Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-08-10

Tie HOuSeWOrk good While, ana now
they're doin' the cookin', too. Course
B1Dbs wouldn't know that unless she's
told him, and / reckon she wouldn't;
she's kind O. stiffish-lookin', and Bibbs
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 l
was thinkin'-you know, don't sup
pose we've hardly mentioned the girls
name at table since Jim went, but it
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 I?' she demanded, GROSSLY
why am barkin' up the wrong tree?
Because you are. There's nothin
in it,"
III bet you," she said, rising-"Tn
bet you he goes to church with her this
morning. What you want to bet"
"Go back to bed" he commanded. Il
know what I'm talkin' about; there's
nothin' in it, tell you"
She shook her head perplexedly.
''Then-do you know something about
it that you amt told me?"
eyes, l do" he grunted. "Now go
on. Maybe I can get little sleep.
amt had any YETI
''Well-" She went to the door. her
expression dOwncast Il thought may
be-but-'' She coughed prefatorily.
ooh, papa, something else I wanted to
tell you. l 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 | reckon she
wants to feel she's done what she could
to kind O. make up. Anyway, that's
what he said. But what | thought
was, no use bein rough with her, papa
i expect she's suffered a good deal
and l don't think We'd ought to be. on
Roscoe's account. YOu'll-yOu'H 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. 81 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.
II presume SOP he roared.
She departed guiltily.
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
that they were attentively preoccupied
in a conversation as they came to the
church; and they had gone an incredi-
BILE number of blocks beyond it before
they discovered their error. However,
feeling that they might be embarrass-
ingly 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
talkative again.
Nary" said Bibbs, after a time,
"am I a sleep-walker"
She laughed a little, then looked
grave. Does your father say you
are?"
"Yes-when he's in a mood to f1atter
me. Other times, other names. He
has quite list
"You mustn't mind" she said, gently.
Hes been getting some pretty severe
me pretty sorry for him, Bibbs. I've
always been sure he's very big"
Eyes. Big and-blind. He's like
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? 1t 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,"
mo, he's just like some blind, I'M
conscious thing heaving under
ground"
''Till 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 feck 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 could"
SIS there SCOT on my cheek, Bibbs?
Ts thproG'