The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-08-19


best could: just tried to live.
Things were just beginning to look
brighter, and then l saw how Edith
was getting him away from me. And
what could l do? What can any wom-
an do in my fix? l couldn't stand it, |
went to that icicle-that Vertrees girl
and she could have helped me
little. and it wouldn't have hurt her.
Let her wait!' Sibyls voice, hOarse
from babbiing. became no more than
husky whisper, though she strove
to make it 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 mel l 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. And he told her bored
| him-telephoning him 1 wanted to see
| him. He needn't have done it. He
needn't-needn't3" Her voice grew
fainter, for that while. with exhaus-
| ton, though she would go over it 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.
''I'm 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 als6S-the disadvan-
| tage of q mother for duenna, and Mrs.
| Sheridan, under her husbands sharp
| tuteIage, proved an effective one.
Edith was reduced to teiephoning
Lamhorn from shops whenever she
could juggle her mother into a momen-
| tary distraction over a 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 di-
plomacy of suggestion, but Sheridan.
like legions of other parents, intensi-
| fed her passion and fed it hourly fuel
by opposing to it 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 pitiabIy 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 q month or
so 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. 81 suppose
they'll be married there" he said. cas-
ua1Iy.
Sheridan. warming his stockinged
feet at the fire, jumped up, Tuning
Either you go out o. here. or will
Bibbsr' he snorted. 81 don't want tC
be in the same room with the particu
lar kind of idiot you are! She's through
with that riTraff: all she needed was
to be kept away from him a few
weeks, and / kept her away, and Il
did the business. For heavens sake
go on out o. hereP'
Bibbs obeyed the gesture of a hand
still bandaged. And the black sill
sling was still round Sheridan's neck
but no word OF Gurney's and no excru
ciating 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 dislodgeC
the bandages, and healing was lon;
| delayed. Sheridan had the habit o
gesture; he could not take time to re
4 member" he said, that he must b,
careful. and he had also q curious in
dignation with his hurt; he refused t.
pay it the compliment OF admitting it
= existence.
The Saturday following Editt's de
parture Quincy came to the Sheridan
building TO dress the wounds and t
have 8 talk with Sheridan which tn
doctor felt had become necessary. Blu
he was a little before the appointe,
Z time and was obliged to wait q few
minutes In an anteroom-there was
Z directors meeting of some sort II
e Sheridan's Office. The door was slight
~ ajar, leaking cigar smoke and ora
8 tory, the latter all SheF1dan's, and Cur
I ney listened.
q no, sir; no. sir; no. sirF' he hear
q the big voice rumbling, and theE
/ breaking into thunder. ST tell you No
, Some o. you men make me sick! You
r. lose your confidence In Almighty Go
le If doOdlebug Tipped his hind leg 9
le you'll You say moneys tight all oys
le the country. Well. what IL it is
y There's no reason fer It to be tigh
"a and IT'S not goin' to keep our none
81 Tight You're always runnin' to ID
II woodshed to hide your nictels IN
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