The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-12-21


II he ever wakes up! The thousands
of men fit for the life you want him to
lead aren't fit to do much with the
life he ought to lead. Blindly, he's
been fighting for the chance to lead
it-he's obeying something that begs
to stay alive within him; and. blindiy.
he knows you'll crush it out. You've
set your will to do it. Let me tell you
something more. You're half mad with
consuming fury against the very
self of the law-the law that took Jim
from you. The very self of the law
took Roscoe from you and gave Edith
the certainty of beating you: and the
very self of the law makes Bibbs deny
you tonight. The law beats you. But
you've set yourself against 1t. to bend
Ii to your own ends, to WELD 1t and
| twist it"
The voice broke from Sheridan's
heaving chest in a shout. Yes! And
by God. willr
$50 Ajax defied the lightning" said
Gurney.
i've heard that dam'-fool story.
too Sheridan retorted. fxedly. DE
fed the lightning did he. the jackass!
If he'd been half a man he'd "a got
away with 1t. We don't go showin' OF
defyin' the lightning-we hitch it up
and make it work for us like black
steer!'
We'll. what about Bibbs?" said Cur
ney. "Will you be a really big man
now and
"Gurney, you know a lot about big
ness" Sheridan began to walk to and
fro again. and the doctor returned
goomily to his chair. He had shot his
bolt the moment he judged its chance
to strike center was best, but the tar
get seemed unaware OF the marks
man.
I'm tryin' to make big man out O.
that poor truck yonder," Sheridan went
on, ''and you step in. beggin' me to let
him be Lord knows what don't! l
suppose you figure 1t out that now l
got a son-in-law. mightn't need a soni
Yes. got son-in-law now-s
spenderr'
"Oh, put your hand backv said Cur.
ney, wearily.
There was a bronze inkstand upon
the table. Sheridan put his right hand
in the sling. but with his left he swept
liie lTtll tuDlc anu MIL
way across the room-a comet with a
destroying black tail. Mrs. Sheridan
shrieked and sprang toward 1t.
Let it lay!" he shouted, fiercely
Let 1t lay" And. weeping. she
obeyed. Yes. sir" he went on. in q
voice the more ominous for the sudden
hush he put upon it. ~ got a spender
for son-in-aw! It's wonderful
where property goes. sometimes. There
was ole man Tracy-you remember
him Doc. r. Tracy. solid banker.
He went into the bank as messenger,
seventeen years old: he was president
at forty three. and he built that bank
with his life for forty years more. gill
edge. that bank? 1t was diamond
edged? He used to eat bag O. pea
nuts and an apple for lunch; but he
wasn't stingy-he was just livin' In hi.
business. He didn't care for pie OF
automobiles-he had his bank 1t was
an institution. and 1t come pretty near
bein' the beatin' heart O. this town in
its time. Well, that ole man used to
pass one O. these here turned-up-nose
and turned-up-pants cigarette boys on
the streets. Never spoke to him
he wouldn't "a coughed on him! he
wouldn't "a let him clean the cuspi.
dors at the bank! Why. IL he'd "a Just
seen him standin' in front the bank
he'd "a had him run of the street And
yet all Tracy was doin' every day OF
his life was workin' for that cigarette
boy! Tracy thought he was givin'
his life and his life-bood and the
blood OF his brain for the bank. but
he wasn't. 1t was every bit-from
the time he went in at seventeen till
he died in harness at eighty-three-
1t was every last lick of 1t just
slavin' for a turned-up-nose. turned
up-pants cigarette boy. And Tracy
didn't even know his name! He died
not ever havin' heard it, though he
chased him off the front steps of hle
house once. The day after Tracy died
his old-maid daughter married the
cigarette-and there amt any Tracy
bank any more! And now"-his voice
rose again-"and now got cigarette
son-in-law"
Gurney pointed to the dourishins
right hand without speaking, and Sheri.
dan once more returned it to the sling.
my son-in-law likes Florida this
winter" Sheridan went on. That's
good. and my son-in-law better enjoy
1t, because l don't think he'll be there
next winter. They got twelve thou
sand dollars to spend. and hear II
can be done in Florida by rich sons-in.
law. When Roscoe's woman got me to
spend that much on a porch for their
new house. Edith wouldn't give me
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same to her. And she's got it, besides
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