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folks 'n 'is house know 'im heap longer 'n you。 You the on'y man bettin' on
'im！〃
〃I risk it！〃 cried George； merrily。 〃I put her all on nowev'y cent！ 'At
boy's go' be flower o' the flock！〃
This singular prophecy； founded somewhat recklessly upon gratitude for the
meaning of 〃lamiDAL；〃 differed radically from another prediction concerning
Bibbs； set forth for the benefit of a fair auditor some twenty minutes later。
Jim Sheridan； skirting the edges of the town with Mary Vertrees beside him； in
his own swift machine； encountered the invalid upon the highroad。 The two
cars were going in opposite directions； and the occupants of Jim's had only a
swaying glimpse of Bibbs sitting alone on the back seathis white face
startlingly white against cap and collar of black furbut he flashed into
recognition as Mary bowed to him。
Jim waved his left hand carelessly。 〃It's Bibbs； taking his constitutional；〃
he explained。
〃Yes； I know；〃 said Mary。 〃I bowed to him； too； though I've never met him。 In
fact； I've only seen him onceno； twice。 I hope he won't think I'm very
bold； bowing to him。〃
〃I doubt if he noticed it；〃 said honest Jim。
〃Oh； no！〃 she cried。
〃What's the trouble？〃
〃I'm almost sure people notice it when I bow to them。〃
〃Oh； I see！〃 said Jim。 〃Of course they would ordinarily； but Bibbs is funny。〃
〃Is he？ How？〃 she asked。 〃He strikes me as anything but funny。〃
〃Well； I'm his brother；〃 Jim said； deprecatingly； 〃but I don't know what he's
like； and； to tell the truth； I've never felt exactly like I WAS his brother；
the way I do Roscoe。 Bibbs never did seem more than half alive to me。 Of
course Roscoe and I are older； and when we were boys we were too big to play
with him； but he never played anyway； with boys his own age。 He'd rather just
sit in the house and mope around by himslef。 Nobody could ever get him to DO
anything； you can't get him to do anything now。 He never had any LIFE in him；
and honestly； if he is my brother； I must say I believe Bibbs Sheridan is the
laziest man God ever made！ Father put him in the machine…shop over at the
Pump Worksbest thing in the world for himand he was just plain no account。
It made him sick！ If he'd had the right kind of energythe kind father's
got； for instance； or Roscoe； eitherwhy； it wouldn't made him sick。 And
suppose it was either of themyes； or me； eitherdo you think any of us
would have stopped if we WERE sick？ Not much！ I hate to say it； but Bibbs
Sheridan 'll never amount to anything as long as he lives。〃
Mary looked thoughtful。 〃Is there any particular reason why he should？〃 she
asked。
〃Good gracious！〃 he exclaimed。 〃You don't mean that； do you？ Don't you
believe in a man's knowing how to earn his salt； no matter how much money his
father's got？ Hasn't the business of this world got to be carried on by
everybody in it？ Are we going to lay back on what we've got and see other
fellows get ahead of us？ If we've got big things already； isn't it every
man's business to go ahead and make 'em bigger？ Isn't it his duty？ Don't we
always want to get bigger and bigger？〃
〃Ye…esI don't know。 But I feel rather sorry for your brother。 He looked so
lonelyand sick。〃
〃He's gettin' better every day；〃 Jim said。 〃Dr。 Gurney says so。 There's
nothing much the matter with him； reallyit's nine…tenths imaginary。
'Nerves'！ People that are willing to be busy don't have nervous diseases；
because they don't have time to imagine 'em。〃
〃You mean his trouble is really mental？〃
〃Oh； he's not a lunatic；〃 said Jim。 〃He's just queer。 Sometimes he'll say
something right bright； but half the time what he says is 'way off the
subject； or else there isn't any sense to it at all。 For instance； the other
day I heard him talkin' to one of the darkies in the hall。 The darky asked
him what time he wanted the car for his drive； and anybody else in the world
would have just said what time they DID want it； and that would have been all
there was to it； but here's what Bibbs says； and I heard him with my own ears。
'What time do I want the car？' he says。 'Well； now； that dependsthat
depends；' he says。 He talks slow like that； you know。 'I'll tell you what
time I want the car； George；' he says； 'if you'll tell ME what you think of
this statue！' That's exactly his words！ Asked the darky what he thought of
that Arab Edith and mother bought for the hall！〃
Mary pondered upon this。 〃He might have been in fun； perhaps；〃 she suggested。
〃Askin' a darky what he thought of a piece of statuaryof a work of art！
Where on earth would be the fun of that？ No； you're just kind…heartedand
that's the way you OUGHT to be； of course〃
〃Thank you； Mr。 Sheridan！〃 she laughed。
〃See here！〃 he cried。 〃Isn't there any way for us to get over this Mister and
Miss thing？ A month's got thirty…one days in it； I've managed to be with you
a part of pretty near all the thirty…one； and I think you know how I feel by
this time〃
She looked panic…stricken immediately。 〃Oh； no；〃 she protested； quickly。 〃No；
I don't； and〃
〃Yes； you do；〃 he said； and his voice shook a little。 〃You couldn't help
knowing。〃
〃But I do！〃 she denied； hurriedly。 〃I do help knowing。 I meanOh； wait！〃
〃What for？ You do know how I feel； and youwell； you've certainly WANTED me
to feel that wayor else pretended〃
〃Now； now！〃 she lamented。 〃You're spoiling such a cheerful afternoon！〃
〃'Spoilin' it！'〃 He slowed down the car and turned his face to her squarely。
〃See here； Miss Vertrees； haven't you〃
〃Stop！ Stop the car a minute。〃 And when he had complied she faced him as
squarely as he evidently desired her to face him。 〃Listen。 I don't want you
to go on； to…day。〃
〃Why not？〃 he asked； sharply。
〃I don't know。〃
〃You mean it's just a whim？〃
〃I don't know；〃 she repeated。 Her voice was low and troubled and honest； and
she kept her clear eyes upon his。
〃Will you tell me something？〃
〃Almost anything。〃
〃Have you ever told any man you loved him？〃
And at that； though she laughed； she looked a little contemptuous。 〃No；〃 she
said。 〃And I don't think I ever shall tell any man thator ever know what it
means。 I'm in earnest； Mr。 Sheridan。〃
〃Then youyou've just been flirting with me！〃 Poor Jim looked both furious
and crestfallen。
〃Not on bit！〃 she cried。 〃Not one word！ Not one syllable！ I've meant every
single thing！〃
〃I don't〃
〃Of course you don't！〃 she said。 〃Now； Mr。 Sheridan； I want you to start the
car。 Now！ Thank you。 Slowly； till I finish what I have to say。 I have not
flirted with you。 I have deliberately courted you。 One thing more； and then
I want you to take me straight home； talking about the weather all the way。 I
said that I do not believe I shall ever 'care' for any man； and that is true。
I doubt the existence of the kind of 'caring' we hear about in poems and plays
and novels。 I think it must be just a kind of emotional TALK most of it。
At all events； I don't feel it。 Now； we can go faster； please。〃
〃Just where does that let me out？〃 he demanded。 〃How does that excuse you
for〃
〃It isn't an excuse；〃 she said； gently； and gave him one final look； wholly
desolate。 〃I haven't said I should never marry。〃
〃What？〃 Jim gasped。
She inclined her head in a broken sort of acquiescence； very humble；
unfathomably sorrowful。
〃I promise nothing；〃 she said； faintly。
〃You needn't！〃 shouted Jim； radiant and exultant。 〃You needn't！ By George！
I know you're square； that's enough for me！ You wait and promise whenever
you're ready！〃
〃Don't forget what I asked；〃 she begged him。
〃Talk about the weather？ I will！ God bless the old weather！〃 cried the
happy Jim。
Through the open country Bibbs was borne flying between brown fields and
sun…flecked groves of gray trees； to breathe the rushing； clean air beneath a
glorious skythat sky so despised in the city； and so maltreated there； that
from early October to mid…May it was impossible for men to remember that blue
is the rightful color overhead。
Upon each of Bibbs's cheeks there was a hint of something almost resembling a
pinkishness； not actual color； but undeniably its phantom。 How largely this
apparition may have been the work of the wind upon his face it is difficult
to calculate； for beyond a doubt it was partly the result of a lady's bowing
to him upon no more formal introduction than the circumstance of his having
caught her looking into his window a month before。 She had bowed definitely；
she had bowed charmingly。 And it seemed to Bibbs that she must have meant to
convey her forgiveness。
There had been something in her recognition of him unfamiliar to his
experience； and he rode the warmer for it。 Nor did he lack the impression
that he would long remember her as he had just se