miss billie married-第28节

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some　may　think　a　2；000　calory　ration　is　altogether

too　small；　and　he　advises　such　to　begin　with

3；000　or　even　3；500graded；　of　course；　according

to　a　man's　size；　weight；　and　occupation。　　But

he　says　one　famous　man　does　splendid　work　on

only　1；800　calories；　and　another　on　even　1；600。　

But　that　is　just　a　matter　of　chewing。　　Why；

Bertram；　you　have　no　idea　what　perfectly　wonderful

things　chewing　does。''



‘‘Yes；　I've　heard　of　that；''　grunted　Bertram；

‘‘ten　chews　to　a　cherry；　and　sixty　to　a　spoonful

of　soup。　　There's　an　old　metronome　up…stairs

that　Cyril　left。　　You　might　bring　it　down　and

set　it　going　on　the　tableso　many　ticks　to　a

mouthful；　I　suppose。　　I　reckon；　with　an　incentive

like　that　to　eat；　just　about　two　calories　would

do　me。　　Eh；　William？''



‘‘Bertram！　　Now　you're　only　making　fun；''

chided　Billy；　‘‘and　when　it's　really　serious；　too。　

Now　listen；''　she　admonished；　picking　up　the

book　again。　　‘‘　‘If　a　man　consumes　a　large

amount　of　meat；　and　very　few　vegetables；　his

diet　will　be　too　rich　in　protein；　and　too　lacking　in

carbohydrates。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　he　consumes

great　quantities　of　pastry；　bread；　butter；

and　tea；　his　meals　will　furnish　too　much　energy；

and　not　enough　building　material。'　　There；　Bertram；

don't　you　see？''



‘‘Oh；　yes；　I　see；''　teased　Bertram。　　‘‘William；

better　eat　what　you　can　to…night。　　I　foresee　it's

the　last　meal　of　just　_food_　we'll　get　for　some　time。　

Hereafter　we'll　have　proteins；　fats；　and

carbohydrates　made　into　calory　croquettes；　and''



‘‘Bertram！''　scolded　Billy。



But　Bertram　would　not　be　silenced。



‘‘Here；　just　let　me　take　that　book；''　he　insisted；

dragging　the　volume　from　Billy's　reluctant　fingers。　

‘‘Now；　William；　listen。　　Here's　your　breakfast

to…morrow　morning：　strawberries；　100　calories；

whole…wheat　bread；　75　calories；　butter；　100

calories　（no　second　helping；　mind　you；　or　you'd

ruin　the　balance　and　something　would　topple）；

boiled　eggs；　200　calories；　cocoa；　100　calories

which　all　comes　to　570　calories。　　Sounds　like　an

English　bill　of　fare　with　a　new　kind　of　foreign

money；　but　'tisn't；　really；　you　know。　　Now　for

luncheon　you　can　have　tomato　soup；　50　calories；

potato　saladthat's　cheap；　only　30　calories；

and''　　But　Billy　pulled　the　book　away　then；

and　in　righteous　indignation　carried　it　to　the

kitchen。



‘‘You　don't　deserve　anything　to　eat；''　she

declared　with　dignity；　as　she　returned　to　the　dining…

room。



‘‘No？''　queried　Bertram；　his　eyebrows

uplifted。　　‘‘Well；　as　near　as　I　can　make　out　we

aren't　going　to　getmuch。''



But　Billy　did　not　deign　to　answer　this。



In　spite　of　Bertram's　tormenting　gibes；　Billy

did；　for　some　days；　arrange　her　meals　in　accordance

with　the　wonderful　table　of　food　given　in

‘‘Correct　Eating　for　Efficiency。''　　To　be　sure；

Bertram；　whatever　he　found　before　him　during

those　days；　anxiously　asked　whether　he　were

eating　fats；　proteins；　or　carbohydrates；　and　he

worried　openly　as　to　the　possibility　of　his　meal's

producing　one　calory　too　much　or　too　little；　thus

endangering　his　‘‘balance。''



Billy　alternately　laughed　and　scolded；　to　the

unvarying　good　nature　of　her　husband。　　As　it

happened；　however；　even　this　was　not　for　long；

for　Billy　ran　across　a　magazine　article　on　food

adulteration；　and　this　so　filled　her　with　terror

lest；　in　the　food　served；　she　were　killing　her

family　by　slow　poison；　that　she　forgot　all　about

the　proteins；　fats；　and　carbohydrates。　　Her　talk

these　days　was　of　formaldehyde；　benzoate　of

soda；　and　salicylic　acid。



Very　soon；　too；　Billy　discovered　an　exclusive

Back　Bay　school　for　instruction　in　household

economics　and　domestic　hygiene。　　Billy　investigated

it　at　once；　and　was　immediately　aflame　with

enthusiasm。　　She　told　Bertram　that　it　taught

everything；　_everything_　she　wanted　to　know；　and

forthwith　she　enrolled　herself　as　one　of　its　most

devoted　pupils；　in　spite　of　her　husband's　protests

that　she　knew　enough；　more　than　enough；　already。　

This　school　attendance；　to　her　consternation；

Billy　discovered　took　added　time；　but　in　some

way　she　contrived　to　find　it　to　take。



And　so　the　days　passed。　　Eliza's　mother；　though

better；　was　still　too　ill　for　her　daughter　to　leave

her。　　Billy；　as　the　warm　weather　approached；

began　to　look　pale　and　thin。　　Billy；　to　tell　the

truth；　was　working　altogether　too　hard；　but　she

would　not　admit　it；　even　to　herself。　　At　first　the

novelty　of　the　work；　and　her　determination　to

conquer　at　all　costs；　had　given　a　fictitious　strength

to　her　endurance。　　Now　that　the　novelty　had

become　accustomedness；　and　the　conquering　a

surety；　Billy　discovered　that　she　had　a　back　that

could　ache；　and　limbs　that；　at　times；　could　almost

refuse　to　move　from　weariness。　　There　was　still；

however；　one　spur　that　never　failed　to　urge　her

to　fresh　endeavor；　and　to　make　her；　at　least

temporarily；　forget　both　ache　and　weariness；　and

that　was　the　comforting　thought　that　now；

certainly；　even　Bertram　himself　must　admit　that

she　was　tending　to　her　home　and　her　husband。



As　to　BertramBertram；　it　is　true；　had　at

first　uttered　frequent　and　vehement　protests

against　his　wife's　absorption　of　both　mind　and

body　in　‘‘that　plaguy　housework；''　as　he　termed

it。　　But　as　the　days　passed；　and　blessed　order

superseded　chaos；　peace　followed　discord；　and

delicious；　well…served　meals　took　the　place　of　the

horrors　that　had　been　called　meals　in　the　past；　he

gradually　accepted　the　change　with　tranquil

satisfaction；　and　forgot　to　question　how　it　was

brought　about；　though　he　did　still；　sometimes；

rebel　because　Billy　was　always　too　tired；　or　too

busy；　to　go　out　with　him。　　Of　late；　however；　he

had　not　done　even　this　so　frequently；　for　a　new

‘‘Face　of　a　Girl''　had　possessed　his　soul；　and　all

his　thoughts　and　most　of　his　time　had　gone　to

putting　on　canvas　the　vision　of　loveliness　that　his

mind's　eye　saw。



By　June　fifteenth　the　picture　was　finished。　

Bertram　awoke　then　to　his　surroundings。　　He

found　summer　was　upon　him　with　no　plans　made

for　its　enjoyment。　　He　found　William　had　started

West　for　a　two　weeks'　business　trip。　　But　what　he

did　not　find　one　dayat　least　at　firstwas　his

wife；　when　he　came　home　unexpectedly　at　four

o'clock。　　And　Bertram　especially　wanted　to　find

his　wife　that　day；　for　he　had　met　three　people

whose　words　had　disquieted　him　not　a　little。　

First；　Aunt　Hannah。　　She　had　said：



‘‘Bertram；　where　is　Billy？　　She　hasn't　been

out　to　the　Annex　for　a　week；　and　the　last　time　she

was　there　she　looked　sick。　　I　was　real　worried

about　her。''



Cyril　had　been　next。



‘‘Where's　Billy？''　he　had　asked　abruptly。　

‘‘Marie　says　she　hasn't　seen　her　for　two　weeks。　

Marie's　afraid　she's　sick。　　She　says　Billy　didn't

look　well　a　bit；　when　she　did　see　her。''



Calderwell　had　capped　the　climax。　　He　had

said：



‘‘Great　Scott；　Henshaw；　where　have　you　been

keeping　yourself？　　And　where's　your　wife？　　Not

one　of　us　has　caught　more　than　a　glimpse　of　her

for　weeks。　　She　hasn't　sung　with　us；　nor　played

for　us；　nor　let　us　take　her　anywhere　for　a　month

of　Sundays。　　Even　Miss　Greggory　says　_she_　hasn't

seen　much　of　her；　and　that　Billy　always　says

she's　too　busy　to　go　anywhere。　　But　Miss　Greggory

says　she　looks　pale　and　thin；　and　that　_she_

thinks　she's　worrying　too　much　over　running　the

house。　　I　hope　she　isn't　sick！''



‘‘Why；　no；　Billy　isn't　sick。　　Billy's　all　right；''

Bertram　had　answered。　　He　had　spoken　lightly；

nonchalantly；　with　an　elaborate　air　of　carelessness；

but　after　he　had　left　Calderwell；　he　had

turned　his　steps　abruptly　and　a　little　hastily

toward　home。



And　he　had　not　found　Billyat　least；　not　at

once。　　He　had　gone　first　down　into　the　kitchen

and　dining…room。　　He　remembered　then；　uneasily；

that　he　had　always　looked　for　Billy　in　the　kitchen

and　dining…room；　of　late。　　To…day；　however；　she

was　not　there。



On　the　kitchen　table　Bertram　did　see　a　book

wide　open；　and；　mechanically；　he　picked　it　up。　

It　was　a　much…thumbed　cookbook；　and　it　was

open　where　two　once…blank　pages　bore　his　wife's

handwriting。　　On　the　first　page；　under　the　printed

heading　‘‘Things　to　Remember；''　he　read　these

sentences：



‘‘That　rice　swells　till　every　dish　in　the　house

is　full；　and　that　spinach　shrinks　till　you　can't

find　it。



‘‘That　beets　boil　dry　if　you　look　out　the　window。



‘‘That　biscuits　which　look　as　if　they'd　been

mixed　up　with　a　rusty　stove　poker　haven't　really

been　so；　but　have　only　got　too　much　undissolved

soda　in　them。''



There　were　other　sentences；　but　Bertram's　eyes

chanced　to　fall　on　the　opposite　page　where　the

‘‘Things　to　Remember''　had　been　changed　to

‘‘Things　to　Forget''；　and　here　Billy　had　written

just　four　words：　　‘‘Burns；''　‘‘cuts；''　and

‘‘yesterday's　failures。''



Bertram　dropped　the　book　then　with　a　spasmodic

clearing　of　his　throat；　and　hurriedly　resumed

his　search。　　When　he　di