in the course of your life? Have you ever been right upon
any subject or question you've thought about and talked about? Can you
mention one single time when you were proved to be right?"

He was flourishing the bandaged hand as he spoke, but Bibbs said only,
"If I've always been wrong before, surely there's more chance that I'm
right about this. It seems reasonable to suppose something would be due
to bring up my average."

"Yes, I thought you wouldn't see the point. And there's another you
probably couldn't see, but I'll take the liberty to mention it. You been
balkin' all your life. Pretty much everything I ever wanted you to do,
you'd let out SOME kind of a holler, like you are now--and yet I can't
seem to remember once when you didn't have to lay down and do what I
said. But go on with your remarks about our city and the business of
this country. Go on!"

"I don't want to be a part of it," said Bibbs, with unwonted decision.
"I want to keep to myself, and I'm doing it now. I couldn't, if I went
down there with you. I'd be swallowed into it. I don't care for money
enough to--"

"No," his father interrupted, still dangerously quiet. "You've never had
to earn a living. Anybody could tell that by what you say. Now, let me
remind you: you're sleepin' in a pretty good bed; you're eatin' pretty
fair food; you're wearin' pretty fine clothes. Just suppose one o' these
noisy housekeepers--me, for instance--decided to let you do your own
housekeepin'. May I ask what your proposition would be?"

"I'm earning nine dollars a week," said Bibbs, sturdily. "It's enough. I
shouldn't mind at all."

"Who's payin' you that nine dollars a week?"

"My work!" Bibbs answered. "And I've done so well on that
clipping-machine I believe I could work up to fifteen or even twenty
a week at another job. I could be a fair plumber in a few months,
I'm sure. I'd rather have a trade than be in business--I should,
infinitely!"

"You better set about learnin' one pretty dam' quick!" But Sheridan
struggled with his temper and again was partially successful in
controlling it. "You better learn a trade over Sunday, because you're
either goin' down with me to my office Monday morning--or--you can go to
plumbing!"

"All right," said Bibbs, gently. "I can get along."

Sheridan raised his hands sardonically, as in prayer. "O God," he said,
"this boy was crazy enough before he began to earn his nine dollars a
week, and now his money's gone to his