of ot music Arouses an intimate to friendship be- be Bibbs Bibba and Mary Mary sells per cr piano to help out the finances of ot othe he Vertrees family Sheridan finds Rosc Roscoe e in an Intoxicated condition d during iring office hours and takes him home homo Friendship between Bibbs and Mary ripens Into a more Intimate intimate inti Inti- mate rela relation on and under Marys Mary's influence In Influence Influence In- In fluence Bibbs decides to return to th the machine shop Sheridan Sherid n. n finds his his son son Roscoe's affairs in a muddled condition owing to his Intemperate Habits Bibbs Bibba under the Inspiration of ot Marys friendship makes mates good In Inthe inthe inthe the machine shop Sheridan is Injured injured inured in In- while attempting to show the boy how to do his work Sibyl Insanely In sanely san lY Jealous jeal us over Lamhorn's at to Edith makes a scene In Inthe the Sheridan home and Lamhorn l is ordered bordered out of the house by Sheridan Bibbs finds great happiness In his 2 work and his love f lr Mary Edith leaves for tor New ew York bly to visit a friend Roscoe tells v his father that li he ho Is gol going g to quit i th the tho business and go o a away way with his I wife rac record to rd today tolay lY he be said ll i 1 r more more strips that any other workman fins ihn any day this month The nearest to fo me Is sixteen behind r v There Therel exclaimed his father greatly greaty great great- ly y pleased pleD I tell you Id I'd like to too hear Ournes hint again that I wasn't right In sending you there I there I would ju like to hear him bim And you you you- aint you ashamed of makin such a fuss fuse about It Aint you S MI I I didn't go at It In the right spirit the other time Bibbs said smiling brightly his fare tace ruddy In the firelight I didn't know the difference It meant to like Uke a thing Well I guess Ive I've pretty Uy thoroughly vindicated my Judgment I guess I have bavel I said the be good for tor fort you yon and it was WIK I said it wouldn't t burt you and It Its It's been Just exactly what I said paid It would be Aint that so ao 1 Looks like It IU Bibbs agreed gayly Well Id I'd like to know any place I been wrong first nn and l last Instead o o 0 hurtin you its it's been the makIn of ot you yoo you physically Its It's started you outto outto out outto to be the tOO huskiest one o 0 the whole family Now then mentally mentally that's that's different I dont don't say It unkindly Bibbs but you got to do something for yourself mentally Just like what's been done physically And Im I'm goin to help you Sheridan decided to sIt Bit down again He lIe brought his chair close to his blI sons son's and and leaning over o tapped Bibbs' Bibbs knee confidentially I got Jot plans for you Bibbs Bibba he said instantly looked thoroughly alarmed He drew back I Im I'm Im I'm all allrIght allright allright right now now father Listen Sherl au settled himself In his chair and spoke In the tone of ofa a 11 reasonable man reasoning Listen here Bibbs Bibba I had another blow too too- today tolay to to- day lay and It was a hard hanI one oue and right in the f face ce though I have baTe been ex ex- q F Youre l My Last Ch Chan Chance nc e. e pectin pe It some little time back Well its it's got to be met Now Ill I'll be frank with you As I said a minute ago mentally I couldn't ever called you yon exactly strong You got will power Ill I'll say that for tor you I never knew boy or man that could be er- er never one In my life lItel Now then youve you've showed you could learn to run that machine macHne best of ot any man man In the shop hop shop In no tIm time at all ail That Thit looks loob to me like you could learn to do other things I dont don't deny but what It Itt Its an sign I dont don't deny that at atalL atalL atalL alL how Itow ow then Im I'm goin to give youa you youa a ft raise IB I wa wanted a to send d you straight t ton on up through the hops a shops ops a a year or two maybe maybe but but I cant can't do It I 1 lust lost Jim and now Ive I've lost Roscoe n Hes He's s 's quit Hes He's laid down me It If ba baever h ever ver comes back at all hell he'll be a long I Iver time up the strings and anyway any any- ady way he aint the man I tho thought be e was I 1 cant can't count on him I got gotto to have somebody I know I can on And nd Im I'm down to this youre you're my last chance Bibbs I got to learn you yota to use what brains you got and see If It we cant can't develop em a little Who knows And Im I'm go goin In to put my time In on It Im I'm gels gels' to take you right downtown with l ilia me e and ll I I- I Wont Won't be bard hard on you If it youre you're a little slow ah a at first And Im I'm goto goin to do the big thing for tor you Im I'm gem gain to make you feet feel you got to d do the big thing for me me In lu return Im I'm gem t to make an appeal to your ambition that'll make you yon dizzy He tapped his son n on the knee again Bibbs Bibba Im I'm goin t to start you off this way Im I'm coin goin to make mak you a director In the R Pump mp Works company Im I'm gem to make you vice president of ot the Realty company and anda ti II vice-president vice of the Trust company company com pany Bibbs jumped to his feet blanched Oh Ob no nor he be cried Sheridan took his dismay to be th that excitement of sudden Budden Joy Yes Yea sir And theres there's some some pretty fat tat little sal ball arles goes with those vice presidencies and a pinch o 0 stock In the Pump company company company com com- pany with the directorship dl recto I p You thought I was pretty mean about the shop shop-oh oh I know you did but but you yon see the old man can play both ways And so 80 right now the minute youve you've begun to make make good good the way I wanted wante wanted t you to I deal from the new deck An And Ill I'll 11 keep on handle It out bigger and bigger every very time Ume you show me youre you're big en enough to play the hand band I deal you yoo Im I'm startle you with a pretty big one my boy boys bayr I But I don't dont I dont I don't dont I dont I dont don't want it Bibbs Bibba stammered Sheridan looked perplexed What the matter with you Didn't you you understand understand understand un un- un- un what I was you I know I know knowl But I cant can't take it- it It IL the matter with you Sheridan Sheridan Sheridan Sher Sher- idan was half halt amazed d halt half suspicious auspicious Your head feel funny tunny Ive never been quite so sane in my life lire said Bibbs as I have lately And Ive I've got Rot Just juat what I want Im I'm living exactly the right life lite Im I'm earn Ing my dally daily bread and antI Im I'm happy In fn doing It My wages are enough I 1 dont don't want any more money and I dont don't deserve any any any- Damnation Sheridan sprang up Youve turned Socialist You been listening to those e fellows down there and you you you- No sir I think theres there's a great deal dealIn dealIn dealIn In what they say but that Isn't It Sheridan tried to restrain his growIng growing grow grow- ing Int fury and succeeded partially Then what la is it M IU What's the matter matter matter mat mat- ter I Nothing his son returned nervously nerv nerv- Nothing Nothing except except that Im I'm content con con- tent I dont don't want to change anything any any- thing Why not 1 Bibbs had bud the Incredible folly tolly to try to explain Ill tell you father if it I out can I know It may be hard bard to understand understand under under- stand stand stand- Y Yrs Yes I think it t may be said Sherilan Sheri Sherl- ilan lan grimly What you say usually i is a little that way Go 00 on Perturbed and amI distressed Bibbs rose roie Instinctively he be felt himself at every possible disadvantage He Ile was a sleeper clinging to a n dream dream dream-a a rough hand stretched to shake him and waken wak wak- en him He lie went to a table and made vague drawings upon it with a finger and ns as S he spoke he kept his eyes low low- ered You weren't altogether right about the sho shop that shop that Is In one way you ou weren't father faUter He lIe glanced up apprehensively Sheridan stood facing him expressionless and made no attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to Interrupt difficult to explain Bibbs continued lowering his eyes again fig to follow the tracings of ot his finger I I 1 I believe belleve the shop might have done for me this time If It ItI I hadn't hadn't It if something hadn't helped me to to-oh to oh h not only to bear It but to tobe tobe tobe be happy in It Well I am happy in it St I want to go on just as I am And nd of ot all things on earth that I dont don't want I dont don't want to live a business life life life- I dont don't Want to be drawn Into It I dont don't think It Is living livIng and and now I am living I have the healthful toll and toll and andI I can think In business as Important as yours I 1 couldn't think anything but business I don't dont dont don't I dont don't think making making making mak mak- ing money Is worth while Go 00 on said Sheridan curtly as Bibbs paused timidly It hasn't seemed to get ct anywhere that I c can n see said Bibbs You think this city is rich and powerful powerful but but what's the use of its being rich and powerful i They dont don't teach the children children children chil chil- dren any more In the schools because the city Ls is L rich and ana powerful They teach them more than they used to because because because be be- cause some people people not not rich and powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful people have thought the thoughts to teach the children And yet when youve you've been reading the paper paper paper pa pa- per Ive I've heard beard you objecting to the children being taught anything except except what would help belp them to make money You said it was wasting the taxes Yon You want them taught to make a living living liv liv- ing but not to live When I Iwas was a aUttie lIttle Uttie boy this wasn't an ugly town now Its It's hideous What's the ue use of ot being big just to be hideous I mean I dont don't think all this has meant really going fth ahead Its ahead lt's ad-lt's Its It's ju just t been getting bigger and dirtier and noisier Wasn't the whole country happier and in many ways wiser when It was smaller and cleaner and quieter and aDd kinder 1 I know you yon think Im I'm an utter fool tool father fa father ther but after atter all though arent aren't business business busi bus ness and politics just the housekeeping part of life Ute And nd wouldn't you despise a a. woman that not only made her Housekeeping k h her r ambition but did It sQ BO noisily and dirtily that the whole neighborhood was In a continual turmoil turmoil tur tur- moil moll over It And suppose she talked and thought about her housekeeping 1 In JI t tie the e time timet and was always having a additions built to her ber house bouse when she Y s r I Who Paying You That Nine Dollars Dollar a Week couldn't keep clean elean what she already had and suppose with It all she made the house altogether and unlivable unlivable- Just one minute 1 Sheridan Interrupted Interrupted Inter Inter- adding with terrible courtesy If It you will penn permit It me Have you ever been right about anything I dont don't quite quite quite- I ask the simple question Have Hav you ever eyer been right about anything whatever In the course of ot your life lite Have you ever been right upon any subject or question youve you've thought about or talked about Can you yoo mention mention mention men men- tion one single time when you were proved to be rh right He lIe was flourishing the Ule bandaged hand BH nit be he sI spoke oke but Bibbs said only If It Ive I've always been wron wrong before surely Cere's Ceres heres here's more chance that Im I'm right about this It seems Beems reasonable to suppose something would be duo to bring up my average Yes I thought bt you wouldn't see the I point And Antl theres there's another you pro probably ably couldn't see gee see but Ill I'll take the liberty liberty lib lib- erty to mention It You been balkin all your life Pretty much everything I ever wanted you to do you'd let out so some e- e kind of ora a fion Boiler r Tike 70 you u art ale now now and and yet I cant can't seem to remember remember ber bet once when you didn't have to lay down and do what I said But Dut go on with your remarks about our city and the business b of ot this country Go on onI our ourI I dont don't want to be part of ot It It said Bibbs with willi unwonted decision I want to keep to myself and Im I'm doing It now I couldn't If It I went down there with you Id I'd be swallowed Into Jt it t. t I dont don't care for tor money enough to to- to No his father Interrupted still dangerously quiet Youve never bad to earn a living Anybody could tell tel tb that t by what you yon say Now let ma mt remind you youre you're In a pretty good bed youre you're satin pretty fair fall food tood youre you're pretty fine clothes Just suppose one o 0 these noisy housekeepers me me for tor instance- instance decided to let you do your ow own i house keepin May 1 I ask what your proposition would be bc Im earning nine dollars a week said sold Bibbs sturdily Its enough I J shouldn't mind at all payin you that nine dollars a week My Iy work Bibbs answered Ana Ive I've done so 80 well on that clipping cUpping machine machine ma ma- chine 1 believe I could work up to fifteen fit fit- teen or even twenty a week at another job I could be a fair plumber In a 4 afew few months Im I'm sure Id I'd rather have havea a trade than be be beIn in business I I should Infinitely 1 You better set t about on one ona pretty dam quick But Sheridan struggled with his temper and again was partially successful In controlling It You Yon better learn a trade over Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day because youre you're either goin down with me to my office Monday mom morn Ing or you or you can go to All right said Bibbs gently 1 I Ican can get along Sheridan raised his hands bands sardonically sardon sardon- Scally as In prayer O 0 God he said this boy was crazy enough before he began to earn nine dollars a week and now his |