miss billy-第32章

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William；　if　your　eyes　are　sharp　enoughand　you'll　see　them　as　you
never　saw　them　before。〃

Far　down　the　green　field　Billy　spied　now　the　long　black　line　of
moving　figures　with　a　band　in　the　lead。　　Nearer　and　nearer　it　came
until；　greeted　by　a　mighty　roar　from　thousands　of　throats；　the
leaders　swept　into　the　great　bowl　of　the　horseshoe　curve。

And　how　they　yelled　and　cheeredthose　men　whose　first　Class　Day
lay　five；　ten；　fifteen；　even　twenty　or　more　years　behind　them；　as
told　by　the　banners　which　they　so　proudly　carried。　　How　they　got
their　heads　together　and　gave　the　〃Rah！　Rah！　Rah！〃　with　unswerving
eyes　on　their　leader！　　How　they　beat　the　air　with　their　hats　in
time　to　their　lusty　shouts！　　And　how　the　throngs　above　cheered　and
clapped　in　answer；　until　they　almost　split　their　throatsand　did
split　their　glovesespecially　when　the　black…gowned　seniors　swept
into　view。

And　when　the　curving　line　of　black　had　become　one　solid　mass　of
humanity　that　filled　the　bowl　from　side　to　side；　the　vast　throng
seated　themselves；　and　a　great　hush　fell　while　the　Glee　Club　sang。

Young　Hartwell　proved　to　be　a　good　speaker；　and　his　ringing　voice
reached　even　the　topmost　tier　of　seats。　　Billy　was　charmed　and
interested。　　Everything　she　saw　and　heard　was　but　a　new　source　of
enjoyment；　and　she　had　quite　forgotten　the　thing　for　which　she　was
to　〃wait；〃　when　she　saw　the　ushers　passing　through　the　aisles　with
their　baskets　of　many…hued　packages　of　confetti　and　countless　rolls
of　paper　ribbon。

It　began　then；　the　merry　war　between　the　students　below　and　the
throng　above。　　In　a　trice　the　air　was　filled　with　shimmering　bits
of　red；　blue；　white；　green；　purple；　pink；　and　yellow。　　From　all
directions　fluttering　streamers　that　showed　every　color　of　the
rainbow；　were　flung　to　the　breeze　until；　upheld　by　the　supporting
wires；　they　made　a　fairy　lace　work　of　marvelous　beauty。

〃Oh；　oh；　oh！〃　cried　Billy；　her　eyes　misty　with　emotion。　　〃I　think　I
never　saw　anything　in　my　life　so　lovely！

〃I　thought　you'd　like　it；〃　gloried　Bertram。　　〃You　know　I　said　to
wait！〃

But　even　with　this；　Class　Day　for　Billy　was　not　finished。　　There
was　still　Hartwell's　own　spread　from　six　to　eight；　and　after　that
there　were　the　President's　reception；　and　dancing　in　the　Memorial
Hall　and　in　the　Gymnasium。　　There　was　the　Fairyland　of　the　yard；
too；　softly　aglow　with　moving　throngs　of　beautiful　women　and
gallant　men。　　But　what　Billy　remembered　best　of　all　was　the
exquisite　harmony　that　came　to　her　through　the　hushed　night　air
when　the　Glee　Club　sang　Fair　Harvard　on　the　steps　of　Holworthy
Hall。



CHAPTER　XXXV

SISTER　KATE　AGAIN


It　was　on　the　Sunday　following　Class　Day　that　Mrs。　Hartwell　carried
out　her　determination　to　〃speak　to　William。〃　　The　West　had　not
taken　from　Kate　her　love　of　managing；　and　she　thought　she　saw　now　a
matter　that　sorely　needed　her　guiding　hand。

William's　thin　face；　anxious　looks；　and　nervous　manner　had　troubled
her　ever　since　she　came。　　Then　one　day；　very　suddenly；　had　come
enlightenment：　William　was　in　loveand　with　Billy。

Mrs。　Hartwell　watched　William　very　closely　after　that。　　She　saw　his
eyes　follow　Billy　fondly；　yet　anxiously。　　She　saw　his　open　joy　at
being　with　her；　and　at　any　little　attention；　word；　or　look　that　the
girl　gave　him。　　She　remembered；　too；　something　that　Bertram　had
said　about　William's　grief　because　Billy　would　not　live　at　the
Strata。　　She　thought　she　saw　something　else；　also：　that　Billy　was
fond　of　William；　but　that　William　did　not　know　it；　hence　his
frequent　troubled　scrutiny　of　her　face。　　Why　these　two　should　play
at　cross　purposes　Sister　Kate　could　not　understand。　　She　smiled；
however；　confidently：　they　should　not　play　at　cross　purposes　much
longer；　she　declared。

On　Sunday　afternoon　Kate　asked　her　eldest　brother　to　take　her
driving。

〃Not　a　motor　car；　I　want　a　horsethat　will　let　me　talk；〃　she　said。

〃Certainly；〃　agreed　William；　with　a　smile；　but　Bertram；　who　chanced
to　hear　her；　put　in　the　sly　comment：　　〃As　if　ANY　horse　could
preventthat！〃

On　the　drive　Kate　began　to　talk　at　once；　but　she　did　not　plunge
into　the　subject　nearest　her　heart　until　she　had　adroitly　led
William　into　a　glowing　enumeration　of　Billy's　many　charming
characteristics；　then　she　said：

〃William；　why　don't　you　take　Billy　home　with　you？〃

William　stirred　uneasily　as　he　always　did　when　anything　annoyed
him。

〃My　dear　Kate；　there　is　nothing　I　should　like　better　to　do；〃　he
replied。

〃Then　why　don't　you　do　it？〃

〃Ihope　to；　sometime。〃

〃But　why　not　now？〃

〃I'm　afraid　Billy　is　not　quiteready。〃

〃Nonsense！　　A　young　girl　like　that　does　not　know　her　own　mind　lots
of　times。　　Just　press　the　matter　a　little。　　Love　will　work　wonders
sometimes。〃

William　blushed　like　a　girl。　　To　him　her　words　had　but　one　meaning
Bertram's　love　for　Billy。　　William　had　never　spoken　of　this
suspected　love　affair　to　any　one。　　He　had　even　thought　that　he　was
the　only　one　that　had　discovered　it。　　To　hear　his　sister　refer　thus
lightly　to　it　came　therefore　in　the　nature　of　a　shock　to　him。

〃Then　you　haveseen　ittoo？〃　he　stammered

〃'Seen　it；　too；'〃　laughed　Kate；　with　her　confident　eyes　on
William's　flushed　face；　〃I　should　say　I　had　seen　it！　　Any　one　could
see　it。〃

William　blushed　again。　　Love　to　him　had　always　been　something
sacred；　something　that　called　for　hushed　voices　and　twilight。
This　merry　discussion　in　the　sunlight　of　even　another's　love　was
disconcerting。

〃Now　come；　William；〃　resumed　Kate；　after　a　moment；　〃speak　to　Billy；
and　have　the　matter　settled　once　for　all。　　It's　worrying　you。　　I
can　see　it　is。〃

Again　William　stirred　uneasily。

〃But；　Kate；　I　can't　do　anything。　　I　told　you　before；　I　don't
believe　Billy　isready。〃

〃Nonsense！　　Ask　her。〃

〃But　Kate；　a　girl　won't　marry　against　her　will！〃

〃I　don't　believe　it　is　against　her　will。〃

〃Kate！　　Honestly？〃

〃Honestly！　　I've　watched　her。〃

〃Then　I　WILL　speak；〃　cried　the　man；　his　face　alight；　〃ifif　you
think　anything　I　can　say　wouldhelp。　　There　is　nothingnothing　in
all　this　world　that　I　so　desire；　Kate；　as　to　have　that　little　girl
back　home。　　And　of　course　that　would　do　it。　　She'd　live　there；　you
know。〃

〃Why；　ofcourse；〃　murmured　Kate；　with　a　puzzled　frown。　　There　was
something　in　this　last　remark　of　William's　that　she　did　not　quite
understand。　　Surely　he　could　not　suppose　that　she　had　any　idea　that
after　he　had　married　Billy　they　would　go　to　live　anywhere　else；
she　thought。　　For　a　moment　she　considered　the　matter　vaguely；　then
she　turned　her　attention　to　something　else。　　She　was　the　more　ready
to　do　this　because　she　believed　that　she　had　said　enough　for　the
present：　it　was　well　to　sow　seeds；　but　it　was　also　well　to　let　them
have　a　chance　to　grow；　she　told　herself。

Mrs。　Hartwell's　next　move　was　to　speak　to　Billy；　and　she　was
careful　to　do　this　at　once；　so　that　she　might　pave　the　way　for
William。

She　began　her　conversation　with　an　ingratiating　smile　and　the
words：

〃Well；　Billy；　I've　been　doing　a　little　detective　work　on　my　own
account。〃

〃Detective　work？〃

〃Yes；　about　William。　　You　know　I　told　you　the　other　day　how
troubled　and　anxious　he　looked　to　me。　　Well；　I've　found　out　what's
the　matter。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃Yourself。〃

〃Myself！　　Why；　Mrs。　Hartwell；　what　can　you　mean？〃

The　elder　lady　smiled　significantly。

〃Oh；　it's　merely　another　case；　my　dear；　of　'faint　heart　never　won
fair　lady。'　　I've　been　helping　on　the　faint　heart；　that's　all。〃

〃But　I　don't　understand。〃

〃No？　　I　can't　believe　you　quite　mean　that；　my　dear。　　Surely　you
must　know　how　earnestly　my　brother　William　is　longing　for　you　to　go
back　and　live　with　him。〃

Like　William；　Billy　flushed　scarlet。

〃Mrs。　Hartwell；　certainly　no　one　could　know　better　than　YOURSELF
why　that　is　quite　impossible；〃　she　frowned。

The　other　colored　confusedly。

〃I　understand；　of　course；　what　you　mean。　　And；　Billy；　I'll　confess
that　I've　been　sorry　lots　of　times；　since；　that　I　spoke　as　I　did　to
you；　particularly　when　I　saw　how　it　grieved　my　brother　William　to
have　you　go　away。　　If　I　blundered　then；　I'm　sorry；　and　perhaps　I
did　blunder。　　At　all　events；　that　is　only　the　more　reason　now　why　I
am　so　anxious　to　do　what　I　can　to　rectify　th