The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-01-18


allowed his father to perceive, and his
side was sore where Sheridan had
struck him. He desired to be alone:
he wanted to rub himself and, for once.
to do some useless thinking again. He
knew that his father had not hap
pened" to run into him; he knew that
Sheridan had instantly-and instinct
ively-proved that he held his own life
Of no account whatever compared to
that of his son and heir. Bibbs had
been unable to speak of that, or seem
to know it; for Sheridan, just as in
stinctively, had swept the matter aside
as of no Importance, since all was
well-reverting Immediately to busi-
ness.
Bibbs began to think intently of his
father. he perceived, as he had never
perceived before, the shadowlng or
something enormous and indomitable
and Iawless; not to be daunted by
the will of natures very self; laughing
at the lightning and at wounds and
mutilation: conquering, irresistible
and blindly noble. For the first time
in his life Bibbs began to understand
the meaning of being truly this mans
son.
He would be the more truly his son
hencefortn, though, as Sheridan said
Bibbs had not come downtown with
him meanly or half-heartedly. He had
given his word because he had wanted
the money. simply, for Mary Vertrees
in her need And he shivered, with
Lf hn, hf hoI
gone to her to offer it, asking her to
marry him-with his head on his
breast in shameful fear that she would
accept him! He had not known her;
the knowing had lost her to him. and
this had been his real awakening; for
he knew now how deep had been that
slumber wherein he dreamily celebrat-
ed the superiority of Friendship" The
sleep-walker had wakened to bitter
knowledge of love and life, finding
himself failure In both. He had
made burnt offering of his dreams,
and the sacrifice had been an unforgiv-
able hurt to Mary. All that was left
for him was the work he had chosen.
but at least he would not fail in that,
though it was indeed no more than
dust in his mouth" II there had been
anything "to work for"
He went to the window. raised it.
and let in the uproar of the streets be
low He looked down at the blurred.
hurrying swarms and he looked
| across. over the roofs with their pant
ing jets of vapor, into the vast. foggy
heart of the smoke. Dizzy traceries of
steel were rising dimly against it, chat
| tering with steel on steel. and screech-
| ing in steam, while tiny figures of men
walked on threads in the dull sky.
Buildings would overtop the Sheridan
Bigness was being served.
But what for? The old question
came to Bibbs with a new despair.
Here, where his eye fell, had once been
green fields and running brooks. and
how had the kind earth been despoiled
| and disfigured! The pioneers had be-
gun the work, but in their old age their
orators had said for them that they
had toiled and risked and sacrificed
that their posterlty might live In peace
and wisdom, enjoying the fruits of the
earth. Well, their posterity was here
and there was only turmoil. Where
was the promised land? 1t had been
promised by the soldiers OF all the
wars; it had been promised to this gen.
the very posterity to whom 1t had been
promised. toiling and risking and sac
rificing in turn-for what?
The harsh roar of the city came in
through the open window, continuously
beating upon Bibbs' ear until he began
to distinguish pulsation in it-a bro
ken and irregular cadence. It seemed
to him that 1t was like titanic voice.
discordant. hoarse. rusily metallic
the voice of the god. Bigness. And the
voice summoned Bibbs as 1t summoned
all Its servants.
"Come and work. 1t seemed to call.
Come and work for Me, all men! By
your youth and your hope I summon
you! By your age and your despair
l summon you to work for Me yet
little, with what strength you have.
By your love of home 1 summon youi
By your love of woman summon you.
By your hope of children l summon
you,
you shall be blind slaves of Mine,
blind to everything but Me, your Mas
ter and Driver! For your reward you
shall gaze only upon my ugliness. You
shall give your toll and your lives. you
shall go mad for love and worship of
my ugllness! You shall perish still
worshiping Me, and your children shall
perish knowing no other god!'
And then, as Bibbs closed the win
dow down tight, he heard his fathers
voice booming in the next room; he
could not distinguish the words, but
the tone was exultant-and there came
the thump! thump! of the MANNED
hand Rthhs plIpSSed that Sheridan