the turmoil-第36章

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religion



The　manuscript　ended　there；　and　Sheridan　was　not　anxious　for　more。　　He

crumpled　the　sheets　into　a　ball；　depositing　it　（with　vigor）　in　a　　waste…basket

beside　him；　then；　rising；　he　consulted　a　Cyclopedia　of　　Names；　which　a

book…agent　had　somehow　sold　to　him　years　before；　a　volume　　now　first　put　to

use　for　the　location　of　〃Midas。〃　　Having　read　the　　legend；　Sheridan　walked　up

and　down　the　spacious　office；　exhaling　the　　breath　of　contempt。　〃Dam'　fool！〃

he　mumbled。　　But　this　was　no　new　thought；　nor　was　the　contrariness　of　Bibbs's

notes　a　surpise　to　him；　and　presently　he　dismissed　the　matter　from　his　mind。



He　felt　very　lonely；　and　this　was；　daily；　his　hardest　hour。　　For　a　long　time

he　and　Jim　had　lunched　together　habitually。　　Roscoe　preferred　a　club　luncheon；

but　Jim　and　his　father　almost　always　went　to　a　small　restaurant　near　the

Sheridan　Building；　where　they　spent　twenty　minutes　in　the　consumption　of　food；

and　twenty　in　talk；　with　cigars。　　Jim　came　for　his　father　every　day；　at　five

minutes　after　twelve；　and　Sheridan　was　again　in　his　office　at　five　minutes

before　one。　　But　now　that　Jim　no　longer　came；　Sheridan　remained　alone　in　his

office；　he　had　not　gone　out　to　lunch　since　Jim's　death；　nor　did　he　have

anything　sent　to　himhe　fasted　until　evening。



It　was　the　time　he　missed　Jim　personally　the　mostthe　voice　and　eyes　and

handshake；　all　brisk　and　alert；　all　business…like。　　But　these　things　were　not

the　keenest　in　Sheridan's　grief；　his　sense　of　loss　went　far　deeper。　　Roscoe

was　dependable；　a　steady　old　wheel…horse；　and　that　was　a　great　comfort；　but　it

was　in　Jim　that　Sheridan　had　most　happily　perceived　his　own　likeness。　　Jim　was

the　one　who　would　have　been　surest　to　keep　the　great　property　growing　greater；

year　by　year。　　Sheridan　had　fallen　asleep；　night　after　night；　picturing　what

the　growth　would　be　under　Jim。　　He　had　believed　that　Jim　was　absolutely

certain　to　be　one　of　the　biggest　men　in　the　country。　　Well；　it　was　all　up　to

Roscoe　now！



That　reminded　him　of　a　question　he　had　in　mind　to　ask　Roscoe。　　It　was　a

question　Sheridan　considered　of　no　present　importance；　but　his　wife　had

suggested　itthough　vaguelyand　he　had　meant　to　speak　to　Roscoe　about　it。

However；　Roscoe　had　not　come　into　his　father's　office　for　several　days；　and

when　Sheridan　had　seen　his　son　at　home　there　had　been　no　opportunity。



He　waited　until　the　greater　part　of　his　day's　work　was　over；　toward　four

o'clock；　and　then　went　down　to　Roscoe's　office；　which　was　on　a　lower　floor。

He　found　several　men　waiting　for　business　interviews　in　an　outer　room　of　the

series　Roscoe　occupied；　and　he　supposed　that　he　would　find　his　son　busy　with

others；　and　that　his　question　would　have　to　be　postponed；　but　when　he　entered

the　door　marked　〃R。　C。　Sheridan。　　Private；〃　Roscoe　was　there　alone。



He　was　sitting　with　his　back　to　the　door；　his　feet　on　a　window…sill；　and　he

did　not　turn　as　his　father　opened　the　door。



〃Some　pretty　good　men　out　there　waitin'　to　see　you；　my　boy；〃　said　Sheridan。

〃What's　the　matter？〃



〃Nothing；〃　Roscoe　answered　indistinctly；　not　moving。



〃Well；　I　guess　that's　all　right；　too。　　I　let　'em　wait　sometimes　myself！　　I

just　wanted　to　ask　you　a　question；　but　I　expect　it　'll　keep；　if　you're　workin'

something　out　in　your　mind！〃



Roscoe　made　no　reply；　and　his　father；　who　had　turned　to　the　door；　paused　with

his　hand　on　the　knob；　staring　curiously　at　the　motionless　figure　in　the　chair。

Usually　the　son　seemed　pleased　and　eager　when　he　came　to　the　office。　　〃You're

all　right；　ain't　you？〃　said　Sheridan。　　〃Not　sick；　are　you？〃



〃No。〃



Sheridan　was　puzzled；　then；　abruptly；　he　decided　to　ask　his　question。　　〃I

wanted　to　talk　to　you　about　that　young　Lamhorn；〃　he　said。　　〃I　guess　your

mother　thinks　he's　comin'　to　see　Edith　pretty　often；　and　you　known　him　longer

'n　any　of　us；　so〃



〃I　won't；〃　said　Roscoe；　thickly〃I　won't　say　a　dam'　thing　about　him！〃



Sheridan　uttered　an　exclamation　and　walked　quickly　to　a　position　near　the

window　where　he　could　see　his　son's　face。　　Roscoe's　eyes　were　bloodshot　and

vacuous；　his　hair　was　disordered；　his　mouth　was　distorted；　and　he　was　deathly

pale。　　The　father　stood　aghast。



〃By　George！〃　he　muttered。　　〃ROSCOE！〃



〃My　name；〃　said　Roscoe。　　〃Can'　help　that。〃



〃ROSCOE！〃　　Blank　astonishment　was　Sheridan's　first　sensation。　　Probably

nothing　in　the　world　could　have　more　amazed　his　than　to　find　Roscoethe

steady　old　wheel…horsein　this　condition。　　〃How'd　you　GET　this　way？〃　he

demanded。　　〃You　caught　cold　and　took　too　much　for　it？〃



For　reply　Roscoe　laughed　hoarsely。　　〃Yeuh！　　Cold！　　I　been　drinkun　all　time；

lately。　　Firs'　you　notice　it？〃



〃By　George！〃　cried　Sheridan。　　〃I　THOUGHT　I'd　smelt　it　on　you　a　good　deal

lately；　but　I　wouldn't　'a'　believed　you'd　take　more'n　was　good　for　you。　Boh！

To　see　you　like　a　common　hog！〃



Roscoe　chuckled　and　threw　out　his　right　arm　in　a　meaningless　gensture。　〃Hog！〃

he　repeated；　chuckling。



〃Yes；　a　hog！〃　said　Sheridan；　angrily。　　〃In　business　hours！　　I　don't　object　to

anybody's　takin'　a　drink　if　you　wants　to；　out　o'　business　hours；　nor；　if　a　man

keeps　his　work　right　up　to　the　scratch；　I　wouldn't　be　the　one　to　baste　him　if

he　got　good　an'　drunk　once　in　two；　three　years；　maybe。　　It　ain't　MY　way。　　I

let　it　alone；　but　I　never　believed　in　forcin'　my　way　on　a　grown…up　son　in

moral　matters。　　I　guess　I　was　wrong！　　You　think　them　men　out　there　are　waitin'

to　talk　business　with　a　drunkard？　　You　think　you　can　come　to　your　office　and

do　business　drunk？　　By　George！　　I　wonder　how　often　this　has　been　happening　and

me　not　on　to　it！　　I'll　have　a　look　over　your　books　to…morrow；　and　I'll〃



Roscoe　stumbled　to　his　feet；　laughing　wildly；　and　stood　swaying；　contriving　to

hold　himself　in　position　by　clutching　the　back　of　the　heavy　chair　in　which　he

had　been　sitting。



〃Hoohoorah！〃　he　cried。　　〃'S　my　principles；　too。　　Be　drunkard　all　you　want

tooutside　business　hours。　　Don'　for　Gossake　le'n'thing　innerfere　business

hours！　　Business！　　Thassit！　　You're　right；　father。　　Drink！　　Die！　L'everything

go　to　hell；　but　DON'　let　innerfere　business！〃



Sheridan　had　seized　the　telephone　upon　Roscoe's　desk；　and　was　calling　his　own

office；　overhead。　　〃Abercrombie？　　Come　down　to　my　son　Roscoe's　suite　and　get

rid　of　some　gentlemen　that　are　waitin'　there　to　see　him　in　room　two…fourteen。

There's　Maples　and　Schirmer　and　a　couple　o'　fellows　on　the　Kinsey　business。

Tell　'em　something's　come　up　I　have　to　go　over　with　Roscoe；　and　tell　'em　to

come　back　day　after　to…morrow　at　two。　　You　needn't　come　in　to　let　me　know

they're　gone；　we　don't　want　to　be　disturbed。　　Tell　Pauly　to　call　my　house　and

send　Claus　down　here　with　a　closed　car。　　We　may　have　to　go　out。　　Tell　him　to

hustle；　and　call　me　at　Roscoe's　room　as　soon　as　the　car　gets　here。　'T's　all！〃



Roscoe　had　laughed　bitterly　throughout　this　monologue。　　〃Drunk　in　business

hours！　　Thass　awf'l！　　Mus'n'　do　such　thing！　　Mus'n'　get　drunk；　mus'n'　gamble；

mus'n'　kill　'nybodynot　in　business　hours！　　All　right　any　other　time。　　Kill

'nybody　you　want　to's　long　'tain't　in　business　hours！　　Fine！　　Mus'n'　have

any　trouble　't　'll　innerfere　business。　　Keep　your　trouble　't　home。　　Don'　bring

it　to　th'　office。　　Might　innerfere　business！　　Have　funerals　on　Sundaymight

innerfere　business！　　Don'　let　your　wife　innerfere　business！　Keep　all；　all；　ALL

your　trouble　an'　your　meanness；　an'　your　tradyour　tradegykeep　'em　ALL　for

home　use！　　If　you　got　die；　go　on　die　't　homedon'　die　round　th'　office！

Might　innerfere　business！〃



Sheridan　picked　up　a　newspaper　from　Roscoe's　desk；　and　sat　down　with　his　back

to　his　son；　affecting　to　read。　　Roscoe　seemed　to　be　unaware　of　his　father's

significant　posture。



〃You　know　wh'　I　think？〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　think　Bibbs　only　one　the　fam'ly　any

'telligence　at　all。　　Won'　work；　an'　di'n'　get　married。　　Jim　worked；　an'　he　got

killed。　　I　worked；　an'　I　got　married。　　Look　at　me！　　Jus'　look　at　me；　I　ask

you。　　Fine　'dustriss　young　business　man。　　Look