Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-31
/ It's more women-folks, business than


what about?
''Why, ole Doc Quincy was up at the
office this morning awhile"
ITO look at your hand? How's he
say it's doin'?''
Fine! Well, he went in and sat
around with Bibbs awhile"
Mrs Sheridan nodded pessmistically.
81 guess it's time you had him, too. |
knew Bibbs-"
Now, mamma, hold your horses! L
wanted him to look Bibbs over before
anything's the matter. You don't sup
pose I'm goin' to take any chances
with Bibbs, do you? WE'LL afterwards,
l shut the door, and I an ole Quincy
had talk. He's mighty disagreeable
man; he rubbed it in on me what ne
said about Bibbs havin' brains if he
ever woke up. Then l thought he must
want to get something out O. me, he
got so fattering-for a minute! 'BlbDs
couldn't help havin' business brains,
he says, 'bein' your son. Don't be sur
prised,' he says-'don't be surprised at
his maxim a success he says. He
couldn't get over his heredity; he
couldn't help bein' business success
once you got him into it. It's in his
blood Yes, sir he says, it doesn't
need much brains,' he says, AN only
third-rate brains, at that he says, but
it does need a special kind O. brains,
he says, to be millionaire. l mean,
hn twin DIV q start
If nobody gives him a start, why,
course he's got to have luck and the
right kind O. brains. The only mir
acle about Bibbs,' he says, is where he
got the other kind O. brains-the brains
you made him quit usin' and throw
away"
But what d he say about his
health?'' Mrs. Sheridan demanded, i'm
patiently, as George placed a cup of
coffee before her husband. Sheridan
helped himself to cream and sugar,
and began to sip the coffee.
I'm comm to that" he returned,
placidly. "See how easy l manage this
cup with my left hand, mamma?'
"You been doin' that all winter.
What did"
''It's wonderful" he interrupted, adj
miringly, "what a fellow can do With
his left hand. I can sign my name
with mine now, wells / ever could
with my right. 1t came little hard
at first, but now, honest. I believe l
rather sign with my left That's all
I ever have to write, anyway-just
the signature Rests all dictatin'.' y
He blew across the top of the cup
unctuously. "Good coffee, mamma!
Well, about Bibbs. Ole Quincy says
he believes if Bibbs could somehow
get back to the state O. mind he was
in about the machine shop-that is, if
he could some way get to feelin' about
business the way he felt about the
shOp-not the poetry and Writin' part,
but" He paused, supplementing his
remarks with a motion of his head
toward the old house next door. "He
says Bibbs is older and harder'n what
he was when he broke down that time,
and, besides, he amt the kind O.
dreamy way he was then-and I
should say he amt! I'd like 'em to
show me anybody his age that's any
wider awake! But he says Bibbs'
health'll never need bother us again
if"
Mrs. Sheridan shook her head. 81
don't see any help that way. You
know yourself she wouldn't have jim. y
"Whos talkin' about her havin' any
body? But my Lord! she might let
him look at her! She needn't "a got
so mad, just because he asked her. that
she won't let him come in the house
any more. He's mighty funny boy,
and some ways I reckon he's pretty
near as hard to understand as the
Bible, but Quincy kind O. got me in
the way O. thinkin' that if she'd let
him come back and set around with
her an evening or two sOmetimes-not
regular, I don't mean-why- Well, |
Just thought I'd see what you'd think
of it, There amt any way to talk
about it to Bibbs HIMSELF don't sup
pose he'd let you, anyhow-but |
thought maybe you could kind O. slip
over there some day, and kind O. hint
around till you see how the land lays.
and ask her"
Me- Mrs. Sheridan looked both
helpless and frightened. "No." She
shook her head decidedly. 1T wouldn't
do any good"
you won't try it?'
81 won't risk her turnin' me out O
the house. Some way, that's what |
believe she did to Sibyl, from what
Roscoe said once. No, l Garland,
what's more. it'd only make things
worse. If people find out you're run
min after 'em they think you're cheap,
and then they won't do as much for
you as if you let 'em alone. l don't
believe it's any use, and I couldn't dc
it if it was"
He sighed with resignation. Cali
right, mamma. That's ALL" Then, in
a livelier tone, he said: 'Ole Quincy
took the bandages off my hand this