The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-09-03
-SHE Sheridan building was the
biggest skyscraper, the Sheri-

dan Trust company, the big
gest bank, and Sheridan himself, the
biggest builder and broker, and truster
and buster under the smoke of q dirty
and wonderful midland city that piled
tower on tower and spread itself out
over the plain of a fair country.
Bibbs Sheridan was his "odd one"
the family failure. He grew up only
lengthWise, and at twenty-five was the
dry scaff0lding of man. Six months
In his fathers pump works made nee
essary two years in a sanltartum. He
returned to the "new house" on the
outskirts of the city In time for the
house-warming party. To this came
Mary Vertrees, whose family next door
maintained the highest air Of respect
ability upon vanishing fortune. She
came under home prOmptings that led
! her to dazzle with her wit and beauty
both Sheridan and James Sheridan, Jr.
When young Jim had proposed, Mrs.
Roscoe Sheridan, his sIster-in-law, Of
fered to help Mary in return for help
| in an affair of her own. Mary saw
that in bartering, she was to be bar
tered with. Her soul rebelled and she
declined to marry young Jim Sheri-
dan. He never got the letter.
Sheridan demanded of Bibbs If he
would quit dreaming of poetry and
follow with Roscoe and Jim to make
the business and the city bigger. Bibbs
could not understand why anybody
wanted to make things bigger.
Examination roared Sheridan,
did you ever hear the word pros.
perityr You ninny! Did you ever
hear the word 'ambltiOnr Did you
ever hear the word 'prOgressn Look
at Jim, just completing two more big
warehouses at the pump works in halt
the time the contractors wanted. jim
took the contract himself, found fel
low with a new cement process and
we begin using them next week. Now
I'm gOin' to make man Of you. By
God! l ami" And Bibbs was giyer
two months to get his mental attitude
right for the pump works.
Miss Vertrees' note went to the
senior Sheridan, as that afternoon one
of the new warehouse walls collapsed
sending the inventor and James Sheri
dan, Jr., to their eternity.
Bib5s had to manage the funera
and ride from the cemetery with Mary
| Vertrees, but neither spoke. He!
not insane" said Mary to her mother
"He looks dreadfulIy ILL., but has pleas
ant eyes,"
Later Bibbs and Mary met as HI
was passing her gate. He apOlOgized
"I-I hate a frozen fish myself, ant
that three miles was too long for yo'
to put up with one. I've never beel
able to speak quickly, because II
tried I'd stammer."
Instantly, Mary saw his nature AM
suffering. They walked on ana SIN
invited him into the church to hea
some Handel music. 1t meant sh
said, one thing above all others to he
courage.
Thereafter BIbbs went often to tn
home of Mary Yertrees. "You see'
he confided to her, sit is all so simple
I am to feed long strips Of zinc int
steel laws that bite it into little Gil
cles, IS a minute. I used to hlnch an
the workmen laughed"
at sha'n't hurt you" exclalme
Mary, "All day long, I'll send n
thoughts to you; and you must re
member that a friend stands besio
you" $500,
Trouble grew in the Sheridan house
hold. Roscoe took to drink; then qui
He had enough-a few thousand
year. -,
Sheridan sent for Blbbs, his onl
hone. offered him vice presluehcle'
salaries and shares; but Btbbs pre-
ferred happiness and nine dollars
week. "What's the use." he said, q
being lust bigger. dirtier and nolsler
THAT evening Bibbs and Mary rea
Maeterlinck together and he told her
oTomorrow, I'm one of the handS
the pump works and going to stay on
unless am thrown out and declue
study plumbing" $500,
"Why not give Bibbs a chance {
l,veT' said the family doctor. "there
something finer in Bibbs than MS ph'
sicaI~b body. You're half mad WIN
consuming fury against the very SCI
of law. But you want to peat u
lawI So Ajax defed the iightnins!
"Yesi And, by God, L VIII crIG
sheridan. "Ajax was tackass.
he'd been half man he'd a got ava
with IT; hitched it up and maze =,
work for him like a black steer
have my way with that STUBBORN LOU
BIbbs." But Bibbs still said NO
Sunday afternoon Bibbs was we. WORE
ing over a poem. He might venture
upon an editor and perhaps
Then paper and pencil dropped :
/ 4..5 ssh narofvZed, Through III