Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-09-21

blings, and began to write:
Laughter after a funeral In this re-
action people will laugh at anything and
at nothing. The band plays dirge on
the way to the cemetery, but when it
turns back, and the mourning carriages
are out of hearing, it strikes up, Dark
town Is Out Tonight" That is natural
but there ire women whose laughter is
like the Whlrring Of whips. e.
Beauty is not out Of place among grave
stones. It IS not out of place anywhere.
But a woman who has been betrothed to
a man would not look beautiful at his
funeral A woman might look beautiful,
though, at the funeral Of a man whom
she had known and liked. And in that
case too, she would probably not want
to talk If she drove home from the ceme-
terry with his brother; nor would she
want the brother to talk . Neverthe-
less, too much silence is open to suspi-
cion. 1t may be reticence, or it may be a
vacuum 1t may be dignity, or it may be
false teeth.
Silence can be golden? Yes. But per-
haps If woman of the world should find
herself by accident sitting beside a man
for the length Of time 1t must necessarily
take two slow old horses to jog three
miles, she might expect that man to say
something Of some sort! IF he did not
even try, but sat every step of the way
as dumb as a frozen fish, she might
think him frozen fish. And she might
be right. She might be right If she
thought him about as pleasant a COM
panion-as Bildad the Shuhite!
Bibbs closed his notebook, replacing
it in his trunk. Then, after a period
Of melancholy contemplation, he I'M
dressed, put on dressing gown and
slippers, and went softly out into the
hall-to his fathers door. Upon the
floor was tray which Bibbs had sent
George, earlier in the evening, to place
upon table in Sheridan's room-but
the food was untouched Bibbs stood
listening outside the door for several
minutes. There came no sound from
within, and he went back to his own
room and to bed
In the morning he woke to a state
Of being hitherto unknown In his ex-
per1ence. Sometimes in the process
of waking there is a little pause
sleep has gone, but coherent thought
has not begun. 1t is the moment, as
we say, before we 'remember;" and
for the first time in BIbbs' life it came
to him bringing q vague happiness.
However, it was a brief visitation and
was gone before he had finished dress
ing. 1t left a little trail, the pleased
recollection Of it and the puzzle Of it,
which remained unsOlved. And, in
fact, waking happily in the morning is
not usually the result of drive home
from a funeral. No wonder the Sc
quence evaded Bibbs Sheridan!
His father had gone when he came
downstairs. event on down to s office,
es' same" Jackson informed him.
Game sat breakfas' table, all by
mself; eat nothin'. George bring nice
breakfas', but he dim eat a thing.
Yessuh, went on downtown, jes' same
ne yoosta do. Yessuh, l reckon putty
much ev'ything goin' on same as it
v0nsta do"
It struck Bibbs that Jackson was
right The day passed as other days
had passed. Mrs Sheridan and Edith
were in black, and Mrs. Sheridan cried
I little, now and then, but no other
external difference was to be seen.
3ibbs went for his drive, and his
mother went with him, as she some
lines did when the weather was pleas
mt Altogether, the usualness of
things was rather startling to Bibbs.
During the drive Mrs. Sheridan
talked fra gmentarily of Jim's child
hood. But you wouldn't remember
that" she said, after narrattng an cpl
SOde. You were too little. He was
always good boy, just like that. And
he'd save whatever papa gave him,
md put it in the bank. reckon it'll
Just about kill your father to put some
body in his place as president of the
Realty company, Bibbs. I know he
can't move Roscoe over; he told me
last week he'd already put as much on
Roscoe as any one man could handle
and not go crazy. Oh, it's a pity"
| She stopped to wipe her eyes. Its a
pity you didn't run more with Jim,
| Bibbs, and kind O. pick up his ways
Think what it'd meant to papa now!
You never did run with either Roscoe
! or Jim any, even before you got sick.
Of course you were younger; but it
always did seem Queer-and you three
bein' brothers like that. l don't be-
| ieve l ever saw you and Jim sit down
| together for a good talk in my life"
Mother, I've been away so long,"
Bibbs returned, gently. And since
came home I He was busy, you see
| and 1 hadn't much to say about the
| things that interested him, because l
| don't know much about them"
Its pity! oh, it's a pttyr' she
moaned. And you'll have to learn to
know about 'em now, Bibbs l
haven't said much to you, because l
| felt it was all between your father and
you, but honestly do believe it will
| Just kill him if he has to have any
more trouble on top of all this! You
mustn't let him, Bibbs-you mustn't!
| You don't know how he's grieved over
| you, and now he can't stand any more
he just can't Whatever he says for
| you to do, you do it, Bibbs, you do it!
| [ want you to promise me you will -
Il would if l could" he said, sor-
| rowfully.
mo, no! Why can't you?" she
cried, clutching his arm. He wants
| you to go back to the machine shop