miss billie married-第15节

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Theoretically　it　was　beautiful；　but　practically



Billy　began　at　once　to　be　that　oak。　　Not　an

hour　after　she　had　first　seen　the　fateful　notice　of

‘‘When　the　Honeymoon　Wanes；''　Bertram's　ring

sounded　at　the　door　down…stairs。



Bertram　always　let　himself　in　with　his　latchkey；

but；　from　the　first　of　Billy's　being　there；　he

had　given　a　peculiar　ring　at　the　bell　which　would

bring　his　wife　flying　to　welcome　him　if　she　were

anywhere　in　the　house。　　To…day；　when　the　bell

sounded；　Billy　sprang　as　usual　to　her　feet；　with　a

joyous　‘‘There's　Bertram！''　　But　the　next　moment

she　fell　back。



‘‘Tut；　tut；　Billy　Neilson　Henshaw！　　Learn　to

cultivate　a　comfortable　indifference　to　your

husband's　comings　and　goings；''　she　whispered

fiercely。　　Then　she　sat　down　and　fell　to　work　again。



A　moment　later　she　heard　her　husband's　voice

talking　to　some　onePete；　she　surmised。　　‘‘Here？　

You　say　she's　here？''　　Then　she　heard　Bertram's

quick　step　on　the　stairs。　　The　next　minute；　very

quietly；　he　came　to　her　door。



‘‘Ho！''　he　ejaculated　gayly；　as　she　rose　to

receive　his　kiss。　　‘‘I　thought　I'd　find　you　asleep；

when　you　didn't　hear　my　ring。''



Billy　reddened　a　little。



‘‘Oh；　no；　I　wasn't　asleep。''



‘‘But　you　didn't　hear''　Bertram　stopped

abruptly；　an　odd　look　in　his　eyes。　　‘‘Maybe　you

did　hear　it；　though；''　he　corrected。



Billy　colored　more　confusedly。　　The　fact　that

she　looked　so　distressed　did　not　tend　to　clear

Bertram's　face。



‘‘Why；　of　course；　Billy；　I　didn't　mean　to　insist

on　your　coming　to　meet　me；''　he　began　a　little

stiffly；　but　Billy　interrupted　him。



‘‘Why；　Bertram；　I　just　love　to　go　to　meet　you；''

she　maintained　indignantly。　　Then；　remembering

just　in　time；　she　amended：　　‘‘That　is；　I　did　love

to　meet　you；　until''　　With　a　sudden　realization

that　she　certainly　had　not　helped　matters　any；

she　came　to　an　embarrassed　pause。



A　puzzled　frown　showed　on　Bertram's　face。



‘‘You　did　love　to　meet　me　until''　he　repeated

after　her；　then　his　face　changed。　　‘‘Billy；

you　aren'tyou　_can't_　be　laying　up　last　night

against　me！''　he　reproached　her　a　little　irritably。



‘‘Last　night？　　Why；　of　course　not；''　retorted

Billy；　in　a　panic　at　the　bare　mention　of　the

‘‘test''　whichaccording　to　‘‘When　the　Honeymoon

Wanes''was　at　the　root　of　all　her　misery。　

Already　she　thought　she　detected　in　Bertram's

voice　signs　that　he　was　beginning　to　chafe

against　those　‘‘bonds。''　　‘‘It　is　a　matter　of

of　the　utmost　indifference　to　me　what　time　you

come　home　at　night；　my　dear；''　she　finished　airily；

as　she　sat　down　to　her　work　again。



Bertram　stared；　then　he　frowned；　turned　on

his　heel　and　left　the　room。　　Bertram；　who　knew

nothing　of　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''　in　the

newspaper　at　Billy's　feet；　was　surprised；　puzzled；

and　just　a　bit　angry。



Billy；　left　alone；　jabbed　her　pen　with　such　force

against　her　paper　that　the　note　she　was　making

became　an　unsightly　blot。



‘‘Well；　if　this　is　what　that　man　calls　being

‘comfortably　indifferent；'　I'd　hate　to　try　the

_un_comfortable　kind；''　she　muttered　with　emphasis。







CHAPTER　IX



THE　DINNER　BILLY　TRIED　TO　GET





Notwithstanding　what　Billy　was　disposed　to

regard　as　the　non…success　of　her　first　attempt　to

profit　by　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives；''　she　still

frantically　tried　to　avert　the　waning　of　her　honeymoon。　

Assiduously　she　cultivated　the　prescribed

‘‘indifference；''　and　with　at　least　apparent　enthusiasm

she　sought　the　much…to…be…desired　‘‘outside

interests。''　　That　is；　she　did　all　this　when　she

thought　of　it　when　something　reminded　her

of　the　sword　of　destruction　hanging　over　her

happiness。　　At　other　times；　when　she　was　just　being

happy　without　question；　she　was　her　old　self

impulsive；　affectionate；　and　altogether　adorable。



Naturally；　under　these　circumstances；　her　conduct

was　somewhat　erratic。　　For　three　days；　perhaps；

she　would　fly　to　the　door　at　her　husband's

ring；　and　hang　upon　his　every　movement。　　Then；

for　the　next　three；　she　would　be　a　veritable　will…o'…

the…wisp　for　elusiveness；　caring；　apparently；　not

one　whit　whether　her　husband　came　or　went

until　poor　Bertram；　at　his　wit's　end；　scourged

himself　with　a　merciless　catechism　as　to　what　he

had　done　to　vex　her。　　Then；　perhaps；　just　when

he　had　nerved　himself　almost　to　the　point　of　asking

her　what　was　the　trouble；　there　would　come

another　change；　bringing　back　to　him　the　old

Billy；　joyous；　winsome；　and　devoted；　plainly

caring　nothing　for　anybody　or　anything　but

himself。　　Scarcely；　however；　would　he　become　sure

that　it　was　his　Billy　back　again　before　she　was　off

once　more；　quite　beyond　his　reach；　singing　with

Arkwright　and　Alice　Greggory；　playing　with

Tommy　Dunn；　plunging　into　some　club　or　church

workanything　but　being　with　him。



That　all　this　was　puzzling　and　disquieting　to

Bertram；　Billy　not　once　suspected。　　Billy；　so　far

as　she　was　concerned；　was　but　cultivating　a

comfortable　indifference；　brushing　up　against　outside

interests；　and　being　an　oak。



December　passed；　and　January　came；　bringing

Miss　Marguerite　Winthrop　to　her　Boston　home。　

Bertram's　arm　was　‘‘as　good　as　ever''　now；

according　to　its　owner；　and　the　sittings　for　the　new

portrait　began　at　once。　　This　left　Billy　even　more

to　her　own　devices；　for　Bertram　entered　into　his

new　work　with　an　enthusiasm　born　of　a　glad　relief

from　forced　idleness；　and　a　consuming　eagerness

to　prove　that　even　though　he　had　failed　the　first

time；　he　could　paint　a　portrait　of　Marguerite

Winthrop　that　would　be　a　credit　to　himself；　a

conclusive　retort　to　his　critics；　and　a　source　of

pride　to　his　once　mortified　friends。　　With　his

whole　heart；　therefore；　he　threw　himself　into　the

work　before　him；　staying　sometimes　well　into　the

afternoon　on　the　days　Miss　Winthrop　could　find

time　between　her　social　engagements　to　give　him

a　sitting。



It　was　on　such　a　day；　toward　the　middle　of　the

month；　that　Billy　was　called　to　the　telephone　at

half…past　twelve　o'clock　to　speak　to　her　husband。



‘‘Billy；　dear；''　began　Bertram　at　once；　‘‘if　you

don't　mind　I'm　staying　to　luncheon　at　Miss　Winthrop's

kind　request。　　We've　changed　the　pose

neither　of　us　was　satisfied；　you　knowbut　we

haven't　quite　settled　on　the　new　one。　　Miss

Winthrop　has　two　whole　hours　this　afternoon　that

she　can　give　me　if　I'll　stay；　and；　of　course；　under

the　circumstances；　I　want　to　do　it。''



‘‘Of　course；''　echoed　Billy。　　Billy's　voice　was

indomitably　cheerful。



‘‘Thank　you；　dear。　　I　knew　you'd　understand；''

sighed　Bertram；　contentedly。　　‘‘You　see；　really；

two　whole　hours；　soit's　a　chance　I　can't　afford

to　lose。''



‘‘Of　course　you　can't；''　echoed　Billy；　again。



‘‘All　right　then。　　Good…by　till　to…night；''　called

the　man。



‘‘Good…by；''　answered　Billy；　still　cheerfully。　

As　she　turned　away；　however；　she　tossed　her　head。　

‘‘A　new　pose；　indeed！''　she　muttered；　with　some

asperity。　　‘‘Just　as　if　there　could　be　a　_new_　pose

after　all　those　she　tried　last　year！''



Immediately　after　luncheon　Pete　and　Eliza

started　for　South　Boston　to　pay　a　visit　to　Eliza's

mother；　and　it　was　soon　after　they　left　the　house

that　Bertram　called　his　wife　up　again。



‘‘Say；　dearie；　I　forgot　to　tell　you；''　he　began；

‘‘but　I　met　an　old　friend　in　the　subway　this

morning；　and　Iwell；　I　remembered　what　you

said　about　bringing　'em　home　to　dinner　next

time；　so　I　asked　him　for　to…night。　　Do　you　mind？　

It's''



‘‘Mind？　　Of　course　not！　　I'm　glad　you　did；''

plunged　in　Billy；　with　feverish　eagerness。　　（Even

now；　just　the　bare　mention　of　anything　connected

with　that　awful　‘‘test''　night　was　enough　to　set

Billy's　nerves　to　tingling。）　　‘‘I　want　you　to　always

bring　them　home；　Bertram。''



‘‘All　right；　dear。　　We'll　be　there　at　six　o'clock

then。　　It'sit's　Calderwell；　this　time。　　You

remember　Calderwell；　of　course。''



‘‘Not_Hugh_　Calderwell？''　Billy's　question

was　a　little　faint。



‘‘Sure！''　Bertram　laughed　oddly；　and　lowered

his　voice。　　‘‘I　suspect　_once_　I　wouldn't　have

brought　him　home　to　you。　　I　was　too　jealous。　

But　nowwell；　now　maybe　I　want　him　to　see

what　he's　lost。''



‘‘_Bertram！_''



But　Bertram　only　laughed　mischievously；　and

called　a　gay　‘‘Good…by　till　to…night；　then！''



Billy；　at　her　end　of　the　wires；　hung　up　the

receiver　and　backed　against　the　wall　a　little

palpitatingly。



Calderwell！　　To　dinnerCalderwell！　　Did

she　remember　Calderwell？　　Did　she；　indeed！　　As

if　one　could　easily　forget　the　man　that；　for　a　year

or　two；　had　proposed　marriage　as　regularly　（and

almost　as　lightly！）　as　he　had　torn　a　monthly　leaf

from　his　calendar！　　Besides；　was　it　not　he；　too；

who　had　said　that　Bertram　would　never　love　any

girl；　_really_；　that　it　would　be　only　the　tilt　of　her

chin　or　the　turn　of　her　head　that　he　lovedto

paint？　　And　now　he　was　coming　to　dinnerand

with　Bertram。



Very　well；　he　should　see！　　H