The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-09-28
"a broker-ransmirh.-


"Ain't sayin'. thought That iti
What's the matterT
at belonged to Mr.. vertrees." said
Bibbs, shortly, applying himself to his
desk.
SOP Sheridan gazed down at his
sons thin face. Excuse me-" he said.
"Your business" And he went back
TO his own room. But presently he
looked in again.
81 reckon you won't mind lunchin'
alone today"-he was shuffiing himself
into his overcoat-"because Just
thought I'd go up TO the house and
get this over with mamma" He
glanced apologetically toward his
right hand as 1t emerged from the
sleeve of the overcoat. The bandages
had been removed. finally. that morn
ing, revealing but three fngers-the
forefnger and the next to 1t had been
amputated. "She's bound to make an
awful fuss, and 1t better spoil her
lunch than her dinner. I'll be back
about two"
But he calculated the time of his ar
rival at the new house so accurately
that Mrs. Sheridan's lunch was not dis
turbed, and she was rising from the
lonely table when he came into the
dining room. He had left his overcoat
In the hall, but he kept his hands in
his trousers pockets.
whats the matter, papa7" she
asked. quickly. HAS anything gone
wrong? You amt sick?"
"Mer He laughed loudly. "Me
sick2"
"You had lunchT
"Didn't want any today. You can
give me a cup O. coffee, though"
She rang. and told George to have
coffee made, and when he had with
drawn she said querulously, II just
know there's something wrong"
"Nothin' in the world" he respond
ed, heartily, taking a seat at the head
notion O. mine with you. that's all
It's more women-folks' business than
what II is mans, anyhow"
what aboutf'
"Why, ole Doc Gurney was up at the
office this morning awhile"
ITO look at your hand? How's he
say it's doin'T'
Fine! Well, he went in and sat
around with Bibbs awhile"
Mrs. Sheridan nodded pessimistically.
81 guess it's time you had him, too. l
knew Bibbs-"
Now, mamma, hold your horses!
wanted him 20 look Bibbs over before
anything's the matter. You don't sup
pose I'm goin' to take any chances
with Bibbs, do you? Well, afterwards,
l shut the door. and l an ole Gurney
had talk. He's a mighty dlsagreeable
man; he rubbed 1t in on me what he
said about Bibbs havin' brains IL he
ever woke up. Then l thought he must
want to get something out O. me, he
| got so fiattering-for a minutel 'Bibbs
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, 1T doesn't
need much brains he says, AN only
third-rate brains, at that he says, but
II does need a special kind o. brains,
he says, to be a millionaire. / mean,'
he says, when a mans given a start.
II 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 usln' and throw
away"
But what d he say about his
health?" Mrs. Sheridan demanded, i'm
patiently, as George placed cup OF
coffee before her husband. Sheridan
helped himself to cream and sugar,
and began to sip the coffee.
"Pm comm to that" he returned.
placidly. "See how easy l manage this
cup with my left hand. mammaf"
"You been doln' that all winter.
What did"
"It's wonderful" he interrupted. ad-
miringly, what a fellow can do with
his left hand. can sign my name
with mine now, wells / ever could
with my right. 1t came a little hard
at first but now, honest, I believe ]
rather sign with my left. That's all
l ever have to write, anyway-just
the signature. Rests all dictatin'.''
He blew across the top OF the cup
unctuously. "Good coffee, mamma
Well, about Bibbs. ole Gurney says
he believes II Bibbs could somehow
get back to the state O. mind he was
in about the machine shop-that is. II
he could some way get TO feeiln' about
business the way he felt about the
shop-not the poetry and writn' part,
but He paused, supplementing his
remarks with n 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 l
| ,ho,,I1 .a- n. Ifl,o pna, 80