Liberty Express, Volume 13, Number 45, Liberty, Union County, 9 June 1916 — Page 3

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"MONSIEUR, BEAU CAT RE "THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN"

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ine neaa nan er, nearest tue uoor. Btooil like a barber in a tableau. Hi

left hand held stretched between I thumb and forefinger an elastic section of his helpless customer's c heek, j while his riht hand hung . poised aI)ove It. the razor motionless. And j then, roused from trance by the door's closing, he accepted the fact of Sheridan's presence. The barber remembered that there are no circumstances In life or just after it under which a man does not need to be shaved. He stepped forward, profoundly grave. "I be through with this man In the chair one minute, Mist' Sheridan," he said, in a hushed voice. "Yessun." And of a solemn negro youth who stood by, gazing stupidly, "You goin resign?" he demanded in a fierce undertone. "You goin' take Mist' Sheridan's coat?" He sent an angry look, round the shop, and the barbers, taking his meaning, averted their eyes and fell to work, the murmur of suldued 'conversation buzzing from chair to chair. "You sit down one minute, Mist' Sheridan," said the head barber gently. "I fix nice chair fo' you to wait In." "Never mind," said Sheridan. "Go on get through with your man." "Yessuh." And he went quickly back to his chair on tiptoe, followed by Sheridan's puzzled gaze. Something had gone wrong In the shop, evidently. Sheridan did not know what to make of it. Ordinarily he would have shouted a hilarious demand for the meaning of the mystery, but an inexplicable silence had been imposed upon him by the hush that fell upon his entrance and by the odd look every man In the shop had bent upon him. Vaguely disquieted, he walked to one of the seats In the rear of the shop and looked down the two lines of barbers, catching quickly shifted, furtive glances here and there. He made this brief survey after wondering if one of the barbers had died suddenly, that day, or the night before; but there was no vacancy in either line. The seat next to his was unoccupied, but someone had left a copy of the "extra" there, and, frowning, he picked it up and glanced at it. The first of the swollen display Jines had Jittle meaning to him: Fatally faulty. New process roof collapses hurling capitalist to death with Inventor. Seven escape when crash comes. Death claims Thus far had he read when a thin hand fell upon the paper, covering the print from his eyes, and, looking up. he saw Bibbs standing before him, pale and gentle, immeasurably compassionate. "I've come for you, father," said Uibbs. "Here's the boy with your coat and hat. Put them on and come home." And even then Sheridan did not understand. So secure was he In the strength and bigness of everything that was his, he did not know what calamity had befallen him. Hut he was frightened. Without a word, he followed Uibbs heavily out through the still shop, but as they reached the pavement he stopped short and, grasping his son's sleeve with shaking fingers, swung him round so that they stood face to ace. "What what " His mouth could not do him the service he asked of It, he was so frightened. "Extry!" screamed a nevsloy straight In his face. "Young North vide millionaire lnsnntly killed! Eitry!" "Not Jim!" said Sheridan. Itibbs caught his father's hand In hin own. And you come to tell me that?" Sheridan did not know what lie said Rut in those first words and In the first anguish of the big. stricken face Hlbbs understood the unuttered cry of accusation: "Why wasn't It you?"

Itoscoe was dazed, and he shirked. Justifying himself curiously by saying he

CHAPTER XI. Standing In llie black group under gnnnt tree at the cemetery, three days later, Illhh unwillingly let an old, old thought Itecome definite in his mind: the sickly brother had burled the strong brother, and P.IMs wondered bow many million times that had happened since men first made a word to name tne hoih of one mother. Almost litcr-illy he had burled his strong brother, for Sheridan had gone to pieces when he saw his dead son. lie had nothing to help' him meet th" phfK-k, neither definite religion nor "philosophy" definite or Indefinite. lie could only Iwat his forehead and beg, over and over, to be killed with an ax, while his wife was helpless except to entreat him not to "take on," herself adding a continuous lamentation. Kdlth, weeping, made truce with JSlbyl and saw to It that the mourn-

little world of late given to "the fiew , Plod-plod of the horses. TJblongs of of this humble and elusive outsider, j light came lancing Into the coupe, and and spectators sometimes find their ! passed, leaving greater darkness. And

hearts beating faster than those of the i Jet neither of these two last attend

"Not Jim!" Said Sheridan. "never had any experience in such matters." So it was Uibbs, the shy outsider, who became, during that dreadful little time, the master of the house; for as strange a thing as that, sometimes, may be the result of a death. "Dust to dust," said the minister, under the gaunt trees; and at that Sheridan shook convulsively from head to foot. All of the black group shivered except Bibbs. He had been close upon dust himself for a long, long time, and the machine shop, if he had to go back to it, would probably bring him closer still. To Uibbs' knowledge, no one and nothing had ever prevented his father from carrying through his plans. He had the gift of terrible persistence, and with unflecked confidence that his way was the only way, he would hold to that way of "making a man" of Itibbs, who understood very well, in his passive and Impersonal fashion, that it was a way which might make, not a man, but dust of him. But he had no shudder for the thought. The truth alnnit Itibbs was in the poem which Edith had adopted. But lie had not hidden his feelings about his father where they could not be found. He was strange to his father, but his father was not strange to him. He knew that Sheridan's plans were conceived in the stubborn belief that they would bring about a good thing for Bibbs himself; and whatever the result was to be, the son had no bitterness. Far otherwise, for as he looked at the big, woeful figure, shaking and tortured, an almost unbearable pity laid hands upon Bibbs' throat. Boscoe stood blinking, his lip quivering; Edith wept audibly; Mrs. Sheridan leaned in half collapse against her husband: but Itibbs knew that his father was the one who cared. It was over. Men in overalls stepped forward with their shovels, and Itibbs nodded" quickly to Koscoe, making a slight gesture toward the line of waiting carriages. Itibbs gazed steadfastly at the workmen; he knew that his father kept looking back as lie went toward the carriage, and that was a thing he did not want to see. After a little while, "It's too bad!" he half whispered, his lips forming the words and his meaning was that it was too bad that the strong brother had been the fine to go. For this was his last tnought before he walked to the coupe and saw Mary Vertrec standing all alone on the otlier side of the drive. She had Just emerged from a grove of leafless trees that grew on a slope where the tomb were many. Against such a background Bibbs was not In

congruous, with his figure. In black, so long mid slender, and his face so long ami thin and white; nor was the undertaker's coupe out of keeping, with the shabby driver dozing on the Imix and the shaggy horses standing patiently in attitudes without hope and without regret. But for Mary Vertrees, here was a grotesque setting she wan a vivid, living creature of a beautiful world. And a graveyard Is not the

place for people to look charming. She also looked startled and confused, but not more startled and confused than Bibbs. All his life Itibbs had kept himself to himself he wan but a shy onlooker in the world. Nevertheless, the startled gaze he Ient upon the unexMfted lady before him had causes other than his Rhynern and her unexpected nes. For Mary Vertrees hud been a uhlnlnjr figure In the

actors In the spectacle. Thus with Bibbs now. He started and stared; he lifted his hat with incredible awkwardness, his fingers fumbling at hin forehead before they found the brim. "Mr. Sheridan," said Mary, "1'ia afraid you'll have to take me home with you. I " She stopped, not lacking a momentary awkwardness of her own. "Why why yes," Bibbs stammered. "I'll I'll be de Won't you get in?" In that manner and in that place they exchanged their first words. Then

He Started and Stared. '

Started

Mary, without more ado, got into the coupe, and Bibbs followed, closing the door. "You're very kind," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "I should have had to walk, and It's beginning to get dark. It's three miles. I think." "Yes," said Bibbs. "It It Is beginning to get dark. I I noticed that." "I ought to tell you I" Mary began, confusedly. She bit her lip, sat silent a moment, then spoke with composure. "It must seem odd, my " "No, no!" Itibbs protested, earnestly. "Not in the in the least." "It does, though," said Mary. "I had not Intended to come to the cemetery, Mr. Sheridan, but one of the men In charge at the house came and whispered to me that 'the family wished me

to' I think yeur-n!stcp-t Mu-S'

I came. But when we reached here

I oh. I felt that perhaps I" Bibbs nodded gravely. "Yes, yes," he murmured. "I got out on the opposite side of the carriage," she continued. "I mean opposite from from where ail of you were. And I wandered off over in the other direction; nd I didn't realize how little time It takes. From where I was I couldn't Ree the carriages leaving at least I didn't notice them. So when I got back. Just now, you were the only one here. I didn't know the other people In the carriage I came in, and of course they didn't think to wait for me. That's why " "Yes," said Bibbs, "I" And that seemed all he had to say Just then. Mary looked out through the dusty window. "I think we'd better be going home. If you please," she said. She gave him a quick little glance. "I think you must be very tired. Mr.

Sheridan; and I know you have reason

to be," she said gently. "If you'll let!

me, I'll " And without explaining her purpose she opened the door on the side of the coupe and leaned out. Itibbs stared in blank perplexity, not knowing what she meant to do. "Driver!" she called. In her clear voice, loudly. "Driver! We'd like to start, please. Driver! Stop at the house Just north of Mr. Sheridan's, please." The wheels began to move, and she leaned back beside Itibbs once more. "I noticed that he was asleep when we got in," she said. "I suppose they iave a great deal of night work." Iilhba drew a long breath and waited till he could command his voice.

"I've never been able to apologize i quickly," he said, with his accustomed

ants at Jim Sheridan's funeral broke

the silence. U was Mary who perceived the strangeness of It too late. Abruptly she realized that for an Indefinite in-, Vrval she had been thinking of her 'nipanion and not talking to trim. "Mr. Sheridan," she began, not knowing what she was going to say, but Impelled to say anything, as she realized the queerness of this drive "Mr. Sheridan, I" The coupe stopped. "You, Joe!" said the driver, reproachfully, and climbed down and opened the door. "What's the trouble?" Bibbs Inquired. "Lady said stop at first house north of Mr. Sheridan's, sir." Mary was incredulous; she felt that It couldn't be true and that It mustn't be true that they had driven all the way without speaking. Itibbs descended to the curb. "Why, yes," he said. "You seem to be right" And while he stood staring at the dimly illuminated front windows of Mr. Vertrees' house Mary got out, unassisted. "Let me help you," said Bibbs, stepping toward her mechanically; and she was several feet from the coupe when he spoke. "Oh. no," she murmured. "I think I can " She meant that she could get out of the coupe without help, but, perceiving that she had already accomplished this feat, she decided not to complete the sentence. "You, Joe!" cried the driver, angrily, climbing to his box. And he rumbled away at his team's best pace a snail's. "Thank you for bringing me home, Mr. Sheridan," said Mary, stiffly. She did not offer her hand. "Good night" "Good nighf Bibbs said In response, and, turning with her, walked beside her to the door. Mary made that a short walk; she almost ran. Realization of the queerness of their drive was growing upon her, beginning to shock her; she stepped aside from the light that fell through the glass panels of the door and withheld her hand as It touched the old-fashioned bell handle. "I'm quite safe, thank you," 6he said, with a little emphasis. "Good night." "Good night" said Bibbs, and went obediently. When he reached the street he looked back, but "she had vanished within the bouse. Moving slowly away, he caromed against two people who were turning out from the pavement to cross the street. They were Roscoe and his wife. "Where are your eyes, Rlbbs?" demanded Roscoe. "Sleep-walking, as usual?" But Sibyl took the wanderer by the arm. "Come over to our bouse for a

-while,. Bibbs," she urged. "I

ant to" VNo. I'd better" 'Yes. I want you to. Your father's gone to bed, and they're all quiet over there all worn out Just come for a minute." He yielded, and when they were in tht house she repeated herself with real feeling: " 'All worn out! Well, If anybody is, you are, Bibbs! And I don't wonder; you've done every bit of llie work of It. You mustn't get down si -k again. I'm going to make you take a little brandy." He let her have her own way, following her Into the dining room, and was grateful when she brought him a tiny glass filled from one of the decanters on the sideboard. Roscoe gloomily poured for himself a much heavier libation In a larger glass; and the two men sat while Sibyl leaned against the sideboard, reviewing the episodes of the day and recalling the names of the donors of flowers and wreaths. She pressed Bibbs to remain

i longer when he rose to go, and then.

as he persisted, .she went with him to the front door. He opened It and she said: "Itibbs, you were coming out of the Vertrees' house when we met you. How did you happen to be there?" "I had only been to the door," he said. "Good night, Sibyl." "Walt," she insisted. "We saw you coming out" "I wasn't," he explained. "I'd Just brought Miss Vertrees home." "What?" she cried. "Yes," he said, and stepped out upon

I the iorch, "that was It Good night, Sibyl."

"Walt!" she said, following him

groups of relatives summoned to The dining room tor food. One great-uncle, old Gideon Sheridan from Boonville, could not be found, and Bibbs went In search of him. He ransacked the house, discovering the missing antique at last by accident Passing his father's closed door on tiptoe, Bibb ml a Murmurous sound, and paimev io listen. The sound proved to be a quavering and rickety voice, monotonously bleating: "The Lo-ord glvuth and the Lo-ord takuth away! We got to remember that; we got to rememler that! I'm a-gittin' along, James; I'm a-gittln along, and I've seen a-many of 'em go two daughters and a son the Iord gave me, and be has taken all away. For the Lo-ord givuth and the Lo-ord takuth away! Remember the words of Bildad the Shuhite, James. Bildad the Shuhite says, 'He shall have neither son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining In his dwellings.' Bildad the Shuhite" Bibbs opened the door softly. His father was lying upon the bed, in his underclothes, face downward, and Uncle Gideon sat near by, swinging backward and forward in a rocking chair, stroking his long, white beard and gazing at the celling as he talked. Bibbs beckoned him urgently, but Uncle Gideon paid no attention. "Bildad the Shuhite spake and he says, 'If thy cMldren have sinned against him and he have cast them away " There was a muffled explosion beneath the floor, and the windows rattled. The figure lying face downward on the bed-did not move, but Uncle Gideon leaped from his chair. "My God!" he cried. "What's that?" There came a second explosion, and Uncle Gideon ran out into the hall. Bibbs went to the head of the great staircase, and, looking down, discovered the source of the disturbance. Gideon's grandson, a boy of fourteen, had brought his camera to the funeral and was taking "flashlights" of the Moor. Uncle Gideon, reassured by Bibbs explanation, would have returned to finish his quotation from Bildad the Shuhite, but Bibbs detained him, and after a little argument persuaded him to descend to the dining room whither Bibbs followed, after closing the door of his father's room. He kept his eyes on Gideon after dinner, diplomatically preventing several attempts on the part of that comforter to reascend the stairs; and it was a relief to Itibbs when George announced that an automobile was waiting to convey the ancient man and his grandson to their train. They were the last to leave, and when they had gone Bibbs went sighing to his own room. He stretched himself wearily upon the bed, but presently rose, went to

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.-ir-rnaa rhn threshold. "IlrtW did that

slowness, "because if I try to I stain- j ,,.;;,, ', tilftllirnf rn wprfl polnir to

wait while those men filled the the "

in er. My brother Roscoe whipped me

once, when we were Imys, for rtepplng on his slate pencil. It took me so long to tell him it v.as an accident be finished before I did." Mary Vertrees had never heard any

thing quite like the drawling, gentle voice or the odd Implication that bis not noticing the motionless stale of their vehicle was an "accident." At once she discovered that he was unlike ! any of her cursory and varue Imaginings of film. And suddenly nlie but a ' glimpse of Hlhlis' life mid Into his lifo, i She had a queer feeling, new to her experience, of knowing him Instantly. 1 It startled her a little; she did tnt .

realize, however, that she had made no response to his apology, and they passed out of the cemetery gates, neither having spoken again. Itibbs was so content with the silence he dlil not know that It was silence. The dunk, gathering In their Kinall IncloHure, was filled with a rich presence for him; and presently It was mo dark that neither of the two could see the other, nor did even tkvr garments touch. But neither had any sense of being alone. The wheels creaked steadily, rumbling presently on paved street; tl.ere were the Bouudjj. at from a distance, of the

She paused, but moved nearer him Insistently. "I did wait Miss Vertrees was there," he said, reluctantly. "She had walked away for a while and didn't notice that the carriages were leaving. When she came back the coupe waiting for me was the only one left." Sibyl regarded him with dilating eyes. She spoke with a slow breathleasness. "And she drove home from Jlm'a funeral with you!" Without warning she burst Into laughter, clapped her band Ineffectunlly over her mouth, and ran back uproariously Into the house, hurling the door shut behind her.

CHAPTER XII. Bibbs went home pondering. He did not understand why Sibyl had laughed. At home, uncles, aunta and cousins from out of town were wandering nliout the house, several mournfully admiring tf.e "Bay of Naples," and others occupied with the Moor and the plumbing, while they waited for trains. Edith and her mother had retired to m.i.ie upper fastness, but Bibbs interviewed. Jackson and had the various

"My God!" Ha Cried, "What's That?" the 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 scribbllngs, and began to write: laughter after a funeral. In this reaction people will laugh at anything and at nothing. The band plays a dirge on the way to the cemetery, but when It

turns back, and the mournlnjr carriages are out of hearing, It strikes up, "Darktown Is Out To-NlKht." That In natural but there are women whose lauKhter Is like the whirring of whips. . . . Beauty Is not out of place among gravestones. It Is not out of place anywhere. Hut a woman who has been betrothed to

a man would not look beautiful at hli funeral. A woman might look beautiful, though, at the funeral of a man whom he had known and liked. And in thut case, too, tho would . probably not want to talk If she drove home from the cemetery with his brother; nor would the want the brother to talk. . . . Nevertheless, too much silence Is open to susplclon. It may be reticence, or It may t a vacuum. It may be dignity, or it may be false teeth. . . . Silence can he golden? Yes. Hut perhaps If a woman of the world should find herself by accident sitting beside a man for the length of time It must necessarily take two slow old hörne to Jog three miles, she might expect that man to sny something of somo sort! If hn did not even try, but sat every step of the way as dumb as a frozen fish, sh mlirht think him a frozen fish. And she iiiIkM be right. She might be right If thought htm about as pleasant a com psnlun as lllldad the Bhuhltet ((ntiiiii('il next week.)

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