miss billy-第14节

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CHAPTER　XVII

A　PINK…RIBBON　TRAIL


Mrs。　Stetson　wore　an　air　of　unmistakable　relief　as　she　stepped　into
William's　sitting…room。　　Even　her　knock　at　the　half…open　door　had
sounded　almost　triumphant。

〃William；　it　does　seem　as　if　Fate　itself　had　intervened　to　help　us
out；〃　she　began　delightedly。　　〃Billy；　of　her　own　accord；　came　to　me
this　morning；　and　said　that　she　wanted　to　go　away　with　me　for　a
little　trip。　　So　you　see　that　will　make　it　easier　for　us。〃

〃Good！　　That　is　fortunate；　indeed；〃　cried　William；　but　his　voice
did　not　carry　quite　the　joy　that　his　words　expressed。　　〃I　have　been
disturbed　ever　since　your　remarks　the　other　day；〃　he　continued
wearily；　〃and　of　course　her　extraordinary　escapade　the　next　evening
did　not　help　matters　any。　　It　is　better；　I　know；　that　she　shouldn't
be　herefor　a　time。　　Though　I　shall　miss　her　terribly。　　But；　tell
me；　what　is　itwhat　does　she　want　to　do？〃

〃She　says　she　guesses　she　is　homesick　for　Hampden　Falls；　that　she'd
like　to　go　back　there　for　a　few　weeks　this　summer　if　I'll　go　with
her。　　Thethe　dear　child　seems　suddenly　to　have　taken　a　great
fancy　to　me；〃　explained　Aunt　Hannah；　unsteadily。　　〃I　never　saw　her
so　affectionate。〃

〃She　is　a　dear　girla　very　dear　girl；　and　she　has　a　warm　heart。〃
William　cleared　his　throat　sonorously；　but　even　that　did　not　clear
his　voice。　　〃It　was　her　heart　that　led　her　wrong　the　other　night；〃
he　declared。　　〃Hers　was　a　brave　and　fearless　actbut　a　very　unwise
one。　　Much　as　I　deplore　Bertram's　intimacy　with　Seaver；　I　should
hesitate　to　take　the　course　marked　out　by　Billy。　　Bertram　is　not　a
child。　　But　tell　me　more　of　this　trip　of　yours。　　How　did　Billy
happen　to　suggest　it？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　I　noticed　yesterday　that　she　seemed　strangely
silentunhappy；　in　fact。　　She　sat　alone　in　her　room　the　greater
part　of　the　day；　and　I　could　not　get　her　out　of　it。　　But　this
morning　she　came　to　my　door　as　bright　as　the　sun　itself　and　made　me
the　proposition　I　told　you　of。　　She　says　her　aunt's　house　is
closed；　awaiting　its　sale；　but　that　she　would　like　to　open　it　for
awhile　this　summer；　if　I'd　like　to　go。　　Naturally；　you　can
understand　that　I'd　very　quickly　fall　in　with　a　plan　like　that
one　which　promised　so　easily　to　settle　our　difficulties。〃

〃Yes；　of　course；　of　course；〃　muttered　William。　　〃It　is　very　fine；
very　fine　indeed；〃　he　concluded。　　And　again　his　voice　failed　quite
to　match　his　words　in　enthusiasm。

〃Then　I'll　go　and　begin　to　see　to　my　things；〃　murmured　Mrs。
Stetson；　rising　to　her　feet。　　〃Billy　seems　anxious　to　get　away。〃

Billy　did；　indeed；　seem　anxious　to　get　away。　　She　announced　her
intended　departure　at　once　to　the　family。　　She　called　it　a　visit　to
her　old　home；　and　she　seemed　very　glad　in　her　preparations。　　If
there　was　anything　forced　in　this　gayety；　no　one　noticed　it；　or　at
least；　no　one　spoke　of　it。　　The　family　saw　very　little　of　Billy；
indeed；　these　days。　　She　said　that　she　was　busy；　that　she　had
packing　to　do。　　She　stopped　taking　lessons　of　Cyril；　and　visited
Bertram's　studio　only　once　during　the　whole　three　days　before　she
went　away；　and　then　merely　to　get　some　things　that　belonged　to　her。
On　the　fourth　day；　almost　before　the　family　realized　what　was
happening；　she　was　gone；　and　with　her　had　gone　Mrs。　Stetson　and
Spunk。

The　family　said　they　liked　itthe　quiet；　the　freedom。　　They　said
they　liked　to　be　aloneall　but　William。　　He　said　nothing。

And　yet

When　Bertram　went　to　his　studio　that　morning　he　did　not　pick　up　his
brushes　until　he　had　sat　for　long　minutes　before　the　sketch　of　a
red…cheeked；　curly…headed　young　girl　whose　eyes　held　a　peculiarly
wistful　appeal；　and　Cyril；　at　his　piano　up…stairs；　sat　with　idle
fingers　until　they　finally　drifted　into　a　simple　little　melodythe
last　thing　Billy　had　been　learning。

It　was　Pete　who　brought　in　the　kitten；　and　Billy　had　been　gone　a
whole　week　then。

〃The　poor　little　beast　was　cryin'　at　the　alleyway　door；　sir；〃　he
explained。　　〃II　made　so　bold　as　to　bring　him　in。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　William。　　〃Did　you　feed　it？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　Ling　did。〃

There　was　a　pause；　then　Pete　spoke；　diffidently。

〃I　thought；　sir；　if　ye　didn't　mind；　I'd　keep　it。　　I'll　try　to　see
that　it　stays　down…stairs；　sir；　out　of　yer　way。〃

〃That's　all　right；　Pete；　keep　it；　by　all　means；　by　all　means；〃
approved　William。

〃Thank　ye；　sir。　　Ye　see；　it's　a　stray。　　It　hasn't　got　any　home。
And；　did　ye　notice；　sir？　it　looks　like　Spunk。〃

〃Yes；　I　noticed；〃　said　William；　stirring　with　sudden　restlessness。
〃I　noticed。〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　Pete。　　And　he　turned　and　carried　the　small　gray
cat　away。

The　new　kitten　did　not　stay　down…stairs。　　Pete　tried；　it　is　true；
to　keep　his　promise　to　watch　it；　but　after　he　had　seen　the　little
animal　carried　surreptitiously　up…stairs　in　Mr。　William's　arms；　he
relaxed　his　vigilance。　　Some　days　later　the　kitten　appeared　with　a
huge　pink　bow　behind　its　ears；　somewhat　awkwardly　tied；　if　it　must
be　confessed。　　Where　it　came　from；　or　who　put　it　there　was　not
knownuntil　one　day　the　kitten　was　found　in　the　hall　delightedly
chewing　at　the　end　of　what　had　been　a　roll　of　pink　ribbon。　　Up　the
stairs　led　a　trail　of　pink　ribbon　and　curling　white　paperand　the
end　of　the　trail　was　in　William's　room。



CHAPTER　XVIII

BILLY　WRITES　ANOTHER　LETTER


By　the　middle　of　June　only　William　and　the　gray　kitten　were　left
with　Pete　and　Dong　Ling　in　the　Beacon　Street　house。　　Cyril　had
sailed　for　England；　and　Bertram　had　gone　on　a　sketching　trip　with　a
friend。

To　William　the　house　this　summer　was　unusually　lonely；　indeed；　he
found　the　silent；　deserted　rooms　almost　unbearable。　　Even　the
presence　of　the　little　gray　cat　served　only　to　accentuate　the
lonelinessit　reminded　him　of　Billy。

William　missed　Billy。　　He　owned　that　now　even　to　Pete。　　He　said
that　he　would　be　glad　when　she　came　back。　　To　himself　he　said　that
he　wished　he　had　not　fallen　in　quite　so　readily　with　Aunt　Hannah's
notion　of　getting　the　child　away。　　It　was　all　nonsense；　he
declared。　　All　she　needed　was　a　little　curbing　and　directing；　both
of　which　could　just　as　well　have　been　done　there　at　home。　　But　she
had　gone；　and　it　could　not　be　helped　now。　　The　only　thing　left　for
him　to　do　was　to　see　that　it　did　not　occur　again。　　When　Billy　came
back　she　should　stay；　except　for　necessary　absences　for　school；　of
course。　　All　this　William　settled　in　his　own　mind　quite　to　his　own
satisfaction；　entirely　forgetting；　strange　to　say；　that　it　had　been
Billy's　own　suggestion　that　she　go　away。

Very　promptly　William　wrote　to　Billy。　　He　told　her　how　he　missed
her；　and　said　that　he　had　stopped　trying　to　sort　and　catalogue　his
collections　until　she　should　be　there　to　help　him。　　He　told　her；
too；　after　a　time；　of　the　gray　kitten；　〃Spunkie；〃　that　looked　so
much　like　Spunk。

In　reply　he　received　plump　white　envelopes　directed　in　the　round；
schoolboy　hand　that　he　remembered　so　well。　　In　the　envelopes　were
letters；　cheery　and　entertaining；　like　Billy　herself。　　They　thanked
him　for　all　his　many　kindnesses；　and　they　told　him　something　of
what　Billy　was　doing。　　They　showed　unbounded　interest　in　the　new
kitten；　and　in　all　else　that　William　wrote　about；　but　they　hinted
very　plainly　that　he　had　better　not　wait　for　her　to　help　him　out　on
the　catalogue；　for　it　would　soon　be　autumn；　and　she　would　be　in
school。

William　frowned　at　this；　and　shook　his　head；　yet　he　knew　that　it
was　true。

In　August　William　closed　the　Beacon　street　house　and　went　to　the
Rangeley　Lakes　on　a　camping　trip。　　He　told　himself　that　he　would
not　go　had　it　not　been　for　a　promise　given　to　an　old　college　friend
months　before。　　True；　he　had　been　anticipating　this　trip　all
winter；　but　it　occurred　to　him　now　that　it　would　be　much　more
interesting　to　go　to　Hampden　Falls　and　see　Billy。　　He　had　been　to
the　Rangeley　Lakes；　and　he　had　not　been　to　Hampden　Falls；　besides；
there　would　be　Ned　Harding　and　those　queer　old　maids　with　their
shaded　house　and　socketed　chairs　to　see。　　In　short；　to　William；　at
the　moment；　there　seemed　no　place　quite　so　absorbingly　interesting
as　was　Hampden　Falls。　　But　he　went　to　the　Rangeley　Lakes。

In　September　Cyril　came　back　from　Europe；　and　Bertram　from　the
Adirondacks　where　he　had　been　spending　the　month　of　August。
William　already　had　arrived；　and　with　Pete　and　Dong　Ling　had　opened
the　house。

〃Where's　Billy？　　Isn't　Billy　here？〃　demanded　Bertram。

〃No。　　She　isn't　back　yet；〃　replied　William。

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　she's　stayed　up　there　all　summer！〃　exclaimed
Cyril。

〃Why；　yes；　II　suppose　so；〃　hesitated　William。　　〃You　see；　I
haven't　heard　but　once　for　a　month。　　I've　been　down　in　Maine；　you
know。〃

William　wrote　to　Billy　that　night。

〃My　dear：〃　he　said　in　part。　　〃I　hope　you'll　come　home　right　away。
We　want　to　see　SOMETHING　of　you　before　you　go　away　again；　and　you
know　the　schools　will　be　opening　soon。

〃By　the　way；　it　has　just　occurred　to　me　as　I　write　that　perhaps；
after　all；　you　won't　have　to　go　quite　away。　　There　are　plenty　of
good　schools　for　young　ladies　right　in　and　near　Boston；　which　I　am
sure　you　could　attend；　and　still　live　at　home。　　Suppose　you　come
back　then　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　we'll　talk　it　up。　　And　that
reminds　me；　I　wonder　how　Spunk　will　get　along　with　S