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hardest worker that works FOR you。 But you don't know what work is； yet。 All
you've ever done was just stand around and feed a machine a child could
handle； and then come home and take a bath and go callin'。 I tell you you're
up against a mighty different proposition now； and if you're worth your
saltand you never showed any signs of it yetnot any signs that stuck out
enough to bang somebody on the head and make 'em sit up and take
noticewell； I want to say； right here and nowand you better listen；
because I want to say just what I DO say。 I say〃
He meandered to a full stop。 His mouth hung open； and his mind was a hopeless
blank。
Bibbs looked up patientlyan old； old look。 〃Yes； father； I'm listening。〃
〃That's all；〃 said Sheridan； frowning heavily。 〃That's all I came to say； and
you better see 't you remember it！〃
He shook his head warningly； and went out； closing the door behind him with a
crash。 However； no sound of footsteps indicated his departure。 He stopped
just outside the door； and stood there a minute or more。 Then abruptly he
turned the knob and exhibited to his son a forehead liberally covered with
perspiration。
〃Look here；〃 he said； crossly。 〃That girl over yonder wrote Jim a letter 〃
〃I know；〃 said Bibbs。 〃She told me。〃
〃Well； I thought you needn't feel so much upset about it〃 The door closed
on his voice as he withdrew； but the conclusion of the sentence was
nevertheless audible〃if you knew she wouldn't have Jim； either。〃
And he stamped his way down…stairs to tell his wife to quit her frettin' and
not bother him with any more fool's errands。 She was about to inquire what
Bibbs 〃said；〃 but after a second thought she decided not to speak at all。 She
merely murmured a wordless assent； and verbal communication was given over
between them for the rest of that afternoon。
Bibbs and his father were gone when Mrs。 Sheridan woke； the next morning； and
she had a dreary day。 She missed Edith woefully； and she worried about what
might be taking place in the Sheridan Building。 She felt that everything
depended on how Bibbs 〃took hold；〃 and upon her husband's return in the
evening she seized upon the first opportunity to ask him how things had gone。
He was non…committal。 What could anybody tell by the first day？ He'd seen
plenty go at things well enough right at the start and then blow up。 Pretty
near anybody could show up fair the first day or so。 There was a big job
ahead。 This material； such as it wasBibbs； in facthad to be broken in to
handling the work Roscoe had done； and then； at least as an overseer； he must
take Jim's position in the Realty Company as well。 He told her to ask him
again in a month。
But during the course of dinner she gathered from some disjointed remarks of
his that he and Bibbs had lunched together at the small restaurant where it
had been Sheridan's custom to lunch with Jim； and she took this to be an
encouraging sign。 Bibbs went to his room as soon as they left the table； and
her husband was not communicative after reading his paper。
She became an anxious spectator of Bibbs's progress as a man of business；
although it was a progress she could glimpse but dimly and only in the
evening； through his remarks and his father's at dinner。 Usually Bibbs was
silent； except when directly addressed； but on the first evening of the third
week of his new career he offered an opinion which had apparently been the
subject of previous argument。
〃I'd like you to understand just what I meant about those storage…rooms；
father；〃 he said； as Jackson placed his coffee before him。 〃Abercrombie
agreed with me； but you wouldn't listen to him。〃
〃You can talk； if you want to； and I'll listen；〃 Sheridan returned； 〃but you
can't show me that Jim ever took up with a bad thing。 The roof fell because
it hadn't had time to settle and on account of weather conditions。 I want
that building put just the way Jim planned it。〃
〃You can't have it；〃 said Bibbs。 〃You can't； because Jim planned for the
building to stand up； and it won't do it。 The other onethe one that didn't
fallis so shot with cracks we haven't dared use it for storage。 It won't
stand weight。 There's only one thing to do： get both buildings down as
quickly as we can； and build over。 Brick's the best and cheapest in the long
run for that type。〃
Sheridan looked sarcastic。 〃Fine！ What we goin' to do for storage…rooms
while we're waitin' for those few bricks to be laid？〃
〃Rent；〃 Bibbs returned； promptly。 〃We'll lose money if we don't rent；
anyhowthey were waiting so long for you to give the warehouse matter your
attention after the roof fell。 You don't know what an amount of stuff they've
got piled up on us over there。 We'd have to rent until we could patch up
those process perilsand the Krivitch Manufacturing Company's plant is empty；
right across the street。 I took an option on it for us this morning。〃
Sheridan's expression was queer。 〃Look here！〃 he said； sharply。 〃Did you go
and do that without consulting me？〃
〃It didn't cost anything；〃 said Bibbs。 〃It's only until to…morrow afternoon
at two o'clock。 I undertook to convince you before then。〃
〃Oh； you did？〃 Sheridan's tone was sardonic。 〃Well； just suppose you
couldn't convince me。〃
〃I can； thoughand I intend to；〃 said Bibbs； quietly。 〃I don't think you
understand the condition of those buildings you want patched up。〃
〃Now； see here；〃 said Sheridan； with slow emphasis； 〃suppose I had my mind set
about this。 JIM thought they'd stand； and suppose it waswell； kind of a
matter of sentiment with me to prove he was right。〃
Bibbs looked at him compassionately。 〃I'm sorry if you have a sentiment about
it； father；〃 he said。 〃But whether you have or not can't make a difference。
You'll get other people hurt if you trust that process； and that won't do。
And if you want a monument to Jim； at least you want one that will stand。
Besides； I don't think you can reasonably defend sentiment in this particular
kind of affair。〃
〃Oh； you don't？〃
〃No； but I'm sorry you didn't tell me you felt it。〃
Sheridan was puzzled by his son's tone。 〃Why are you 'sorry'？〃 he asked；
curiously。
〃Because I had the building inspector up there； this noon；〃 said Bibbs； 〃and I
had him condemn both those buildings。〃
〃What？〃
〃He'd been afraid to do it before； until he heard from usafraid you'd see he
lost his job。 But he can't un…condemn themthey've got to come down now。〃
Sheridan gave him a long and piercing stare from beneath lowered brows。
Finally he said； 〃How long did they give you on that option to convince me？〃
〃Until two o'clock to…morrow afternoon。〃
〃All right；〃 said Sheridan； not relaxing。 〃I'm convinced。〃
Bibbs jumped up。 〃I thought you would be。 I'll telephone the Krivitch agent。
He gave me the option until to…morrow； but I told him I'd settle it this
evening。〃
Sherida