the turmoil-第3章

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States！　　Look　at　that　poem　she　wrote　when　she　was　in　school　and　took　the　prize

with；　it's　the　best　poem　I　ever　read　in　my　life；　and　she'd　never　even　tried　to

write　one　before。　　It's　the　finest　thing　I　ever　read；　and　R。　T。　Bloss　said　so；

too；　and　I　guess　he's　a　good　enough　literary　judge　for　me　turns　out　more

advertisin'　liter'cher　than　any　man　in　the　city。　　I　tell　you　she's　smart！

Look　at　the　way　she　worked　me　to　get　me　to　promise　the　New　Houseand　I　guess

you　had　your　finger　in　that；　too；　mamma！　　This　old　shack's　good　enough　for　me；

but　you　and　little　Edie　'll　have　to　have　your　way。　I'll　get　behind　her　and

push　her　the　same　as　I　will　Jim　and　Roscoe。　　I　tell　you　I'm　mighty　proud　o'

them　three　chuldern！　　But　Bibbs〃　　He　paused；　shaking　his　head。　　〃Honest；

mamma；　when　I　talk　to　men　that　got　ALL　their　boys　doin'　well　and　worth　their

salt；　why；　I　have　to　keep　my　mind　on　Jim　and　Roscoe　and　forget　about　Bibbs。〃



Mrs。　Sheridan　tossed　her　head　fretfully　upon　the　pillow。　　〃You　did　the　best

you　could；　papa；〃　she　said；　impatiently；　〃so　come　to　bed　and　quit　reproachin'

youself　for　it。〃



He　glared　at　her　indignantly。　　〃Reproachin'　myself！〃　he　snorted。　　〃I　ain't

doin'　anything　of　the　kind！　　What　in　the　name　o'　goodness　would　I　want　to

reproach　myself　for？　　And　it　wasn't　the　'best　I　could；'　either。　　It　was　the

best　ANYBODY　could！　　I　was　givin'　him　a　chance　to　show　what　was　in　him　and

make　a　man　of　himselfand　here　he　goes　and　gets　'nervous　dyspepsia'　on　me！〃



He　went　to　the　old…fashioned　gas…fixture；　turned　out　the　light；　and　muttered

his　way　morosely　into　bed。



〃What？〃　said　his　wife；　crossly；　bothered　by　a　subsequent　mumbling。



〃More　like　hook…worm；　I　said；〃　he　explained；　speaking　louder。　　〃I　don't　know

what　to　do　with　him！〃





Beginning　at　the　beginning　and　learning　from　the　ground　up　was　a　long　course

for　Bibbs　at　the　sanitarium；　with　milk　and　〃zwieback〃　as　the　basis　of

instruction；　and　the　months　were　many　and　tiresome　before　he　was　considered

near　enough　graduation　to　go　for　a　walk　leaning　on　a　nurse　and　a　cane。　　These

and　subsequent　months　saw　the　planning；　the　building；　and　the　completion　of

the　New　House；　and　it　was　to　that　abode　of　Bigness　that　Bibbs　was　brought　when

the　cane；　without　the　nurse；　was　found　sufficient　to　his　support。



Edith　met　him　at　the　station。　　〃Well；　well；　Bibbs！〃　she　said；　as　he　came

slowly　through　the　gates；　the　last　of　all　the　travelers　from　that　train。　　She

gave　his　hand　a　brisk　little　shake；　averting　her　eyes　after　a　quick　glance　at

him；　and　turning　at　once　toward　the　passage　to　the　street。　　〃Do　you　think　they

ought　to　've　let　you　come？　　You　certainly　don't　look　well！〃



〃But　I　certainly　do　look　better；〃　he　returned；　in　a　voice　as　slow　as　his　gait；

a　drawl　that　was　a　necessity；　for　when　Bibbs　tried　to　speak　quickly　he

stammered。　　〃Up　to　about　a　month　ago　it　took　two　people　to　see　me。　　They　had

to　get　me　in　a　line　between　'em！〃



Edith　did　not　turn　her　eyes　directly　toward　him　again；　after　her　first　quick

glance；　and　her　expression；　in　spite　of　her；　showed　a　faint；　troubled

distaste；　the　look　of　a　healthy　person　pressed　by　some　obligation　of　business

to　visit　a　〃bad〃　ward　in　a　hospital。　　She　was　nineteen；　fair　and　slim；　with

small；　unequal　features；　but　a　prettiness　of　color　and　a　brilliancy　of　eyes

that　created　a　total　impression　close　upon　beauty。　　Her　movements　were　eager

and　restless：　there　was　something　about　her；　as　kind　old　ladies　say；　that　was

very　sweet；　and　there　was　something　that　was　hurried　and　breathless。　　This　was

new　to　Bibbs；　it　was　a　perceptible　change　since　he　had　last　seen　her；　and　he

bent　upon　her　a　steady；　whimsical　scrutiny　as　they　stood　at　the　curb；　waiting

for　an　automobile　across　the　street　to　disengage　itself　from　the　traffic。



〃That's　the　new　car；〃　she　said。　　〃Everything's　new。　　We've　got　four　now；

besides　Jim's。　　Roscoe's　got　two。〃



〃Edith；　you　look〃　he　began；　and　paused。



〃Oh；　WE're　all　well；〃　she　said；　briskly；　and　then；　as　if　something　in　his　tone

had　caught　her　as　significant；　〃Well；　HOW　do　I　look；　Bibbs？〃



〃You　look〃　　He　paused　again；　taking　in　the　full　length　of　herher　trim

brown　shoes；　her　scant；　tapering；　rough　skirt；　and　her　coat　of　brown　and

green；　her　long　green　tippet　and　her　mad　little　rough　hat　in　the　mad　mode

all　suited　to　the　October　day。



〃How　do　I　look？〃　she　insisted。



〃You　look；〃　he　answered；　as　his　examination　ended　upon　an　incrusted　watch　of

platinum　and　enamel　at　her　wrist；　〃you　lookexpensive！〃　　That　was　a

substitute　for　what　he　intended　to　say；　for　her　constraint　and　preoccupation；

manifested　particularly　in　her　keeping　her　direct　glance　away　from　him；　did

not　seem　to　grant　the　privilege　of　impulsive　intimacies。



〃I　expect　I　am！〃　she　laughed；　and　sidelong　caught　the　direction　of　his　glance。

〃Of　course　I　oughtn't　to　wear　it　in　the　daytimeit's　an　evening　thing；　for

the　theaterby　my　day　wrist…watch　is　out　of　gear。　　Bobby　Lamhorn　broke　it

yesterday；　he's　a　regular　rowdy　sometimes。　　Do　you　want　Claus　to　help　you　in？〃



〃Oh　no；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃I'm　alive。〃　　And　after　a　fit　of　panting　subsequent　to

his　climbing　into　the　car　unaided；　he　added；　〃Of　course；　I　have　to　TELL

people！〃



〃We　only　got　your　telegram　this　morning；〃　she　said；　as　they　began　to　move

rapidly　through　the　〃wholesale　district〃　neighboring　the　station。　　〃Mother

said　she'd　hardly　expected　you　this　month。〃



〃They　seemed　to　be　through　with　me　up　there　in　the　country；〃　he　explained；

gently。　　〃At　least　they　said　they　were；　and　they　wouldn't　keep　me　any　longer；

because　so　many　really　sick　people　wanted　to　get　in。　　They　told　me　to　go　home

and　I　didn't　have　any　place　else　to　go。　　It　'll　be　all　right；　Edith；　I'll

sit　in　the　woodshed　until　after　dark　every　day。〃



〃Pshaw！〃　　She　laughed　nervously。　　〃Of　course　we're　all　of　us　glad　to　have　you

back。〃



〃Yes？〃　he　said。　　〃Father？〃



〃Of　course！　　Didn't　he　write　and　tell　you　to　come　home？〃　　She　did　not　turn　to

him　with　the　question。　　All　the　while　she　rode　with　her　face　directly　forward。



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃father　hasn't　written。〃



She　flushed　a　little。　　〃I　expect　I　ought　to　've　written　sometime；　or　one　of

the　boys〃



〃Oh　no；　that　was　all　right。〃



〃You　can't　think　how　busy　we've　all　been　this　year；　Bibbs。　　I　often　planned　to

writeand　then；　just　as　I　was　going　to；　something　would　turn　up。　　And　I'm

sure　it's　been　just　the　same　way　with　Jim　and　Roscoe。　　Of　course　we　knew　mamma

was　writing　often　and〃



〃Of　course！〃　he　said；　readily。　　〃There's　a　chunk　of　coal　fallen　on　your　glove；

Edith。　　Better　flick　it　off　before　it　smears。　　My　word！　I'd　almost　forgotten

how　sooty　it　is　here。〃



〃We've　been　having　very　bright　weather　this　monthfor　us。〃　　She　blew　the

flake　of　soot　into　the　air；　seeming　relieved。



He　looked　up　at　the　dingy　sky；　wherein　hung　the　disconsolate　sun　like　a　cold

tin　pan　nailed　up　in　a　smoke…house　by　some　lunatic；　for　a　decoration。　　〃Yes；〃

said　Bibbs。　　〃It's　very　gay。〃　　A　few　moments　later；　as　they　passed　a　corner；

〃Aren't　we　going　home？〃　he　asked。



〃Why；　yes！〃　　Did　you　want　to　go　somewhere　else　first？〃



〃No。　　Your　new　driver's　taking　us　out　of　the　way；　isn't　he？〃



〃No。　　This　is　right。　　We're　going　straight　home。〃



〃But　we've　passed　the　corner。　　We　always　turned〃



〃Good　gracious！〃　she　cried。　　〃Didn't　you　know　we'd　moved？　　Didn't　you　know　we

were　in　the　New　House？〃



〃Why；　no！〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Are　you？〃



〃We've　been　there　a　month！　　Good　gracious！　　Didn't　you　know〃　　She　broke　off；

flushing　again；　and　then　went　on　hastily：　　〃Of　course；　mamma's　never　been　so

busy　in　her　life；　we　ALL　haven't　had　time　to　do　anything　but　keep　on　the　hop。

Mamma　couldn't　even　come　to　the　station　to…day。　　Papa's　got　some　of　his

business　friends　and　people　from　around　the　OLD…house　neighborhood　coming

to…night　for　a　big　dinner　and　'house…warming'dreadful　kind　of　peoplebut

mamma's　got　it　all　on　her　hands。　　She's　never　sat　down　a　MINUTE；　and　if　she

did；　papa　wou