Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-04
CHAPTER XXI. |
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Bibbs was the only Sheridan to sleep
soundly through the night and to wake
at dawn with Z light heart. His cheer
frilness was vaguely diminished by the
troublous state OF affairs In his Family.
Bibbs was asympathetic person, cas-
ily touched, but he was indeed living
IN a dream, and all things outside Of
It were yelled and remote for that Is
the way Of youth in a dream. And
Bibbs, who had never before been Of
any age, either old or young, had come
to his youth at last.
He went whistling from the house
before even his father had come up
stairs. There was fog outdoors, sat
urated with q fine powder Of SCOT, and
though Bibbs noticed absently the dim
shape Of an automobile at the curb
before Roscoe's house, he did not rec
ognize It az Doctor Gurney's but went
scheerily on his wtv through the dingy
mist. And when he was once more in
stalled beside Ms faithful zinc eater
he whistled and sang to 1t, as other
workmen did to their own machines
sometimes, when things went well.
His comrades In the shop glanced at
him amusedly now and then. They
liked him, and he ate his lunch at noon
with group Of socialists who APP
proved OF his ideas and talked of-elect-
ing him to their association.
The short days OF the year had come,
and 1t was dark before the whistles
blew. When the signal came, Bibbs
went to his ONCE, where he Invested
himself Of his soveralls-his single d.
yergence from the routine Of his fel-
low workmen--and after that he used
soap and water copiously. This was
his Transformation scene: he passed
into the ONCE q rather frail young
working man noticeably begrimed, and
passed out of 1t to the pavement q
scheerfully preoccupied sample Of gen.
try, fastidious to the point Of elegance.
The sidewalk was crowded with the
bearers of dinner pals, men and boys
and women and girls from the work
rooms that closed at i've. Many hur-
ried and some loitered; they went both
east and wsst. jostling one another.
ana Bibbs, turning his face homeward,
was forced to go slowly.
Coming toward him, as slowly,
through the crowd, a tall girl caught
sight Of his long, thin figure and stood
SIN until he had almost passed her,
for IA the thick crowd and the thicker
gloom he did not recognize her, though
his shoulder actually touched hers. He
would have gone by. but abe laughed
.delightedly, and he stopped short,
startled. Two boys, one chasing the
other. swept between them, and Bibbs
stood still, peering about him in deep
perplexity. She leaned toward him.
* knew your she said. X
"Good heavens!' cried Bibbs. II
thought it was your voice coming out
ar 1 starr 53s
There's only smoke overhead" said
Mary, and laughed again. There
aren't any stars"
aoh. yes, there werewhen you
ii She took his arm. and they went on.
eve come to walk home with you,
Bibbs. wanted to-"
"But were you here in the"
'.In the dark Yes! Waiting? Yesr
Bibbs was radiant; he felt sunocat-
"a with happiness. He began to scold
her.
..But III not safe, and I'm not worth
1t. You shouldn't have You ought
% know better. What did"
81 was III this part Of town already"
she said .At least, was only seven
or eight blocks away, and It was dark
when came out and I'd have had to
rs home alone and preferred going
home with you.
'sIt's pretty beautiful for me-" said
Bibbs, with 4 deep breath. "You'll
never know what 1t was to hear your
laugh Ii the darkness then to-
to- see you standing there! Oh. it was
ilike--it was like How can I tell you
what 1t was like7' They had passed
beyond the crowd now, and a crossing
"a mn shSsnns tpf0n them. which revealed