Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-17

him fab in his CRATE l done bull him
nice fab. l reckon he ain feelin' so
we'll. Yesm." He departed.
What do you expect he wants fire
for?' she asked, turning toward her
husband. 1.-The house is warm as can
be. l do wish -
ooh, quit frettin'v' said Sheridan.
well, IL kind O. wish you hadn't
said anything, Sibyl. l know you
meant it for the best and all, but
don't believe it would been so much
harm if
Mother Sheridan, you don't mean
you want that kind of a girl in the
family? Why She"
81 don't know, | don't know" the
troubled woman quavered. eff he liked
her it seems kind of a pity to spoil it,
He's so queer and he hasn't ever taken
much enjoyment. And besides, I be-
lieve the way it was, there was more
chance of him bein' willin' to do what
papa wants him to. If she wants to
marry him"
Sheridan interrupted her with boot
ing laugh. "She don't!' he said.
you're barkin' up the wrong tree,
Sibyl. She amt that kind of a girl
But father Sheridan, didn't She"
He cut her short. "That's enough.
You may mean all right, but you guess
wrong. So do you, mamma"
Sibyl cried out, ooh! But just look
how she ran after jim"
''She did not" he said, CURLY. ''She
wouldn't take Jim. She turned him
down cold.'
But that's impossi-"
Its not. know she did"
Sibyl looked fatty incredulous.
"And you needn't worry" he said,
turning to his wife "This won't have
any effect on your idea, because there
wasn't any sense to it, anyhow. D.
you think she'd be very likely to take
Bibbs-after she wouldn't take Jim?
She's a good-hearted girl, and she lets
Bibbs come to see her, but if she'd ever
given him one sign of encouragement
the way you women think, he wouldn't
of acted the stubborn fool he has-he'd
"a been at me long ago, begin me for
some kind of job he could support a
wife on. There's nothin' in it-and
I've got the same old fight with him on
my hands I've had all his life-and
the Lord knows what he won't do to
balk me! What's happened now II
probably only make him twice as stub
born, but
'Shv' Mrs. Sheridan, still in the
doorway, lifted her hand. That's his
step-he's comm downstairs" She
shrank away from the door as if she
feared to have Bibbs see her. CT
wonder" she said, almost in a whis-
peri wonder what he's goin'-to
do?
Her timorousness had it's effect upon
the others. Sheridan rose, frowning
but remained standing beside his chair;
and Roscoe moved toward Sibyl, who
stared uneasily at the open doorway.
They listened as the slow steps de-
scended the stairs and came toward
the library
Bibbs stepped upon the threshold,
and with sick and haggard eyes looked
slowly from one to the other until at
last his gaze rested upon his father.
Then he came and stood before him.
I'm sorry you've had so much trou
BILE with me-" he said, gently. "You
won't, any more. I'll take the job you
offered me-"
Sheridan did not speak-he stared,
astounded and incredulous; and Bibbs
had left the room before any Of it's oc-
cupants uttered a sound, though he
went as slowly as he came. Mrs. Sheri-
dan was the first to move. She went
nervously back to the doorway. and
then out into the hall. Bibbs had gone
from the house.
Bibbs' mother had feeling about
him then that she had never known
before; it was indefinite and vague,
but very notwithstanding in her
mourned for him uncomprehendingly
She felt I. ut an awful thing had been
done to iiiIi. though she did not know
what it WAS. She went up to his room