Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-07-13

an DO In my fix? / couldn't stand il!
went to that icicle-that vertrees girl
and she could have helped me a
little, and it wouldn't have hurt her.
Let her waltp SibyPs voice, hoarse
from babbling, became no more than
a husky whisper, though she strove
to make 1t louder She struggled half
upright, and the nurse restrained her.
I'D get up out Of this bed to show her
she can't do such things to me! was
absolutely ladylike, and she walked
out and left me there alone! She'll
see! She started after Bibbs before
Jim's casket was fairly underground,
and she thinks she's landed that poor
loon-but she'll see! She'll see! And
Edith needn't have told what she told
Roscoe-it wouldn't have hurt her to
let me alone. Aud he told her bored
him wanted to see
him He needn't have done 1t. He
needn't-needn't-- Her voice grew
fainter, for that while, with exhaus-
ton, though she would go over 1t all
again as soon as her strength returned.
She lay painting. Then. seeing her hus-
band standing disheveled in the door
way, Don't come In, Roscoe" she
murmured. 81 don't want to see you
And as he turned away she added
"rm kind of sorry for you, Roscoe
Her antagonist, Edith, was not more
coherent in her own wailings, and she
had the advantage of a mother for
listener. She had also the disadvan.
tage of a mother for duenna, and Mrs
Sheridan, under her husbands sharp
tutelage, proved an effective one
Edith was reduced to telephoning
Lamhorn from shops whenever she
could juggle her mother into a momen.
tary distraction over counter.
Edith was incomparably more In
love than before Lamhorn's expulsion
Her whole being was nothing but the
determination to hurdle everything
that separated her from him. She was
in a state that could be altered by
only the lightest and most delicate d.
plomacy of suggestion, but Sheridan.
like legions Of other parents, intensi-
fed her passion and fed 1t hourly fuel
by opposing to 1t an intolerable force.
He swore she should cool, and thus set
her on fire.
Edith planned neatly. She fought
hard, every other evening, with her
father and kept her bed between times
to let him see what his violence had
done to her. Then. when the mere
sight Of her set him to breathing fast,
she said pitiably that she might bear
her trouble If she went away; it was
impossible to be In the same town with
Lamhorn and not think always of him.
Perhaps in New York she might forget
little She had written to a school
friend, established quietly with an
aunt in apartments-and a month or
- of theaters and restaurants might
bring peace Sheridan shouted with
relief; he gave her a copious check,
and she left upon a Monday morning.
wearing violets with her mourning.
and having kissed everybody goodby
except Sibyl and Bibbs. She might
have kissed Bibbs, but he failed to
realize that the day of her departure
had arrived, and WAS surprised, on re-
turning from his zinc eater that eve
ming, to find her gone. II suppose
they'll be married there" he said, cas-.
ually.
Sheridan, warming his stockinged
feet at the fire, jumped up, tuning.
EITHER you go out o. here, or l will,
Bibbsw he snorted. 81 don't want to
be in the same room with the particu-
lar kind of idiot you are! She's through
with that riffraff; all she needed was
to be kept away from him a few
weeks. and | kept her away, and II
did the business. For heavens sake,
go on out O. herew
Bibbs obeyed the gesture of a hand
still bandaged. And the black silk
sling was still round Sheridan's neck
but no word of Gurney's and no excru.
chatting twinge Of pain could keep Sher.
idan's hand in the sling. The wounds
slight enough originally, had become
infected the first time he had dislodged
the bandages, and healing was long
delayed. Sheridan had the habit OF
gesture; he could not take time to re.
member" lie said, that he must be
careful, and he had also q curious In.
dignation with his hurt; he refused to
pay 1t the compliment Of admitting Its
existence.
The Saturday following Edith's de.
parture Quincy came to the Sheridan
building to dress the wounds and to
have a talk with Sheridan which the
doctor felt had become necessary. But
he was a little before the appointed
time and was obliged to wait few
minutes in an antersom-there was a
directors meeting Of some sort In
Sheridan's office. The door was slight.
ly ajar, leaking cigar smoke and ora.
tory, the latter all Sheridan's. and Cur.
ney listened.
"No, sir; no. sir; no. sir! ,be heard
the big voice rumbling, and then,
breaking into thunder, II tell you NO!
Some o. you men make me sick! You'd
lose your confidence In Almighty God
IL a doodlebug tipped his hind leg at
you'll You say moneys tight all over
the country. Well, what II It Isl
There's no reason for 1t to be tight,
and It's not goin' to keep our money
tight! You're always runnin' to the
woodshed to hide your nickels In O
crack because some fool newspaper
says the markets little skeery! You
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