The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-07-28
CHAPTER v.


CHAPTER v.
It was a brave and lustrous banquet;
n q noisy one, too, because there was
an orchestra among some plants ut one
end OF the long dining room, and after
q preliminary Stiffness the guests were
1mpelled to cOnverse-necessarily at
the tops Of their voices. The whole
company Of fifty sat at a great oblong
table. a continent of damask and lace,
with shores Of crystal and silver run
ming up to spreading groves Of orchids
and lilies and white roses-an inhab-
tied continent, evidently, for there
were three marvellous, cleaning build
ings; n In the center and one at each
end, white miracles wrought by some
inspired craftsman In sculptural icing.
They were models in miniature, and
they represented the Sheridan build
Ing, the Sheridan apartments, and the
pump works. Nearly all the guests
recognized them without having to be
told what they were. and pronounced
the likenesses superb.
The arrangement Of the table was
.1isibly baronial. At the head sat the
great Thane, with the flower OF his
samily and Of the guests about him;
hen on each side came the neiyhbors
OF the "old" house. grading down to
vassals and Observation-Disclosures
cashiers, heads of departments, and the
like-at the foot, where .be Thames
lady took her place as a consolation for
the less important. Here. zoo. among
the thralls and b6ndu.en. sat Bibbs
Sheridan, a meek BanqrO, wondering
how anybody could look at him and
eat
Nevertheles1. there vas 4 vast, con-
tinuous eating and the talk went on
with the eating. necessarily. 1t rose
over the throbbtng OF the orchestra and
the clatter and blinking Of silver and
china and glass, aud there was q
mighty babble.
And through The interstices Of this
clamoring Bibbs could hear the con-
tinual booming Of his fathers heavy
voice, and once hA caught the sentence.
Eyes. young lady. that's Just what did
It for me, and that's just what II do It
for my boys-they got to make two
blades O. grass grow whore one grew
before!!" It was his familiar flourish,
m old story to Hibbs, ard now jovially
detained for the edifcation OF Mary
Vertrees.
It was a great night for Sheridan
the very crest Of his wave. His big,
smooth. red face grew more and1more
radiant with good will and with the
simplest, happiest, most boylsh vanity.
He was the picture OF health, OF good
cheer, and OF power on q holiday.
He dominated the. table. shouting
jocular questions and raNleries at
everyone. His idea was that when
people were having q good time they
were noisy; and his own additions to
the hubbub increased his pleasure,
and, Of course. met the warmest en-
couragement from his guests. He kept
time to the music contipually-with
his feet, or pounding on the table with
his fst, and sometimes with spoon or
knife upon his plate or Z glass, with
Ont permitting these side-products to
interfere with the real business Of eat.
Ing and shouting.
TELL en- to play Nancy Lee'r hc
would below down the length OF the
table 20 his wife, while the musicians
were In the midst OF tie ''Toreador"
song, perhapA ASK that fellow II
they don't know Nancy Lee" And
when the leader would shake his head
apologetically n answer to m obedient
shrek fuom Mr.. Sheridan. the "Torea-
49, ceAtinuing vshemently, Sheridan
Wound foae half-Nmembered fragments
~ NANNY L." naturally mingling
seme BtAolt VIII the ar o. that uxori-
- 1fibuoA
10 extesnal onDbli1g contributed to
- o6ervesconnD; IT, o~herldanrB table
III sever bGG1o wine, ard, more be-
$3.50 = 0u1110 short 4 than convG-
-, e 49, DDno nv. And certain
~ - o1uo hoys insplrsd more
r1Qlent 80 lrits = ths hsst. Not
49, D16olo 49, - alag 81 this nights.
1npplDGoay ~, - Nh. Sheridan had
90. ~ ~ aDlooe 1or Btbbs"-plans
1ch 49, = straightsn ont
e fhlu1ls TIT - Sono wrong.
- - o1a0ot ao1o - e~d
II.sIss|sl1.l
E1R5zSSz.1S AagsSsssaSXz agsSSssMS asss3 = A