Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-12
CHAPTER Xxx.


that the others might hear.
"When you said that if I'd stop to
think, I'd realize that no one would be
apt to care enough about me to marry
me, you were right" he said. 81
thought perhaps you weren't, and so /
asked Miss Vertrees to marry me- 1t
proved what you said Of me, and dis
proved what you said Of her. She re-
fused"
And, having thus spoken, he quilted
the room as straightforwardly as he
had entered it.
Hes so QueerI" Mrs. Sheridan
gasped. "Who on earth would thought
Of his DOM thatf''
81 told you," said her husband,
grimly.
You didn't tell US he'd go over
there and"
II told you she wouldn't have him.
I told you she wouldn't have Jim.
didn't II"
Sibyl was altogether taken aback.
"Do you suppose it's true? Do you
suppose she wouldn't?"
He didn't look exactly like a young
man that had just got things fixed I'D
fine with his girl" said Sheridan. mot
to me, he didn'tr'
But why would
Il told YOU" he interrupted, angrily,
"she amt that kind of girl! II you
got to have proof, we'll, I'll tell you and
get it over with, though I'd pretty near
just as soon not have to talk a whole
lot about my dead boys private at
fairs. She wrote to Jim she couldn't
take him, and 1t was a good, straight
letter, too. It came to Jim's office; he
never saw 1t. She wrote 1t the after
noon he was hurt"
Il remember I saw her put a letter
in the mail box that afternoon" said
Roscoe. Don't you remember, Sibylf
told you about tt was waiting for
you while you were in there so long
talking to her mother. It was just be-
fore we saw that something was wrong
over here, and Edith came and called
me-
Sibyl shook her head, but she re-
membered. And she was not cast down,
for, although some remnants of per-
plexity were left in her eyes, they were
dimmed by an increasing glow Of
triumph; and she departed-after some
further fragmentary discourse-visibly
elated. After all, the guilty had not
been exalted; and she perceived vague
ly, but none the less surely, that her
injury had bsen copiously avenged. She
bestowed a contented glance upon the
old house with tho cupola, as she and
Roscoe crossed the street
When they had gone, Mrs Sheridan
INDUCED in reverie, but after a while
she said, uneasily, Papa, you think It
would be any use to tell Bibbs about
that letter."
Il don't know" be answered, walk
ing modify to the window. "T been
thinkin' about it." He came to a de-
cision. Il reckon l win" And he went
up to Bfbbs' room.
"Well, you goin' back on what you
saidT' he inquired, brusquely, as he
opened the door you goiR' to take
it back and lay down on me again?"
mo" said Bibbs.
well, perhaps l didn't have any caI
to accuse you of that. don't know
as you ever did go back on anything
you said, exactly, though the Lord
knows you've laid down on me- enough.
You certainly havew Sheridan was
bafied This was not what he wished
to say, but his words were unmanage--
able; he found himself unable to con-
troll them, and his querulous abuse
went on in spite of him. 81 can't say
l expect much Of you-not from the
way you always been, up to now-un-
less you turn over a new leaf, and
don't see any encoura cement to think
you're goin' to do that If you go down
there and show a spark o. real g1t-up,
reckon the whole office III fall In
faint. But If you're ever gotn' TO
show any, you better begin right at
the beginning and begin to show it to-
morrow"
"Yes-I'll try"
you better, II It's In your Shezi-
dan was sheerly nonplused. He bad
always been able to say whatever he
wished to say, but his tongue seemed
beWitched. He had come to tell Bibbs
about Mary's letter, and to his own
angry establishment he found 1t i'm
possible to 60 anything except to seold
like drudge-driver. you better
come down there with your mind made
up to hustle harder than the hardest
workin' man that's under you, or youth
not get on very good with me, tell
you! The way to get ahead-and you
better set it down in your books-the
way to get ahead Is to do ten times
the work Of the hardest worker that
works for you. But you don't know
what work is, yet All you've ever
done was just stand around and feed
machine a child could handle, and
then come home and take a bath and
go calm. | tell you you're up against
a mighty different proposition now, and
if you're worth your salt-and you
never showed any signs Of it yet-not |
any signs that stuck out enough to
bang somebody on the head and make |
'em sit up and take notice-well, I |
want to say, right here and now-and |
you better listen, because ] want to |
say just what l do say. I say"
He meandered to a full stop. His |
mouth hung open, and his mind was