Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-05

He's so queer, ana he hasn't ever taken
much enjoyment. And besides, I be-
lieye 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'tr 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. I know she did" pr
Sibyl looked fatty fncredulous.
"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 1t, anyhow. D.
you think she'd be very likely to take
Bibbs-after she wouldn't take Jimf
She's good-hearted girl, and she let's
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
. sol, l.
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 III
probably only make him twice as stub
born, but"
"'Sh!' 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. "I-I
wonder" she said, almost in a whis-
peri wonder what he's goin'-to
do?"
Her timorousness had its effect upon
the others. Sheridan rose, frowning,
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. III take the job you
offered me-
Sheridan did not speak-he stared.
astOunded and incredulors; and Bbbs
had left the room before any of its oc-
cupants uttered a sound, though he
went as slowly as be came. Mrs Sheri-
dan was the first to move. She went
nervously back to the doorway, and
then out into the ball. Bibbs had gone
from the house.
Bibbs' mother had a feeling about
him then that she had never known
before; it was indefinite and vague,
but very poignant-sOmething in her
mOurned for him uncOmprehendingly
She felt that an awful thing had been
done to him, though she did not know
what it was. She went up to his room
tray, which she remembered to have
| seen full Of papers and notebooks, was
empty. And somehow she understood
that Bibbs had given up the mysteri-
Gus vocation he had hoped to follow
and that he had given it up for ever.
She thought it was the wisest thing he
could have done-and yet, for an I'M
known reason, she sat upon the bed
and wept little before she went down.
stairs.
So Sheridan had his way with Bibbs,
all through. +