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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

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