it was a hard one and right in the face, though I HAVE been
expectin' it some little time back. Well, it's got to be met. Now I'll
be frank with you. As I said a minute ago, mentally I couldn't ever
called you exactly strong. You been a little weak both ways, most of
your life. Not but what I think you GOT a mentality, if you'd learn to
use it. You got will-power, I'll say that for you. I never knew boy or
man that could be stubborner--never one in my life! Now, then, you've
showed you could learn to run that machine best of any man in the shop,
in no time at all. That looks to me like you could learn to do other
things. I don't deny but what it's an encouragin' sign. I don't deny
that, at all. Well, that helps me to think the case ain't so hopeless as
it looks. You're all I got to meet this blow with, but maybe you ain't
as poor material as I thought. Your tellin' me about comin' within
seven strips of the shop's record to-day looks to me like encouragin'
information brought in at just about the right time. Now, then, I'm
goin' to give you a raise. I wanted to send you straight on up through
the shops--a year or two, maybe--but I can't do it. I lost Jim, and now
I've lost Roscoe. He's quit. He's laid down on me. If he ever comes back
at all, he'll be a long time pickin' up the strings, and, anyway, he
ain't the man I thought he was. I can't count on him. I got to have
SOMEBODY I KNOW I can count on. And I'm down to this: you're my last
chance. Bibbs, I got to learn you to use what brains you got and see if
we can't develop 'em a little. Who knows? And I'm goin' to put my time
in on it. I'm goin' to take you right down-town with ME, and I won't be
hard on you if you're a little slow at first. And I'm goin' to do the
big thing for you. I'm goin' to make you feel you got to do the big
thing for me, in return. I've vindicated my policy with you about the
shop, and now I'm goin' to turn right around and swing you 'way over
ahead of where the other boys started, and I'm goin' to make an appeal
to your ambition that'll make you dizzy!" He tapped his son on the knee
again. "Bibbs, I'm goin' to start you off this way: I'm goin' to
make you a director in the Pump Works Company; I'm goin' to make you
vice-president of the Realty Company and a vice-president of the Trust
Company!"

Bibbs jumped to his feet, blanched. "Oh no!" he cried.

Sheridan took his dismay to be the excitement of sudden joy. "Yes,
sir! And there's some prett