Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-12


to ask me-to marry you! What had I
shown you Of myself that could make
you"
Suddenly she sank down, kneeling,
with her face buried in her arms upon
the lap Of a chair, tears overwhelming
her.
MARY, MaryP' he cried, heIplessly.
ooh no-you-you don't understand"
Il do. thought she sobbed. Il dor'
He came and stood beside her. You
kill mer' he said. Il can't make it
plain. From the first Of your lowell
ness to me, was all self. 1t was al
ways you that gave and l that took
was the DEPENDENT did nothing but
lean on you. We always talked Of me,
not Of you. 1t was all about my idiotic
distresses and troubles. l thought Of
you as a kind of wonderful being that
had no mortal or human suffering ex-
cept by sympathy. You seemed to lean
doWn-out Of rosy cloud-to be kind
to me. l never dreamed I could do
anything for you! l never dreamed
you could need anything to be done
for you by anybody. And today I heard
that-that you"
"You heard that l needed to marry
-someone-anyb ody-with money"
she sobbed. And you thought we
were $3.50 desperate-you believed
that l had"
"No!' he said, quickly. 81 didn't be-
lieve you'd done one kind thing for me
for that. No, no, no! 1 knew you'd
never thought Of me except generously
to give. I said / couldn't make It
plainv' he cried, despairinSly.
"Waitr' She lifted her head and ex-
tended her hands to him unconscious
Iy, like a child. Help me up, Bibbs."
Then. when she was once more upon
her feet, she wiped her eyes and
smiled upon him ruefully and family,
but reassuringly, as If TO tell him, in
that way, that she knew he had not
meant to hurt her. And that smile of
hers, so lamentable but so faithfully
friendly, misted bis own eyes. for his
Btbbs looked up pat1entiy-an OLD
old look. YES, father; I'm listening
THAT'S ALL" said Sheridan, frowning
heavily. That's all I came to say, and
you better see t you remember it!''
He shook his head warningly, and
went out, closing the door behind him
with a crash. However, no sound Of
footsteps Indicated his departure. He
stopped just outside the door, and
stood there a minute or more. Then
abruptly he turned the knob and ex-
hibited to his son forehead literally
covered with perspiration.
Look here he said, GROSSLY. THAT
girl over yonder wrote Jim letter."
81 know" said Bibbs. "She told me-"
"Well, l thought you needn't feel so
much upset about it" The door closed
on his voice as he withdrew, but the
| conclusion Of the sentence was never
| theless audible-"if you knew she
wouldn't have jim, either"
And he stamped his way downstairs
to tell his wife to quit her frettin' and
| not bother him with any more FOOLS
errands. She was about to inquire
what Bibbs said but after a second
thought she decided not to speak at all,
She merely murmured a wordless as
sent, and verbal communication was
given over between them for the rest
of the afternoon.
Bibbs and his father were gone when
Mrs. Sheridan woke, the next morning
and she had a dreary day. She missed
Edith woefully, and she worried about
| what might be taking place in the
| Sheridan building. She felt that every
thing depended on how Bibbs took
| hold" and upon her husbands return
in the evening she seized upon the first
| opportunity to ask him how things had
! gone. He was n0ncOmmittal. What
| could anybody tell by the first day?
He'd seen plenty go at things well
enough right at the start and then
| blow up. Pretty near anybody could
show up fair the first day or so. There
was a big job ahead. This material
such as it was-Btbbs, in fact-had
to be broken in to handling the work
Roscoe had done; and then, at least as
| an Overseer, he must take Jim's posi-
ton in the Realty company as we'll.
He told her to ask him again in
month.
But during the course OF dinner she
gathered from some dtsjOinted remarks
Of his that he and Bibbs had lunched
together st the small restaurant where
1t had been Sherdan's custom to
lunch with jim, and she took this to be
an encouraging sign. Bibbs went to
his room as soon as they left the table,
and her husband was not communica-
tive after reading his paper.
She became an anxious spectator Of
Bibbs' progress as man of business,
although it was a progress she could
glimpse but dimIy and only in the eve
| ming, through his remarks and his IA
TIERS at dinner. Usually Bibbs was
silent, except when directly addressed,
but on the first evening of the third
week Of his new career he offered an
opinion which had apparently been the
| subject of previous argument.
I'D like you to understand just
what 1 meant about those storage
| rooms, father" he said, az Jackson
placed his coffee before him. "Aber-
crombie agreed with me, but you
wouldn't listen to him."
"You can talk, if you want to, and
Iii listen" Sheridan returned. "but