Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-31


to walk the chalk a mighty straight
line these days-with that fellow keep
in tabs on mev
Mary rose with him. 1--WE always
heard you were the hard driver"
!. He guffawed derisively. ~Me? I'm
nothin to that partner O. mine. You
couldn't guess to save your life how
he keeps after me to hold up my end
O. the job. l shouldn't be surprised
he'd give me the grand bounce some
day, and run the whole circus himself.
You know how he is-once he goes at
a thing"'
NO." she smiled. II didn't know
you had partner. I'd always heard"
He laughed, looking away from her.
''Tt's just my way O speakin' O. that
boy O mine. Bibbs."
He stood then, eXpectant, staring out
| into the hall with an air Of careless
geniality. He felt that she certainly
must say at least "How is Ribbs?" but
she said nothing at all, though he wait
ed until the silence became embarrasS-
ing.
well, l guess l better be gettin
down there" he said, at last. HE
might worry
'FOr what?"
For the letter.
"Oh," he said, blankly. you're
welcome. Goodby."
Mary put out her hand. "Goodby."
You'll have to excuse my left hand"
he said II had a little accident to the
other one.''
She gave a plying cry as she saw.
ooh, poor Mr. Sheridan"
"Nothin' at all! Dictate everything
| nowadays, anyhow" He laughed
jovially. did anybody tell you how
it happened?"
81 heard you hurt your hand, but
no-nOt just how"
at was this way" he began, and
| both, as if unconsciously, sat down
again. "You may not know it, but
used to worry a good deal about the
youngest O. my boys-the one that
used to come to see you sometimes,
after Jim-that is, mean Bibbs. He's
the one l spoke of as my partner; and
the truth is that's what it's just about
! gOin' to amount to. one O. these days
| if his health holds out. Well, you re-
member | expect, | had him on a
machine over at plant O. mine; and
| sometimes I'd kind O. sneak in there
and see how he was gettin along.
| Take a doctor with me sometimes, be-
cause Bibbs never was so robust, you
might say. Ole Doe Gurney-I guess
maybe you know him? Tall, thin man;
acts sleepy"
Eyes"
"Well, one day l an ole Doc Cur
ney, we were in there, and | under
took to show Bibbs how to run his
machine He told me to look out, but
I wouldn't listen, and l didn't look
out-and that's how | got my hand
hurt, tryin' to show Bibbs to do some
| thing he knew how to do and | didn't
Made me so mad just wouldn't even
admit to myself it was hurt-and So,
by and by, ole Doe Quincy had to take
kind O. radical measures with me. He's
a right good doctor, too. Don't you
think So Miss Vertrees?"
Eyes"
! eyes, he is sou Sheridan now had
the air of a rambling tallker and gossip
with all day on his hands. ''Take him
on Bibbs' case. l was talkin' about
| Bibbs' case with him this morning.
| Well, you'd laugh to hear the way ole
Quincy talks about that! Course he
is just as much a friend as he is doc
| tOr-and he takes as much interest
in Bibbs as if he was in the family.
| He thinks Bibbs isn't anyways bad
off vet; and he thinks he could stand
the pace and get fat on it if-well. this
is what'd make you laugh if you'd been
| there. Miss VertreeS-hOneSt it WOuld!'
He paused to chuckle, and stole
glance at her She was gazing straight
! before her at the wall; her lips were
parted, nd-visibly-she was breath
ing heavily and quickly. He feared
that she was growing furiOusly angry;
Out ne Ddu leu 10 WIFI uc NdDlcu W
say, and he went on, determined now
| to say it ALL He leaned forward and
altered his voice to one of cOnfideD-
tial friendliness, though in it he still
maintained a tone which indicated that
ole Doe Gurney's opinion was only
Joke Ne shared with her. eyes, sir, you
certainly would "a laughed! Why, that
ole man thinks you got something to
do with it. You'll have to blame it on
him, young lady, if it makes you feel
like startin' out to whip somebody
He's actually got this theory: he says
Bibbs got to gettin' better while he
worked over there at the shop because
you kept him cheered up and feelin'
good And he says if you could man
age to just stand him hangin' round
little-maybe not much, but just
sometimes-again, he believed it'd do
Bibbs a mighty lot O. good. Course
that's only what the doctor said. Me,