The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-04-13

smooth, red face grew more and more
radiant with good will and with the
simplest, happiest. most boyish vanity.
He was the picture of health, of good
cheer, and of power on a holiday.
He dominated the table, shouting
jocular questions and railleries at
everyone. His idea was that when
people were having a good time they
were noisy; and his own additions to
the hubbub increased his pleasure,
and, of course, met the warmest en-
enlargement from his guests. He kept
time to the music continually-with
his feet, or pounding on the table with
his fist, and sometimes with spoon or
knife upon his plate or a glass, with
out permitting these side-products to
interfere with the real business of eat
ing and shouting.
Tell 'em to play Nancy Lee'"' he
would below down the length of the
table to his wife. while the musicians
were in the midst of the "Toreador"
song, perhaps. Ask that fellow If
they don't know Nancy Lee" And
when the leader would shake his head
apoogetically in answer to an obedient
shrek from Mrs. Sheridan. the "Torea-
dor" continuing vehemently, Sheridan
would roar half-remembered fragments
of Nancy Lee" naturally mingling
some Bizet with the air of that uxOri-
GUS tribute.
No external bubbling contributed to
this effervescence; the Sheridan's table
had never borne wine. and. more be-
cause of timidity about it than cOnvic-
ton, it bore none now. And certain
| ly no wine could have inspired more
turbulent good spirits in the host Not
even Bibbs was an alloy in this nights
happiness, for. as Mrs. Sheridan had
said. he had "plans for Bibbs"-plMns
which were going to straighten out
some things that had gone wrong.
So he pounded the table and doomed
his echoes of old songs. and then, for
getting these, would renew his friend
ly raillerles, or perhaps, turning to
Mary Vertrees. who sat near him,
round the corner of the table at his
right, he would become autobiography
ical. Gentlemen less naive than he
had paid her that tribute, for she was a
girl who inspired the photographed
impulse in every man who met her-it
needed but the sight of her.
The dinner seemed. somehow. to cen
ter about Mary Vertrees and the jocund
host as a play centers about its hero
and heroine; they were the rubicunc
king and the starry princess of thi:
spectacle-they paid court TO each 9th
; er, and everybody paid court to them
J Down near the sugar pump works
/; where Bibbs sat, there was audible
! speculation and admiration. "WOnde
} who that lady is-makin' such hi
with the old man. "Must be SOM
, heiress." "Heiress? Golly. l guess
, could stand it to marry rich, then!'
= Edith and Sibyl were radiant; a
; first they had watched Miss Vertree
5 with an almost haggard anxiety, Won
: dering what disastrous effect Sher
l dams pastoral gayeties-and Othe
things-would have upon her. but sh
e seemed delighted with everything. an
1 with him most of all She treated hir
? as if he were some delicious, FOOLS
l old joke that she understood perfectly
laughing at him almost violently whe
he ragged-probably his first exper
ence of that kind In his life. 1t Ell
5 chanted him.
= AS he proclaimed to the table. sh
had "a way with her" She had, il
!, 1ood 90 Docooo Ssba,.idan unon ht
i right. discovered just after the fea
[ began. Since his marriage three yea
o before, 10 lady had bestowed upon hi