The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-08

days. but she said she'd already told
him he could" She paused. then added,
rather guiltily: 'I got kind OF a notion
maybe Roscoe don't like him as much
as he used to. Maybe-maybe you bet
ter ask Roscoe, papa" And as Sher-
idan nodded solemnIy, she concluded.
in haste: Don't say l said to- might
be wrong about 1t, anyway"
He nodded again. and they sat for
some time in a silence which Mrs
Sheridan broke with a little sniff. hav-
ing fallen into a reverie that brought
tears. THAT Miss Vertrees was good
girl" she said. ''She was all right"
Her husband evidently had no diff
Guilty in following her train OF thought.
for he nodded once more. afirma-
lively.
did you How did you fix it about
the-the Realty company" she fal-
tered. Did you"
He rose heavily. helping himself to
his feet by the arms of his chair y
fixed it, he said. in a husky voice He
went to her. put his hand upon her
shoulder. and drew long. audible. ire
mamma: I'm gOin' up" When be
reached the door he stopped and spoke
again, without turning to look at her
THE Realty companyll go right on
just the same" he said. Its like
it's like sand. mamma. 1t puts me ia
mind of children playin' in a sand
pile. One of 'em sticks his finger in
the sand-pile and makes hole, and
another of 'em II pat the place with
his hand, and ali the little grains
of sand run in and fill it up and set
tie against one another; and then,
right away it's fat on top again. aud
you can't tell there ever was hole
there. The Realty company IL go on
all right. mamma. There amt any
| things anywhere, 1 reckon, that
wouldn't go right on-just the same"
And he passed out slowly into the
hall; then they heard his heavy tread
upon the stairs.
Mrs Sheridan, rising TO follow him
| turned a piteous face to her son. ITS
so forIorn," she said. chokingly. That's
the first time he spoke since he came
in the house this evening. I know Il
1
laughin' with that Lamhorn. Shed
oughtn't TO let him come, right the very
first evening this way; she'd Oughtn'
] to done it, She just seems TO lose hel
| head over him, and it scares me- YoJ
heard what Sibyl said the other day
and-and you heard what-what-'
what Edith said to Sibyl?" Bibbi
finished the sentence for her.
1--WE can't have any trouble o. tina
| kindv' she walled. "Oh, it looks as 1
movin' up to this new house haC
brought US awful bad luck! 1t scare
mei'' She put both her hands over he
face. ''Oh. Bibbs, Bibbs! if you Onl.
wasn't so queer! If you could onl.
been a kind of dependable son! don
know what we're all comm toP' And
weeping, she followed her husband
Bibbs gazed for a while at the fire
then he rose abruptly, like a man VIII
has come to a decision, and briskl
sought the room-it was called eth
smoking room"-where Edith sat wit
Mr.. Lamhorn. They looked up in n
welcoming manner, at Bibbs' entrance
and moved their chairs to a less cor
spicuous adjacency.
Good evening"" said Bibbs, pleas
antIy; and he seated himself In
leather easy-chair near them.
what is it?' asked Edith, pIainI
astonished.
Nothing" he returned, smiling.
She frowned. Did you want some
thing?' she asked.
Nothing in the world. Father an
mother have gone upstairs; I shan
be going up for several hours, an
there didn't seem to be anybody lei
for me to chat with except you an
Mr. Lamhorn."
"'Chat within she echoed, incredl
lousy.
81 can talk about almost anything
said Bibbs with an air of genial polit
ness. ct doesn't matter to me.
. don't know much about business
that's what you happened to be talkin
about. But you aren't in business. al
; you, Mr. Lamhorn?"
"Not now," returned Lamhor
shortly.
I'm not. either" said Bibbs 81
was getting cloudier than usual, n
ticed, just before dark, and there WI
wind from the southwest. Rain t
morrow, l shouldn't be surprised"
He seemed to feel that he had begr
a conversation the support of whit