Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-06-22

anu uOpe luty III pay SOLne VI tntlr
debts. They owe everybody. and last
week coal dealer made an awful fuss
at the door with Mr.. vertrees. Their
cook told our upstairs girl, and she
said she didn't know when she'd seen
any money, herself! Did you ever
hear of such case as that girl in your
life?"
what girl! Their cook?"
THAT vertrees girl! Don't you see
they looked ON our coming up into this
neighborhood as their last chance:
They were just going down and out
and here hobs up the green. rich Sheri.
dan family! So they send her out to
get Sheridan-she's got to get one!
And she just goes in blind; and Jim
was landed-there's no doubt about
that! But Jim was lucky he didn't
live to stay landed, and it's a good
thing for himr' Sibyl's mirth had van
fshed. and she spoke with vlrulent ra'
pidity. swell. she couldn't get you
because you were married, and she
couldn't get Jim, because Jim died
And there they were. dead broke! Dc
you know what she did? Do you know
what she's doingT'
mo, don't" said Roscoe, gruffiy.
Sibyps voice rose and eliminated In
a scream of renewed hilarity. "Bibbs
She waited in the gra veyard, and drove
home with him from Jim's funerall
Never spoke to him before! Jim wasn't
coldw
She rocked herself back and forth
upon the divan. "Bibbsp' she shrieked
"Bibbs! Roscoe. think Of 1t! Bibbsr'
He stared unsympathetically but
her mirth was undated for all that
And yesterday" she continued, be.
tween paroxysms-"yesterd she
came out Of the house-just as he was
passing. She must have been looking
out-waiting the chance: saw the
old lady watching at the window! And
she got him there last night--to play
to him; the old lady gave that away
And today she made him take her out
In machine! And the cream Of it is
that they didn't even know whether he
was insane or not-they thought may
be he was. but she went after him
just the same! The old lady set her
self to pump me about it today. Bibbsl
oh, my Lord! Bibbs"
But Roscoe looked grim. $50 it's
funny to you, is It? 1t sounds kind Of
pitiful to me. | should think 1t would
to woman, too"
"Oh, 1t might" she returned, sober
ing. st might, II those people weren't
such frozen-faced smart Alexis. If
they'd had the decency to come down
off the perch little probably
wouldn't think 1t was funny. but to
see 'em sit up on their pedestal all the
time they're eating dirt--well, I think
it's funny! That girl sits up as If she
was Queen Elizabeth, and expects
people to wallow on the ground before
her until they get near enough for her
to give 'em good kick with her old
patched shoes-oh, she'd do that, all
highland then she powders up and
goes out to mash-Bibbs Sheridan
Look here" said Roscoe, heavily;
81 don't care about that one way or
another. If you're through, got
something want to talk to you about.
| was going to, that day just before we
heard about jim"
At this Sibyl stiffened quickly; her
eyes became intensely bright. "What
Is IT."
WELL" he began, frowning. what
was going to say then" He broke
off, and, becoming conscious that he
was still holding the wet napkin In his
hand, threw 1t pettishly into a corner.
~ never expected I'd have to say any
thing like this to anybody married;
but | was going to ask you what was
the matter between you and Lam
horn"
Sibyl uttered sharp monosyllable.
"Well?
81 felt the time had come for me to
know about it," he went on. "You
never told me anything"
you never asked" she interposed.
CURLY.
swell, we'd got in a way of not
talking much" said Roscoe at looks
to me now as IL we'd pretty much lost
the run of each other the way a good
many people do. | don't say 1t wasn't
my fault. was up early and down to
work all day, and I'd come home tired
at night, and went to go to bed soon as
I'd got the paper read-unless there
was some good musical show In town.
Well, you seemed all right until here
lately, the last month or so, began to
see something was wrong. I couldn't
help seeing it."
"Wrong?" she said. "What like?"
"You changed; you didn't look the
same. You were all strung up and ex-
cited and fidgety; you got to looking
peakid and run down. Now then, Lam
horn had been going with us a good
while, but noticed that not long ago
you got to picking on him about every
little thing he did; you got to quarrel
ing with him when I was there and
when wasn't. l could see you'd been
quarreling whenever I came in and he
was here"
do you object to thatr asked
Sibyl, breathing quickly.
"Yes-when it Injuries my wife's
healthg he returned, with quick lift
of his eyes to hers. "You began to run
down just about, the time you began
falling out with him." He stepped
close to her. "See here, Sibyl, I'm go
Ing to know what 1t means"
"Oh, you areT she snapped. THAT
was what you were going to say the
to say tonightT'