SYNOPSIS. — Sheridan's attempt to make a business man of his son Bibbs by starting him in the machine shop ends in Bibby going to a sanitarium, a nervous wreck. On his re- turn Bibbs 1s met at the station by his sister Edith. siderable and unconsidered figure “New House" of the Sheridans. He Mary Vertrees looking at him from a summer house next door. The Vertreeses, old town family and impoverished, call on the Sheridans, newly-rich, and afterward discuss them. Mary puts into words her parents’ unspoken wish that e marry one of the Sheridan boys. FOTO TO TATOO TOTTI TOTO TOTO TOT TOOT TOTO > 4 in the sie xX) Here is a young woman, one of the poor aristocrats, deliber ately setting forth to capture a rich husband. Perhaps Mary will honestly fall in love with Jim Sheridan and be happy in her marriage. Do you think she is waging her “warfare” in a manner that will bring her suc- cess? 4 eee NN LS ETO eee eee CHAPTER V. It was a brave and lustrous banquet; and a noisy one, too, because there was 4n orchestra among some plants at one end of the long dining a preliminary stiffness impelled to the tops of their voices. The company of fifty sat reat oblong table, a continent of damask and lace, with shores of crystal and silver run > a » - NN LOLOL b It the guests were converse-—necessarily at ag and lilies and ited continent, evidently were three marvel! ings” one in the cen end, white miracle inspired craftsman They were models they represented ing, the Sheridan pump works, Nearly white r inhab there Se8 in told what they the likenesses superb The arrangement of the visibly baronial. At the great Thane, with the family and of th guests Lae were, and pron table head flower sat of his about him; of the “old” house, ug down to vassals and retainers- srintendents, cashiers, heads of departments, and the like—at the foot, iady took her place as a consolation for the less important. Here, the thralls and bondn Sheridan, a meek how anybody could look at him and eat. Nevertheless, there was a vast, tinuous eating and the talk went on with the eating, incessantly It rose over the throbbing of the orchestra and where the too, an 'n, sat Bibbs con china and glass, and there mighty babble. And through the interstices clamoring Bibbs tinual booming of his voice, and once he caught “Yes, young lady, that's just what did it for me, afd that's 11 do it for my boys—they got make two blades o' grass grow where one grew before!” It was his miliar flourish, an old story to Bibbs, and now jovially declaimed for the edification of Mary Vertrees, It was a great night for Sheridan the very crest of his wav His big. smooth, red face grew more and more radiant with good will and with simplest, happiest, most boyish vanity He was the plcture of health, of good cheer, and of power on a holiday He dominated the jocnlar questions and everyone. His idea that people were having a good time they were noisy: and his own additions to the Lubbub Increased and, of course, en couragement from his guests. He kept time to the music continually—witl his feet, or pounding ] his fist, and sometimes with or knife upon his plate or with out permitting these side-products to interfere with the real business of eat- ing and shouting. “Tell 'em to play ‘Naney Lee! he wottld bellow down the length of the table to his wife, while the musicians were in the midst of the “Toreador” song, perhaps. “Ask that fellow If they don't know ‘Nancy Lee'!” And when the leader would shake his head Was of this ie could hear tl father’s heavy oon the sentence Just what io ¢ © table, shouting rallleries at wns when his pleasure, met the warmest i on the table with |poon n glass, dor” continuing vehemently, Sheridan would roar half-remembered fragments of “Nancy Lee” naturally some Diet with the air of that uxori- ous tefHile, No extornal bubbling contributed to this effervescence; the Sheridan's table find never borne wine, and, more be cause of timidity about it than convie- tion, it bore none now. And certain. iy no wine could hare Inspiréd more turbulent good spirits in the host. Not even Bibbs was an alloy in this night's happiness, for, as Mrs. Sheridan had sald, he had “plang for Bibbs"-—plans Swhileh were going to straighten out wome things that had goue wrong, Ho he ponoded the table and boomed fils echoes of old songs, and then, for getting these, would renew his friend. ly railleries, or perhaps, turning to Mary Vertrees, who sat near him, round the corner of the table at his right, he would become autoblograph- teal. Gentlemen naive than had paid her that tribute, for she was a girl who inspired the autoblographical impulse in every man who met her—it needed but the sight of her, The dinner seemed, somehow, t ter about Mary Vertrees and the jocund host as a about its and heroine; they were the rubicund king and the starry princess of spectacle-——they paid court to each oth er, and everybody pald court to them, Down near the pump where Bibbs sat, speculation and admiration. who that lady is with the old man.” “Must i “Heiress? Golly, I ¢ I to marry rich, then Sibyl radiant; watched Miss Vertre ard anxiety, won effect Sheri and less 0 cen play centers hero this sugar works, audible “Wonder hit ne there was makin’ such a o he se ould stand 3. Edith and they ha were d wt hagg first n alm dering what disastrous dan's pastoral other guveties things- ild have upon her, but she wot ighted with everything, and treated foull wost of all, She ne delicious deed, right “I hope ee you're very susceptible, Mr Sheridan Honest ind, “Why? say She repeated the look iy, which was noted, with a mystification equal to his own, by his sister ac the table, No reflected Edith, could imagine Mary Vertrees the sort of girl who would “really 1irt™ with men-—she was obviously the “opposite of all that” Edith thoroughbred,” a “nice gi and the look to Roscoe was SAW 0 another whom .. 3 5, on loscoe was taken aba was all he managed “" deliberat ross one, defiged ' rl ily as it, t ns h siVEen Roscoe's wife Wy, and she was it puzzled though not because its recipient was “Be anid plying to Roscoe's anse!™ Mary Vertrees, re monosyilable, “And we're next-door neighbors it's dull times ahead for i n't get ry both of » . LORD stocks hat when a man brought up to be married be “married and settled down.” Th ros He Pounded the Table and Boomed His Echoes of Oid Songs. : ! might have friendships, like his wife's | for Lamborn; but 8ibyl and Lamhorn | never “flirted” —-they were nlways very | matter-of-fact with each other. Roscoe | would have been troubled if Sibyl had | ever told Lamborn she hoped he was susceptible, . “Yes—we're neighbors,” he sald, awkwardly. “I live across the street.” | “Why, no!” she exclaimed, and! seemed startled. “Your mother toid me this afternoon that you lived at home.” Slowly a deep color came into her cheek. “No,” he sald; “my wife and I lived with the old folks the first year, but that's all. Edith and Jim live with them, of conrse.” “I--1 see,” she sald, the deep color still, deepening as she turned from him | i i i “Mr. James Sheridan, Jr.” And from that moment Roscoe had little enough reply to her disturbing coquetries. Mr. James Sheridan had give a bachelor a chance. “Old Ros. " coe the family. boasted, both brothers were “capable, hard-working young business men.” breadth or depth of the father. Both and either could have sat for the tallor- wearing “rich dark mix- tures.” Jim, approving warmly of his neigh- bor's profile, perceived her access of color, which increased his approba- tion. “What's that old Roscoe saying to you, Miss Vertrees?’' he asked, “These young married men are mighty suitings in 'em make you biush.” “Am [I blushing?’ she sald. you sure?’ And with that gave Lim ample opportunity to make sure, repeating with Interest the upon “I think must be mistaken,” she continued. think it's your brother who is blush- ing. I've thrown him into confusion.” “How? or s she 1 In 100K wasted toscoe, you She laughed, and then, leaning to him n little, sald could in a tone make it, the “By trying to begin with him a courtship I meant for you!” This might well be new He supposed it a m of badinage, and yet took his breath. Ie realized that b sald to t + literal Was ins as confidential t und a8 R’i ” 1 er cover of u n Oo a style a what she and it reall “By George!” you're the kind anything [OO suared by ration said. “1 girl that « ¥ Lie Buess ’ Of ih Bay Ret with it, away She laughed again Hw ny ike If you've got a chane from me!” “Not o1 beginn! me like that” "l you { f Q mightn't think,” she said, “Well,” said You're a funny girl! vity continoed “lI may not turn Jim, In simple honesty, “ t poe in gir an Instant out to be you." “So long as you turn out to Be any- thing at all for me, 1 expect I can manage to | satisfied.” And with that, to his own surprise, it was his whereupon she laughed we “Yeu. wholly be said, plaintively, not lacking intuition, “I car you're the sort of girl that would laugh the minute you see a man really means anything!™ *‘Laugh'!™ she cried, gaylyg. “Why, it might be a matter of life and death! But if you want tragedy, I'd better put the at considering the mistake I made with your brother.” Jim dazed. She ttie game of mockery and with him, but he had a fiashing danger in it; he | of somewhere could know this giddy and alluring lady, no matter how long it pleased her to play with him. But he mightily wanted her to keep on playing with him “Put what question?” he said, breath easly question once, was seemed to be nonsense glimpses of was but sed, too sensible be afl: had sciousness that he ing out- a never clas con- quite | “As you arg a new neighbor of mine of my family,” returned, speaking slowly and with a cross-ex- aminer’s severity, 1 think it would be | well for to know at once whether you are already walking out with any Mr. Sheridan, think you spoken for?" “Are you? she eried, and with that they laughed again; and the pastime proceeded, increasing both in its gayety and in ifs gravity. Observing its continuance, Mr. Rob ert Lamborn, opposite, turned from a lively conversation with Edith and re. marked covertly to Sibyl that Miss. Ver trees was “starting rather picturesque ly with Jim.” And he added, languid she ne young i ily or not Ary “Not yet,” he gasped “No!” both 1 Weill. ar Yeas y ¥ “ $i: 4 cy v For the moment Sibyl gave no sign of ! to swing from her fingers, rest. lowing with her eyes the twinkle of damonds and platinum in the clasp at the end of the loop. She wore many Jewels, She was pretty, but hers was | not the kind of prettiness to be loaded with too sumptuous accessories, and | jeweled head-dresses are dangerous | they may emphasize the wrongness of the wrong wearer. i “1 sald Miss Vertrees seems to be | starting pretty strong with Jim," re. | peated Mr. Lamhorn, ; “1 heard you.” There was 4 latent discontent always somewhere in her oyes, no matter what she threw upon the surface to cover i, and just now she did not care to cover it; she looked sullen. “Starting andy stronger than you did with Edith?” she inquired, “Oh, keep the peace!” he said, cross. | ly. “That's off, or course.” “You haven't been making her see it’ i" to her for “For heaven's “keep the peace!” “Well, what have you just been do Ing?’ “8h!” he ther-in-law.” Sheridan was booming and braying louder than ever, begun to play “The vast content. “I count them snke,” he sald. “Listen to your fa- tosary,” to over, la-la-tum-tee- with his fork. “Each hour a each pearl! tee-dum-tum-dum-—— the matter of all you folks? pearl, What's Why'n't Miss Vertrees, I bet a thou- sand dollars you sing! Why'n't “Mr. Sheridan,” she said, turning don't know what you | We could have lived a year on think the orchids alone would lasted us a couple of months, they were, before me, but | | steal ‘em and sell ‘em, and so I did what I could!” She leaned and suringly to her troubled seemed to be a guccess—what I could.” she sald, clasping her hands behind | her neck and stirring the rocker to mo tion as a rhythmic secompaniment to her narrative. “The gir! Edith and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Roscoe Sheridan, were too anxious about the effect of things on me. The father's worth a hushel of both of them, if he knew it, He's what he is. 1 Khe it, | have There couldn't i { back Inughed reas mother, “It like "him but I think he was about to say thing Important.” “I'll gay something important to him doesn't!” the father tened, more delighted with her than ever gosh! If I was bis age—o right now—"" “Oh, wait!” cried Mary. “If less nolse! | want to Leg iid say the 'd tell me 1 couldn't get ahead o' Jim, if he thre r a they'd Mrs only make “She'd same,” he shouted $ “She was mighty Sh y slow Why I was his age “You must listen to Mary interrupted, turnin had grown red tell us how, when made your father,’ : to Jim, who again, "He's ’ 1 # v ys 4 He was your those two blades of grass and you could didn't get them out of a tend up YOU sg he out widan pounded the table here “too awful into ringin “Both! { fe MIDE 5 1} ill Oe Mary Vertrees as street wateh Bibbs what might garden and he knew iittle girl in a CHAPTER VIL for Mrs. Vertrees “sat up” } ter, Mr. Vertrees having retived a restiess evening, not much soothe the soclety of his Landseers Vertrees had a long vi She sat through the slow nig! in a stiff little chair under the in her own the “front hall," There, she employed the time own reminiscences, though it gil of it it hours gaslight directly book in in was her room, which was over her Remusat's Her thoughts went her life and into busband’'s; and the deeper into the past they went, the brighter the pictures they bre and there is tragedy. L band, she thought 11.0 1 Gia backward her it her ike her hus he ot dare think forward definite What thinking this t bled couple veutured took the fo a slender hope which backward Ane the 5 it forward rou revs of neither 3 Over, aay after day, from the very hour when For of human their youth wa days, dead! “gentility,” and more straitly r HO aul ly does any ideal ine an antique innocent ol breeding” and had been ut hel DY the ®O no, Here in ence was marked the most vital « Mr. and Mma and their big new neighbor though his youth of the epoch, knew nothing of such matters He had been chopping wood for the morning fire in country grocery while they were still dancing It was after one o'clock when Vertrees heard steps and the d¢ ciinking of the key the then, with the ope of Mary's laugh afrokd The door between was same the Mrs licate in and 1 ts 08K, ss i ¢ 1 i ning the door, and, “Yes tomorrow" stairs, bringing with her a Breath of “Yea,” she sald, before Mrs. home!” - She let her cloak fall upon the bed, and, drawing an old red-velvet rocking chair forward, sat beside her mother, after giving ber a light pat upon the shoulder and a hearty kiss upon the cheek, “Mamma!” Mary exclaimed, when Mra, Nertrees had expressed a hope that she had enjoy®l the evenhg and had not caught cold, “Why don't you This InqWry obviously madé her mother uncomfortable. “I don't" ghe faltered, “Ask you what, Mary?" “How 1 got along and what he's like." “Mary!” “Ohi, it isn’t distressing!” sald Mary. “And 1 got along so fast—" Khe broke off to laugh; continging then. “But that's the way I went at it, of course, We are in a hurry, aren't we?" “My dear, I don't know what to" “What to make of anything!” Mary finished for her. “So that's all right! Now I'll tell yan all about it. It was a a rr RRR ime we wen? bound to show thel: wwhere! Ni and so did 1. I treated him for ti hat way 1 Rill OVer lke a guid EAv le Bilin’ of thanoht IOUKH ¢ dimens and the wh if they $ $ ue em a present of the was pou jest of of Nat gs 1 They'd and fra: poem simple it to us, wistful though Fas Iho never written fter a sked me to her house with Edith and Mr. 1 ian Mrs while, wl Jim Sheri Vertrees was shocked. wr a she exclaimed “Of course,” ary please Mary a I « Jr EL gaid for you James Sheridan, Ros were dvi a8 easy Mr there, and Mrs ‘the men | EB though I noticed that was the only one near d¢ that account E amd said they knew | been if, mamma We went over ained that drink.’ horn ern for a Mr. la Mrs bored dith Roscoe d at the ¥ pr] > seemed to to have a But 1} the dinner, and were goin getie about it, think now we thes K hadn't been bored at been amused; and the ‘good time’ at Mrs. Roscoe's was horribly, borribly stupid.” “But, Mary,” her mother began, “is wefg" And she seemed unable to complete the question, “Never mind, mamma, I'll say it. 1s Mr. James Rheridan, Jr, stupid? I'm sure he's not at all stupid about busi ness. Otherwise Oh, what right have 1 to be calling people ‘stupid’ be- cause they're not exactly my kind? On the big dinner table they had enor mous jcing models of the Sheridan building" “Oh no!" iy not!" “Yes, and two other things of that kind-<1 don't know what. But, after all, T wondered If they were so bad. Well, then, mamma, I managed not to feel superior to Mr. James Sheridan, Jr, because he didn’t see anything out of place In the Sheridan building In sugar” Mrs. Vertrees' expression had lost none of its anxiety and she shook her “My dear, dear child,” Mrs, Vertrees cried. “Sure whe sald, “it seems $0 me I'm afraid “Say ns It looks * much of it aw mamma,” sald Mary, encour can get it, keyword.” “Everyt! trees began, timidly i“ the alr of It is as if | Ing toto make yourself “Oh, 1 see! You mean | sound as if I were trying to foree myself! to him.” “Not quite you can, agingly. if you'll just give me one Hng you say.” Mrs, to Ver have seek #11 you were ike <% exactly, Mary That wasa's what I meant,” said Mrs. Ver trees, speaking direct untruth with per fect unconsciousness, Sut you said that—that you found the later part of the evening at young Mrs. Sherd dan's uneéntertaining—" “And as Mr. | there, and I saw f hi | dinner, and had a horribly {In spite of that, you think 1 it vas Mary ighed, Vertrees ther James Sheridan was at upid time And deduye more o m than i then who left the tion nodded; and though mo and the daughter up Mary feit it understanding he aerstood the “Well,” she better to make definite nuked, gre ¥. “is there u and papas g that dis is the only up to we t's all youl” Mary, it's Joak Own 100r she inst the thread. i've esn’t ’ ¥ h 1 he's not. ned that be ‘well he Sgweridan ttle ruefully ting to talk to n thee was too much I didn’t see him aft- ing wrong They'd here weren't.” they spoke of tive shop ust yoking t tragie seemed infeel then! led was the roguish- plessanter ® “Yes, in- nough., and 100 good thed and nodded Plenty pleasant ly, if all were known n for me!” And when { trees drew a eve had Mrs. Ver breath. | den were off her n i Iw she gone i y £F -«’ ff a 1 long ag if a bur and, smiling, sutie reverie. nd ii ie gan to andress in a CHAPTER VIL Edith, ready-made” glancing casually into the library, stopped abrupt. ly. seeing Bibbs there alone. de was standing before the pearkframed and | gold lettered poem, musingly inspect. ing it. He read it FUGITIVE I will forget the things that sting: The lashing look, the barbed word, 1 know the very hands that fling The stones at me had never stirred To anger but for their own scars, They've suffered so, that's why they wirike. I'll keep my heart among the stars Where none shall hunt it. Oh, like These wounded ones I must not be, For, wounded, 1 might strike in turn! 80. none ahafl hurt me. Far and free Where my heart flies no one shall learn. Edith Sheridan has enough fine stuff in her soul to write such verse—even though it was writs ten when she was seventeen and now she's past twenty and
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