Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-24

| told you she wouldn't have Jim.
1idn't II"
Sibyl was altogether taken aback.
DO you suppose it's true? Do you
suppose she wouldn't?"
He didn't look exactly like young
man that had just got things fixed up
ine with his girl" said Sheridan. mot
TO me, he didn'tr'
But why would
II told you," he interrupted, angrily,
she amt that kind of a girl. If you
got to have proof. we'll, I'll tell you and
get it over with, though I'd pretty near
just as soon not have to talk ii whole
lot about my dead boys private af-
fairs. She wrote to Jim she couldn't
take him, and it was a good, straight
letter, too. 1t came to Jim's office; he
never saw it. She wrote it the after
noon he was hurt
II remember I saw her put a letter
in the mail box that afternoon" said
Roscoe. Don't you remember, Sibyl?
told you about it was waiting for
you while you were in there SO long
talking to her mother 1t was just be-
over here, and Edith came and called
me-"
Sibyl shook her mead, but she re-
membered. And she was not cast down,
for, although some remnants of per
plexity were left in her eyes, they were
dimmed by an increasing glow of
triumph; and she departed-after some
further fragmentary -visibly
elated. After all. the guilty had not
been exalted; and she perceived vague
ly, but none the less surely, that her
injury had been copiously avenged. She
bestowed a contented glance upon the
old house with the cupOla, as she and
Roscoe crossed the street.
When they had gone, Mrs. Sheridan
INDUCED in reverie, but after a while
she said, uneasily, Papa, you think it
would be any use to tell Bibbs about
that letter."
81 don't know" he answered, walk
ing moodily to the window. II been
cision. Il reckon l will" And he went
up to Bibbs' room.
"Well, you goin' back on what you
said?" he inquired, brusquely, as he
opened the door. 'You goin' to take
it back and lay down on me again?"
NO." said Bibbs.
well, perhaps | didn't have any cal!
to accuse you of that. | don't know
as you ever did go back on anything
you said, exactly, though the Lord
knows you've laid down on me enough,
You certainly have" Sheridan was
baft1ed. This was not what he wished
to say, but his words were unmanage-
able; he found himself unable to con-
troll them. and his querulous abuse
went on in spite of him. 81 can't say
l expect much of you-not from the
way you always been, up to now-un-
less you turn over Il new leaf, and
don't see any encouragement to think
you're goin' to do that! If you go down
there and show spark O. real git-up, |
reckon the whole office II fall in a
RANT. But IL you're ever SOln 10
show any, you better begin right at
the beginning and begin to show it to-
morrow"
'Yes-rll try"
"You better, if it's in your Sheri-
dan was sheerly nonplused. He had
always been able to say whatever he
wished to say, but his tongue seemed
bewitched. He had come to tell Bibbs
about Mary's letter. and to his own
angry establishment he found it i'm
possible to do anything except to scold
like a drudge-driver. ''You better
come down there with your mind made
up to hustle harder than the hardest
workin' man that's under you, Or you'll
not get on very good with me, I tell
you! The way to get ahead-and you
better set it down in your books-the