miss billie married-第6节
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‘‘Never mind； Pete；'' soothed his new mistress。
‘‘You shall call me ‘Miss Billy' all your life if
you want to。 Bertram；'' she added； turning to
her husband； ‘‘I'm going to just run up…stairs
and put these in Uncle William's rooms so they'll
be there when he comes in。 We'll see how soon
he discovers them！''
Before Pete could stop her she was half…way
up the first flight of stairs。 Even then he tried
to speak to his young master； to explain that
Mr。 William was not living there； but the words
refused to come。 He could only stand dumbly
waiting。
In a minute it cameBilly's sharp； startled
cry。
‘‘Bertram！ Bertram！''
Bertram sprang for the stairway； but he had
not reached the top when he met his wife coming
down。 She was white…faced and trembling。
‘‘Bertramthose roomsthere's not so
much as a teapot there！ Uncle William's
gone！''
‘‘Gone！'' Bertram wheeled sharply。 ‘‘Pete；
what is the meaning of this？ Where is my
brother？'' To hear him； one would think he
suspected the old servant of having hidden his
master。
Pete lifted a shaking hand and fumbled with
his collar。
‘‘He's moved； sir。''
‘‘Moved！ Oh； you mean to other roomsto
Cyril's。'' Bertram relaxed visibly。 ‘‘He's
upstairs； maybe。''
Pete shook his head。
‘‘No。 sir。 He's moved awayout of the
house； sir。''
For a brief moment Bertram stared as if he
could not believe what his ears had heard。 Then；
step by step； he began to descend the stairs。
‘‘Do you meanto saythat my brother
has moved…gone away_left_his _home？_''
he demanded。
‘‘Yes； sir。''
Billy gave a low cry。
‘‘But whywhy？'' she choked； almost stumbling
headlong down the stairway in her effort
to reach the two men at the bottom。 ‘‘Pete；
why did he go？''
There was no answer。
‘‘Pete；''Bertram's voice was very sharp
‘‘what is the meaning of this？ Do you know
why my brother left his home？''
The old man wet his lips and swallowed chokingly；
but he did not speak。
‘‘I'm waiting； Pete。''
Billy laid one hand on the old servant's arm
in the other hand she still tightly clutched the
mirror knobs。
‘‘Pete； if you do know； won't you tell us；
please？'' she begged。
Pete looked down at the hand； then up at the
troubled young face with the beseeching eyes。
His own features worked convulsively。 With a
visible effort he cleared his throat。
‘‘I knowwhat he said；'' he stammered； his
eyes averted。
‘‘What was it？''
There was no answer。
‘‘Look here； Pete； you'll have to tell us； you
know；'' cut in Bertram； decisively； ‘‘so you might
as well do it now as ever。''
Once more Pete cleared his throat。 This time
the words came in a burst of desperation。
‘‘Yes； sir。 I understand； sir。 It was only that
he saidhe said as how young folks didn't _need_
any one else around。 So he was goin'。''
‘‘Didn't _need_ any one else！'' exclaimed Bertram；
plainly not comprehending。
‘‘Yes； sir。 You two bein' married so； now。''
Pete's eyes were still averted。
Billy gave a low cry。
‘‘You meanbecause _I_ came？'' she demanded。
‘‘Why； yes； Missnothat is'' Pete
stopped with an appealing glance at Bertram。
‘‘Then it wasit _was_on account of _me_；''
choked Billy。
Pete looked still more distressed
‘‘No； no！'' he faltered。 ‘‘It was only that
he thought you wouldn't want him here now。''
‘‘Want him here！'' ejaculated Bertram。
‘‘Want him here！'' echoed Billy； with a sob。
‘‘Pete； where is he？'' As she asked the question
she dropped the mirror knobs into her open bag；
and reached for her coat and glovesshe had
not removed her hat。
Pete gave the address。
‘‘It's just down the street a bit and up the
hill；'' he added excitedly； divining her purpose。
‘‘It's a sort of a boarding…house； I reckon。''
‘‘A _boarding…house_for Uncle William！''
scorned Billy； her eyes ablaze。 ‘‘Come； Bertram；
we'll see about that。''
Bertram reached out a detaining hand。
‘‘But； dearest； you're so tired；'' he demurred。
‘‘Hadn't we better wait till after dinner； or till
to…morrow？''
‘‘After dinner！ To…morrow！'' Billy's eyes
blazed anew。 ‘‘Why； Bertram Henshaw； do
you think I'd leave that dear man even one
minute longer； if I could help it； with a notion in
his blessed old head that we didn't _want_ him？''
‘‘But you said a little while ago you had a
headache； dear；'' still objected Bertram。 ‘‘If
you'd just eat your dinner！''
‘‘Dinner！'' choked Billy。 ‘‘I wonder if you
think I could eat any dinner with Uncle William
turned out of his home！ I'm going to find Uncle
William。'' And she stumbled blindly toward the
door。
Bertram reached for his hat。 He threw a
despairing glance into Pete's eyes。
‘‘We'll be backwhen we can；'' he said； with
a frown。
‘‘Yes； sir；'' answered Pete； respectfully。 Then；
as if impelled by some hidden force； he touched
his master's arm。 ‘‘It was that way she looked；
sir； when she came to _you_that night last
Julywith her eyes all shining；'' he whispered。
A tender smile curved Bertram's lips。 The
frown vanished from his face。
‘‘Bless you； Peteand bless her； too！'' he
whispered back。 The next moment he had hurried
after his wife。
The house that bore the number Pete had
given proved to have a pretentious doorway； and
a landlady who； in response to the summons of
the neat maid； appeared with a most impressive
rustle of black silk and jet bugles。
No； Mr。 William Henshaw was not in his
rooms。 In fact； he was very seldom there。 His
business； she believed； called him to State Street
through the day。 Outside of that； she had been
told； he spent much time sitting on a bench in
the Common。 Doubtless； if they cared to search；
they could find him there now。
‘‘A bench in the Common； indeed！'' stormed
Billy； as she and Bertram hurried down the wide
stone steps。 ‘‘Uncle Williamon a bench！''
‘‘But surely now； dear；'' ventured her
husband； ‘‘you'll come home and get your
dinner！''
Billy turned indignantly。
‘‘And leave Uncle William on a bench in the
Common？ Indeed； no！ Why； Bertram； you
wouldn't； either；'' she cried； as she turned
resolutely toward one of the entrances to the Common。
And Bertram； with the ‘‘eyes all shining''
still before him； could only murmur： ‘‘No； of
course not； dear！'' and follow obediently where
she led。
Under ordinary circumstances it would have
been a delightful hour for a walk。 The sun had
almost set； and the shadows lay long across the
grass。 The air was cool and unusually bracing
for a day so early in September。 But all this
was lost on Bertram。 Bertram did not wish to
take a walk。 He was hungry。 He wanted his
dinner； and he wanted； too； his old home with
his new wife flitting about the rooms as he had
pictured this first evening together。 He wanted
William； of course。 Certainly he wanted William；
but if William would insist on running away
and sitting on park benches in this ridiculous
fashion； he ought to take the consequences
until to…morrow。
Five； ten； fifteen minutes passed。 Up one path
and down another trudged the anxious…eyed Billy
and her increasingly impatient husband。 Then
when the fifteen weary minutes had become a
still more weary half…hour； the bonds Bertram
had set on his temper snapped。
‘‘Billy；'' he remonstrated despairingly； ‘‘do；
please； come home！ Don't you see how highly
improbable it is that we should happen on William
if we walked like this all night？ He might
movechange his seatgo home； even。 He
probably has gone home。 And surely never before
did a bride insist on spending the first evening
after her return tramping up and down a public
park for hour after hour like this； looking for any
man。 _Won't_ you come home？''
But Billy had not even heard。 With a glad little
cry she had darted to the side of the humped…up
figure of a man alone on a park bench just ahead
of them。
‘‘Uncle William！ Oh； Uncle William； how
could you？'' she cried； dropping herself on to
one end of the seat and catching the man's arm
in both her hands。
‘‘Yes； how could you？'' demanded Bertram；
with just a touch of irritation； dropping himself
on to the other end of the seat； and catching
the man's other arm in his one usable
hand。
The bent shoulders and bowed head straightened
up with a jerk。
‘‘Well； well； bless my soul！ If it isn't our little
bride；'' cried Uncle William； fondly。 ‘‘And the
happy bridegroom； too。 When did you get
home？''
‘‘We haven't got home；'' retorted Bertram；
promptly； before his wife could speak。 ‘‘Oh； we
looked in at the door an hour or so back； but we
didn't stay。 We've been hunting for you ever
since。''
‘‘Nonsense； chi
