Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-05

Things TO! Sne pretty ana 6ne-lOOk1n'.
and things look nice on her, and I
guess she'd ike to have 'em about as
we'll as the next. And I guess she
isn't gettin' many these days, either.
and she'll be pretty ready for the
change. | saw her with her sleeves
rolled up at the kitchen window the
other day, and Jackson told me yester-
day their cook left two weeks ago, and
they haven't tried to hire another one.
He says her and her mother been doin'
the homework good while, and now
they're dom the cookin', too. Course
B1bbs wouldn't know that unless she's
told him, and l reckon she wouldn't;
she's kind o. stiffish-lookin', and Bibbs
is too up in the clouds to notice any
think like that for himself. They've
never asked him to a meal in the
house, but he wouldn't notice that,
either-he's kind Of innocent. Now [
was thinkfn'-you know, l don't sup
pose we've hardly mentioned the girls
name at table since Jim went, but 1t
seems to me maybe if"
Sheridan flung out his arms, uttering
a sound half groan, half yawn. You're
barkin' up the wrong tree! Go on back
to bed, mammal
"Why am II" she demanded, GROSSLY.
why am l barkin' up the wrong tree?"
Because you are. There's nothin'
In it,
''I'Il bet you," she said, rising-"T1
bet you he goes 60 church with her this
morning. What you want to bet"
"Go back to bed" he commanded. 81
know what I'm talkin' about; there's
nothin' in it, 1 tell you"
She shook her head perp1exedly.
''Then-do you know something about
1t that you amt told me-"
eyes, 1 do" he grunted. "Now go
on. Maybe can get little sleep. I
amt had any yetv'
"WeIl-" She went to the door, her
expression downcast. 81 thought may
be-but-" She coughed prefatorily.
"Oh, papa, something else l wanted to
tell you. I was talkin' to Roscoe over
the phone last night when the tele-
gram came, so | forgot to tell you, but
well, Sibyl wants to come over this
afternoon. They expect to get off by
the end o. the week, and l reckon she
wants to feel she's done what she could
to kind o. make up. Anyway, that's
what he said. But what l thought
was, no use bein' rough with her, papa
i expect she's suffered a good deal
and I don't think we'd ought to be, OH
Roscoe's account. YOu'll-you'll be
kind o. polite to her, won't you, papa"
He mumbled something which was
smothered under the coverlet he had
pulled over his head.
"What?" she said, timidly. ST was
just sayin' I hoped you'd treat Sibyl
all right when she comes, this after
noon. You will, won't you, papa?"
He threw the coverlet off furiously.
81 presume sor' he roared.
She departed guiltly.
But if he had accepted her proffered
wager that Bibbs would go to church
with Mary Vertrees that morning, Mrs.
Sheridan would have lost. They meant
to go to church But it happened
in conversation as they came to the
church; and they had gone an incredi-
bic number of blocks beyond it before
they discovered their error. However,
IeeIng that they might be embarrass-
tngly late If they returned, they de-
cided that a walk would make them
as good 1t was a MINDLESS winter
morning, with an inch Of crisp snow
over the ground. So they walked, and
for the most part they were silent, but
on their way home, after they had
turned back at noon, they began to be
laxative again.
Mary" said Bibbs, after a time,
''am l a sleep-walker?"
She laughed a little, then looked
grave. Does your father say you
are?"
"Yes-when he's In mood to flatter
me. Other times, other names. He
has quite list"
you mustn't mind" she said, gently.
Hes been getting some pretty severe
shocks. What you've told me makes
me pretty sorry for him, Bibbs. I've
always been sure he's very big.''
Eyes. Big and-blind He's like a
Hercules without eyes and without any
consciousness except that of his
strength and of his purpose to grow
stronger. Stronger for what? For
nothing"
"Are you sure, Bibbs? It can't be
for nothing; it must be stronger for
something, even thought he doesn't
know what it Is. Perhaps what he
and his kind are struggling for is some
thing so great they couldn't see it
so great none OF us could see it,
''No, he's just like some blind, I'M
conscious thing heaving under
ground"
9TH he breaks through and leaps
out into the daylight" she finished for
him, cheerily.
Into the smoke" said Bibbs. "Look
at the powder of coal-dust already dir
tying the decent snow, even though
It's Sunday. That's from the little
pigs; the big ones aren't so bad, on
Sunday! There's a f1eck of SCOT on
your cheek. Some pig sent it out into
the air; he might as we'll have thrown
it on you. 1t would have been Drawer
for then he'd have taken his chance
of my whipping him for it if I could"