miss billie married-第1章

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Miss　Billie　Married



by　Eleanor　H。　Porter










TO

My　Cousin　Maud





CONTENTS



CHAPTER　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

I。　　　　　　SOME　OPINIONS　AND　A　WEDDING

II。　　　　　FOR　WILLIAMA　HOME

III。　　　　BILLY　SPEAKS　HER　MIND

IV。　　　　　JUST　LIKE　BILLY

V。　　　　　　TIGER　SKINS

VI。　　　　　‘‘THE　PAINTING　LOOK''

VII。　　　　THE　BIG　BAD　QUARREL

VIII。　　　BILLY　CULTIVATES　A　COMFORTABLE　INDIFFERENCE''

IX。　　　　　THE　DINNER　BILLY　TRIED　TO　GET

X。　　　　　　THE　DINNER　BILLY　GOT

XI。　　　　　CALDERWELL　DOES　SOME　QUESTIONING

XII。　　　　FOR　BILLYSOME　ADVICE

XIII。　　　PETE

XIV。　　　　WHEN　BERTRAM　CAME　HOME

XV。　　　　　AFTER　THE　STORM

XVI。　　　　INTO　TRAINING　FOR　MARY　ELLEN

XVII。　　　THE　EFFICIENCY　STARAND　BILLY

XVIII。　　BILLY　TRIES　HER　HAND　AT　‘‘MANAGING''

XIX。　　　　A　TOUGH　NUT　TO　CRACK　FOR　CYRIL

XX。　　　　　ARKWRIGHT'S　EYES　ARE　OPENED

XXI。　　　　BILLY　TAKES　HER　TURN　AT　QUESTIONING

XXII。　　　A　DOT　AND　A　DIMPLE

XXIII。　　BILLY　AND　THE　ENORMOUS　RESPONSIBILITY　

XXIV。　　　A　NIGHT　OFF

XXV。　　　　‘‘SHOULD　AULD　ACQUAINTANCE　BE　FORGOT''

XXVI。　　　GHOSTS　THAT　WALKED　FOR　BERTRAM

XXVII。　　THE　MOTHERTHE　WIFE

XXVIII。　CONSPIRATORS

XXIX。　　　CHESS

XXX。　　　　BY　A　BABY'S　HAND







Miss　BillyMarried







CHAPTER　I



SOME　OPINIONS　AND　A　WEDDING





‘‘I；　Bertram；　take　thee；　Billy；''　chanted　the

white…robed　clergyman。



‘‘　‘I；　Bertram；　take　thee；　Billy；'　''　echoed　the

tall　young　bridegroom；　his　eyes　gravely　tender。



‘‘To　my　wedded　wife。''



‘‘　‘To　my　wedded　wife。'　''　　The　bridegroom's

voice　shook　a　little。



‘‘To　have　and　to　hold　from　this　day　forward。''



‘‘　‘To　have　and　to　hold　from　this　day

forward。'　''　　Now　the　young　voice　rang　with　

triumph。　　It　had　grown　strong　and　steady。



‘‘For　better　for　worse。''



‘‘　‘For　better　for　worse。'　''



‘‘For　richer　for　poorer；''　droned　the　clergyman；

with　the　weariness　of　uncounted　repetitions。



‘‘　‘For　richer　for　poorer；'　''　avowed　the

bridegroom；　with　the　decisive　emphasis　of　one　to

whom　the　words　are　new　and　significant。



‘‘In　sickness　and　in　health。''



‘‘　‘In　sickness　and　in　health。'　''



‘‘To　love　and　to　cherish。''



‘‘　‘To　love　and　to　cherish。'　''　　The　younger

voice　carried　infinite　tenderness　now。



‘‘Till　death　us　do　part。''



‘‘　‘Till　death　us　do　part；'　''　repeated　the

bridegroom's　lips；　but　everybody　knew　that　what　his

heart　said　was：　　‘‘Now；　and　through　all　eternity。''



‘‘According　to　God's　holy　ordinance。''



‘‘　‘According　to　God's　holy　ordinance。'　''



‘‘And　thereto　I　plight　thee　my　troth。''



‘‘　‘And　thereto　I　plight　thee　my　troth。'　''



There　was　a　faint　stir　in　the　room。　　In　one

corner　a　white…haired　woman　blinked　tear…wet

eyes　and　pulled　a　fleecy　white　shawl　more　closely

about　her　shoulders。　　Then　the　minister's　voice

sounded　again。



‘‘I；　Billy；　take　thee；　Bertram。''



‘‘　‘I；　Billy；　take　thee；　Bertram。'　''



This　time　the　echoing　voice　was　a　feminine　one；

low　and　sweet；　but　clearly　distinct；　and　vibrant

with　joyous　confidence；　on　through　one　after　another

of　the　ever　familiar；　but　ever　impressive

phrases　of　the　service　that　gives　into　the　hands

of　one　man　and　of　one　woman　the　future　happiness；

each　of　the　other。





The　wedding　was　at　noon。　　That　evening　Mrs。

Kate　Hartwell；　sister　of　the　bridegroom；　wrote

the　following　letter：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOSTON；　July　15th。



‘‘MY　DEAR　HUSBAND：Well；　it's　all　over

with；　and　they're　married。　　I　couldn't　do　one

thing　to　prevent　it。　　Much　as　ever　as　they　would

even　listen　to　what　I　had　to　sayand　when

they　knew　how　I　had　hurried　East　to　say　it；　too；

with　only　two　hours'　notice！



‘‘But　then；　what　can　you　expect？　　From　time

immemorial　lovers　never　did　have　any　sense；

and　when　those　lovers　are　such　irresponsible

flutterbudgets　as　Billy　and　Bertram！



‘‘And　such　a　wedding！　　I　couldn't　do　anything

with　_that_；　either；　though　I　tried　hard。　　They　had

it　in　Billy's　living…room　at　noon；　with　nothing

but　the　sun　for　light。　　There　was　no　maid　of　honor；

no　bridesmaids；　no　wedding　cake；　no　wedding

veil；　no　presents　（except　from　the　family；　and　from

that　ridiculous　Chinese　cook　of　brother　William's；

Ding　Dong；　or　whatever　his　name　is。　　He　tore　in

just　before　the　wedding　ceremony；　and　insisted

upon　seeing　Billy　to　give　her　a　wretched　little

green　stone　idol；　which　he　declared　would　bring

her　‘heap　plenty　velly　good　luckee'　if　she

received　it　before　she　‘got　married。'　　I　wouldn't

have　the　hideous；　grinning　thing　around；　but

William　says　it's　real　jade；　and　very　valuable；　and

of　course　Billy　was　crazy　over　itor　pretended

to　be）。　　There　was　no　trousseau；　either；　and　no

reception。　　There　was　no　anything　but　the　bridegroom；

and　when　I　tell　you　that　Billy　actually

declared　that　was　all　she　wanted；　you　will　understand

how　absurdly　in　love　she　isin　spite　of　all

those　weeks　and　weeks　of　broken　engagement

when　I；　at　least；　supposed　she　had　come　to　her

senses；　until　I　got　that　crazy　note　from　Bertram

a　week　ago　saying　they　were　to　be　married　today。



‘‘I　can't　say　that　I've　got　any　really

satisfactory　explanation　of　the　matter。　　Everything　has

been　in　such　a　hubbub；　and　those　two　ridiculous

children　have　been　so　afraid　they　wouldn't　be

together　every　minute　possible；　that　any　really

rational　conversation　with　either　of　them　was　out

of　the　question。　　When　Billy　broke　the　engagement

last　spring　none　of　us　knew　why　she　had　done

it；　as　you　know；　and　I　fancy　we　shall　be　almost

as　much　in　the　dark　as　to　why　she　hasermended

it　now；　as　you　might　say。　　As　near　as　I

can　make　out；　however；　she　thought　he　didn't

want　her；　and　he　thought　she　didn't　want　him。　　I

believe　matters　were　still　further　complicated　by

a　girl　Bertram　was　painting；　and　a　young　fellow

that　used　to　sing　with　Billya　Mr。　Arkwright。



‘‘Anyhow；　things　came　to　a　head　last　spring；

Billy　broke　the　engagement　and　fled　to　parts　unknown

with　Aunt　Hannah；　leaving　Bertram　here

in　Boston　to　alternate　between　stony　despair　and

reckless　gayety；　according　to　William；　and　it　was

while　he　was　in　the　latter　mood　that　he　had　that

awful　automobile　accident　and　broke　his　arm

and　almost　his　neck。　　He　was　wildly　delirious；

and　called　continually　for　Billy。



‘‘Well；　it　seems　Billy　didn't　know　all　this；

but　a　week　ago　she　came　home；　and　in　some　way

found　out　about　it；　I　think　through　PeteWilliam's

old　butler；　you　know。　　Just　exactly　what

happened　I　can't　say；　but　I　do　know　that　she

dragged　poor　old　Aunt　Hannah　down　to　Bertram's

at　some　unearthly　hour；　and　in　the　rain；

and　Aunt　Hannah　couldn't　do　a　thing　with　her。　

All　Billy　would　say；　was；　‘Bertram　wants　me。'　

And　Aunt　Hannah　told　me　that　if　I　could　have

seen　Billy's　face　I'd　have　known　that　she'd　have

gone　to　Bertram　then　if　he'd　been　at　the　top　of

the　Himalaya　Mountains；　or　at　the　bottom　of　the

China　Sea。　　So　perhaps　it's　just　as　wellfor

Aunt　Hannah's　sake；　at　leastthat　he　was　in

no　worse　place　than　on　his　own　couch　at　home。　

Anyhow；　she　went；　and　in　half　an　hour　they

blandly　informed　Aunt　Hannah　that　they　were

going　to　be　married　to…day。



‘‘Aunt　Hannah　said　she　tried　to　stop　that；　and

get　them　to　put　it　off　till　October　（the　original

date；　you　know）；　but　Bertram　was　obdurate。　

And　when　he　declared　he'd　marry　her　the　next

day　if　it　wasn't　for　the　new　license　law；　Aunt

Hannah　said　she　gave　up　for　fear　he'd　get　a　special

dispensation；　or　go　to　the　Governor　or　the　President；

or　do　some　other　dreadful　thing。　　（What　a

funny　old　soul　Aunt　Hannah　is！）　　Bertram　told

_me_　that　he　should　never　feel　safe　till　Billy　was

really　his；　that　she'd　read　something；　or　hear

something；　or　think　something；　or　get　a　letter

from　me　（as　if　anything　_I_　could　say　would　do

any　good…or　harm！）；　and　so　break　the　engagement

again。



‘‘Well；　she's　his　now；　so　I　suppose　he's

satisfied；　though；　for　my　part；　I　haven't　changed　my

mind　at　all。　　I　still　say　that　they　a