The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-07-27
CHAPTER KIN.

SFhV EN- NtNs
The outward usualness Of things |
continued after dinner. In the library, |
while his wife sat In her customary
chair. gazing at the FIRE, Sheridan let
the unfolded evening paper rest upon
his lap, though now and then he lifted
II, as IL to read. Bibbs came In noise
lessly and sat In a corner, doing moth
Ing; and from reception room"
across the hall an lndistlnct vocal muir
mur became just audible at intervals.
Once, when this murmur grew louder,
under stress OF some irrepresslble mer-
riment, Edlth's voice could be heard
Bobby, aren't you nwfulr' and Sherl-
dan glanced across at his wife appeal
ingly.
She rose at once and went into the
reception ROOM" there was furry of
whispering, and the sound OF tiptoeing
in the hall-Edith and her suitor
changing quarters to more distant
room. Mrs Sheridan returned to her
chair in the library.
"They won't bother you any more,
papa" she said, in comforting voice.
"She told me at lunch he'd 'phoned he
wanted to come up this evening, and
said thought he'd better wait few
days, but she said she'd already told
him he could" She paused, then added,
rather guiltily: 81 got kind OF notion
maybe Roscoe don't like him az much
as he used to. Maybe-maybe you bet
ter ask Roscoe, papa" And as Sher-
In haste: "Don't say said to- l might
be wrong about II, anyway"
He nodded again, and they sat for
some time in a silence which Mrs.
Sheridan broke with little sniff, hav-
ing fallen into Il reverie that brought
tears. "That Miss Vertrees was q good
| girl" she said. "She was all right"
Her husband evidently had no din.
Guilty in following her train OF thought
for he nodded once more, affirma'
lively.
"pid you How did you fix 1t about
the-the Realty company?" she fal
tered. "Dld you"
He rose heavily, helping himself tC
his feet by the arms of his chair. 'l
fixed It," he said, in husky voice. He
went to her. put his hand upon hei
shoulder, and drew a long, audible, tire
mendous breath. ITS my bedtime
mamma; I'm goln' up" When hC
reached the door he stopped and spoke
again, without turning to look at her
Tie Rcolty company'll go right oil
just the same" he said. ITS like
it's ike sand, mamma. 1t puts me II
mind of children playln' in sand
pile. One of 'em sticks his finger II
the sand-pile and makes hole, anC
another of 'em II pat the place witt
his hand, and all the little grain
of sand run in and I'll 1t up and set
ale against one another; and then
right away it's fiat on top again, an'
you can't tell there ever was a hol
there. The Realty company II go ol
all right, mamma. There amt any
things anywhere, l reckon, tha
wouldn't go right on--just the same"
And he passed out slowly into tn
hall; then they heard his heavy trea
upon the stairs.
Mrs. Sheridan, rising to follow hin
turned a piteous face to her son. at
so forlorn." she said, chokingly. "That'
the first time he spoke since he cam
in the house this evening. know
must "a hurt him TO hear Edit
laughin' with that Lamhorn. She
oughtn't to let him come, right the yer
first evening this way; she'd oughtn
to done 1t! She just seems to lose he
head over him, and It scares me. Yo
heard what Sibyl said the other day
and-and you heard what-what-"
what Edith said to Sibyl?' Blbh
} finished the sentence for her.
1--WE can't have any trouble o. tina
klndw she walled. "Oh, It looks as