Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-17
couldn't land it. You heard anything

about it, mother Sheridan?"
"Well, l did know they been doin'
their own housework good while
back" said Mrs. Sheridan. "And now
they're doin' the cookin', too"
Sibyl sent forth little litter with a
sharp edge. 81 hope they find some
thing to cook! She sold her piano
mighty quick after Jim diedr'
Bibbs jumped Up. He was trembling
from head to foot and he was dizzy
Of all the real things he could never
have dreamed in his dream the last
would have been what he heard now.
He felt that something incredible was
happening, and that he was powerless
to stop it. 1t seemed to him that heavy
blows were falling upon his head and
upon Mary's; it seemed to him that he
and Mary were being struck and beat
en- physically-and that something
hideous impended. He wanted to
shout to Sibyl to be silent, but he could
not; he could only stand, swallowing
and trembling.
What l think the whole family
ought to understand is just this" said
Sibyl sharply. "Those people were so
hard up that this Miss Vertrees start
ed after Bibbs before they knew
whether he was insane or not! They'd
got notion he might be, from his be-
ing in a sanitarium, and Mrs. Vertrees
asked me if he was insane, the very
first day Bibbs took the daughter out
auto riding.' She paused a moment.
looking at Mrs. Sheridan, but listening
intently. There was no sound from
within the room.
''Nov' exclaimed Mrs. Sheridan.
'It's the TRUTH" Sibyl declared, loud
~. ooh, of course we were all crazy
about that girl at first. We were pretty
green when we moved up here, and we
thought she'd get us in-but it didn't
take me long to read her! Her family
were down and out when it came to
mOney-and they had to go after it,
one way or another, somehow! So she
started for Roscoe; but she found out
pretty quick he was married, and she
turned right around to Jim-and she
landed him! There's no doubt about
it, she had Jim, and if he'd lived you'd
had another daughter-in-law before
this, as sure as l stand here telling you
the Gods truth about it! Well-when
Jim was left in the cemetery she was
waiting out there to drive home with
Bibbs! Jim wasn't cold-and she
didn't know whether Bibbs was insane
or not but he was the only one Of the
rich Sheridan boys left She had to
get him.
The texture of what was the truth
not, in Sibyls mind; she believed every
word that she uttered, and she spoke
with the rapidity and vehemence Of
fierce conviction.
what | feel about it u.s." she said,
ut oughtn't to be allowed to go on.
It's too mean! l like poor Bibbs, and
| don't want to see him made such
fool Of, and | don't want to see the
family made such a fool Of! l like
poor Bibbs, but if he'd only stop to
realize he isn't the kind of a man any
girl would be apt to fall in love with.
He's better looking lately, maybe, but
you know how he was-just kind of
long white rag in good clothes. And
girls like men with some go to 'em-
some sort Of dashingness, anyhow! No
body ever looked at poor Bibbs be-
fore, and neither'd she-no, sir! not
till she'd tried both Roscoe and Jim
first! 1t was only when her and her
family got desperate that She"
Bibbs-whiter than when he came
from the sanitarium-opened the door.
He stepped across it's threshold and
stood looking at her. Both women
sore" med.
ooh, good heavens!' cried Sibyl
"Were you in there? Oh, l wouldn't"
She seized Mrs Sheridan's arm, pull
ing her toward the stairway. "Come
on. mother Sheridanv' she urged, and
as the befuddled and confused lady
obeyed, Sibyl left a trail of noisy eX-
CARNATIONS: "Good gracious! Oh I
he was there! l wouldn't hurt his feel
ings! Not for the world! Of course
he had to know some time. But, good
heavens"
She heard his door close as she and
Mrs. Sheridan reached the top of the
stairs, and she glanced over her shout
der quickly, but Bibbs was not follow
ing; he had gone back into his room.
"He-he looked-oh, terrible bad!"
stammered Mrs. Sheridan. CT
wish"
"Still, it's a good deal better he
knows about it," said Sibyl. 81
shouldn't wonder it might turn out the
very best thing could happened. Come
on!'
And completing their descent to the
library, the two made their appearance
to Roscoe and his father. Sibyl at once
gave a full and truthful account Of
what had taken place, repeating her
own remarks, and emitting only the
fact that if was through her design