_ Roscoe rose, his head hanging, but there was a dull relief in his
eyes. "Best I can do," he muttered, seeming about to depart, yet
lingering. "I figure it out a good deal like this," he said. "I
didn't KNOW my job was any strain, and I managed all right, but from
what Gur--from what I hear, I was just up to the limit of my nerves
from overwork, and the--the trouble at home was the extra strain
that's fixed me the way I am. I tried to brace, so I could stand
the work and the trouble too, on whiskey--and that put the finish
to me! I--I'm not hitting it as hard as I was for a while, and I
reckon pretty soon, if I can get to feeling a little more energy, I
better try to quit entirely--I don't know. I'm all in--and the doctor
says so. I thought I was running along fine up to a few months ago,
but all the time I was ready to bust, and didn't know it. Now, then,
I don't want you to blame Sibyl, and if I were you I wouldn't speak
of her as 'that woman,' because she's your daughter-in-law and going
to stay that way. She didn't do anything wicked. It was a shock to
me, and I don't deny it, to find what she had done--encouraging that
fellow to hang around her after he began trying to flirt with her,
and losing her head over him the way she did. I don't deny it was
a shock and that it'll always be a hurt inside of me I'll never get
over. But it was my fault; I didn't understand a woman's nature."
Poor Roscoe spoke in the most profound and desolate earnest. "A
woman craves society, and gaiety, and meeting attractive people, and
traveling. Well, I can't give her the other things, but I can give
her the traveling--real traveling, not just going to Atlantic City or
New Orleans, the way she has, two, three times. A woman has to have
something in her life besides a business man. And that's ALL I was.
I never understood till I heard her talking when she was so sick, and
I believe if you'd heard her then you wouldn't speak so hard-heartedly
about her; I believe you might have forgiven her like I have. That's
all. I never cared anything for any girl but her in my life, but
I was so busy with business I put it ahead of her. I never THOUGHT
about her, I was so busy thinking business. Well, this is where it's
brought us to--and now when you talk about 'business' to me I feel
the way you do when anybody talks about Gurney to you. The word
'business' makes me dizzy--it makes me honestly sick at the stomach.
I believe if I had to go down-town and step inside that office door
I'd fall down on the floor, deathly sick. You talk about a 'month's
vacation'--and I get just as sick. I'm rattled--I can't plan--I
haven't got any plans--can't make any, except to take my girl and get
just as far away from that office as I can--and stay. We're going to
Japan first, and if we--"
His father rustled the paper. "I said good-by, Roscoe."
"Good-by," said Roscoe, listlessly.
Sheridan waited until he heard the sound of the outer door closing;
then he rose and pushed a tiny disk set in the wall. Jackson
appeared.
"Has Bibbs got home from work?"
"Mist' Bibbs? No, suh."
"Tell him I want to see him, soon as he comes."
"Yessuh."
Sheridan returned to his chair and fixed his attention fiercely upon
the newspaper. He found it difficult to pursue the items beyond
their explanatory rubrics--there was nothing unusual or startling to
concentrate his attention:
"Motorman Puts Blame on Brakes. Three Killed when Car Slides."
"Burglars Make Big Haul."
"Board Works Approve Big Car-line Extension."
"Hold-up Men Injure Two. Man Found in Alley, Skull Fractured."
"Sickening Story Told in Divorce Court."
"Plan New Eighteen-story Structure."
"School-girl Meets Death under Automobile."
"Negro Cuts Three. One Dead."
"Life Crushed Out. Third Elevator Accident in Same Building Causes
Action by Coroner."
"Declare Militia will be Menace. Polish Societies Protest to
Governor in Church Rioting Case."
"Short $3,500 in Accounts, Trusted Man Kills Self with Drug."
"Found Frozen. Family Without Food or Fuel. Baby Dead when
Parents Return Home from Seeking Work."
"Minister Returned from Trip Abroad Lectures on Big Future of Our
City. Sees Big Improvement during Short Absence. Says No
European City Holds Candle." (Sheridan nodded approvingly here.)
Bibbs came through the hall whistling, and entered the room briskly.
"Well, father, did you want me?"
"Yes. Sit down." Sheridan got up, and Bibbs took a seat by the
fire, holding out his hands to the crackling blaze, for it was cold
outdoors.
"I came within seven of the shop record to-day," he said. "I handled
more strips than any other workman has any day this month. The
nearest to me is sixteen behind."
"There!" exclaimed his father, greatly pleased. "What'd I tell you?
I'd like to hear Gurney hint again that I wasn't right in sending you
there--I would just like to hear him! And you--ain't you ashamed of
makin' such a fuss about it? Ain't you?"
"I didn't go at it in the right spirit the other time," Bibbs said,
smiling brightly, his face ruddy in the cheerful firelight. "I didn't
know the difference it meant to like a thing."
"Well, I guess I've pretty thoroughly vindicated my judgement. I
guess I HAVE! I said the shop'd be good for you, and it was. I said
it wouldn't hurt you, and it hasn't. It's been just exactly what
I said it would be. Ain't that so?"
"Looks like it!" Bibbs agreed, gaily.
"Well, I'd like to know any place I been wrong, first and last!
Instead o' hurting you, it's been the makin' of you--physically.
You're a good inch taller'n what I am, and you'd be a bigger man than
what I am if you'd get some flesh on your bones; and you ARE gettin'
a little. Physically, it's started you out to be the huskiest one o'
the whole family. Now, then, mentally--that's different. I don't say
it unkindly, Bibbs, but you got to do something for yourself mentally,
just like what's begun physically. And I'm goin' to help you."
Sheridan decided to sit down again. He brought his chair close to his
son's, and, leaning over, tapped Bibbs's knee confidentially. "I got
plans for you, Bibbs," he said.
Bibbs instantly looked thoroughly alarmed. He drew back. "I--I'm all
right now, father."
"Listen." Sheridan settled himself in his chair, and spoke in the
tone of a reasonable man reasoning. "Listen here, Bibbs. I had
another blow to-day, and it was a hard one and right in the face,
though I HAVE been expectin' it some little time back. Well, it's
got to be met. Now I'll be frank with you. As I said a minute ago,
mentally I couldn't ever called you exactly strong. You been a little
weak both ways, most of your life. Not but what I think you GOT a
mentality, if you'd learn to use it. You got will-power, I'll say that
for you. I never knew boy or man that could be stubborner--never one
in my life! Now, then, you've showed you could learn to run that
machine best of any man in the shop, in no time at all. That looks
to me like you could learn to do other things. I don't deny but what
it's an encouragin' sign. I don't deny that, at all. Well, that
helps me to think the case ain't so hopeless as it looks. You're all
I got to meet this blow with, but maybe you ain't as poor material as
I thought. Your tellin' me about comin' within seven strips of the
shop's record to-day looks to me like encouragin' information brought
in at just about the right time. Now, then, I'm goin' to give you a
raise. I wanted to send you straight on up through the shops--a year
or two, maybe--but I can't do it. I lost Jim, and now I've lost
Roscoe. He's quit. He's laid down on me. If he ever comes back at
all, he'll be a long time pickin' up the strings, and, anyway, he
ain't the man I thought he was. I can't count on him. I got to have
SOMEBODY I KNOW I can count on. And I'm down to this: you're my last
chance. Bibbs, I got to learn you to use what brains you got and see
if we can't develop 'em a little. Who knows? And I'm goin' to put my
time in on it. I'm goin' to take you right down-town with ME, and I
won't be hard on you if you're a little slow at first. And I'm goin'
to do the big thing for you. I'm goin' to make you feel you got to do
the big thing for me, in return. I've vindicated my policy with you
about the shop, and now I'm goin' to turn right around and swing you
'way over ahead of where the other boys started, and I'm goin' to make
an appeal to your ambition that'll make you dizzy!" He tapped his son
on the knee again. "Bibbs, I'm goin' to start you off this way: I'm
goin' to make you a director in the Pump Works Company; I'm goin' to
make you vice-president of the Realty Company and a vice-president of
the Trust Company!"
Bibbs jumped to his feet, blanched. "Oh no!" he cried.
Sheridan took his dismay to be the excitement of sudden joy. "Yes,
sir! And there's some pretty fat little salaries goes with those
vice-presidencies, and a pinch o' stock in the Pump Company with the
directorship. You thought I was pretty mean about the shop--oh, I
know you did!--but you see the old man can play it both ways. And so
right now, the minute you've begun to make good the way I wanted you
to, I deal from the new deck. And I'll keep on handin' it out bigger
and bigger every time you show me you're big enough to play the hand
I deal you. I'm startin' you with a pretty big one, my boy!"
"But I don't--I don't--I don't want it!" Bibbs stammered.
"What'd you say?" Sheridan thought he had not heard aright.
"I don't want it, father. I thank you--I do thank you--"
Sheridan looked perplexed. "What's the matter with you? Didn't you
understand what I was tellin' you?"
"Yes."
"You sure? I reckon you didn't. I offered--"
"I know, I know! But I can't take it."
"What's the matter with you?" Sheridan was half amazed, half
suspicious. "Your head feel funny?"
"I've never been quite so sane in my life," said Bibbs, "as I have
lately. And I've got just what I want. I'm living exactly the right
life. I'm earning my daily bread, and I'm happy in doing it. My
wages are enough. I don't want any more money, and I don't deserve
any--"
"Damnation!" Sheridan sprang up. "You've turned Socialist! You been
listening to those fellows down there, and you--"
"No, sir. I think there's a great deal in what they say, but that
isn't it."
Sheridan tried to restrain his growing fury, and succeeded partially.
"Then what is it? What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he son returned, nervously. "Nothing--except that I'm
content. I don't want to change anything."
"Why not?"
Bibbs had the incredible folly to try to explain. "I'll tell you,
father, if I can. I know it may be hard to understand--"
"Yes, I think it may be," said Sheridan, grimly. "What you say
usually is a LITTLE that way. Go on!" _