e hand cut off! You keep your eyes open!"

"Yes, sir." And Bibbs returned to the zinc-eater thoughtfully.

Half an hour later, Gurney touched him on the shoulder and beckoned him
outside, where conversation was possible. "I sent him home, Bibbs. He'll
have to be careful of that hand. Go get your overalls off. I'll take you
for a drive and leave you at home."

"Can't," said Bibbs. "Got to stick to my job till the whistle blows."

"No, you don't," the doctor returned, smothering a yawn. "He wants me to
take you down to my office and give you an overhauling to see how much
harm these four days on the machine have done you. I guess you folks
have got that old man pretty thoroughly upset, between you, up at your
house! But I don't need to go over you. I can see with my eyes half
shut--"

"Yes," Bibbs interrupted, "that's what they are."

"I say I can see you're starting out, at least, in good shape. What's
made the difference?"

"I like the machine," said Bibbs. "I've made a friend of it. I serenade
it and talk to it, and then it talks back to me."

"Indeed, indeed? What does it say?"

"What I want to hear."

"Well, well!" The doctor stretched himself and stamped his foot
repeatedly. "Better come along and take a drive with me. You can take
the time off that he allowed for the examination, and--"

"Not at all," said Bibbs. "I'm going to stand by my old zinc-eater till
five o'clock. I tell you I LIKE it!"

"Then I suppose that's the end of your wanting to write."

"I don't know about that," Bibbs said, thoughtfully; "but the zinc-eater
doesn't interfere with my thinking, at least. It's better than being
in business; I'm sure of that. I don't want anything to change. I'd be
content to lead just the life I'm leading now to the end of my days."

"You do beat the devil!" exclaimed Gurney. "Your father's right when he
tells me you're a mystery. Perhaps the Almighty knew what He was doing
when He made you, but it takes a lot of faith to believe it! Well, I'm
off. Go on back to your murdering old machine." He climbed into his car,
which he operated himself, but he refrained from setting it immediately
in motion. "Well, I rubbed it in on the old man that you had warned him
not to slide his hand along too far, and that he got hurt because he
didn't pay attention to your warning, and because he was trying to show
you how to do something you were already doing a great deal better
than he could. You tell him I'll be aroun