miss billie married-第37节

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when　they　could　do　nothing　but　cry　and　wave

their　absurd　little　fists；　and　wobble　their　heads

in　so　fearsome　a　manner；　as　if　they　simply　did

not　know　the　meaning　of　the　word　backbone

and；　for　that　matter；　of　course　they　didn't

why；　he　could　not　be　expected　to　be　anything

but　relieved　when　he　had　his　den　to　himself　again；

with　a　reasonable　chance　of　finding　his　manuscript

as　he　had　left　it；　and　not　cut　up　into　a　ridiculous

string　of　paper　dolls　holding　hands；　as　he　had

once　found　it；　after　a　visit　from　a　woman　with　a

small　girl。



Since　Marie　had　been　at　the　helm；　however；

he　had　not　been　troubled　in　such　a　way。　　He　had；

indeed；　known　almost　his　old　customary　peace

and　freedom　from　interruption；　with　only　an

occasional　flitting　across　his　path　of　the　strange

women　and　babiesthough　he　had　realized；　of

course；　that　they　were　in　the　house；　especially　in

the　nursery。　　For　that　reason；　therefore；　he　always

avoided　the　nursery　when　possible。　　But　to…day

he　wanted　his　wife；　and　his　wife　was　not　to　be

found　anywhere　else　in　the　house。　　So；　reluctantly；

he　turned　his　steps　toward　the　nursery；　and；　with

a　frown；　knocked　and　pushed　open　the　door。



‘‘Is　Mrs。　Henshaw　here？''　he　demanded；　not

over　gently。



Absolute　silence　greeted　his　question。　　The　man

saw　then　that　there　was　no　one　in　the　room　save

a　baby　sitting　on　a　mat　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；

barricaded　on　all　sides　with　pillows。



With　a　deeper　frown　the　man　turned　to　go；　when

a　gleeful　‘‘Ahgoo！''　halted　his　steps　midway。　

He　wheeled　sharply。



‘‘Ereh？''　he　queried；　uncertainly　eyeing

his　small　son　on　the　floor。



‘‘Ahgoo！''　observed　the　infant　（who　had

been　very　lonesome）；　with　greater　emphasis；　and

this　time　he　sent　into　his　father's　eyes　the　most

bewitching　of　smiles。



‘‘Well；　by　George！''　murmured　the　man；

weakly；　a　dawning　amazement　driving　the　frown

from　his　face。



‘‘Spggghoowah！''　gurgled　the　boy；　holding

out　two　tiny　fists。



A　slow　smile　came　to　the　man's　face。



‘‘Well；　I'llbedarned；''　he　muttered　half…

shamefacedly；　wholly　delightedly。　　‘‘If　the　rascal

doesn't　act　as　if　heknew　me！''



‘‘Ahgoospggghh！''　grinned　the　infant；

toothlessly；　but　entrancingly。



With　almost　a　stealthy　touch　Cyril　closed　the

door　back　of　him；　and　advanced　a　little　dubiously

toward　his　son。　　His　countenance　carried　a　mixture

of　guilt；　curiosity；　and　dogged　determination

so　ludicrous　that　it　was　a　pity　none　but　baby　eyes

could　see　it。　　As　if　to　meet　more　nearly　on　a　level

this　baffling　new　acquaintance；　Cyril　got　to　his

kneessomewhat　stiffly；　it　must　be　confessed

and　faced　his　son。



‘‘Gooeeeoooyah！''　crowed　the　baby

now；　thrashing　legs　and　arms　about　in　a　transport

of　joy　at　the　acquisition　of　this　new　playmate。



‘‘Well；　well；　young　man；　youyou　don't　say

so！''　stammered　the　growingly…proud　father；

thrusting　a　plainly　timid　and　unaccustomed　finger

toward　his　offspring。　　‘‘So　you　do　know　me；

eh？　　Well；　who　am　I？''



‘‘Dada！''　gurgled　the　boy；　triumphantly

clutching　the　outstretched　finger；　and　holding　on

with　a　tenacity　that　brought　a　gleeful　chuckle　to

the　lips　of　the　man。



‘‘Jove！　but　aren't　you　the　strong　little　beggar；

though！　　Needn't　tell　me　you　don't　know　a　good

thing　when　you　see　it！　　So　I'm　‘da…da；'　am　I？''

he　went　on；　unhesitatingly　accepting　as　the　pure

gold　of　knowledge　the　shameless　imitation　vocabulary

his　son　was　foisting　upon　him。　　‘‘Well；　I

expect　I　am；　and''



‘‘Oh；　Cyril！''　　The　door　had　opened；　and

Marie　was　in　the　room。　　If　she　gave　a　start　of

surprise　at　her　husband's　unaccustomed　attitude；

she　quickly　controlled　herself。　　‘‘Julia　said　you

wanted　me。　　I　must　have　been　going　down　the

back　stairs　when　you　came　up　the　front；　and''



‘‘Please；　Mrs。　Henshaw；　is　it　Dot　you　have　in

here；　or　Dimple？''　asked　a　new　voice；　as　the　second

nurse　entered　by　another　door。



Before　Mrs。　Henshaw　could　answer；　Cyril；　who

had　got　to　his　feet；　turned　sharply。



‘‘Is　it_who_？''　he　demanded。



‘‘Oh！　　Oh；　Mr。　Henshaw；''　stammered　the　girl。　

‘‘I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　didn't　know　you　were　here。　

It　was　only　that　I　wanted　to　know　which　baby　it

was。　　We　thought　we　had　Dot　with　us；　until''



‘‘Dot！　　Dimple！''　exploded　the　man。　　‘‘Do

you　mean　to　say　you　have　given　my　_sons_　the

ridiculous　names　of　‘_Dot_'　and　‘_Dimple_'？''



‘‘Why；　noyeswell；　that　iswe　had　to

call　them　something；''　faltered　the　nurse；　as　with

a　despairing　glance　at　her　mistress；　she　plunged

through　the　doorway。



Cyril　turned　to　his　wife。



‘‘Marie；　what　is　the　meaning　of　this？''　he　demanded。



‘‘Why；　Cyril；　dear；　don'tdon't　get　so

wrought　up；''　she　begged。　　It's　only　as　Mary　said；

we　_had_　to　call　them　something；　and''



‘‘Wrought　up；　indeed！''　interrupted　Cyril；

savagely。　　‘‘Who　wouldn't　be？　　‘Dot'　and　‘Dimple'！　

Great　Scott！　　One　would　think　those　boys

were　a　couple　of　kittens　or　puppies；　that　they

didn't　know　anythingdidn't　have　any　brains！　

But　they　haveif　the　other　is　anything　like　this

one；　at　least；''　he　declared；　pointing　to　his　son　on

the　floor；　who；　at　this　opportune　moment　joined

in　the　conversation　to　the　extent　of　an　appropriate

‘‘Ahgoodada！''



‘‘There；　hear　that；　will　you？''　triumphed　the

father。　　‘‘What　did　I　tell　you？　　That's　the　way

he's　been　going　on　ever　since　I　came　into　the

room；　The　little　rascal　knows　meso　soon！''



Marie　clapped　her　fingers　to　her　lips　and　turned

her　back　suddenly；　with　a　spasmodic　little　cough；

but　her　husband；　if　he　noticed　the　interruption；

paid　no　heed。



‘‘Dot　and　Dimple；　indeed！''　he　went　on

wrathfully。　　‘‘That　settles　it。　　We'll　name　those　boys

to…day；　Marie；　_to…day！_　　Not　once　again　will　I　let

the　sun　go　down　on　a　Dot　and　a　Dimple　under

my　roof。''



Marie　turned　with　a　quick　little　cry　of　happiness。



‘‘Oh；　Cyril；　I'm　so　glad！　　I've　so　wanted　to

have　them　named；　you　know！　　And　shall　we　call

them　Franz　and　Felix；　as　we'd　talked？''



‘‘Franz；　Felix；　John；　James；　Paul；　Charles

anything；　so　it's　sane　and　sensible！　　I'd　even

adopt　Calderwell's　absurd　Bildad　ander

Tomdad；　or　whatever　it　was；　rather　than　have

those　poor　little　chaps　insulted　a　day　longer　with

a　‘Dot'　and　a　‘Dimple。'　　Great　Scott！''　　And；

entirely　forgetting　what　he　had　come　to　the

nursery　for；　Cyril　strode　from　the　room。



‘‘Ahgoospggggh！''　commented　baby

from　the　middle　of　the　floor。





It　was　on　a　very　windy　March　day　that　Bertram

Henshaw's　son；　Bertram；　Jr。；　arrived　at

the　Strata。　　Billy　went　so　far　into　the　Valley　of

the　Shadow　of　Death　for　her　baby　that　it　was

some　days　before　she　realized　in　all　its　importance

the　presence　of　the　new　member　of　her

family。　　Even　when　the　days　had　become　weeks；

and　Bertram；　Jr。；　was　a　month　and　a　half　old；

the　extreme　lassitude　and　weariness　of　his　young

mother　was　a　source　of　ever…growing　anxiety　to

her　family　and　friends。　　Billy　was　so　unlike　herself；

they　all　said。



‘‘If　something　could　only　rouse　her；''

suggested　the　Henshaw's　old　family　physician　one

day。　　‘‘A　certain　sort　of　mental　shockif　not

too　severewould　do　the　deed；　I　think；　and

with　no　injuryonly　benefit。　　Her　physical

condition　is　in　just　the　state　that　needs　a　stimulus

to　stir　it　into　new　life　and　vigor。''



As　it　happened；　this　was　said　on　a　certain

Monday。　　Two　days　later　Bertram's　sister　Kate；　on

her　way　with　her　husband　to　Mr。　Hartwell's　old

home　in　Vermont；　stopped　over　in　Boston　for　a

two　days'　visit。　　She　made　her　headquarters　at

Cyril's　home；　but　very　naturally　she　went；　without

much　delay；　to　pay　her　respects　to　Bertram；　Jr。



‘‘Mr。　Hartwell's　brother　isn't　well；''　she

explained　to　Billy；　after　the　greetings　were　over。　

‘‘You　know　he's　the　only　one　left　there；　since

Mother　and　Father　Hartwell　came　West。　　We

shall　go　right　on　up　to　Vermont　in　a　couple　of

days；　but　we　just　had　to　stay　over　long　enough

to　see　the　baby；　and　we　hadn't　ever　seen　the

twins；　either；　you　know。　　By　the　way；　how　perfectly

ridiculous　Cyril　is　over　those　boys！''



‘‘Is　he？''　smiled　Billy；　faintly。



‘‘Yes。　　One　would　think　there　were　never　any

babies　born　before；　to　hear　him　talk。　　He　thinks

they're　the　most　wonderful　things　in　the　world

and　they　are　cunning　little　fellows；　I'll　admit。　

But　Cyril　thinks　they　_know_　so　much；''　went　on

Kate；　laughingly。　　‘‘He's　always　bragging　of

something　one　or　the　other　of　them　has　done。　

Think　of　it_Cyril！_　　Marie　says　it　all　started

from　the　time　last　January　when　he　discovered

the　nurses　had　been　calling　them　Dot　and　Dimple。''



‘‘Yes；　I　know；''　smiled　Billy　again；　faintly；

lifting　a　thin；　white；　very　un…Billy…like　hand　to

her　head。



Kate　frowned；　and　regarded　her　sister…in…law

thoughtfully。



‘‘Mercy！　how　you　look；　Billy！''　she　exclaimed；

with　cheerful　tactlessness。　　‘‘They　said　you　did；

but；　I　declare；　you　look　worse　than　I　thought。''



Bill