miss billy-第4节

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a　monkey。　　I　myself　am　backing　it　for　a　parrot。〃

〃Boys；　what　have　you　done！〃　groaned　Kate；　falling　back　in　her
chair。　　〃What　have　you　done！〃

To　William　her　words　were　like　an　electric　shock　stirring　him　to
instant　action。　　He　sprang　abruptly　to　his　feet。

〃Well；　whatever　we've　done；　we've　done　it；〃　he　declared　sternly；
〃and　now　we　must　do　the　restand　do　it　well；　too。　　He's　the　son　of
my　boyhood's　dearest　friend；　and　he　shall　be　made　welcome。　　Now　to
business！　　Bertram；　you　said　you'd　take　him　in。　　Did　you　mean　it？〃

Bertram　sobered　instantly；　and　came　erect　in　his　chair。　　William
did　not　often　speak　like　this；　but　when　he　did

〃Yes；　Will。　　He　shall　have　the　little　bedroom　at　the　end　of　the
hall。　　I　never　used　the　room　much；　anyhow；　and　what　few　duds　I　have
there　shall　be　cleared　out　to…morrow。〃

〃Good！　　Now　there　are　some　other　little　details　to　arrange；　then
I'll　go　down…stairs　and　tell　Pete　and　Dong　Ling。　　And；　please　to
understand；　we're　going　to　make　this　lad　welcomewelcome；　I　say！〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　Bertram。　　Neither　Kate　nor　Cyril　spoke。



CHAPTER　V

GETTING　READY　FOR　BILLY


The　Henshaw　household　was　early　astir　on　the　day　of　Billy's
expected　arrival；　and　preparations　for　the　guest's　comfort　were
well　under　way　before　breakfast。　　The　center　of　activity　was　in　the
little　room　at　the　end　of　the　hall　on　the　second　floor；　though；　as
Bertram　said；　the　whole　Strata　felt　the　〃upheaval。〃

By　breakfast　time　Bertram　with　the　avowed　intention　of　giving　〃the
little　chap　half　a　show；〃　had　the　room　cleared　for　action；　and
after　that　the　whole　house　was　called　upon　for　contributions　toward
the　room's　adornment。　　And　most　generously　did　most　of　the　house
respond。　　Even　Dong　Ling　slippered　up…stairs　and　presented　a　weird
Chinese　banner　which　he　said　he　was　〃velly　much　glad〃　to　give。　　As
to　PetePete　was　in　his　element。　　Pete　loved　boys。　　Had　he　not
served　them　nearly　all　his　life？　　Incidentally　it　may　be　mentioned
that　he　did　not　care　for　girls。

Only　Cyril　held　himself　aloof。　　But　that　he　was　not　oblivious　of
the　proceedings　below　him　was　evidenced　by　the　somber　bass　that
floated　down　from　his　piano　strings。　　Cyril　always　played　according
to　the　mood　that　was　on　him；　and　when　Bertram　heard　this　morning
the　rhythmic　beats　of　mournfulness；　he　chuckled　and　said　to
William：

〃That's　Chopin's　Funeral　March。　　Evidently　Cy　thinks　this　is　the
death　knell　to　all　his　hopes　of　future　peace　and　happiness。〃

〃Dear　me！　　I　wish　Cyril　would　take　some　interest；〃　grieved　William。

〃Oh；　he　takes　interest　all　right；〃　laughed　Bertram；　meaningly。　　〃He
takes　INTEREST！〃

〃I　know；　butBertram；〃　broke　off　the　elder　man；　anxiously；　from
his　perch　on　the　stepladder；　〃would　you　put　the　rifle　over　this
window；　or　the　fishing…rod？〃

〃Why；　I　don't　think　it　makes　much　difference；　so　long　as　they're
somewhere；〃　answered　Bertram。　　〃And　there　are　these　Indian　clubs
and　the　swords　to　be　disposed　of；　you　know。〃

〃Yes；　and　it's　going　to　look　fine；　don't　you　think？〃　exulted
William。　　〃And　you　know　for　the　wall…space　between　the　windows　I'm
going　to　bring　down　that　case　of　mine；　of　spiders。〃

Bertram　raised　his　hands　in　mock　surprise。

〃Heredown　here！　　You're　going　to　trust　any　of　those　precious
treasures　of　yours　down　here！〃

William　frowned。

〃Nonsense；　Bertram；　don't　be　silly！　　They'll　be　safe　enough。
Besides；　they're　old；　anyhow。　　I　was　on　spiders　years　agowhen　I
was　Billy's　age；　in　fact。　　I　thought　he'd　like　them　here。　　You　know
boys　always　like　such　things。〃

〃Oh；　'twasn't　Billy　I　was　worrying　about；〃　retorted　Bertram。　　〃It
was　youand　the　spiders。〃

〃Not　much　you　worry　about　meor　anything　else；〃　replied　William；
good…humoredly。　　〃There！　how　does　that　look？〃　he　finished；　as　he
carefully　picked　his　way　down　the　stepladder。

〃Fine！eronly　rather　warlike；　maybe；　with　the　guns　and　that
riotous　confusion　of　knives　and　scimiters　over　the　chiffonier。　　But
then；　maybe　you're　intending　Billy　for　a　soldier；　eh？〃

〃Do　you　know？　　I　AM　getting　interested　in　that　boy；〃　beamed
William；　with　some　excitement。　　〃What　kind　of　things　do　you　suppose
he　does　like？〃

〃There's　no　telling。　　Maybe　he's　a　sissy　chap；　and　will　howl　at
your　guns　and　spiders。　　Perhaps　he'll　prefer　autumn　leaves　and
worsted　mottoes　for　decoration。〃

〃Not　much　he　will；〃　contested　the　other。　　〃No　son　of　Walter
Neilson's　could　be　a　sissy。　　Neilson　was　the　best　half…back　in　ten
years　at　Harvard；　and　he　was　always　in　for　everything　going　that
was　worth　while。　　'Autumn　leaves　and　worsted　mottoes'　indeed！
Bah！〃

〃All　right；　but　there's　still　a　dark　horse　in　the　case；　you　know。
We　mustn't　forgetSpunk。〃

The　elder　man　stirred　uneasily。

〃Bert；　what　do　you　suppose　that　creature　is？　　You　don't　think　Cyril
can　be　right；　and　that　it's　amonkey？〃

〃'You　never　can　tell；'〃　quoted　Bertram；　merrily。　　〃Of　course　there
ARE　other　things。　　If　it　were　you；　now；　we'd　only　have　to　hunt　up
the　special　thing　you　happened　to　be　collecting　at　the　time；　and
that　would　be　it：　a　snake；　a　lizard；　a　toad；　or　maybe　a　butterfly。
You　know　you　were　always　lugging　those　things　home　when　you　were
his　age。〃

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　sighed　William。　　〃But　I　can't　think　it's　anything
like　that；〃　he　finished；　as　he　turned　away。

There　was　very　little　done　in　the　Beacon　Street　house　that　day　but
to　〃get　ready　for　Billy。〃　　In　the　kitchen　Dong　Ling　cooked。
Everywhere　else；　except　in　Cyril's　domain；　Pete　dusted　and　swept
and　〃puttered〃　to　his　heart's　content。　　William　did　not　go　to　the
office　at　all　that　day；　and　Bertram　did　not　touch　his　brushes。
Only　Cyril　attended　to　his　usual　work：　practising　for　a　coming
concert；　and　correcting　the　proofs　of　his　new　book；　〃Music　in
Russia。〃

At　ten　minutes　before　five　William；　anxious…eyed　and　nervous；　found
himself　at　the　North　Station。　　Then；　and　not　till　then；　did　he　draw
a　long　breath　of　relief。

〃There！　　I　think　everything's　ready；〃　he　sighed　to　himself。　　〃At
last！〃

He　wore　no　pink　in　his　buttonhole。　　There　was　no　need　that　he
should　accede　to　that　silly　request；　he　told　himself。　　He　had　only
to　look　for　a　youth　of　perhaps　eighteen　years；　who　would　be　alone；
a　little　frightened；　possibly；　and　who　would　have　a　pink　in　his
buttonhole；　and　probably　a　dog　on　a　leash。

As　he　waited；　the　man　was　conscious　of　a　curious　warmth　at　his
heart。　　It　was　his　namesake；　Walter　Neilson's　boy；　that　he　had　come
to　meet；　a　homesick；　lonely　orphan　who　had　appealed　to　himto　him；
out　of　all　the　world。　　Long　years　ago　in　his　own　arms　there　had
been　laid　a　tiny　bundle　of　flannel　holding　a　precious　little　red；
puckered　face。　　But　in　a　month's　time　the　little　face　had　turned
cold　and　waxen；　and　the　hopes　that　the　white　flannel　bundle　had
carried　had　died　with　the　baby　boy；and　that　baby　would　have　been
a　lad　grown　by　this　time；　if　he　had　liveda　lad　not　far　from　the
age　of　this　Billy　who　was　coming　to…day；　reflected　the　man。　　And
the　warmth　in　his　heart　deepened　and　glowed　the　more　as　he　stood
waiting　at　the　gate　for　Billy　to　arrive。

The　train　from　Hampden　Falls　was　late。　　Not　until　quite　fifteen
minutes　past　five　did　it　roll　into　the　train…shed。　　Then　at　once
its　long　line　of　passengers　began　to　sweep　toward　the　iron　gate。

William　was　just　inside　the　gate　now；　anxiously　scanning　every　face
and　form　that　passed。　　There　were　many　half…grown　lads；　but　there
was　not　one　with　a　pink　in　his　buttonhole　until　very　near　the　end。
Then　William　saw　hima　pleasant…faced；　blue…eyed　boy　in　a　neat
gray　suit。　　With　a　low　cry　William　started　forward；　but　he　saw　at
once　that　the　gray…clad　youth　was　unmistakably　one　of　a　merry
family　party。　　He　looked　to　be　anything　but　a　lad　that　was　lonely
and　forlorn。

William　hesitated　and　fell　back。　　This　debonair；　self…reliant
fellow　could　not　be　Billy！　　But　as　a　hasty　glance　down　the　line
revealed　only　half　a　dozen　straggling　women；　and　beyond　them；　no
one；　William　decided　that　it　must　be　Billy；　and　taking　brave　hold
of　his　courage；　he　hurried　after　the　blue…eyed　youth　and　tapped　him
on　the　shoulder。

〃Eraren't　you　Billy？〃　he　stammered。

The　lad　stopped　and　stared。　　He　shook　his　head　slowly。

〃No；　sir；〃　he　said。

〃But　you　must　be！　　Are　you　sure？〃

The　boy　laughed　this　time。

〃Sorry；　sir；　but　my　name　is　'Frank'；　isn't　it；　mother？〃　he　added
merrily；　turning　to　the　lady　at　his　side；　who　was　regarding　William
very　unfavorably　through　a　pair　of　gold…bowed　spectacles。

William　did　not　wait　for　more。　　With　a　stammered　apology　and　a
flustered　lifting　of　his　hat　he　backed　away。

But　where　was　Billy？

William　looked　about　him　in　helpless　dismay。　　All　around　was　a
wide；　empty　space。　　The　long　aisle　to　the　Hampden　Falls　train　was
deserted　save　for　the　baggage…men　loading　the　trunks　and　bags　on　to
their　trucks。　　Nowhere　was　there　any　one　who　seemed　forlorn　or　ill
at　ease　except　a　pretty　girl　with　a　suit…case；　and　with　a　covered
basket　on　her　arm；　who　stood　just　outside　the　gate；　gazing　a　little
nervously　about　her。

William　looked　twice　at　this　girl。　　First；　because　the　splash　of
color　against　her　brown　coat　had　called　his　attention　to　the　fact
that　she　was　wearing　a　pink；　and　secondly　because　she　was　very
pretty；　and　her　dark　eyes　carried　a　peculiar