the turmoil-第39章

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the　fire；　the　shuffling　of　a　pair　of　slipers　could　be　heard　descending；　and

Mrs。　Sheridan　made　her　appearance；　her　oblique　expression　and　the　state　of　her

toilette　being　those　of　a　person　who；　after　trying　unsuccessfully　to　sleep　on

one　side；　has　got　up　to　look　for　burglars。



〃Papa！〃　she　exclaimed；　drowsily。　　〃Why'n't　you　go　to　bed？　　It　must　be　goin'　on

'leven　o'clock！〃



She　yawned；　and　seated　herself　near　him；　stretching　out　her　hands　to　the　fire。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　she　asked；　sleep　and　anxiety　striving　sluggishly　with

each　other　in　her　voice。　　〃I　knew　you　were　worried　all　dinner…time。　　You　got

something　new　on　your　mind　besides　Jim's　bein'　taken　away　like　he　was。　　What's

worryin'　you　now；　papa？〃



〃Nothin'。〃



She　jeered　feebly。　　〃N'　tell　ME　that！　　You　sat　up　to　see　Bibbs；　didn't　you？〃



〃He　starts　in　at　the　shop　again　to…morrow　morning；〃　said　Sheridan。



〃Just　the　same　as　he　did　before？〃



〃Just　pre…CISELY！〃



〃Howhow　long　you　goin'　to　keep　him　at　it；　papa？〃　she　asked；　timidly。



〃Until　he　KNOWS　something！〃　　The　unhappy　man　struck　his　palms　together；　then

got　to　his　feet　and　began　to　pace　the　room；　as　was　his　wont　when　he　talked。

〃He'll　go　back　to　the　machine　he　couldn't　learn　to　tend　properly　in　the　six

months　he　was　there；　and　he'll　stick　to　it　till　he　DOES　learn　it！　　Do　you

suppose　that　lummix　ever　asked　himself　WHY　I　want　him　to　learn　it？　　No！　　And　I

ain't　a…goin'　to　tell　him；　either！　　When　he　went　there　I　had　'em　set　him　on

the　simplest　machine　we　gotand　he　stuck　there！　　How　much　prospect　would

there　be　of　his　learnin'　to　run　the　whole　business　if　he　can't　run　the　easiest

machine　in　it？　　I　sent　him　there　to　make　him　THOROUGH。　　And　what　happened？　　He

didn't　LIKE　it！　　That　boy's　whole　life；　there's　been　a　settin'　up　o'　something

mulish　that's　against　everything　I　want　him　to　do。　　I　don't　know　what　it　is；

but　it's　got　to　be　worked　out　of　him。　　Now；　labor　ain't　any　more　a　simple

question　than　what　it　was　when　we　were　young。　　My　idea　is　that；　outside　o'

union　troubles；　the　man　that　can　manage　workin'…in　men　is　the　man　that's　been

one　himself。　　Well；　I　set　Bibbs　to　learn　the　men　and　to　learn　the　business；

and　HE　set　himself　to　balk　on　the　first　job！　　That's　what　he　did；　and　the

balk's　lasted　close　on　to　three　years。　　If　he　balks　again　I'm　just　done　with

him！　　Sometimes　I　feel　like　I　was　pretty　near　done　with　everything；　anyhow！〃



〃I　knew　there　was　something　else；〃　said　Mrs。　Sheridan；　blinking　over　a　yawn。

〃You　better　let　it　go　till　to…morrow　and　get　to　bed　now'less　you'll　tell

me？〃



〃Suppose　something　happened　to　Roscoe；〃　he　said。　　〃THEN　what'd　I　have　to　look

forward　to？　　THEN　what　could　I　depend　on　to　hold　things　together？　　A　lummix！

A　lummix　that　hasn't　learned　how　to　push　a　strip　o'　zinc　along　a　groove！〃



〃Roscoe？〃　she　yawned。　　〃You　needn't　worry　about　Roscoe；　papa。　　He's　the

strongest　child　we　had。　　I　never　did　know　anybody　keep　better　health　than　he

does。　　I　don't　believe　he's　even　had　a　cold　in　five　years。　　You　better　go　up

to　bed；　papa。〃



〃Suppose　something　DID　happen　to　him；　though。　　You　don't　know　what　it　means；

keepin'　property　together　these　daysjust　keepin'　it　ALIVE；　let　alone　makin'

it　grow　the　way　I　do。　　I've　seen　too　many　estates　hacked　away　in　chunks；　big

and　little。　　I　tell　you　when　a　man　dies　the　wolves　come　out　o'　the　woods；　pack

after　pack；　to　see　what　they　can　tear　off　for　themselves；　and　if　that　dead

man's　chuldern　ain't　on　the　job；　night　and　day；　everything　he　built　'll　get

carried　off。　　Carried　off？　　I've　seen　a　big　fortune　behave　like　an　ash…barrel

in　a　cyclonethere　wasn't　even　a　dust…heap　left　to　tell　where　it　stood！　　I've

seen　it；　time　and　again。　　My　Lord！　when　I　think　o'　such　things　comin'　to　ME！

It　don't　seem　like　I　deserved　itno　man　ever　tried　harder　to　raise　his　boys

right　than　I　have。　　I　planned　and　planned　and　planned　how　to　bring　'em　up　to

be　guards　to　drive　the　wolves　off；　and　how　to　be　builders　to　build；　and　build

bigger。　　I　tell　you　this　business　life　is　no　fool's　job　nowadaysa　man's　got

to　have　eyes　in　the　back　of　his　head。　　You　hear　talk；　sometimes；　'd　make　you

think　the　millennium　had　comebut　right　the　next　breath　you'll　hear　somebody

hollerin'　about　'the　great　unrest。'　　You　BET　there's　a　'great　unrest'！　　There

ain't　any　man　alive　smart　enough　to　see　what　it's　goin'　to　do　to　us　in　the

end；　nor　what　day　it's　got　set　to　bust　loose；　but　it's　frothin'　and　bubblin'

in　the　boiler。　　This　country's　been　fillin'　up　with　it　from　all　over　the　world

for　a　good　many　years；　and　the　old　camp…meetin'　days　are　dead　and　done　with。

Church　ain't　what　it　used　to　be。　　Nothin's　what　it　used　to　beeverything's

turned　up　from　the　bottom；　and　the　growth　is　so　big　the　roots　stick　out　in　the

air。　　There's　an　awful　ruction　goin'　on；　and　you　got　to　keep　hoppin'　if　you're

goin'　to　keep　your　balance　on　the　top　of　it。　　And　the　schemers！　　They　run　like

bugs　on　the　bottom　of　a　boardafter　any　piece　o'　money　they　hear　is　loose。

Fool　schemes　and　crooked　schemes；　the　fool　ones　are　the　most　and　the　worst！

You　got　to　FIGHT　to　keep　your　money　after　you've　made　it。　　And　the　woods　are

full　o'　mighty　industrious　men　that's　got　only　one　motto：　'Get　the　other

fellow's　money　before　he　gets　yours！'　　And　when　a　man's　built　as　I　have；　when

he's　built　good　and　strong；　and　made　good　things　grow　and　prosperTHOSE　are

the　fellows　that　lay　for　the　chance　to　slide　in　and　sneak　the　benefit　of　it

and　put　their　names　to　it！　　And　what's　the　use　of　my　havin'　ever　been　born；　if

such　a　thing　as　that　is　goin'　to　happen？　　What's　the　use　of　my　havin'　worked

my　life　and　soul　into　my　business；　if　it's　all　goin'　to　be　dispersed　and

scattered　soon　as　I'm　in　the　ground？〃



He　strode　up　and　down　the　long　room；　gesticulatinglittle　regarding　the

troubled　and　drowsy　figure　by　the　fireside。　　His　throat　rumbled　thunderously；

the　words　came　with　stormy　bitterness。　　〃You　think　this　is　a　time　for　young

men　to　be　lyin'　on　beds　of　ease？　　I　tell　you　there　never　was　such　a　time

before；　there　never　was　such　opportunity。　　The　sluggard　is　despoiled　while　he

sleepsyes；　by　George！　if　a　may　lays　down　they'll　eat　him　before　he

wakes！but　the　live　man　can　build　straight　up　till　he　touches　the　sky！　　This

is　the　business　man's　day；　it　used　to　be　the　soldier's　day　and　the　statesman's

day；　but　this　is　OURS！　　And　it　ain't　a　Sunday　to　go　fishin'it's　turmoil！

turmoil！and　you　got　to　go　out　and　live　it　and　breathe　it　and　MAKE　it

yourself；　or　you'll　only　be　a　dead　man　walkin'　around　dreamin'　you're　alive。

And　that's　what　my　son　Bibbs　has　been　doin'　all　his　life；　and　what　he'd　rather

do　now　than　go　out　and　do　his　part　by　me。　　And　if　anything　happens　to

Roscoe〃



〃Oh；　do　stop　worryin'　over　such　nonsense；〃　Mrs。　Sheridan　interrupted；

irritated　into　sharp　wakefulness　for　the　moment。　　　〃There　isn't　anything　goin'

to　happen　to　Roscoe；　and　you're　just　tormentin'　yourself　about　nothin'。

Aren't　you　EVER　goin'　to　bed？〃



Sheridan　halted。　　〃All　right；　mamma；〃　he　said；　with　a　vast　sigh。　　〃Let's　go

up。〃　　And　he　snapped　off　the　electric　light；　leaving　only　the　rosy　glow　of　the

fire。



〃Did　you　speak　to　Roscoe？〃　she　yawned；　rising　lopsidedly　in　her　drowsiness。

〃Did　you　mention　about　what　I　told　you　the　other　evening？〃



〃No。　　I　will　to…morrow。〃



But　Roscoe　did　not　come　down…town　the　next　day；　nor　the　next；　nor　did　Sheridan

see　fit　to　enter　his　son's　house。　　He　waited。　　Then；　on　the　fourth　day　of　the

month；　Roscoe　walked　into　his　father's　office　at　nine　in　the　morning；　when

Sheridan　happened　to　be　alone。



〃They　told　me　down…stairs　you'd　left　word　you　wanted　to　see　me。〃



〃Sit　down；〃　said　Sheridan；　rising。



Roscoe　sat。　　His　father　walked　close　to　him；　sniffed　suspiciously；　and　then

walked　away；　smiling　bitterly。　　〃Boh！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Still　at　it！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Roscoe。　　〃I've　had　a　couple　of　drinks　this　morning。　　What　about

it？〃



〃I　reckon　I　better　adopt　some　decent　young　man；〃　his　father　returned。　〃I'd

bring　Bibb