miss billy-第6章
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〃Know him！I should say I did！〃 he cried。 〃Why； I am William
Henshaw； myself。〃
〃You！Uncle William！ Why； where's your pink？〃
The man's face was already so red it could not get any redderbut
it tried to do so。
〃Why； erIiterif you'll just come into the waiting…room a
minute； my dear；〃 he stuttered miserably； 〃II'll explainabout
that。 I shall have to leave youfor a minute；〃 he plunged on
frenziedly； as he led the way to a seat； 〃Amatter of business
that I must attend to。 I'll beright back。 Wait here； please！〃
And he almost pushed the girl into a seat and hurried away。
At a safe distance William Henshaw turned and looked back。 His
knees were shaking； and his fingers had grown cold at their tips。
He could see her plainly； as she bent over the basket in her lap。
He could see even the pretty curve of her cheek； and of her slender
throat when she lifted her head。
And that was Billya GIRL！
People near him at that moment saw a flushed…faced； nervous…
appearing man throw up his hands with a despairing gesture； roll
his eyes heavenward； and then plunge into the nearest telephone
booth。
In due time William Henshaw had his brother Bertram at the other
end of the wire。
〃Bertram！〃 he called shakily。
〃Hullo； Will； that you？ What's the matter？ You're late！ Didn't
he come？〃
〃Come！〃 groaned William。 〃Good Lord！ BertramBilly's a GIRL！〃
〃A wh…what？〃
〃A girl。〃
〃A GIRL！〃
〃Yes； yes！ Don't stand there repeating what I say in that idiotic
fashion； Bertram。 Do somethingdo something！〃
〃'Do something'！〃 gasped Bertram。 〃Great Scott； Will！ If you want
me to do something； don't knock me silly with a blow like that。
Now what did you say？〃
〃I said that Billy isagirl。 Can't you get that？〃 demanded
William； despairingly。
〃Well； by Jove！〃 breathed Bertram。
〃Come； come； think！ What shall we do？〃
〃Why； bring her home； of course。〃
〃Homehome！〃 chattered William。 〃Do you think we five men can
bring up a distractingly pretty eighteen…year…old girl with curly
cheeks and pink hair？〃
〃With wha…at？〃
〃No； no。 I mean curly hair and pink cheeks。 Bertram； do be
sensible；〃 begged the man。 〃This is serious！〃
〃Serious！ I should say it was！ Only fancy what Cy will say！ A
girl！ Holy smoke！ Tote her alongI want to see her！〃
〃But I say we can't keep her there with us； Bertram。 Don't you see
we can't？〃
〃Then take her to Kate's； or toto one of those Young Women's
Christian Union things。〃
〃No； no； I can't do that。 That's impossible。 Don't you
understand？ She's expecting to go home with meHOME！ I'm her
Uncle William。〃
〃Lucky Uncle William！〃
〃Be still； Bertram！〃
〃Well； doesn't she know yourmistake？that you thought she was a
boy？〃
〃Heaven forbid！I hope not；〃 cried the man； fervently。 〃I 'most
let it out once； but I think she didn't notice it。 You see； wewe
were both surprised。〃
〃Well； I should say！〃
〃And； Bertram； I can't turn her outI can't； I tell you。 Only
fancy my going to her now and saying： 'If you please； Billy； you
can't live at my house； after all。 I thought you were a boy； you
know！' Great Scott！ Bert； if she'd once turned those big brown
eyes of hers on you as she has on me； you'd see！〃
〃I'd be delighted； I'm sure；〃 sung a merry voice across the wires。
〃Sounds real interesting！〃
〃Bertram； can't you be serious and help me out？〃
〃But what CAN we do？〃
〃I don't know。 We'll have to think； but for now； get Kate。
Telephone her。 Tell her to come right straight over； and that
she's got to stay all night。〃
〃All night！〃
〃Of course！ Billy's got to have a chaperon； hasn't she？ Now
hurry。 We shall be up right away。〃
〃Kate's got company。〃
〃Never mindleave 'em。 Tell her she's got to leave 'em。 And tell
Cyril； of course； what to expect。 And； look a…here； you two
behave； now。 None of your nonsense！ Now mind。 I'm not going to
have this child tormented。〃
〃I won't bat an eyelidon my word； I won't；〃 chuckled Bertram。
〃But； oh； I say；Will！〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What's Spunk？〃
〃Eh？ohGreat Scott！ I forgot Spunk。 I don't know。 She's got a
basket。 He's in that； I suppose。 Anyhow； he can't be any more of
a bombshell than his mistress was。 Now be quick； and none of your
fooling； Bertram。 Tell them allPete and Dong Ling。 Don't
forget。 I wouldn't have Billy find out for the world！ Fix it up
with Kate。 You'll have to fix it up with her； that's all！〃 And
there came the sharp click of the receiver against the hook。
CHAPTER VII
INTRODUCING SPUNK
In the soft April twilight Cyril was playing a dreamy waltz when
Bertram knocked； and pushed open the door。
〃Say； old chap； you'll have to quit your mooning this time and sit
up and take notice。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 Cyril stopped playing and turned abruptly。
〃I mean that Will has gone crazy； and I think the rest of us are
going to follow suit。〃
Cyril shrugged his shoulders and whirled about on the piano stool。
In a moment his fingers had slid once more into the dreamy waltz。
〃When you get ready to talk sense； I'll listen；〃 he said coldly。
〃Oh； very well； if you really want it broken gently； it's this：
Will has met Billy； and Billy is a girl。 They're due here now
'most any time。〃
The music stopped with a crash。
〃AGIRL！〃
〃Yes； a girl。 Oh； I've been all through that； and I know how you
feel。 But as near as I can make out； it's really so。 I've had
instructions to tell everybody； and I've told。 I got Kate on the
telephone； and she's coming over。 You KNOW what SHE'LL be。 Dong
Ling is having what I suppose are Chinese hysterics in the kitchen；
and Pete is swinging back and forth like a pendulum in the dining…
room； moaning 'Good Lord； deliver us！' at every breath。 I would
suggest that you follow me down…stairs so that we may be decently
ready forwhatever comes。〃 And he turned about and stalked out of
the room； followed by Cyril； who was too stunned to open his lips。
Kate came first。 She was not stunned。 She had a great deal to
say。
〃Really； this is a little the most absurd thing I ever heard of；〃
she fumed。 〃What in the world does your brother mean？〃
That she quite ignored her own relationship to the culprit was not
lost on Bertram。 He made instant response。
〃As near as I can make out；〃 he replied smoothly； 〃YOUR brother has
fallen under the sway of a pair of great dark eyes； two pink
cheeks； and an unknown quantity of curly hair； all of which in its
entirety is his namesake； is lonesome； and is in need of a home。〃
〃But she can't livehere！〃
〃Will says she shall。〃
〃But that is utter nonsense；〃 cut in Cyril。
〃For once I agree with you； Cyril；〃 laughed Bertram； 〃but William
doesn't。〃
〃But how can she do it？〃 demanded Kate。
〃Don't know；〃 answered Bertram。 〃He's established a petticoat
propriety in you for a few hours； at least。 Meanwhile； he's going
to think。 At least； he says he is； and that we've got to help
him。〃
〃Humph！〃 snapped Kate。 〃Well； I can prophesy we sha'n't think
alikeso you'd notice it！〃
〃I know that；〃 nodded Bertram； 〃and I'm with you and Cyril on this。
The whole thing is absurd。 The idea of thrusting a silly；
eighteen…year…old girl here into our lives in this fashion！ But
you know what Will is when he's really roused。 You might as well
try to move a nice good…natured mountain by saying 'please；' as to
try to stir him under certain circumstances。 Most of the time；
I'll own； we can twist him around our little fingers。 But not now。
You'll see。 In the first place； she's the daughter of his dead
friend； and she DID write a pathetic little letter。 It got to the
inside of me； anyhow； when I thought she was a boy。〃
〃A boy！ Who wouldn't think she was a boy？〃 interposed Cyril。
〃'Billy；' indeed！ Can you tell me what for any sane man should
have named a girl 'Billy'？〃
〃For William； your brother； evidently；〃 retorted Bertram； dryly。
〃Anyhow； he did it； and of course our mistake was a very natural
one。 The dickens of it is now that we've got to keep it from her；
so Will says； and howhush！ here they are；〃 he broke off； as there
came the sound of wheels stopping before the house。
There followed the click of a ke
