Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-09-07


sister-in-law, Mrs. Roscoe Sheridan
were too anxious about the effect of
| things on me. The fathers worth a
bushel Of both Of them. if he knew it.
He's what he is. l like him. She
| paused rafecdvely, continuing.
"Edi;lS interested in that Lamhorn
boy; he's eooJ-looking and not stupid
| but l link hes" She INTERRUPTED
herself with a CHEEKY cutlery: "Oh.
mustn't be calling him names! If
he's trying TO make Edith like him I
/ ought to respect him as a colleague"
Il don't understand a thing you're
talking about" Mrs. Vertrees COM
| planned.
"-lii The better! Well. he's bad lot.
that Lamhorn boy; everybody's always
known that. but the Sheridans don't
| know the everybodies that know. He
sat between Edith and Mrs. Roscoe
Sheridan. She's like those people you
| wondered about at the theater the last
time we Went-dresSed in ballgOwns:
| bound to show their clothes and Jewels
! somewhere! She f1atters the father.
that way. l treated him utrageously!
''AIaryw
That's what fiattered him. After
dinner he made the whole regiment of
rs follow him all over the house, while
| he iectured like a guide on the Pala-
| tine. He gave dimensions and costs,
| and the whole bilin' Of 'em listened as
| if they thought lie intended to make
| them present of the house. What he
was p1 oudest of was the plumbing and
that Bay Of Naples panorama in the
| nall. He made us look at all the
| plumbing -bathrooms and everywhere
| else-and then he made US look at the
Bay Of Naples. He said it was a hun
| dred and eleven feet long. but l think
| It's more. And he led US all into the
| ready-made library to see a poem
| Edith had taken prize with at school.
| They'd had it printed in gold letters
| and framed In m0ther-Of-pearl. But
| the poem itself was rather simple and
| wistful and nice-he read it to US,
| though Edith tried to stop him. She
| was modest about it, and said she'd
| never written anything else. And then,
| after a while, Mrs. Roscoe Sheridan
| asked me to come across the street to
| her house With them-her husband and
| Edith and Mr.. Lamhorn and Jim Sheri-
| dan"
Mrs. Vertrees was shocked "Jimw
she exclaimed. Mary, please
"Of course" said Mary. I'll make
| 1t as easy for you as l can, mamma
Mr.. James Sheridan, Jr. We went over
| there, and Mrs. Roscoe explained that
| the men were dying for a drink
| though l noticed that Mr.. LamhOrn
| was the only one near deaths door on
| that account. Edith and Mrs. Roscoe
| said they knew I'd been bored at the
| dinner. They were EXCEPTIONALLY apollo
getic about it, and they seemed to
think now we were going to have
| good time to make up for IT, But
hadn't been bored at the dinner I'd
been amused; and the good time at
Mrs. ROscoe's was horribly, horribly
stupid
"But, Mary" her mother began, lis
complete the question.
"Never mind, mamma, I'll say it. Is
Mr.. James Sheridan, Jr, stupid? I'm
sure he's not at all stupid about bust
| ness. Otherwise Oh, what right
| have / to be calling people stupid be-
cause they're not exactly my kind?
On the big dinner table they had enor-
nous icing models of the Sheridan
building"
ooh no.! Mrs. Vertrees cried "Sure-
ly not!'
Yes, and two other things of that
kind don't know what. But, after
all, 1 wondered If they were SO bad.
Well, then, mamma, [ managed not to
feel superior to Mr.. James Sheridan,
| Jr., because he didn't see anything out
of place In the Sheridan building in
sugar"
Mrs. Vertrees' expression had lost
| none of its anxiety and she shook her
head gravely. MY dear, dear child"
she said. 1T seems to me It looks
I'm afraid"
Say as much Of it as you can,
| mamma" said Mary, encouragingly. 81
can get it, if you'll just give me one
keyword."
"Everythlng you say" Mrs. Yer
trees began, timidly, "seems to have
the air Of 1t is as If you were seek
ing to-to make yourself"
"Oh, l see! You mean | sound as if
were trying to force myself to like
him"
Not exactly, Mary. That wasn't
quite what | meant" said Mrs. Yer
trees, speaking direct untruth with per-
feet Inconsistencies. But you said
that-vhat you found the latter part
of the evening at young Mrs. Sheri
dams unentertaining-"
And as Mr.. James Sheridan was
there, and | saw more of him than at
dinner, and had a horribly stupid time
in spite Of that, you think II And
then it was Mary who left the deduc-
ton unfinished.
Mrs. Vertrees nodded; and though
both the mother and the daughter I'M
derstOOd. Mary felt it better to make
the understanding definite.
WELL" she asked, gravely, SIS there
anything else | can do? You and papa
don't want me to do anything that dis
tres5es me. and SO, as this is the only
th in o. tn he doDa if seams jt'S I'M to m q