Part 41 (1/2)

”I'd like you to understand just what I meant about those storage-rooms, father,” he said, as Jackson placed his coffee before him. ”Abercrombie agreed with me, but you wouldn't listen to him.”

”You can talk, if you want to, and I'll listen,” Sheridan returned, ”but you can't show me that Jim ever took up with a bad thing. The roof fell because it hadn't had time to settle and on account of weather conditions. I want that building put just the way Jim planned it.”

”You can't have it,” said Bibbs. ”You can't, because Jim planned for the building to stand up, and it won't do it. The other one--the one that didn't fall--is so shot with cracks we haven't dared use it for storage.

It won't stand weight. There's only one thing to do: get both buildings down as quickly as we can, and build over. Brick's the best and cheapest in the long run for that type.”

Sheridan looked sarcastic. ”Fine! What we goin' to do for storage-rooms while we're waitin' for those few bricks to be laid?”

”Rent,” Bibbs returned, promptly. ”We'll lose money if we don't rent, anyhow--they were waiting so long for you to give the warehouse matter your attention after the roof fell. You don't know what an amount of stuff they've got piled up on us over there. We'd have to rent until we could patch up those process perils--and the Krivitch Manufacturing Company's plant is empty, right across the street. I took an option on it for us this morning.”

Sheridan's expression was queer. ”Look here!” he said, sharply. ”Did you go and do that without consulting me?”

”It didn't cost anything,” said Bibbs. ”It's only until to-morrow afternoon at two o'clock. I undertook to convince you before then.”

”Oh, you did?” Sheridan's tone was sardonic. ”Well, just suppose you couldn't convince me.”

”I can, though--and I intend to,” said Bibbs, quietly. ”I don't think you understand the condition of those buildings you want patched up.”

”Now, see here,” said Sheridan, with slow emphasis; ”suppose I had my mind set about this. JIM thought they'd stand, and suppose it was--well, kind of a matter of sentiment with me to prove he was right.”

Bibbs looked at him compa.s.sionately. ”I'm sorry if you have a sentiment about it, father,” he said. ”But whether you have or not can't make a difference. You'll get other people hurt if you trust that process, and that won't do. And if you want a monument to Jim, at least you want one that will stand. Besides, I don't think you can reasonably defend sentiment in this particular kind of affair.”

”Oh, you don't?”

”No, but I'm sorry you didn't tell me you felt it.”

Sheridan was puzzled by his son's tone. ”Why are you 'sorry'?” he asked, curiously.

”Because I had the building inspector up there, this noon,” said Bibbs, ”and I had him condemn both those buildings.”

”What?”

”He'd been afraid to do it before, until he heard from us--afraid you'd see he lost his job. But he can't un-condemn them--they've got to come down now.”

Sheridan gave him a long and piercing stare from beneath lowered brows.

Finally he said, ”How long did they give you on that option to convince me?”

”Until two o'clock to-morrow afternoon.”

”All right,” said Sheridan, not relaxing. ”I'm convinced.”

Bibbs jumped up. ”I thought you would be. I'll telephone the Krivitch agent. He gave me the option until to-morrow, but I told him I'd settle it this evening.”

Sheridan gazed after him as he left the room, and then, though his expression did not alter in the slightest, a sound came from him that startled his wife. It had been a long time since she had heard anything resembling a chuckle from him, and this sound--although it was grim and dry--bore that resemblance.

She brightened eagerly. ”Looks like he was startin' right well don't it, papa?”

”Startin'? Lord! He got me on the hip! Why, HE knew what I wanted--that's why he had the inspector up there, so't he'd have me beat before we even started to talk about it. And did you hear him? 'Can't reasonably defend SENTIMENT!' And the way he says 'Us': 'Took an option for Us'! 'Stuff piled up on Us'!”

There was always an alloy for Mrs. sheridan. ”I don't just like the way he looks, though, papa.”