The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-12-21
CHAPTER xxIv.-contInued.

Perturbed and distressed, Bibbs rose
instinctively; he felt himself at every
possible disadvantage. He was a
sleeper clinging to dream-a rough
hand stretched to shake him and wax
en- him. He went to table and made
vague drawings upon 1t with a finger,
and as he spoke he kept his eyes low
cred. you weren't altogether right
about the shop-that Is, in one way
you weren't. father" He glanced up
apprehensively. Sheridan stood facing
him. expressionless, and made no at
tempt to interrupt. That's difficult to
explain" Bibbs continued. lowering
his eyes again. to follow the tracings
Of his finger. II believe the shop
might have done for me this time IL
hadn't-if something hadn't helped
me to-oh. not only to bear 1t, but to
be happy in it Well. I am happy In
It, want to go on just as I am. And
sf all things on earth that don't want.
{ don't want to live a business life
I don't want to be drawn into 1t.
don't think 1t Is living-and now I am
living. l have the healthful toil-and
can think. In business as important
Is yours l couldn't think anything but
business DON'T don't think max
ing money is worth while"
go on" said Sheridan. curtly, as
Bibbs paused timidly.
1T hasn't seemed to get anywhere,
that can see." said Bibbs. You think
this city Is rich and powerful-but
what's the use of its being rich and
powerful2 They don't teach the chill
dren any more in the schools because
the city Is rich and powerful. They
teach them more than they used to be-
cause some people-not rich and pow
erfu people - have thought the
thoughts to teach the children. And
yet when you've been reading the pa
per I've heard you objectlng to the
children being taught anything except
what would help them to make money.
You said 1t was wasting the taxes.
You want them taught to make a liv-
Ing, but not to live. When l was
little boy this wasn't an ugly town;
now It's hideous What's the use of
being big just to be hideous? l mean
I don't think all this has meant really
going ahead-it's just been getting
bigger and dlrtier and noisier. Wasn't
NE whole country happier and in many
ways wiser when 1t was smaller and
cleaner and ouieter and kinder?
know you think I'm an utter fool. IA
ther, but. after all. though. aren't busl-
ness and politics just the housekeeping
part of life? And wouldn't you despise
q woman that not only made her
housekeeping her ambition, but did 1t
so noisily and dirtily that the whole
neighborhood was in a continual tur-
moil over it? And suppose she talked
and thought about her housekeeping
all the time. and was always having
additions built to her house when she
couldn't keep clean what she already
had; and suppose, with it all, she made
the house altogether unpeaceful and
unlivabt-"
Just one minutev' Sheridan inter
rupted, adding, with terrible courtesy.
"If yeu will permit me? Have you
ever been right about anything?"
81 don't quite"
IT ask the simple question: Have
you ever been right about anything
whatever In the course of your life 2
Have you ever been right upon any
subject or question you've thought
ABOUT or talked about? Can you men
ton one single time when you were
proved tn be right?"
He was fourishing the banda ged
hand as he spoke, but Bibbs said only
III I've always been wrong before
ssreIy there's more chance that I'm
SeAt sbsat TIA II seems ressonabl<