The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-12-21
The Story
of a Big
Man in a
Big Town

her thought of him: a symbol of her
self and of her ineffabe kindness.
And she kept the door open-even
tonight, though the sleet and fine snow
swept in upon her bare throat and
arms, and her brown hair was strewn
with tiny white stars. His heart
leaped as he turned and saw that she
was there, waving her hand to him. as
IL he did not know that the storm
touched her. When he had gone on,
Mary did as she always did-she went
into an unlit room across the hall from
that in which they had spent the eve
ming, and, looking from the window.
watched him until he was out of sight.
The storm made that difficult tonight,
but she caught a glimpse of him under
the street lamp that stood between the
two houses, and saw that he turned to
look back again. Then, and not before
she looked at the upper windows OF
Roscoe's house across the street. They
were dark. Mary waited, but after
little while she closed the front door
and returned to her window. A
moment later two of the upper win
dows of Roscoe's house flashed into
light and q hand lowered the shade OF
one of them. Mary felt the cold then
1T was the third night she had seen
those windows lighted and that shade
lowered. just after Bibbs had gone.
/. A stricken George, muttering hoarse-
", admitted him, and Bibbs became
aware Of paro1ysm within the house.
Terrible sounds came from the IL
brary: Sheridan cursing as never be
fore; his wife sobbing. her voice rising
to an agonized squeal Of protest upon
each of a series of muf1ed detonations
tho outrageous humping Of band
aged hand upon wood; then Gurney,
sharply imperious, keep your hand
in that sling! Keep your hand in
that sling, I say"
"Lookr' George gasped, delighted to
play herald for so important tragedy
and he renewed upon his face the
CHASTITY expression with which he had
first beheld the ruins his calamitous
gesture laid before the eyes of Bibbs.
Look at a lamidal statue"
Gazing down the hall. Bibbs saw
heroic wreckage, seemingly Byzantine
painted colossal fragments of shat
tered torso, appallingly human: and
gilded and silvered heaps Of magnifi-
cence strewn among rulnous palms
like the spoil OF n barbarians' battle.
There had been massacre in the
oasis-the Moor had been hurled from
his pedestal.
HE hit at ole lamidal statue" said
George. pow"
"My father?'
"Yessuh! Pow! he hit 'er! An you
ma run tell me git doctuh quick 8 1
kin telefoam-she sho' you pa goin'
bus blood-vessel. He air t takin' on
tall now. He amt nothin' tall to
what he was while ago. You done
miss It. Mist Bibbs. Doctuh got him
all quiet down, to what he was. Pow!
he hit 'er! Yessuhw he took Bibbs'
coat and proffered a crumpled tele-
graph form. Here what come" he
said. 81 pick 'er up when he done
stompin' on 'er. You read 'er, Mist
Bibbs-you' ma tell me tuhn 'er ovuh
to you soon's you come in"
Bibbs read the telegram quickly. 1t
was from New York and addressed to
Mrs. Sheridan.
Sure you will all approve step have
| taken as was so wretched my health
would probably suffered severely Robert
and l were married this afternoon
/ thought best have quiet wedding abso-
| lutely sure you will understand wisdom
| of step when you know Robert better am
| happiest woman in world are leaving for
| Florida will wire address when settled
| will remain till spring love to all father
will like him too when he knows him like
| l do he Is just ideal.
EDITH LAMHORN.