miss billie married-第29节

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clearing　of　his　throat；　and　hurriedly　resumed

his　search。　　When　he　did　find　his　wife；　at

last；　he　gave　a　cry　of　dismayshe　was　on　her

own　bed；　huddled　in　a　little　heap；　and　shaking

with　sobs。



‘‘Billy！　　Why；　Billy！''　he　gasped；　striding　to

the　bedside。



Billy　sat　up　at　once；　and　hastily　wiped　her　eyes。



‘‘Oh；　is　it　you；　B…Bertram？　I　didn't　hear　you

come　in。　　Youyou　s…said　you　weren't　coming

till　six　o'clock！''　she　choked。



‘‘Billy；　what　is　the　meaning　of　this？''



‘‘N…nothing。　　II　guess　I'm　just　tired。''



‘‘What　have　you　been　doing？''　Bertram　spoke

sternly；　almost　sharply。　　He　was　wondering　why

he　had　not　noticed　before　the　little　hollows　in

his　wife's　cheeks。　　‘‘Billy；　what　have　you　been

doing？''



‘‘Why；　n…nothing　extra；　only　some　sweeping；

and　cleaning　out　the　refrigerator。''



‘‘Sweeping！　　Cleaning！　　_You！_　　I　thought　Mrs。

Durgin　did　that。''



‘‘She　does。　　I　mean　she　did。　　But　she　couldn't

come。　　She　broke　her　legfell　off　the　stepladder

where　she　was　three　days　ago。　　So　I　_had_　to　do　it。　

And　to…day；　someway；　everything　went　wrong。　

I　burned　me；　and　I　cut　me；　and　I　used　two　sodas

with　not　any　cream　of　tartar；　and　I　should　think

I　didn't　know　anything；　not　anything！''　　And

down　went　Billy's　head　into　the　pillows　again　in

another　burst　of　sobs。



With　gentle　yet　uncompromising　determination；

Bertram　gathered　his　wife　into　his　arms　and　carried

her　to　the　big　chair。　　There；　for　a　few　minutes；

he　soothed　and　petted　her　as　if　she　were　a

tired　childwhich；　indeed；　she　was。



‘‘Billy；　this　thing　has　got　to　stop；''　he　said　then。　

There　was　a　very　inexorable　ring　of　decision　in　his

voice。



‘‘What　thing？''



‘‘This　housework　business。''



Billy　sat　up　with　a　jerk。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　it　isn't　fair。　　You　can'tyou

mustn'tjust　because　of　to…day！　　I　_can_　do　it。　

I　have　done　it。　　I've　done　it　days　and　days；　and

it's　gone　beautifullyeven　if　they　did　say　I

couldn't！''



‘‘Couldn't　what？''



‘‘Be　an　e…efficient　housekeeper。''



‘‘Who　said　you　couldn't？''



‘‘Aunt　Hannah　and　K…Kate。''



Bertram　said　a　savage　word　under　his　breath。



‘‘Holy　smoke；　Billy！　　I　didn't　marry　you　for　a

cook　or　a　scrub…lady。　　If　you　_had_　to　do　it；　that

would　be　another　matter；　of　course；　and　if　we　did

have　to　do　it；　we　wouldn't　have　a　big　house　like

this　for　you　to　do　it　in。　　But　I　didn't　marry　for　a

cook；　and　I　knew　I　wasn't　getting　one　when　I

married　you。''



Billy　bridled　into　instant　wrath。



‘‘Well；　I　like　that；　Bertram　Henshaw！　　Can't

I　cook？　　Haven't　I　proved　that　I　can　cook？''



Bertram　laughed；　and　kissed　the　indignant　lips

till　they　quivered　into　an　unwilling　smile。



‘‘Bless　your　spunky　little　heart；　of　course　you

have！　　But　that　doesn't　mean　that　I　want　you

to　do　it。　　You　see；　it　so　happens　that　you　can　do

other　things；　too；　and　I'd　rather　you　did　those。　

Billy；　you　haven't　played　to　me　for　a　week；　nor

sung　to　me　for　a　month。　　You're　too　tired　every

night　to　talk；　or　read　together；　or　go　anywhere

with　me。　　I　married　for　companionshipnot

cooking　and　sweeping！''



Billy　shook　her　head　stubbornly。　　Her　mouth

settled　into　determined　lines。



‘‘That's　all　very　well　to　say。　　You　aren't

hungry　now；　Bertram。　　But　it's　different　when

you　are；　and　they　said　'twould　be。''



‘‘Humph！　　‘They'　are　Aunt　Hannah　and

Kate；　I　suppose。''



‘‘Yesand　the　‘Talk　to　Young　Wives。'　''



‘‘The　w…what？''



Billy　choked　a　little。　　She　had　forgotten　that

Bertram　did　not　know　about　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young

Wives。''　　She　wished　that　she　had　not　mentioned

the　book；　but　now　that　she　had；　she　would　make

the　best　of　it。　　She　drew　herself　up　with　dignity。



‘‘It's　a　book；　a　very　nice　book。　　It　says　lots

of　thingsthat　have　come　true。''



‘‘Where　is　that　book？　　Let　me　see　it；　please。''



With　visible　reluctance　Billy　got　down　from　her

perch　on　Bertram's　knee；　went　to　her　desk　and

brought　back　the　book。



Bertram　regarded　it　frowningly；　so　frowningly

that　Billy　hastened　to　its　defense。



‘‘And　it's　truewhat　it　says　in　there；　and

what　Aunt　Hannah　and　Kate　said。　　It　_is_　different

when　they're　hungry！　　You　said　yourself　if　I'd

tend　to　my　husband　and　my　home　a　little　more；

and''



Bertram　looked　up　with　unfeigned　amazement。



‘‘I　said　what？''　he　demanded。



In　a　voice　shaken　with　emotion；　Billy　repeated

the　fateful　words。



‘‘I　neverwhen　did　I　say　that？''



‘‘The　night　Uncle　William　and　I　came　home

fromPete's。''



For　a　moment　Bertram　stared　dumbly；　then　a

shamed　red　swept　to　his　forehead。



‘‘Billy；　_did_　I　say　that？　　I　ought　to　be　shot　if

I　did。　　But；　Billy；　you　said　you'd　forgiven

me！''



‘‘I　did；　deartruly　I　did；　but；　don't　you　see？

it　was　true。　　I　_hadn't_　tended　to　things。　　So　I've

been　doing　it　since。''



A　sudden　comprehension　illuminated　Bertram's

face。



‘‘Heavens；　Billy！　　And　is　that　why　you　haven't

been　anywhere；　or　done　anything？　　Is　that　why

Calderwell　said　to…day　that　you　hadn't　been　with

them　anywhere；　and　that　　Great　Scott；　Billy！　

Did　you　think　I　was　such　a　selfish　brute　as

that？''



‘‘Oh；　but　when　I　was　going　with　them　I　_was_

following　the　bookI　thought；''　quavered　Billy；

and　hurriedly　she　turned　the　leaves　to　a　carefully

marked　passage。　　‘‘It's　thereabout　the　outside

interests。　　See？　　I　_was_　trying　to　brush　up

against　them；　so　that　I　wouldn't　interfere　with

your　Art。　　Then；　when　you　accused　me　of

gallivanting　off　with''　　But　Bertram　swept　her

back　into　his　arms；　and　not　for　some　minutes

could　Billy　make　a　coherent　speech　again。



Then　Bertram　spoke。



‘‘See　here；　Billy；''　he　exploded；　a　little　shakily；

‘‘if　I　could　get　you　off　somewhere　on　a　desert

island；　where　there　weren't　any　Aunt　Hannahs　or

Kates；　or　Talks　to　Young　Wives；　I　think　there'd

be　a　chance　to　make　you　happy；　but''



‘‘Oh；　but　there　was　truth　in　it；''　interrupted

Billy；　sitting　erect　again。　　‘‘I　_didn't_　know　how　to

run　a　house；　and　it　was　perfectly　awful　while　we

were　having　all　those　dreadful　maids；　one　after

the　other；　and　no　woman　should　be　a　wife　who

doesn't　know''



‘‘All　right；　all　right；　dear；''　interrupted

Bertram；　in　his　turn。　　‘‘We'll　concede　that　point；　if

you　like。　　But　you　_do_　know　now。　　You've　got

the　efficient　housewife　racket　down　pat　even　to　the

last　calory　your　husband　should　be　fed；　and　I'll

warrant　there　isn't　a　Mary　Ellen　in　Christendom

who　can　find　a　spot　of　ignorance　on　you　as　big　as

a　pinhead！　　So　we'll　call　that　settled。　　What　you

need　now　is　a　good　rest；　and　you're　going　to　have

it；　too。　　I'm　going　to　have　six　Mary　Ellens　here

to…morrow　morning。　　Six！　　Do　you　hear？　　And

all　you've　got　to　do　is　to　get　your　gladdest　rags

together　for　a　trip　to　Europe　with　me　next　month。　

Because　we're　going。　　I　shall　get　the　tickets　to…

morrow；　_after_　I　send　the　six　Mary　Ellens　packing

up　here。　　Now　come；　put　on　your　bonnet。　　We're

going　down　town　to　dinner。''







CHAPTER　XVIII



BILLY　TRIES　HER　HAND　AT　‘‘MANAGING''





Bertram　did　not　engage　six　Mary　Ellens　the

next　morning；　nor　even　one；　as　it　happened；　for

that　evening；　Elizawho　had　not　been　unaware

of　conditions　at　the　Stratatelephoned　to　say

that　her　mother　was　so　much　better　now　she

believed　she　could　be　spared　to　come　to　the　Strata

for　several　hours　each　day；　if　Mrs。　Henshaw

would　like　to　have　her　begin　in　that　way。



Billy　agreed　promptly；　and　declared　herself

as　more　than　willing　to　put　up　with　such　an

arrangement。　　Bertram；　it　is　true；　when　he　heard

of　the　plan；　rebelled；　and　asserted　that　what　Billy

needed　was　a　rest；　an　entire　rest　from　care　and

labor。　　In　fact；　what　he　wanted　her　to　do；　he　said；

was　to　gallivantto　gallivant　all　day　long。



‘‘Nonsense！''　Billy　had　laughed；　coloring　to

the　tips　of　her　ears。　　‘‘Besides；　as　for　the　work；

Bertram；　with　just　you　and　me　here；　and　with　all

my　vast　experience　now；　and　Eliza　here　for　several

hours　every　day；　it'll　be　nothing　but　play　for　this

little　time　before　we　go　away。　　You'll　see！''



‘‘All　right；　I'll　_see_；　then；''　Bertram　had　nodded

meaningly。　　‘‘But　just　make　sure　that　it　_is_　play

for　you！''



‘‘I　will；''　laughed　Billy；　and　there　the　matter

had　ended。



Eliza　began　work　the　next　day；　and　Billy　did

indeed　soon　find　herself　‘‘playing''　under

Bertram's　watchful　insistence。　　She　resumed　her

music；　and　brought　out　of　exile　the　unfinished

song。　　With　Bertram　she　took　drives　and　walks；

and　every　two　or　three　days　she　went　to　see

Aunt　Hannah　and　Marie。　　She　was　pleasantly

busy；　too；　with　plans　for　her　coming　trip；　and

it　was　not　long　before　even　the　remorseful

Bertram　had　to　admit　that　Billy　was　looking　and

appearing　quite　like　her　old　self。



At　the　Annex　Billy　found　Calderwell　and

Arkwright；　one　day。　　They　greeted　her　as　if　she　had

just　returned　from　a　far　country。



‘‘Well；　if　y