The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-09

these simple things, 50 well known and
customary, astOnished him at first. and
once-in a brief moment Of forgetting
that he was done with wri1ng-he
thought that If he had known them
and written Of them. how ike satire
the piainest relation of them must
have seemed, Strangest of all to him
was the vehement and sincere patriot
ism. On every side he heard IT: it was
permeation: the newest schOolehild
caught it. though just from Hungary
and learning to stammer a few words
OF the local language. Everywhere the
people shouted Of the power. the size
the riches and the growth of their city
Not only that. they said that the people
of their city were the greatest, the
finest" the strongest. the BiggesI
people on earth They cited no au-
thOrities. and felt the need of none.
being themselves the people thus cele-
brated- And il the thing was ques-
TONED, or II it was limited that there
might be one small virtue in which
they were not perfect and supreme.
they wasted no time examining them
selves to see If what the critic said
was true. but fell upon him and boot
ed him and cursed him. for they were
sensitive. SO Bibbs. learning their
ways and walking with them. heark-
ened 20 the voice of the people and
voice Of the people is the voice OF their
god.
Sheridan had made the room next
to his own into an Office for Bibbs. and
the door between the two rooms usu-
ally stood open-the father had estab-
lished that intimacy. One morning in
February. when Bibbs was alone. Sher-
idan came in, some sheets of typewrit
ten memoranda in his hand.
'Bibbs,'' he said; 81 don't like to butt
in very often this way. and when l do
1 usually wish 1 hadn't-but for heav-
ems sake what have you been buying
that ole busted inter-traction stock
for?"
Bibbs leaned back from his desk
''For eleven hundred and ffty-five dol
lars. That's all it cost"
well. it amt worth eleven hundred
and ffty-fve cents. You ought to
know that. don't get your idea.
That stuff's deader'n Adams catP'
cit might be worth something-some
day"
"How?"
cit mightn't be SO dead-not If We
went into it." said Bibbs coolly.
"Ohw Sheridan considered this mus
ingly; then ne said. Who'd you buy it
from?"
"a broker-Fansmith."
well. he must "a got it from one O.
the crowd O. poor ninnies that was
soaked with it. Don't you know who
owned itT'
Yes. 1 do
"Ain't sayin'. though? That it?
What's the matter?"
sit belonged to Mr.. vertrees," said
Bibbs, shortly, applying himself to his
desk
SOL" Sheridan gazed down at his
sons thin face. Excuse me- he said
your business" And he went back
to his own room. But presently he
looked in again.
81 reckon you won't mind lunchin'
alone today"-he was shutting himself
into his overcoat-"because just
thought I'd go up to the house and
get this over with mamma" He
glanced alphabetically toward his
right hand as it emerged from the
sleeve of the overcoat. The bandages
had been removed, finally, that morn
| ing, revealing but three fngers-the
| forefnger and the next to it had been
amputated ''She's bound to make an
awful fuss. and it better spoil her
lunch than her dinner. I'll be back
about two"
But he calculated the time of his ar
rival at the new house so accurately
| that Mrs. Sheridan's lunch was not dis