miss billie married-第14节
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then。 ‘‘Is this what you call staying to dinner；
Bertram Henshaw？''
Bertram stared。 A slow red stole to his
forehead。 It was his first experience of coming home
to meet angry eyes that questioned his behavior
and he did not like it。 He had been； perhaps；
a little conscience…smitten when he saw how late
he had stayed； and he had intended to say he
was sorry； of course。 But to be thus sharply
called to account for a perfectly innocent good
time with a couple of friends！ To come home
and find Billy making a ridiculous scene like
this！ Hehe would not stand for it！ He
Bertram's lips snapped open。 The angry retort
was almost spoken when something in the piteously
quivering chin and white； drawn face opposite
stopped it just in time。
‘‘Why； Billydarling！'' he murmured instead。
It was Billy's turn to change。 All the anger
melted away before the dismayed tenderness in
those dear eyes and the grieved hurt in that dear
voice。
‘‘Well； youyouI'' Billy began to cry。
It was all right then； of course； for the next
minute she was crying on Bertram's big； broad
shoulder； and in the midst of broken words；
kisses； gentle pats； and inarticulate croonings；
the Big； Bad Quarrel； that had been all ready to
materialize； faded quite away into nothingness。
‘‘I didn't have such an awfully good time； anyhow；
avowed Bertram； when speech became
rational。 ‘‘I'd rather have been home with you。''
‘‘Nonsense！'' blinked Billy； valiantly。 ‘‘Of
course you had a good time； and it was perfectly
right you should have it； too！ And II hope
you'll have it again。''
‘‘I sha'n't；'' emphasized Bertram； promptly；
‘‘not and leave you！''
Billy regarded him with adoring eyes。
‘‘I'll tell you； we'll have 'em come here；'' she
proposed gayly。
‘‘Sure we will；'' agreed Bertram。
‘‘Yes； sure we will；'' echoed Billy； with a
contented sigh。 Then； a little breathlessly； she
added： ‘‘Anyhow； I'll knowwhere you are。
I won't think you'redead！''
‘‘Youblessedlittle…goose！'' scolded
Bertram； punctuating each word with a kiss。
Billy drew a long sigh。
‘‘If this is a quarrel I'm going to have them
often；'' she announced placidly。
‘‘Billy！'' The young husband was plainly
aghast。
‘‘Well； I ambecause I like the making…up；
dimpled Billy； with a mischievous twinkle as she
broke from his clasp and skipped ahead up the
stairway。
CHAPTER VIII
BILLY CULTIVATES A ‘‘COMFORTABLE INDIFFERENCE''
The next morning； under the uncompromising
challenge of a bright sun； Billy began to be
uneasily suspicious that she had been just a bit
unreasonable and exacting the night before。 To
make matters worse she chanced to run across a
newspaper criticism of a new book bearing the
ominous title： ‘‘When the Honeymoon Wanes
A Talk to Young Wives。''
Such a title； of course； attracted her
supersensitive attention at once； and； with a curiously
faint feeling； she picked up the paper and began to
read。
As the most of the criticism was taken up with
quotations from the book； it was such sentences
as these that met her startled eyes：
‘‘Perhaps the first test comes when the young
wife awakes to the realization that while her husband
loves her very much； he can still make
plans with his old friends which do not include
herself。 。 。 。 Then is when the foolish wife lets
her husband see how hurt she is that he can want
to be with any one but herself。 。 。 。 Then is
when the husbandused all his life to independence；
perhapsbegins to chafe under these new
bonds that hold him so fast。 。 。 。 No man likes
to be held up at the end of a threatened scene and
made to give an account of himself。 。 。 。 Before
a woman has learned to cultivate a comfortable
indifference to her husband's comings and goings；
she is apt to be tyrannical and exacting。''
‘‘ ‘Comfortable indifference；' indeed！'' stormed
Billy to herself。 ‘‘As if I ever could be comfortably
indifferent to anything Bertram did！''
She dropped the paper； but there were still
other quotations from the book there； she knew；
and in a moment she was back at the table reading them。
‘‘No man； however fondly he loves his wife；
likes to feel that she is everlastingly peering into
the recesses of his mind； and weighing his every
act to find out if he does or does not love her to…
day as well as he did yesterday at this time。 。 。 。
Then； when spontaneity is dead； she is the chief
mourner at its funeral。 。 。 。 A few couples never
leave the Garden of Eden。 They grow old hand
in hand。 They are the ones who bear and forbear；
who have learned to adjust themselves to
the intimate relationship of living together。 。 。 。
A certain amount of liberty； both of action and
thought； must be allowed on each side。 。 。 。 The
family shut in upon itself grows so narrow that all
interest in the outside world is lost。 。 。 。 No
two people are ever fitted to fill each other's
lives entirely。 They ought not to try to do it。
If they do try； the process is belittling to each；
and the result； if it is successful； is nothing less
than a tragedy； for it could not mean the highest
ideals； nor the truest devotion。 。 。 。 Brushing up
against other interests and other personalities is
good for both husband and wife。 Then to each
other they bring the best of what they have
found； and each to the other continues to be new
and interesting。 。 。 。 The young wife； however；
is apt to be jealous of everything that turns her
husband's attention for one moment away from
herself。 She is jealous of his thoughts； his words；
his friends； even his business。 。 。 。 But the wife
who has learned to be the clinging vine when her
husband wishes her to cling； and to be the sturdy
oak when clinging vines would be tiresome； has
solved a tremendous problem。''
At this point Billy dropped the paper。 She
flung it down； indeed； a bit angrily。 There were
still a few more words in the criticism； mostly the
critic's own opinion of the book； but Billy did
not care for this。 She had read quite enough
boo much； in fact。 All that sort of talk might be
very well； even necessary； perhaps （she told herself）；
for ordinary husbands and wives！ but for
her and Bertram
Then vividly before her rose those initial quoted
words：
‘‘Perhaps the first test comes when the young
wife awakes to the realization that while her husband
loves her very much； he can still make
plans with his old friends which do not include
herself。''
Billy frowned； and put her finger to her lips。
Was that then； last night； a ‘‘test''？ Had she
been ‘‘tyrannical and exacting''？ Was she
‘‘everlastingly peering into the recesses'' of Bertram's
mind and ‘‘weighing his every act''？
Was Bertram already beginning to ‘‘chafe''
under these new bonds that held him？
No； no； never that！ She could not believe that。
But what if he should sometime begin to chafe？
What if they two should； in days to come；
degenerate into just the ordinary； everyday married
folk； whom she saw about her everywhere； and
for whom just such horrid books as this must be
written？ It was unbelievable； unthinkable。 And
yet； that man had said
With a despairing sigh Billy picked up the paper
once more and read carefully every word again。
When she had finished she stood soberly thoughtful；
her eyes out of the window。
After all； it was nothing but the same old story。
She was exacting。 She did want her husband's
every thought。 She _gloried_ in peering into every
last recess of his mind if she had half a chance。
She was jealous of his work。 She had almost
hated his paintingat times。 She had held him
up with a threatened scene only the night before
and demanded that he should give an account
of himself。 She had； very likely； been the clinging
vine when she should have been the sturdy
oak。
Very well； then。 （Billy lifted her head and
threw back her shoulders。） He should have no
further cause for complaint。 She would be an
oak。 She would cultivate that comfortable
indifference to his comings and goings。 She would
brush up against other interests and personalities
so as to be ‘‘new'' and ‘‘interesting'' to her
husband。 She would not be tyrannical； exacting；
or jealous。 She would not threaten scenes； nor
peer into recesses。 Whatever happened； she
would not let Bertram begin to chafe against
those bonds！
Having arrived at this heroic and （to her）
eminently satisfactory state of mind； Billy turned
from the window and fell to work on a piece of
manuscript music。
‘‘ ‘Brush up against other interests；' '' she
admonished herself sternly； as she reached for her
pen。
Theoretically it was beautiful； but practically
Billy began at once to be that oak。 Not an
hour after she had
