miss billie married-第45节

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the　rest　from　the　Annex　were　to　have　the　fun　all

over　again。



From　garret　to　basement　the　Strata　was　aflame

with　holly；　and　aglitter　with　tinsel。　　Nowhere

did　there　seem　to　be　a　spot　that　did　not　have　its

bit　of　tissue　paper　or　its　trail　of　red　ribbon。　　And

everythingholly；　ribbon；　tissue；　and　tinsel

led　to　the　mysteriously　closed　doors　of　the　great

front　drawing…room；　past　which　none　but　Billy

and　her　accredited　messengers　might　venture。　

No　wonder；　indeed；　that　even　Baby　scented

excitement；　and　that　Baby's　mother　was　not

exactly　calm。　　No　wonder；　too；　that　Bertram；　with

his　helpless　right　arm；　and　his　heavy　heart；　felt

peculiarly　forlorn　and　‘‘out　of　it。''　　No　wonder；

also；　that　he　took　himself　literally　out　of　it　with

growing　frequency。



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Hartwell　and　little　Kate　were

to　stay　at　the　Strata。　　The　boys；　Paul　and

Egbert；　were　to　go　to　Cyril's。　　Promptly　at　the

appointed　time；　two　days　before　Christmas；　they

arrived。　　And　from　that　hour　until　two　days　after

Christmas；　when　the　last　bit　of　holly；　ribbon；

tissue；　and　tinsel　disappeared　from　the　floor；

Billy　moved　in　a　whirl　of　anxious　responsibility

that　was　yet　filled　with　fun；　frolic；　and　laughter。



It　was　a　great　success；　the　whole　affair。　

Everybody　seemed　pleased　and　happythat　is；

everybody　but　Bertram；　and　he　very　plainly　tried　to

seem　pleased　and　happy。　　Even　Cyril　unbent　to

the　extent　of　not　appearing　to　mind　the　noise

one　bit；　and　Sister　Kate　（Bertram　said）　found

only　the　extraordinarily　small　number　of　four

details　to　change　in　the　arrangements。　　Baby

obligingly　let　his　teeth…getting　go；　for　the

occasion；　and　he　and　the　twins；　Franz　and　Felix；　were

the　admiration　and　delight　of　all。　　Little　Kate；

to　be　sure；　was　a　trifle　disconcerting　once　or　twice；

but　everybody　was　too　absorbed　to　pay　much

attention　to　her。　　Billy　did；　however；　remember

her　opening　remarks。



‘‘Well；　little　Kate；　do　you　remember　me？''

Billy　had　greeted　her　pleasantly。



‘‘Oh；　yes；''　little　Kate　had　answered；　with　a

winning　smile。　　‘‘You're　my　Aunt　Billy　what

married　my　Uncle　Bertram　instead　of　Uncle

William　as　you　said　you　would　first。''



Everybody　laughed；　and　Billy　colored；　of

course；　but　little　Kate　went　on　eagerly：



‘‘And　I've　been　wanting　just　awfully　to　see

you；''　she　announced。



‘‘Have　you？　　I'm　glad；　I'm　sure。　　I　feel　highly

flattered；''　smiled　Billy。



‘‘Well；　I　have。　　You　see；　I　wanted　to　ask　you

something。　　Have　you　ever　wished　that　you　_had_

married　Uncle　William　instead　of　Uncle　Bertram；

or　that　you'd　tried　for　Uncle　Cyril　before　Aunty

Marie　got　him？''



‘‘Kate！''　gasped　her　horrified　mother。　　‘‘I

told　you　　You　see；''　she　broke　off；　turning　to

Billy　despairingly。　　‘‘She's　been　pestering　me

with　questions　like　that　ever　since　she　knew　she

was　coming。　　She　never　has　forgotten　the　way

you　changed　from　one　uncle　to　the　other。　　You

may　remember；　it　made　a　great　impression　on

her　at　the　time。''



‘‘Yes；　II　remember；''　stammered　Billy；

trying　to　laugh　off　her　embarrassment。



‘‘But　you　haven't　told　me　yet　whether　you

did　wish　you'd　married　Uncle　William；　or　Uncle

Cyril；''　interposed　little　Kate；　persistently。



‘‘No；　no；　of　course　not！''　exclaimed　Billy；

with　a　vivid　blush；　casting　her　eyes　about　for　a

door　of　escape；　and　rejoicing　greatly　when　she

spied　Delia　with　the　baby　coming　toward　them。　

‘‘There；　look；　my　dear；　here's　your　new　cousin；

little　Bertram！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘Don't　you

want　to　see　him？''



Little　Kate　turned　dutifully。



‘‘Yes'm；　Aunt　Billy；　but　I'd　rather　see　the

twins。　　Mother　says　_they're_　real　pretty　and　cunning。''



‘‘Ery…yes；　they　are；''　murmured　Billy；　on

whom　the　emphasis　of　the　‘‘they're''　had　not

been　lost。



Naturally；　as　may　be　supposed；　therefore；

Billy　had　not　forgotten　little　Kate's　opening　remarks。



Immediately　after　Christmas　Mr。　Hartwell

and　the　boys　went　back　to　their　Western　home；

leaving　Mrs。　Hartwell　and　her　daughter　to　make

a　round　of　visits　to　friends　in　the　East。　　For

almost　a　week　after　Christmas　they　remained　at

the　Strata；　and　it　was　on　the　last　day　of　their

stay　that　little　Kate　asked　the　question　that

proved　so　momentous　in　results。



Billy；　almost　unconsciously；　had　avoided　tte…

…ttes　with　her　small　guest。　　But　to…day　they

were　alone　together。



‘‘Aunt　Billy；''　began　the　little　girl；　after　a

meditative　gaze　into　the　other's　face；　‘‘you　_are_

married　to　Uncle　Bertram；　aren't　you？''



‘‘I　certainly　am；　my　dear；''　smiled　Billy；

trying　to　speak　unconcernedly。



‘‘Well；　then；　what　makes　you　forget　it？''



‘‘What　makes　me　forget　　Why；　child；　what

a　question！　　What　do　you　mean？　　I　don't　forget

it！''　exclaimed　Billy；　indignantly。



‘‘Then　what　_did_　mother　mean？　　I　heard　her

tell　Uncle　William　myselfshe　didn't　know　I

heard；　thoughthat　she　did　wish　you'd　remember

you　were　Uncle　Bertram's　wife　as　well　as

Cousin　Bertram's　mother。''



Billy　flushed　scarlet；　then　grew　very　white。　

At　that　moment　Mrs。　Hartwell　came　into　the

room。　　Little　Kate　turned　triumphantly。



‘‘There；　she　hasn't　forgotten；　and　I　knew　she

hadn't；　mother！　　I　asked　her　just　now；　and　she

said　she　hadn't。''



‘‘Hadn't　what？''　questioned　Mrs。　Hartwell；

looking　a　little　apprehensively　at　her　sister…in…

law's　white　face　and　angry　eyes。



‘‘Hadn't　forgotten　that　she　was　Uncle　Bertram's

wife。''



‘‘Kate；''　interposed　Billy；　steadily　meeting

her　sister…in…law's　gaze；　‘‘will　you　be　good　enough

to　tell　me　what　this　child　is　talking　about？''



Mrs。　Hartwell　sighed；　and　gave　an　impatient

gesture。



‘‘Kate；　I've　a　mind　to　take　you　home　on　the

next　train；''　she　said　to　her　daughter。　　‘‘Run

away；　now；　down…stairs。　　Your　Aunt　Billy　and　I

want　to　talk。　　Come；　come；　hurry！　　I　mean　what

I　say；''　she　added　warningly；　as　she　saw　unmistakable

signs　of　rebellion　on　the　small　young

face。



‘‘I　wish；''　pouted　little　Kate；　rising　reluctantly；

and　moving　toward　the　door；　‘‘that　you

didn't　always　send　me　away　just　when　I　wanted

most　to　stay！''



‘‘Well；　Kate？''　prompted　Billy；　as　the　door

closed　behind　the　little　girl。



‘‘Yes；　I　suppose　I'll　have　to　say　it　now；　as

long　as　that　child　has　put　her　finger　in　the　pie。　

But　I　hadn't　intended　to　speak；　no　matter　what

I　saw。　　I　promised　myself　I　wouldn't；　before　I

came。　　I　know；　of　course；　how　Bertram　and　Cyril；

and　William；　too；　say　that　I'm　always　interfering

in　affairs　that　don't　concern　methough；

for　that　matter；　if　my　own　brother's　affairs　don't

concern　me；　I　don't　know　whose　should！



‘‘But；　as　I　said；　I　wasn't　going　to　speak　this

time；　no　matter　what　I　saw。　　And　I　haven't

except　to　William；　and　Cyril；　and　Aunt　Hannah；

but　I　suppose　somewhere　little　Kate　got

hold　of　it。　　It's　simply　this；　Billy。　　It　seems

to　me　it's　high　time　you　began　to　realize　that

you're　Bertram's　wife　as　well　as　the　baby's

mother。''



‘‘That；　I　am　　I　don't　think　I　quite　understand；''

said　Billy；　unsteadily。



‘‘No；　I　suppose　you　don't；''　sighed　Kate；

‘‘though　where　your　eyes　are；　I　don't　seeor；

rather；　I　do　see：　they're　on　the　baby；　_always_。　

It's　all　very　well　and　lovely；　Billy；　to　be　a　devoted

mother；　and　you　certainly　are　that。　　I'll

say　that　much　for　you；　and　I'll　admit　I　never

thought　you　would　be。　　But　_can't_　you　see　what

you're　doing　to　Bertram？''



‘‘_Doing　to　Bertram！_by　being　a　devoted

mother　to　his　son！''



‘‘Yes；　doing　to　Bertram。　　Can't　you　see　what

a　change　there　is　in　the　boy？　　He　doesn't　act

like　himself　at　all。　　He's　restless　and　gloomy　and

entirely　out　of　sorts。''



‘‘Yes；　I　know；　but　that's　his　arm；''　pleaded

Billy。　　‘‘Poor　boyhe's　so　tired　of　it！''



Kate　shook　her　head　decisively。



‘‘It's　more　than　his　arm；　Billy。　　You'd　see

it　yourself　if　you　weren't　blinded　by　your

absorption　in　that　baby。　　Where　is　Bertram　every

evening？　　Where　is　he　daytimes？　　Do　you　realize

that　he's　been　at　home　scarcely　one　evening

since　I　came？　　And　as　for　the　dayshe's　almost

never　here。''



‘‘But；　Kate；　he　can't　paint　now；　you　know；

so　of　course　he　doesn't　need　to　stay　so　closely

at　home；''　defended　Billy。　　‘‘He　goes　out　to　find

distraction　from　himself。''



‘‘Yes；　‘distraction；'　indeed；''　sniffed　Kate。　

‘‘And　where　do　you　suppose　he　finds　it？　　Do

you　_know_　where　he　finds　it？　　I　tell　you；　Billy；

Bertram　Henshaw　is　not　the　sort　of　man　that

should　find　too　much　‘distraction'　outside　his

home。　　His　tastes　and　his　temperament　are

altogether　too　Bohemian；　and''



Billy　interrupted　with　a　peremptorily　upraised

hand。



‘‘Please　remember；　Kate；　you　are　speaking

of　my　husband　to　his　wife；　and　his　wife　has　perfect

confidence　in　him；　and　is　just　a　little　particular

as　to　what　you　say。''



‘‘Yes；　well；　I'm　speaking　of　my　brother；　too；

whom　I　know　very　well；''　shrugged　Kate。　　‘‘All

is；　you　may　remember