The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-09-03


Know he wasn't the kind of a man any
girl would be apt to fall in love with" !
BiDbs quickly burned papers and |
notebooks, descended and told his IA |
Their: "Ill take the job you offered
me" and went straight to Mary Yer
trees and said: - "Will you marry
me?"
Mary drew 1t all out Of Bibbs; then
sank down kneeling, tears overwhelm-
ing her. II can't make 1t plain" said
Bibbs, II never dreamed | could do
anything for you! | knew you never
thought of me except generously-to
give"
I'VE were poor, and I think did
mean to marry your brother. But
something stopped me from such q
Sacrilege. posted the letter, but he
never got it,"
You kept me alive and I've hurt
you like this" said BIbbs. Gould you
forgive me, Mary2"
"Oh, a thousand times! But there's
nothing to forgive and you mustn't
come to see me any more" she cried
In passion of tears. "Never, never,
neyerw
He returned in time to tell his sis
ter-ln-law In the presence of the fam
lily: Il proved what you said to me,
and disprOved what you said of Miss
Fertrees. l asked her to marry me
and she refused"
Blbbs went with his father and sat
In the porch of the temple with the
money-changers; worked and talked
of nothing but work.
| He delVed into the ways of the city
and its political influence, and began
to buy 1ntertraction shares where the
| FertreeS' fortune had vanished.
| Soon the Vertrees were able to pay
the butcher hire cook, and follow
the brokers' advice to keep the bal
ance of their stock. Sheridan boosted
that his plan for Bibbs was working
out all right. Still there was some
thing wrong and the doctor and Sheri-
dan agreed that it might be a good
thing If Miss Vertrees would permit
Bibbs to see her-sometimes.
II had to make Bibbs go my way"
Sheridan explained to Miss Yertrees,
but there isn't anything in it to him.
He gave up everything he wanted and
took the job he never would just for
you. There's only one girl he could
feel that sorry for. Can't you let him
come back"
| When Mary responded: II can't
He was only sorry for me-: the truth
was out. 'Dont-don't-" she cried.
You mustn't"
Il won't tell him. I won't tell any
body anything" said Sheridan.
On a crowded downtown thorough.
fare Mary saw Sheridan, at the risk
. of his life, spring before a moving
!. trolley car and with the whole force
of his big body shunt Bibbs from i'm,
pending danger. The crowd had shrek.
ed warnings, but Bibbs had looked the
wrong way.
High up in the Sheridan building
BibbS sat down, shaking and sore. He
realized that his father held his OWL
life of no account compared to that OF
his son. Bibbs perceived what he haC
never perceived before-the shadOwing
of something enormous, indomitable
lawIess, Irresistible and blindly noble
He looked out into the vast foggJ
heart Of the smoke,
The roar Of the city beat upon Bibbs
ear until he began to distinguish pull
sation; the voice of the god, Bigness
Come and work for me, all men! By
your youth and your hope, l summon
you! BY your age and your despair
By your love of home and woman anC
children! You shall be blind slaves
For reward you shall gaze only upoI
my ugliness."
Then, the voice came as some mu
= sic struggling to be born of the Tur
moil. "It is man who makes me ugl!
: by his worship of me. If man woult
l let me serve him I should be beauti
full"
l From the vague contortions of smok
and fog, Bibbs sculptured a gigantic
: figure with feet pedestalled upon tn
e great buildings and shoulders disap
nearing in the clouds, colossus o
: steel. wholly blackened with SCOT. II
:. thought up over the clouds unseel
a from below the giant labored with hi
hands in the clean sunshine; and Bib
y imaged what he made there-perhap
!, for a fellowship Of the children of tn
!. children that were children nova nc
a BILE and joyous city, unbelievably white
f The telephone fiercely summons
- him. A startlingly beautiful vote
! caused him to tremble violently. Eyes
Bibbs, I was near the accident. The
. said YOU hadn't been hurt, but want
ed to know"
- "Mary-would you-would you haV
minded2" There was long pause an
a soft, eyes"
"Then why, oh, why, won't you lie
$ mo see you? I've been like a ma