按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
with the best。 Myself； I and the wife never had time for much o' that kind
o' doin's； but it's all right and good for the chuldern； and my daughter
she's always kind of taken to it。 I'll read you a poem she wrote when I get
you up at the house。 She wrote it in school and took the first prize for
poetry with it。 I tell you they don't make 'em any smarter 'n that girl； Mr。
Farver。 Yes； sir； take us all round； we're a pretty happy family； yes； sir。
Roscoe hasn't got any chuldern yet； and I haven't ever spoke to him and his
wife about itit's kind of a delicate matterbut it's about time the wife
and I saw some gran'…chuldern growin' up around us。 I certainly do hanker
for about four or five little curly…headed rascals to take on my knee。 Boys；
I hope； o' course； that's only natural。 Jim's got his eye on a mighty
splendid…lookin' girl； lives right next door to us。 I expect you heard me
joshin' him about it back yonder。 She's one of the ole blue…bloods here； and
I guess it was a mighty good stockto raise HER！ She's one these girls that
stand tight up and look at you！ And pretty？ She's the prettiest thing you
ever saw！ Good size； too； good health and good sense。 Jim 'll be just right
if he gets her。 I must say it tickles ME to think o' the way that boy took
ahold o' that job back yonder。 Four months and a half！ Yes； sir〃
He expanded this theme once more； and thus he continued to entertain the
stranger throughout the long drive。 Darkness had fallen before they reached
the city on their return； and it was after five when Sheridan allowed Herr
Favre to descend at the door of his hotel； where boys were shrieking extra
editions of the evening paper。
〃Now； good night； Mr。 Farver；〃 said Sheridan； leaning from the car to shake
hands with his guest。 〃Don't forget I'm goin' to come around and take you up
toGo on away； boy！〃
A newsboy had thrust himself almost between them； yelling； 〃Extry！ Secon'
Extry。 Extry； all about the horrable acciDENT。 Extry！〃
〃Get out！〃 laughed Sheridan。 〃Who wants to read about accidents？ Get out！〃
The boy moved away philosophically。 〃Extry！ Extry！〃 he shrilled。 〃Three
men killed！ Extry！ Millionaire killed！ Two other men killed！ Extry！
Extry！〃
〃Don't forget； Mr。 Farver。〃 Sheridan completed his interrupted farewells。
〃I'll come by to take you up to our house for dinner。 I'll be here for you
about half…past five to…morrow afternoon。 Hope you 'njoyed the drive much as
I have。 Good nightgood night！〃 He leaned back； speaking to the chauffer。
〃Now you can take me around to the Central City barber…shop； boy。 I want to
get a shave 'fore I go up home。〃
〃Extry！ Extry！〃 screamed the newsboys； zig…zagging among the crowds like
bats in the dusk。 〃Extry！ All about the horrable acciDENT！ Extry！〃 It
struck Sheridan that the papers sent out too many 〃Extras〃； they printed
〃Extras〃 for all sorts of petty crimes and casualties。 It was a mistake； he
decided； critically。 Crying 〃Wolf！〃 too often wouldn't sell the goods； it
was bad business。 The papers would 〃make more in the long run；〃 he was sure；
if they published an 〃Extra〃 only when something of real importance happened。
〃Extry！ All about the hor'ble AX'nt！ Extry！〃 a boy squawked under his nose；
as he descended from the car。
〃Go on away！〃 said Sheridan； gruffly； though he smiled。 He liked to see the
youngsters working so noisily to get on in the world。
But as he crossed the pavement to the brilliant glass doors of the
barber…shop； a second newsboy grasped the arm of the one who had thus cried
his wares。
〃Say； Yallern；〃 said this second； hoarse with awe； 〃'n't chew know who that
IS？〃
〃Who？〃
〃It's SHERIDAN！〃
〃Jeest！〃 cried the first； staring insanely。
At about the same hour； four times a weekMonday； Wednesday； Friday； and
SaturdaySheridan stopped at this shop to be shaved by the head barber。 The
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 onl