The Ordway new era., 1916-12-08

struck him. He desired to be aione'
h, wanted to rub himself and. for once
10 do scsne useless thinking AGAIN.
Knew that his father had not nap
psnes- to run Into him: be knew ms'
Ss~-,asn had insfnntly-and tnsnnet
Ir,,r-prpved that he held his own hte
a, no account whatever compared
.h,, n, his son and heir. Blbps nao
ncrp unable 70 speak Of that or seem
"a know n: for sheridan just as IN
s;tpc.lvely, had swept the matter ASIDE
As OF no Importance, since all was
w.ll--ever,ing Immediately 10 o"s''
ness
Ribs began 10 think intently OF MS
rarhe- He perceived. as be had never
rc-ce,vcd before. the shadowing o'
something enormous and indomitaoi oie
and lswless: no; TO be daunted py
.,,e will Of natures very self. Laughing
n the lightning and at wounds hnu
ulutIlstion: cnnqucrtnS. irresisupie-
and hlindly noble For the first time
In his life RIbhs began to understand
the meaning o. being truly this mans
son
He would he the more truly his son
henCefN-rn. Cnnuch. as sheridan saiu
Rihhs had not come downtown Win
him neauly or half-heartedly. he mao
-vsn his word beca use he had wanted
the money, simply. for Mary Yertrees
In her need. And he shivered WIN
horror OF himself. thinking how he had
zone 70 her 10 offer II, asking her TO
marry him-with his head on his
breast In shameful fear that she would
accept him, he had not known her:
-he knowing had lost her to him. and
This had been his real awakening: Tor
he knew now bow deep had been that
slunhe- wherein he dreamily celebraf-
I'd the superiority OF "friendship. The
sleep walker had Weakened to bitter
know ledge Of love and life. finding
hirnsel. Z failure in both. He had
made burnt Offering OF his dreams.
and the sacrifice had been an unforglv-
able hurt to Mary. All that was left
for him was the work he had chosen.
but NJ least be would not fail In that,
though II was indeed no more than
dust In his mouth" II there had been
anything TO work for"
He went 10 the window. raised 1t.
and let In the uproar of the streets be-
low. He looked down at the blurred.
hu--ying sEarms and he looked
across. over the roofs with their pant.
ing jets o, vspor. into the vast. forgy
heart OF the smoke. Dizzy traceries OF
steel were rising dimly against 1t, chat
tering with steel on steel. and screech-
ing In steam, while tiny figures OF men
walked on threads In the dull sky.
Buildings would oyeriop the Sheridan
Bigness was being served.
But what for? The old question
came to Bibbs with n new despair
Here. where his eye fell. had once been
green fields and running brooks. and
how had the kind earth been despoiled
and disdgured, The pioneers had be-
gun the work. but In their old age their
orators had said for them that they
had toiled and risked and sacrificed
that their posterity might live in peace
and wisdom, enjoying the fruits OF the
F14 IL W taIr ppsltIiAy WAS
and there was only turmoil. Where
was the promised land? II had been
promised by the soldiers Of all the
wars: II had been promised to this gem
Grafton by the pioneers: but here was
the very posterity to whom 1t had been
promised. toillng and rlsking and sac
rificing In turn-for what?
The harsh roar OF the city came in
through the open window. continuously
beating upon Bibbs' ear until he began
TO distinguish pulsation in it-a bro.
ken and irregular cadence. II seemed
10 him that 1t was like titanic voice.
discordant, hoarse. rustily metallic
the voice of the god. Bigness. And the
voice summoned Bibbs as It summoned
all its servants.
come and work. It seemed to call.
Come ami work for NE. all men. BY
your youth and your hope | summon
you! By your age and your despair
summon you to work for Me yet a
little, with what strength you have.
BY your love of home | summon youi
by your love Of woman summon you
by your hope OF children I summon
you!
You shall be blind slaves Of Mine.
blind to everything but Me, your Mas.
ter and Driver! For your reward you
shall gaze only upon my ugllness. You
shall give your toll and your lives. you
Shall go mad for love and worship OF
my ugliness! You shall perish still
worshiping Me. and your children shall
perish knowing no other godw
And then. as Bibbs closed the win.
dow down tight. he heard his fathers
voice booming in the next room; he
could not distinguish the words, bu,
the tone was exultant-and there came
the thump! thump! OF the maimed
hand. Bibbs guessed that Sheridan
| WAS hra ppinD nf ho ,tku a,