miss billie married-第30节

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

just　returned　from　a　far　country。



‘‘Well；　if　you　aren't　the　stranger　lady；''　began

Calderwell；　looking　frankly　pleased　to　see　her。　

‘‘We'd　thought　of　advertising　in　the　daily　press

somewhat　after　this　fashion：　　‘Lost；　strayed；　or

stolen；　one　Billy；　comrade；　good　friend；　and　kind

cheerer…up　of　lonely　hearts。　　Any　information

thankfully　received　by　her　bereft；　sorrowing

friends。'　''



Billy　joined　in　the　laugh　that　greeted　this　sally；

but　Arkwright　noticed　that　she　tried　to　change

the　subject　from　her　own　affairs　to　a　discussion

of　the　new　song　on　Alice　Greggory's　piano。　

Calderwell；　however；　was　not　to　be　silenced。



‘‘The　last　I　heard　of　this　elusive　Billy；''　he

resumed；　with　teasing　cheerfulness；　‘‘she　was　running

down　a　certain　lost　calory　that　had　slipped

away　from　her　husband's　breakfast；　and''



Billy　wheeled　sharply。



‘‘Where　did　you　get　hold　of　that？''　she　demanded。



‘‘Oh；　I　didn't；''　returned　the　man；　defensively。　

‘‘I　never　got　hold　of　it　at　all。　　I　never　even　saw

the　calorythough；　for　that　matter；　I　don't

think　I　should　know　one　if　I　did　see　it！　　What　we

feared　was；　that；　in　hunting　the　lost　calory；　you

had　lost　yourself；　and''　　But　Billy　would　hear

no　more。　　With　her　disdainful　nose　in　the　air　she

walked　to　the　piano。



‘‘Come；　Mr。　Arkwright；''　she　said　with　dignity。　

‘‘Let's　try　this　song。''



Arkwright　rose　at　once　and　accompanied　her

to　the　piano。



They　had　sung　the　song　through　twice　when

Billy　became　uneasily　aware　that；　on　the　other

side　of　the　room；　Calderwell　and　Alice　Greggory

were　softly　chuckling　over　something　they　had

found　in　a　magazine。　　Billy　frowned；　and　twitched

the　corners　of　a　pile　of　music；　with　restless　fingers。



‘‘I　wonder　if　Alice　hasn't　got　some　quartets

here　somewhere；''　she　murmured；　her　disapproving

eyes　still　bent　on　the　absorbed　couple　across

the　room。



Arkwright　was　silent。　　Billy；　throwing　a

hurried　glance　into　his　face；　thought　she　detected

a　somber　shadow　in　his　eyes。　　She　thought；　too；

she　knew　why　it　was　there。　　So　possessed　had

Billy　been；　during　the　early　winter；　of　the　idea

that　her　special　mission　in　life　was　to　inaugurate

and　foster　a　love　affair　between　disappointed　Mr。

Arkwright　and　lonely　Alice　Greggory；　that　now

she　forgot；　for　a　moment；　that　Arkwright　himself

was　quite　unaware　of　her　efforts。　　She　thought

only　that　the　present　shadow　on　his　face　must

be　caused　by　the　same　thing　that　brought　worry

to　her　own　heartthe　manifest　devotion　of

Calderwell　to　Alice　Greggory　just　now　across　the

room。　　Instinctively；　therefore；　as　to　a　coworker

in　a　common　cause；　she　turned　a　disturbed　face

to　the　man　at　her　side。



‘‘It　is；　indeed；　high　time　that　I　looked　after

something　besides　lost　calories；''　she　said

significantly。　　Then；　at　the　evident　uncomprehension

in　Arkwright's　face；　she　added：　　‘‘Has　it

been　going　on　like　thisvery　long？''



Arkwright　still；　apparently；　did　not　understand。



‘‘Haswhat　been　going　on？''　he　questioned。



‘‘Thatover　there；''　answered　Billy；

impatiently；　scarcely　knowing　whether　to　be　more

irritated　at　the　threatened　miscarriage　of　her

cherished　plans；　or　at　Arkwright's　（to　her）

wilfully　blind　insistence　on　her　making　her　meaning

more　plain。　　‘‘Has　it　been　going　on　longsuch

utter　devotion？''



As　she　asked　the　question　Billy　turned　and

looked　squarely　into　Arkwright's　face。　　She　saw；

therefore；　the　great　change　that　came　to　it；　as

her　meaning　became　clear　to　him。　　Her　first

feeling　was　one　of　shocked　realization　that

Arkwright　had；　indeed；　been　really　blind。　　Her

secondshe　turned　away　her　eyes　hurriedly　from

what　she　thought　she　saw　in　the　man's　countenance。



With　an　assumedly　gay　little　cry　she　sprang　to

her　feet。



‘‘Come；　come；　what　are　you　two　children

chuckling　over？''　she　demanded；　crossing　the

room　abruptly。　　‘‘Didn't　you　hear　me　say　I

wanted　you　to　come　and　sing　a　quartet？''



Billy　blamed　herself　very　much　for　what　she

called　her　stupidity　in　so　baldly　summoning

Arkwright's　attention　to　Calderwell's　devotion　to

Alice　Greggory。　　She　declared　that　she　ought　to

have　known　better；　and　she　asked　herself　if　this

were　the　way　she　was　‘‘furthering　matters''

between　Alice　Greggory　and　Arkwright。



Billy　was　really　seriously　disturbed。　　She　had

never　quite　forgiven　herself　for　being　so　blind　to

Arkwright's　feeling　for　herself　during　those　days

when　he　had　not　known　of　her　engagement　to

Bertram。　　She　had　never　forgotten；　either；　the

painful　scene　when　he　had　hopefully　told　of　his

love；　only　to　be　met　with　her　own　shocked

repudiation。　　For　long　weeks　after　that；　his　face　had

haunted　her。　　She　had　wished；　oh；　so　ardently；

that　she　could　do　something　in　some　way　to　bring

him　happiness。　　When；　therefore；　it　had　come　to

her　knowledge　afterward　that　he　was　frequently

with　his　old　friend；　Alice　Greggory；　she　had　been

so　glad。　　It　was　very　easy　then　to　fan　hope　into

conviction　that　here；　in　this　old　friend；　he　had

found　sweet　balm　for　his　wounded　heart；　and　she

determined　at　once　to　do　all　that　she　could　do　to

help。　　So　very　glowing；　indeed；　was　her　eagerness

in　the　matter；　that　it　looked　suspiciously　as　if　she

thought；　could　she　but　bring　this　thing　about；

that　old　scores　against　herself　would　be　erased。



Billy　told　herself；　virtuously；　however；　that

not　only　for　Arkwright　did　she　desire　this　marriage

to　take　place；　but　for　Alice　Greggory。　　In

the　very　nature　of　things　Alice　would　one　day　be

left　alone。　　She　was　poor；　and　not　very　strong。　

She　sorely　needed　the　shielding　love　and　care　of　a

good　husband。　　What　more　natural　than　that　her

old…time　friend　and　almost…sweetheart；　M。　J。

Arkwright；　should　be　that　good　husband？



That　really　it　was　more　Arkwright　and　less

Alice　that　was　being　considered；　however；　was

proved　when　the　devotion　of　Calderwell　began　to

be　first　suspected；　then　known　for　a　fact。　　Billy's

distress　at　this　turn　of　affairs　indicated　very

plainly　that　it　was　not　just　a　husband；　but　a

certain　one　particular　husband　that　she　desired

for　Alice　Greggory。　　All　the　more　disturbed　was

she；　therefore；　when　to…day；　seeing　her　three

friends　together　again　for　the　first　time　for　some

weeks；　she　discovered　increased　evidence　that　her

worst　fears　were　to　be　realized。　　It　was　to　be

Alice　and　Calderwell；　not　Alice　and　Arkwright。　

Arkwright　was　again　to　be　disappointed　in　his

dearest　hopes。



Telling　herself　indignantly　that　it　could　not

be；　it　_should_　not　be；　Billy　determined　to　remain

after　the　men　had　gone；　and　speak　to　Alice。　　Just

what　she　would　say　she　did　not　know。　　Even

what　she　could　say；　she　was　not　sure。　　But

certainly　there　must　be　something；　some　little　thing

that　she　could　say；　which　would　open　Alice's　eyes

to　what　she　was　doing；　and　what　she　ought　to

do。



It　was　in　this　frame　of　mind；　therefore；　that

Billy；　after　Arkwright　and　Calderwell　had　gone；

spoke　to　Alice。　　She　began　warily；　with　assumed

nonchalance。



‘‘I　believe　Mr。　Arkwright　sings　better　every

time　I　hear　him。''



There　was　no　answer。　　Alice　was　sorting　music

at　the　piano。



‘‘Don't　you　think　so？''　Billy　raised　her　voice

a　little。



Alice　turned　almost　with　a　start。



‘‘What's　that？　　Oh；　yes。　　Well；　I　don't　know；

maybe　I　do。''



‘‘You　wouldif　you　didn't　hear　him　any

oftener　than　I　do；''　laughed　Billy。　　‘‘But　then；

of　course　you　do　hear　him　oftener。''



‘‘I？　　Oh；　no；　indeed。　　Not　so　very　much

oftener。''　　Alice　had　turned　back　to　her　music。　

There　was　a　slight　embarrassment　in　her　manner。　

‘‘I　wonderwherethat　new　songis；''　she

murmured。



Billy；　who　knew　very　well　where　the　song　lay；

was　not　to　be　diverted。



‘‘Nonsense！　　As　if　Mr。　Arkwright　wasn't

always　telling　how　Alice　liked　this　song；　and　didn't

like　that　one；　and　thought　the　other　the　best　yet！　

I　don't　believe　he　sings　a　thing　that　he　doesn't

first　sing　to　you。　　For　that　matter；　I　fancy　he

asks　your　opinion　of　everything；　anyway。''



‘‘Why；　Billy；　he　doesn't！''　exclaimed　Alice；　a

deep　red　flaming　into　her　cheeks。　　‘‘You　know　he

doesn't。''



Billy　laughed　gleefully。　　She　had　not　been　slow

to　note　the　color　in　her　friend's　face；　or　to　ascribe

to　it　the　one　meaning　she　wished　to　ascribe　to　it。　

So　sure；　indeed；　was　she　now　that　her　fears　had

been　groundless；　that　she　flung　caution　to　the

winds。



‘‘Ho！　　My　dear　Alice；　you　can't　expect　us　all

to　be　blind；''　she　teased。　　‘‘Besides；　we　all　think

it's　such　a　lovely　arrangement　that　we're　just

glad　to　see　it。　　He's　such　a　fine　fellow；　and　we　like

him　so　much！　　We　couldn't　ask　for　a　better　husband

for　you　than　Mr。　Arkwright；　and''　　From

sheer　amazement　at　the　sudden　white　horror

in　Alice　Greggory's　face；　Billy　stopped　short。　

‘‘Why；　Alice！''　she　faltered　then。



With　a　visible　effort　Alice　forced