The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-08-26
CHAPTER xxIV.-continued.

Perturbed and distressed, BibbS rose
iustinctiveIy; he felt himself at every
possible disadvantage. He was
sleeper clinging to a dream-a rough
hand stretched to shake him and wax
en- him. He went to table and made
vague drawings upon it with finger,
and as he spoke he kept his eyes low
cred. You weren't altogether right
about the shop-that is. in one way
YOU weren't. father" He glanced up
RpprehensiveIy. Sheridan stood facing
him, expressiOnless. and made no at
tempt to interrupt. That's difficult to
explain" BibbS continued. lowering
his eyes again. to follow the tracings
OF his finger. "I-I believe the shop
might have done for me this time IL
I hadn't something hadn't helped
,lne .to-oh. not only to bear 1t, but to
! be happy in It. Well. | am happy in
st. want to go on just as am And
OF all things on earth that don't want.
don't want to live a business life
I don't want to be drawn into it. L
don't think it is liVing-and now l am
/. living. 1 have the heaIthful toiI-and
can think. In business as important
as yours l couldn't think anything but
business. l DON'T don't think max
ing money is worth while
eco on" said Sheridan, CURLY. as
Bibbs paused timidIy.
1T hasn't seemed to get anywhere
that can see" said Bibbs You think
this city is rich and powerfuI-but
what's the use of its being rich and
powerful? They don't teach the chill
dren any more in the schools because
the city is rich and powerful. They
teach them more than they used TO he
cause some peOple-not rich and now
erful people = have thought the
thoughts to teach the children. And
yet when you've been reading the pa
per I've heard you Objecting to the
children being taught anything except
what would help them to make money
You said it was wasting the taxes.
You want them taught to make a iiv-
ing, but not to live When | was q
little boy this wasn't an ugly town.
now It's hideouS. What's the use of
being big just to be hideous? I mean
6 don't think all this has meant really
going ahead-it's just been getttnp
bigger and dirtier and noisier. Wasn't
the whole country happier and in MANY
ways wiser when it was smaller and
cleaner and squieter and kinder? /
know you think I'm an utter fool. IA
Their, but. after all. though. aren't bust
ness and politics just the housekeeping
part of life? And wouldn't you despise
woman that not only made her
housekeeping her ambition, but did it
SO noisily and dirtiIy that the whole
neighborhood was in a continual tur-
MOL over it? And suppose she talked
and thought about her housekeeping
all the time. and was always having
additions built to her house when she
couldn't keep clean what she already
had; and suppose, with It ALL she made
the house altogether unpeaceful and
unlivable-"
Just one n1inuter' Sheridan inter
rupted, adding. with terrible courtesy,
IF you will permit me? Have you
ever been right about anythingY"
81 don't quite
81 ask the simple question: Have
you ever been right about anything
whatever in the course of your life
Have you ever been right upon any
subject or question you've thought
about or talked about? Can you men
ton one single time when you were
proved to he right?''
He was dourishing the bandaged
hand as he spoke. but Bibbs said only
IF I've always been wrong before
surely there's more chance that Tn
right about this. 1t seems reasonable
TO suppose something would be due t.
bring up my average"
eyes, I thought you wouldn't see thu
point. And there's another you prob
ably couldn't see. but I'll take the lib
erty to mention it. You been balkin
all your life Pretty much everythin;
Il ever wanted you to do. you'd let on
tsome kind Of a boiler. like you ar
.noW-and jet / can't seem to remem
her once when you didn't have TO Ia,
down and do what I said. But go OF
with your remarks about our city ant
the business OF this country. Go ong
Il don't want to be part OF It, sal
Bibbs. with unWonted decision. .
gaat to keep % myself. and I'sn dein