The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-06-10
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER ".
1t was a brave and lustrous banquet;
and noisy one, too. because there was
an orchestra among some plants at one
end of the long dining room, and after
preliminary stiffness the guests were
impeiied to converse at
the tops of their voices. The whole
company of fifty sat at a great OblOng
table. a continent of damask and lace.
with shores of crystal and silver run
ming up to spreading groves of orchids
and lilies and white roses-an inhab-
tied continent. evidently. for there
were three marvellous. cleaning build
ings; one in the center and one at each
end. white miracles wrought by some
inspired craftsman in scuIpturaI icing
They were models in miniature. and
they represented the Sheridan build
ing. the Sheridan apartments. and the
pump works Nearly all the guests
recognized them without having to be
told what they were. and pronounced
the likenesses superb.
The arrangement of the table was
visibly baroniaI. At the head sat the
great Thane. with the flower of his
family and of the guests about him:
then on each side came the nefghbors
of the ''old" house. grading down to
VaSSalS and retainerS-Superinten
cashiers. heads of departments. and the
Hke-at the foot, where the Thames
lady took her place as a consolation for
the less important. Here, too, among
the thralls and bondmen, sat Bibbs
sheridan, meek BanquO. wondering
how anybody could look at him and
eat
Nevertheless. there was a vast, con-
tinuous eating and the talk went on
with the eating, necessarily 1t rose
over the throbbing of the orchestra and
the CHATTER and blinking of silver and
china and glass. and there was
mighty babble
And through the interstices of this
clamoring Bibbs could hear the con-
tinuai booming of his fathers heavy
voice. and once he caught the sentence.
Eyes. young lady, that's just what did
1t for me. and that's just what IL do it
for my bOys-they got to make two
blades o grass grow where one grew
before" 1t was his familiar flourish.
an old story to Bibbs. and now joviaIIy
declaimed for the edi6cation of Mary
Nertrees
1t was great night for Sheridan
the very crest of his wave His big.
smooth, red face grew more and more
radiant with good will and with the
simplest happiest. most boyish vanity
He was the picture of health. of good
cheer. and of power on a holiday
10 fho fol
jocuIar questions and railIeries at
everyone. His idea was that when
people were having a good time they
were noisy: and his own additions to
the hubbub increased his pleasure.
and, of course. met the warmest en-
couragernent from his guests He kept
time to the music cOntinuaIiy-with
his feet. or pounding on the table with
his fist. and sometimes with spoon or
knife upon his plate or a glass. with
out permitting these Side-products to
interfere with the real business of eat
ing and shouting
Tell 'em to play Nancy Lee'r' he
would below down the length of the
table to his wife. while the musicians
were in the midst of the "Toreador'
song. perhaps. Ask that fellow il
they don't know Nancy Lee'P' And
when the leader would shake his head
alphabetically in answer to an obedient
shrek from Mrs. Sheridan. the ..Torea
DOR continuing vehementIy. Sherida
would roar half-remembered fragments
of Nancy Lee" naturally mingliue
some Bizet with the air OF that uxori
Gus tribute.
No external bubbling contributed t.
this effervescence: the Sheridan's table
had never borne wine, and, more he
cause OF timidity about it than conyic
ton, it bore none now. And certain
" no wine could have inspired more
turbulent good spirits in the host. No
even BibbS was an alloy in this night.
happiness. for. as Mrs Sheridan ha(
said. he had "plans for Bibbs"-plan,
which We're going to straighten GU
some things that had gone wrong.
So he pounded the table and boone,
his echoes OF old songs, and then. for
getting these. would renew his friend
iy railleries. or perhaps, turning Z
Mary Vertrees, who sat near him
round the corner of the table at hi
right. he would become autobiograph
zeal. Gentlemen less naive than b
had paid her that tribute, for she was
girl who inspired the autobiographics
impulse in every man who met her
needed but the sight OF her
The dinner seemed, somehow. to Ger
ter about Mary Vertrees and the jocun
host as q play centers about its her
and heroine: they were the rubLcun
ksng and the starry princess OF tn
spsM acle-they paid court to each otI