The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-08-10
takes herself out o. the way and lets

KNOW WHAT Gurney was going 10 say
to you. liz not going back to the Of
flee. I'm done"
wait a minute before you talk that
way" Sheridan began his sentry-go
up and down the room. Il suppose
you know it's taken two pretty good
men about sixteen hours a day to set
things straight and get 'em runnin'
right again. down in FOUR officer
'They must be good mem" Roscoe
nodded indifferently. 81 thought ! was
glad you found two that could handle
It."
"Look here! If l worked you it was
for your own good. There are plenty
Of men drive harder'n / do, and"
"Yes. There are some that break
down all the other men that work with
'em. They either die, or go crazy, or
have TO quit, and are no use the rest
of their lives. The lasts my case, l
guess-'complicated by domestic diff
cultiesr"
you set there and tell me you give
up?" Sheridan's voice shook, and 81
did the ~gesticulating hand which he
extended appealingly toward the de-
spondent figure. Don't do it, Ros-
coe! Don't say it! Say you'll come
woman amt goin' to trouble you any
more. The work amt goin' to hurt
you If you haven't got her to worry
you, and you can get shut O. this nasty
whisky-guzzlin'; it amt fastened on
you yet. Don't say"
ats no use on EARTH" Roscoe num-
bled. mo use on earth"
Look here! If you want another
months vacation"
81 know Quincy told you, so what's
the use talking about 'vacationsY"
"Gurney!' Sheridan vociferated
the name savagely. ITS Quincy, Cur
ney, Quincy! Always Quincy! l
don't know what the worlds comm to
with everybody runnin' around squcal-
in, The doctor says this and The
doctor says that" 1t makes me sick!
How's this country expect to get its
work done If Quincy and all the other
old nanny-goats keep up this blattin'.
SO he says you got nervous exhaustion
induced by overwork and emotional
strain They always got to stick the
work in IL they see q chance! l reckon
you did have the emotional strain
and that's alrs the matter with you.
You'll be owe II soon's this woman's
gone. and works the very thing to
make you quit frettin' about her."
did Quincy tell you 1 was ft to
work."
"Shut up" Sheridan beloved. I'm
so sick O. that mans name I feel like
shootln' anybody that says 1t to me!'
He fumed and chafed, swearing indis-
tinctly, then came and stood before his
son. Look here; do you think you're
doin' the square thing by me? Do
you? How much you worth?"
"T've got between seven and eight
thousand I year clear Of my own, out
side the salary. That much is mine
whether l work or nos"
at is? You could "a pulled it out
without me, I suppose you think, at
your age?"
"No. But it's mine, and it's enough"
my Lord! It's about what a con-
gresham gets, and you want to quit
there! l suppose you think you'll get
the rest when | kick the bucket, and
all you have to do Is lay back and
wait! You let me tell you right here.
you'll never see one cent Of 1t. You
go out o. business now, and what
would you know about handlin' 1t five
or ten or twenty years from now? Be-
cause l intend to stay here a little
while yet, my boy! They'd either get
1T away from you or you'd sell for a
nickel and let 1t be split up and"
He whirled about, marched to the
other end Of the room, and stood silent
a moment. Then he said, solemnly:
Listen. If you go out now, you leave
me in the lurch, with nothin' on Gods
green earth to depend on but your
brother-and you know what he is.
I've depended on you for it all since
Jim died. Now you've listened to that
dam doctor, and he says maybe you
won't ever be as good a man as you
were, and that certainly you won't be
for a year or so-probably more. Now,
that's all a lie. Men don't break down
that way at your age. Look at me!
And l tell you, you Gun shake this
thing of. All you need is.a little get
up and a little gumption. Men don't
go away for years and then come back
into moving businesses like ours-they
lose the strings. And II You could. |
won't let you-if you lay down on me
now, I wcn't-and that's because II
you lay down you prove you amt the
man I thought you were" lie cleared
his throat and finished quietly: "Ros-
coe, will you take a months vacation
and come back and go to it,"
"No," said Roscoe, listless,y. "I'm
through"
"All right" said Sheridan. He picked
up the evening paper from q table,
went to a chair by the fire and sat
down, his back to his son. "Goodby."
Roscoe rose, his head hanging, but
| there was a dull relief in his eyes.
"Best I can do" he muttered. seeming