The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-22

that are waitin' there to see him 10
room two-fourteen- You needn't come
in to let me know they're gone: We
don't want to be disturbed. Tell Pau
ley to call my house and send Claus
down here with closed car. We may
have to go out Tell him to hustle.
and call me at Roscoe's room as soon
as the car gets here. IT'S allI'
Roscoe had laughed bitterly through
out this monologue. 'Drunk in bust
ness hours! Thass awf-ll Mus'n' do
such thing! Mus'n' get drunk. mus'n'
gamble. mus'n' kill 'nybody-not in
business hours All right any other
time XIII 'nybody you want to-'s
long faint in business hoursi Finei
Mus'n' have any trouble t II inner
fere business Keep your trouble t
home. Don bring it to tn office. Might
innerfere businessI Don't let your
wife innerfere businessI Keep all. all.
all your trouble an your meanness. an
your trad-your agedy-keep EN- all
for home usei If you got die. 60 on
die I home-don' die round the Office
Might innerfere businessi"
Sheridan picked up a newspaper
from Roscoe's desk, and sat down with
his back 70 his son, affecting to read.
Roscoe seemed to be unaware OF his
fathers significant posture.
You know VIII 1 think?' he went
on. 81 think Bibbs only one the family
any 'teIligence at all. Won work. an
dim get married. Jim worked, an be
got killed 1 worked. an got mar
ried. Look at me! JUS look at me,
ask you. Fine 'dustriss young busi.
ness man Look whass happen to me-
Fine" He lifted his hand from the
| sustaining chair in a deplOrable ges-
ture. and Immediately losing his bal
ance. fell across the chair and car
| omed to the floor with a crash, re
naming PROSTATE for several min
| utes. during which Sheridan did moi
relax his apparent attention TO the
! newspaper. He did not even loOE
round at the sound of Roscoe's fall.
Roscoe slowly climbed to an up
right position, pulling himself up By
holding to the chair. He was slightly
sobered outwardly, having progressed
in the PROSTATE interval to a state OF
befuddlement less volatile. He rubbed
his dazed eyes with the back Of his LEFT
/ hand.
"what-what you ask me while
ago?" he said.
''Nothin'."
'Yes, you did. What-what was it?'
'NOthin' You better sit down"
You ask me what 1 thought about
Lamhorn. You did ask me that. Well
I wont tell you l won't say dam
word bout him.
The telephone bell tinkled. Sheridan
| placed the receiver to his ear and said
Right down" Then he got RoscOe'r
coat and hat from a closet and brough
I them to his son. Get into this coat,
be said. You're goin' home"
''All RI" murmured Roscoe, obedi
emily.
They went out into the main hall b.
a side door. Roscoe walked out OF tn,
building without lurching. and twenty
minutes later walked into his Owl
house in the same manner. neither b.
nor his father having spoken a worC
In the interval
Sheridan did not go in with him; b.
went home, and to his own room with
out meeting any OF his family Blu
as he passed Bibbs' door he heard from
within the sound Of a cheerful younj
voice humming jubilant fragments o
song:
| Who looks the mustang in the eye? d. d.
With a leap from the ground
To the saddle in a bound.
And eway-and away!
Hi-yayi
1t was the first time in Sheridan
life that he had ever detected an
musical symptom whatever in Bibbs-
he had never even heard him whistl
and it seemed the last touch OF iron
that the useless fool should be merr
today
To Sheridan it was Tom o. Bed1aI
singing while the house burned; and b
did not tarry to enjoy the melody, bJ
went into his own room and locked th
, door.