miss billie married-第28章

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plainly　distressed。



‘‘Billy！''　cried　the　man；　still　more　reproachfully。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　I　can't　forgetquite　yet；''

faltered　Billy。



Bertram　frowned。　　For　a　minute　he　looked　as

if　he　were　about　to　take　up　the　matter　seriously

and　argue　it　with　her；　but　the　next　moment　he

smiled　and　tossed　his　head　with　jaunty　playfulness

Bertram；　to　tell　the　truth；　had　now　had

quite　enough　of　what　he　privately　termed

‘‘scenes''　and　‘‘heroics''；　and；　manlike；　he　was

very　ardently　longing　for　the　old　easy…going

friendliness；　with　all　unpleasantness　banished　to

oblivion。



‘‘Oh；　but　you'll　have　to　forget；''　he　claimed；

with　cheery　insistence；　‘‘for　you've　promised　to

forgive　meand　one　can't　forgive　without　forgetting。　

So；　there！''　he　finished；　with　a　smilingly

determined　‘‘now…everything…is…just…as…it…was…before''　air。



Billy　made　no　response。　　She　turned　hurriedly

and　began　to　busy　herself　with　the　dishes　at　the

sink。　　In　her　heart　she　was　wondering：　could

she　ever　forget　what　Bertram　had　said？　　Would

anything　ever　blot　out　those　awful　words：　　‘‘If

you　would　tend　to　your　husband　and　your　home

a　little　more；　and　go　gallivanting　off　with　Calderwell

and　Arkwright　and　Alice　Greggory　a　little

less''？　　It　seemed　now　that　always；　for　evermore；

they　would　ring　in　her　ears；　always；　for

evermore；　they　would　burn　deeper　and　deeper

into　her　soul。　　And　not　once；　in　all　Bertram's

apologies；　had　he　referred　to　themthose　words

he　had　uttered。　　He　had　not　said　he　did　not　mean

them。　　He　had　not　said　he　was　sorry　he　spoke

them。　　He　had　ignored　them；　and　he　expected

that　now　she；　too；　would　ignore　them。　　As　if

she　could！''　　If　you　would　tend　to　your　husband

and　your　home　a　little　more；　and　go　gallivanting

off　with　Calderwell　and　Arkwright　and　Alice

Greggory　a　little　less''　　Oh；　if　only　she　could；

indeed；forget！



When　Billy　went　up…stairs　that　night　she　ran

across　her　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''　in　her　desk。　

With　a　half…stifled　cry　she　thrust　it　far　back　out

of　sight。



‘‘I　hate　you；　I　hate　youwith　all　your　old

talk　about　‘brushing　up　against　outside　interests'！''

she　whispered　fiercely。　　‘‘Well；　I've

‘brushed'and　now　see　what　I've　got　for　it！''



Later；　however；　after　Bertram　was　asleep；　Billy

crept　out　of　bed　and　got　the　book。　　Under　the

carefully　shaded　lamp　in　the　adjoining　room　she

turned　the　pages　softly　till　she　came　to　the　sentence：　

‘‘Perhaps　it　would　be　hard　to　find　a　more

utterly　unreasonable；　irritable；　irresponsible　creature

than　a　hungry　man。''　　With　a　long　sigh　she

began　to　read；　and　not　until　some　minutes　later

did　she　close　the　book；　turn　off　the　light；　and　steal

back　to　bed。



During　the　next　three　days；　until　after　the

funeral　at　the　shabby　little　South　Boston　house；

Eliza　spent　only　about　half　of　each　day　at　the

Strata。　　This；　much　to　her　distress；　left　many　of

the　household　tasks　for　her　young　mistress　to

perform。　　Billy；　however；　attacked　each　new　duty

with　a　feverish　eagerness　that　seemed　to　make　the

performance　of　it　very　like　some　glad　penance

done　for　past　misdeeds。　　And　whenon　the　day

after　they　had　laid　the　old　servant　in　his　last

resting　placea　despairing　message　came　from

Eliza　to　the　effect　that　now　her　mother　was　very

ill；　and　would　need　her　care；　Billy　promptly　told

Eliza　to　stay　as　long　as　was　necessary；　that　they

could　get　along　all　right　without　her。



‘‘But；　Billy；　what　_are_　we　going　to　do？''

Bertram　demanded；　when　he　heard　the　news。　　‘‘We

must　have　somebody！''



‘‘_I'm_　going　to　do　it。''



‘‘Nonsense！　　As　if　you　could！''　scoffed　Bertram。



Billy　lifted　her　chin。



‘‘Couldn't　I；　indeed；''　she　retorted。　　‘‘Do　you

realize；　young　man；　how　much　I've　done　the　last

three　days？　　How　about　those　muffins　you　had

this　morning　for　breakfast；　and　that　cake　last

night？　　And　didn't　you　yourself　say　that　you

never　ate　a　better　pudding　than　that　date　puff

yesterday　noon？''



Bertram　laughed　and　shrugged　his　shoulders。



‘‘My　dear　love；　I'm　not　questioning　your

_ability_　to　do　it；''　he　soothed　quickly。　　‘‘Still；''　he

added；　with　a　whimsical　smile；　‘‘I　must　remind

you　that　Eliza　has　been　here　half　the　time；　and

that　muffins　and　date　puffs；　however　delicious；

aren't　all　there　is　to　running　a　big　house　like　this。　

Besides；　just　be　sensible；　Billy；''　he　went　on　more

seriously；　as　he　noted　the　rebellious　gleam　coming

into　his　young　wife's　eyes；　‘‘you'd　know　you

couldn't　do　it；　if　you'd　just　stop　to　think。　　There's

the　Carletons　coming　to　dinner　Monday；　and　my

studio　Tea　to…morrow；　to　say　nothing　of　the

Symphony　and　the　opera；　and　the　concerts　you'd

lose　because　you　were　too　dead　tired　to　go　to　them。　

You　know　how　it　was　with　that　concert　yesterday

afternoon　which　Alice　Greggory　wanted　you

to　go　to　with　her。''



‘‘I　didn'twantto　go；''　choked　Billy；

under　her　breath。



‘‘And　there's　your　music。　　You　haven't　done

a　thing　with　that　for　days；　yet　only　last　week

you　told　me　the　publishers　were　hurrying　you　for

that　last　song　to　complete　the　group。''



‘‘I　haven't　felt　likewriting；''　stammered

Billy；　still　half　under　her　breath。



‘‘Of　course　you　haven't；''　triumphed　Bertram。　

‘‘You've　been　too　dead　tired。　　And　that's　just

what　I　say。　　Billy；　you　_can't_　do　it　all　yourself！''



‘‘But　I　want　to。　　I　want　toto　tend　to

things；''　faltered　Billy；　with　a　half…fearful　glance

into　her　husband's　face。



Billy　was　hearing　very　loudly　now　that　accusing

‘‘If　you'd　tend　to　your　husband　and　your　home

a　little　more''　　Bertram；　however；　was　not

hearing　it；　evidently。　　Indeed；　he　seemed　never

to　have　heard　itmuch　less　to　have　spoken　it。



‘‘　‘Tend　to　things；'　''　he　laughed　lightly。　

‘‘Well；　you'll　have　enough　to　do　to　tend　to　the

maid；　I　fancy。　　Anyhow；　we're　going　to　have　one。　

I'll　just　step　into　one　of　thosewhat　do　you　call

'em？intelligence　offices　on　my　way　down　and

send　one　up；''　he　finished；　as　he　gave　his　wife　a

good…by　kiss。



An　hour　later　Billy；　struggling　with　the　broom

and　the　drawing…room　carpet；　was　called　to　the

telephone。　　It　was　her　husband's　voice　that　came

to　her。



‘‘Billy；　for　heaven's　sake；　take　pity　on　me。　

Won't　you　put　on　your　duds　and　come　and　engage

your　maid　yourself？''



‘‘Why；　Bertram；　what's　the　matter？''



‘‘Matter？　　Holy　smoke！　　Well；　I've　been　to

three　of　those　intelligence　officesthough　why

they　call　them　that　I　can't　imagine。　　If　ever　there

was　a　place　utterly　devoid　of　intelligence…but

never　mind！　　I've　interviewed　four　fat　ladies；

two　thin　ones；　and　one　medium　with　a　wart。　　I've

cheerfully　divulged　all　our　family　secrets；　promised

every　other　half…hour　out；　and　taken　oath

that　our　household　numbers　three　adult　members；

and　no　more；　but　I　simply　_can't_　remember

how　many　handkerchiefs　we　have　in　the　wash

each　week。　　Billy；　will　you　come？　　Maybe　you

can　do　something　with　them。　　I'm　sure　you

can！''



‘‘Why；　of　course　I'll　come；''　chirped　Billy。　

‘‘Where　shall　I　meet　you？''



Bertram　gave　the　street　and　number。



‘‘Good！　　I'll　be　there；''　promised　Billy；　as　she

hung　up　the　receiver。



Quite　forgetting　the　broom　in　the　middle　of　the

drawing…room　floor；　Billy　tripped　up…stairs　to

change　her　dress。　　On　her　lips　was　a　gay　little

song。　　In　her　heart　was　joy。



‘‘I　rather　guess　_now_　I'm　tending　to　my　husband

and　my　home！''　she　was　crowing　to　herself。



Just　as　Billy　was　about　to　leave　the　house　the

telephone　bell　jangled　again。



It　was　Alice　Greggory。



‘‘Billy；　dear；''　she　called；　‘‘can't　you　come

out？　　Mr。　Arkwright　and　Mr。　Calderwell　are

here；　and　they've　brought　some　new　music。　　We

want　you。　　Will　you　come？''



‘‘I　can't；　dear。　　Bertram　wants　me。　　He's　sent

for　me。　　I've　got　some　_housewifely_　duties　to　perform

to…day；''　returned　Billy；　in　a　voice　so　curiously

triumphant　that　Alice；　at　her　end　of　the

wires；　frowned　in　puzzled　wonder　as　she　turned

away　fro