The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-12-14

KNOW Wnat Gurney was going TO say
to you. Pm not going back to the Of
flee. I'm done"
wait minute before you talk that
way| Sheridan began his sentry-go
up and down the room. II suppose
you know it's taken two pretty good
men about sixteen hours a day to set
things straight and get 'em runnin'
right again, down in your Officer"
"They must be good men," Roscoe
nodded indifferently. 81 thought l was
doing about eight mems work. Pm
glad you found two that could handle
it."
'Look here! If I worked you it was
for your own good. There are plenty
of men drive harder'n l do, and"
Yes. There are some that break
down all the other men that work with
'em. They either die, or go crazy, or
have to quit, and are no use the rest
of their lives. The lasts my case, l
guess-'complicated by domestic diff
cultiesr"
You set there and tell me you give
up?" Sheridan's voice shook, and so
did the gesticulating hand which he
extended appealingly toward the de-
spondent figure. Don't do it, Ros-
coe! Don't say 1t! Say you'll come
down there again and be a man. This
woman amt goin' to trouble you any
more. The work amt goin' to hurt
you II you haven't got her to worry
you, and you can get shut O. this nasty
whisky y-guzzlin'; it amt fastened on
you yet. Don't say"
Its no use on earth," Roscoe num-
bled. mo use ON EARTH"
Look here! If you want another
months vacation"
II know Gurney told you, so what's
the use talking about 'vacations?'"
'"Gurneyw Sheridan vociferated
the name savagely. ITS Gurney, Cur
ney, Gurney! Always Gurneyl /
don't know what the worlds comm to
with everybody runnin' around squeal-
In, The doctor says this, and The
doctor says thati 1t makes me sick.
How's this country expect to get its
work done If Gurney and all the other
old nanny-goats keep up this blattin'!
SO he says you got nervous exhaustion
strain They always got to stick the
work in If they see a chance! reckon
you did have the emotional strain
and that's al's the matter with you.
You'll be over it soon's this woman's
gone, and works the very thing to
make you quit frettin' about her.
"Dld Gurney tell you l was fit to
work."
"Shut up!" Sheridan beloved I'm
SO sick O. that mans name l feel like
shootin' anybody that says 1t to mew
He fumed and chafed, swearing indis-
tinctly. then came and stood before his
son. Look here; do you think you're
doin' the square thing by me? Do
you? How much you worth?"
"I've got between seven and eight
thousand a year clear of my own. out
side the salary. That much is mine
whether work or not"
'It is? You could "a pulled it out
without me, I suppose you think, at
your age?"
"No. But it's mine, and it's enough" !"
my Lord! It's about what a con-
gressman gets, and you want to quit
there! 1 suppose you think you'll get
the rest when I kick the bucket. and
all you have to do is lay back and
wait! You let me tell you right here,
ysu'n never see one cent Of 1t. You
go out o business now. and what
would you know about handlin' 1t FIVE
or ten or twenty years from now9 Be-
cause I iatend to stay here a little
while yet. my hoy! They'd either get
1t away from you or you'd sell for
nickel and let 1t be split up and"
He whirled about. marched to the
other end of the room, and stood silent
moment. Then he said. solemnly:
Listen. II you go out now, you leave
me in the lurch. with nctfiin' on Gods
green earth to depend on but your
brother-and you know what he is.
I've depended on you for 1t all since
Jim died. Now you've listened to that
dam doctor. and he says maybe you
won't ever be as good man as you
were. and that certainly you won't be
for year or so-prebably more. Now.
that's all a lie. Men don't break down
that way at your age. Look at mel
And I tell you, you can shake this
thing of. All you need is little get
up and little gumption. Men don't
go away fer years and then come back
into moving businesses like ours-they
lose the strings. And II you could,
won't let you-if you lay down on me
now. 1 won't-and that's because II
you lay down you prove you amt the
man thought you were" He cleared
his threat and finished quietly: "Ros-
coe, will you take a months vacation
and come back and go to it?''
NO" said Roscoe, listiessly. I'm
through"
"Ali right said Sheridan. He picked
up the evening paper from table,
went to q chair by the fire and sat