The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-02-23
CHAPTER xiI-contInusd.

There came q second explosion. and
Uncle Gideon ran out into the hall.
Bibbs went to the head Of the great
staircase, and, looking down, discov-
ered the source Of the disturbance.
0ideon's grandson, a boy Of fourteen,
had brought his camera to the funeral
and was taking "nashlights" of the
Moor. Uncle Gideon, reassured BY
Bfbbs' explanation, would have re-
turned to finish his quotation from Bill
dad ths shuhite, but Bibbs detained
suaded him to descend to the dining
room whittier Bibbs followed, after
closing the door Of his fathers room.
He kept his eyes on Gideon after
dinner. diplomatically preventing sew
Gkal attempts on the part Of that COM
fortsr to reascend the stairs; and 1t
was q relief to Bibbs when George an
nounced that an automobile was wait
ing to convey the ancient man and
lhls grandson to their train. They were
the last to leave, and when they had
gone Bibbs went signing to his own
room.
k1O 2SIStN00u nlubcAl WCdIlIy OROu
the bed. but presently rose, went to
de window. and looked for a long time
at the darkened house where Mary
vertrees lived. Then he opened his
trunk, took therefrom a small notebook
half filled with fragmentary scrib-
biings, and began to write:
Laughter after funeral. IN this re-
action people will laugh at anything and
a3 soothing. The band plays q dirge on
turns back, and the mourning carriages
are out Of hearing. 1t strikes up. Dark
town L. Out Tonight" That Is natural
hut there arc women whose laughter 10
uike the whirring Of whips.
Beauty IL not out of place among grave
stones. 1t il not out Of place anywhere.
But . woman who has been betrothed to
. man would not look beautiful at his
funeral. A woman might look beautiful,
though. at the funeral of man whom
she had known and liked. And in that
case. too, she would probably not want
TO talk II she drove home from the ceme-
tafy with his brother; nor would she
want the brother to talk. Neverthe-
less, too much silence is open to suspi-
cion. It may be reticence, or 1t may be a
vacuum. It may be dignity, or 1t may be
false teeth. -.
Silence can be golden? Yes But per-
Aaps II . woman of the world should find
herself by accident sitting beside a man
for the length Of time 1t must necessarily
take two slow old horses to jog three
miles. she might expect that man to say
aOmething of some sort! II he did not
even try. but sat every step Of the way
a. dumb as a frozen fsh, she might
think him a frozen fish. And she might
be right. She might be right If she
thought him about as pleasant COM
panion-as Bildad the shuhite!
Bibbs closed his notebook, replacing
It in his trunk. Then, after a period
Of melancholy contemplation, he un-
dressed, put on a dressing gown and
clippers, and went softly out into the
hall-to his fathers door. Upon the
door was tray which Bibbs had sent
George, earlier in the evening, to place
upon a table in Sheridan's room-but
the food was untouched. Bibbs stood
listening outside the door for several
minutes. There came no sound from
within. and he went back to his own
room and to bed.
In the morning he woke to state
Of being hitherto unknown in his ex-
Derfence. Sometimes In the process
OF waking there is a little pause
sleep has gone, but coherent thought
has not begun. It is the moment, as
We say, before we remember" and
for the f1rst time in Bibbs' life it came
to him bringing a vague happiness.
However. 1t was brief visitation and
was gone before he had finished dress
ing. 1t left q little trail, the pleased
eecoilsctton Of 1t and the puzzle Of 1t,
vnScA remained unsolved And, In
S~ ~sss~S happily IN the morning II