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barbers were negroes； he was their great man； and it was their habit to give
him a 〃reception；〃 his entrance being always the signal for a flurry of
jocular hospitality； followed by general excesses of briskness and gaiety。
But it was not so this evening。
The shop was crowded。 Copies of the 〃Extra〃 were being read by men waiting；
and by men in the latter stages of treatment。 〃Extras〃 lay upon vacant seats
and showed from the pockets of hanging coats。
There was a loud chatter between the practitioners and their recumbent
patients； a vocal charivari which stopped abruptly as Sheridan opened the
door。 His name seemed to fizz in the air like the last sputtering of a
firework； the barbers stopped shaving and clipping； lathered men turned their
prostrate heads to stare； and there was a moment of amazing silence in the
shop。
The head barber； nearest the door； stood like a barber in a tableau。 His
left hand held stretched between thumb and forefinger an elastic section of
his helpless customer's cheek； while his right hand hung poised above it； the
razor motionless。 And 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 lifeor just after it under which a man does not
need to be shaved。
He stepped forward； profoundly graave。 〃I be through with this man in the
chair one minute； Mist' Sheridan；〃 he said； in a hushed tone。 〃Yessuh。〃 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 subdued 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 up and 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 some one had left a copy of the
〃Extra〃 there； and； frowning； he picked it up and glanced at it。 The first
of the swollen display lines had little 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 Bibbs。 〃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。 But he was frightened。
Without a word； he followed Bibbs heavily out throught 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 face。
〃Whatwhat〃 His mouth could not do him the service he asked of it； he was
so frightened。
〃Extry！〃 screamed a newsboy straight in his face。 〃Young North Side
millionaire insuntly killed！ Extry！〃
〃NotJIM！〃 said Sheridan。
Bibbs caught his father's hand in his own。
〃And YOU come to tell me that？〃
Sheridan did not know what he said。 But in those first words and in the
first anguish of the big； stricken face Bibbs understood the unuttered cry of
accusation：
〃Why wasn't it you？〃
Standing in the black group under gaunt trees at the cemetery； three days
later； Bibbs unwillingly let an old； old thought become definite in his mind：
the sickly brother had buried the strong brother； and Bibbs wondered how many
million times that had happened since men first made a word to name the sons
of one mother。 Almost literally he had buried his strong brother； for
Sheridan had gone to pieces when he saw his dead son。 He had nothing to help
him meet the shock； neither definite religion nor 〃philosophy〃 definite or
indefinite。 He could only beat 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。 Edith； weeping； made
truce with Sibyl and saw to it that the mourning garments were beyond
criticism。 Roscoe was dazed； and he shirked； justifying himself curiously be
saying he 〃never had any experience in such matters。〃 So it was Bibbs； the
shy outsider； who became； during this dreadful little time； the master of the
house； for as strange a thing as that； sometimes； may be the result of a
death。 He met the relatives from out of town at the station； he set the time
for the funeral and the time for meals； he selected the flowers and he
selected Jim's coffin； he did all the grim things and all the other things。
Jim had belonged to an order of Knights； who lengthened the rites with a
picturesque ceremony of their own； and at first Bibbs wished to avoid this；
but upon reflection he offered no objectionhe divined that the Knights and
their service would be not precisely a consolation； but a satisfaction to his
father。 So the Knights led the procession； with their band playing a dirge
part of the long way to the cemetery； and then turned back； after forming in
two lines； plumed hats sympathetically in hand； to let the hearse and the
carriages pass between。
〃Mighty fine…lookin' men；〃 said Sheridan； brokenly。 〃They allall liked
him。 He was〃 His breath caught in a sob and choked him。 〃He wasa Grand
Supreme Herald。〃
Bibbs had divined aright。
〃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； execpt Bibbs； when it came to 〃Dust to dust。〃 Bibbs stood passive；
for he was the only one of them who had known that thought as a familiar
neighbor； he had been close upon dust himself for a long； long time； and even
now he could prophesy no protracted separation betwe