miss billie married-第29章

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triumphant　that　Alice；　at　her　end　of　the

wires；　frowned　in　puzzled　wonder　as　she　turned

away　from　the　telephone。







CHAPTER　XVI



INTO　TRAINING　FOR　MARY　ELLEN





Bertram　told　a　friend　afterwards　that　he　never

knew　the　meaning　of　the　word　‘‘chaos''　until　he

had　seen　the　Strata　during　the　weeks　immediately

following　the　laying　away　of　his　old　servant。



‘‘Every　stratum　was　aquiver　with　apprehension；''

he　declared；　‘‘and　there　was　never　any

telling　when　the　next　grand　upheaval　would　rock

the　whole　structure　to　its　foundations。''



Nor　was　Bertram　so　far　from　being　right。　　It

was；　indeed；　a　chaos；　as　none　knew　better　than

did　Bertram's　wife。



Poor　Billy！　　Sorry　indeed　were　these　days　for

Billy；　and；　as　if　to　make　her　cup　of　woe　full　to

overflowing；　there　were　Sister　Kate's　epistolary

‘‘I　told　you　so；''　and　Aunt　Hannah's　ever

recurring　lament：　　‘‘If　only；　Billy；　you　were　a

practical　housekeeper　yourself；　they　wouldn't

impose　on　you　so！''



Aunt　Hannah；　to　be　sure；　offered　Rosa；　and

Kate；　by　letter；　offered　adviceplenty　of　it。　

But　Billy；　stung　beyond　all　endurance；　and　fairly

radiating　hurt　pride　and　dogged　determination；

disdained　all　assistance；　and；　with　head　held　high；

declared　she　was　getting　along　very　well；　very

well　indeed！



And　this　was　the　way　she　‘‘got　along。''



First　came　Nora。　　Nora　was　a　blue…eyed；　black…

haired　Irish　girl；　the　sixth　that　the　despairing

Billy　had　interviewed　on　that　fateful　morning

when　Bertram　had　summoned　her　to　his　aid。　

Nora　stayed　two　days。　　During　her　reign　the

entire　Strata　echoed　to　banged　doors；　dropped

china；　and　slammed　furniture。　　At　her　departure

the　Henshaws'　possessions　were　less　by　four　cups；

two　saucers；　one　plate；　one　salad　bowl；　two　cut

glass　tumblers；　and　a　teapotthe　latter　William's

choicest　bit　of　Lowestoft。



Olga　came　next。　　Olga　was　a　Treasure。　　She

was　low…voiced；　gentle…eyed；　and　a　good　cook。　

She　stayed　a　week。　　By　that　time　the　growing

frequency　of　the　disappearance　of　sundry　small

articles　of　value　and　convenience　led　to　Billy's

making　a　reluctant　search　of　Olga's　roomand

to　Olga's　departure；　for　the　room　was；　indeed；　a

treasure　house；　the　Treasure　having　gathered

unto　itself　other　treasures。



Following　Olga　came　a　period　of　what　Bertram

called　‘‘one　night　stands；''　so　frequently　were　the

dramatis　person　below　stairs　changed。　　Gretchen

drank。　　Christine　knew　only　four　words　of　English：

salt；　good…by；　no；　and　yes；　and　Billy　found

need　occasionally　of　using　other　words。　　Mary

was　impertinent　and　lazy。　　Jennie　could　not　even

boil　a　potato　properly；　much　less　cook　a　dinner。　

Sarah　（colored）　was　willing　and　pleasant；　but

insufferably　untidy。　　Bridget　was　neatness　itself；

but　she　had　no　conception　of　the　value　of　time。　

Her　meals　were　always　from　thirty　to　sixty

minutes　late；　and　half…cooked　at　that。　　Vera

sangwhen　she　wasn't　whistlingand　as　she

was　generally　off　the　key；　and　always　off　the

tune；　her　almost　frantic　mistress　dismissed　her

before　twenty…four　hours　had　passed。　　Then　came

Mary　Ellen。



Mary　Ellen　began　well。　　She　was　neat；　capable；

and　obliging；　but　it　did　not　take　her　long　to

discover　just　how　muchand　how　littleher

mistress　really　knew　of　practical　housekeeping。　

Matters　and　things　were　very　different　then。　

Mary　Ellen　became　argumentative；　impertinent；

and　domineering。　　She　openly　shirked　her　work；

when　it　pleased　her　so　to　do；　and　demanded

perquisites　and　privileges　so　insolently　that　even

William　asked　Billy　one　day　whether　Mary　Ellen

or　Billy　herself　were　the　mistress　of　the　Strata：

and　Bertram；　with　mock　humility；　inquired　how

_soon_　Mary　Ellen　would　be　wanting　the　house。

Billy；　in　weary　despair；　submitted　to　this　bullying

for　almost　a　week；　then；　in　a　sudden　accession

of　outraged　dignity　that　left　Mary　Ellen　gasping

with　surprise；　she　told　the　girl　to　go。



And　thus　the　days　passed。　　The　maids　came

and　the　maids　went；　and；　to　Billy；　each　one　seemed

a　little　worse　than　the　one　before。　　Nowhere　was

there　comfort；　rest；　or　peacefulness。　　The　nights

were　a　torture　of　apprehension；　and　the　days　an

even　greater　torture　of　fulfilment。　　Noise；　confusion；

meals　poorly　cooked　and　worse　served；　dust；

disorder；　and　uncertainty。　　And　this　was　_home_；

Billy　told　herself　bitterly。　　No　wonder　that　Bertram

telephoned　more　and　more　frequently　that

he　had　met　a　friend；　and　was　dining　in　town。　　No

wonder　that　William　pushed　back　his　plate　almost

every　meal　with　his　food　scarcely　touched；　and

then　wandered　about　the　house　with　that　hungry；

homesick；　homeless　look　that　nearly　broke　her

heart。　　No　wonder；　indeed！



And　so　it　had　come。　　It　was　true。　　Aunt　Hannah

and　Kate　and　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''

were　right。　　She　had　not　been　fit　to　marry　Bertram。　

She　had　not　been　fit　to　marry　anybody。　

Her　honeymoon　was　not　only　waning；　but　going

into　a　total　eclipse。　　Had　not　Bertram　already

declared　that　if　she　would　tend　to　her　husband

and　her　home　a　little　more



Billy　clenched　her　small　hands　and　set　her

round　chin　squarely。



Very　well；　she　would　show　them。　　She　would

tend　to　her　husband　and　her　home。　　She　fancied

she　could　_learn_　to　run　that　house；　and　run　it　well！　

And　forthwith　she　descended　to　the　kitchen　and

told　the　then　reigning　tormentor　that　her　wages

would　be　paid　until　the　end　of　the　week；　but

that　her　services　would　be　immediately　dispensed

with。



Billy　was　well　aware　now　that　housekeeping

was　a　matter　of　more　than　muffins　and　date　puffs。　

She　could　gauge；　in　a　measure；　the　magnitude　of

the　task　to　which　she　had　set　herself。　　But　she

did　not　falter；　and　very　systematically　she　set

about　making　her　plans。



With　a　good　stout　woman　to　come　in　twice　a

week　for　the　heavier　work；　she　believed　she　could

manage　by　herself　very　well　until　Eliza　could　come

back。　　At　least　she　could　serve　more　palatable

meals　than　the　most　of　those　that　had　appeared

lately；　and　at　least　she　could　try　to　make　a　home

that　would　not　drive　Bertram　to　club　dinners；

and　Uncle　William　to　hungry　wanderings　from

room　to　room。　　Meanwhile；　all　the　time；　she　could

be　learning；　and　in　due　course　she　would　reach

that　shining　goal　of　Housekeeping　Efficiency；

short　of　whichaccording　to　Aunt　Hannah　and

the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''no　woman　need

hope　for　a　waneless　honeymoon。



So　chaotic　and　erratic　had　been　the　household

service；　and　so　quietly　did　Billy　slip　into　her　new

role；　that　it　was　not　until　the　second　meal　after

the　maid's　departure　that　the　master　of　the　house

discovered　what　had　happened。　　Then；　as　his

wife　rose　to　get　some　forgotten　article；　he　questioned；

with　uplifted　eyebrows：



‘‘Too　good　to　wait　upon　us；　is　my　lady　now；

eh？''



‘‘My　lady　is　waiting　on　you；''　smiled　Billy。



‘‘Yes；　I　see　_this_　lady　is；''　retorted　Bertram；

grimly；　‘‘but　I　mean　our　real　lady　in　the　kitchen。　

Great　Scott；　Billy；　how　long　are　you　going　to

stand　this？''



Billy　tossed　her　head　airily；　though　she　shook

in　her　shoes。　　Billy　had　been　dreading　this　moment。



‘‘I'm　not　standing　it。　　She's　gone；''　responded

Billy；　cheerfully；　resuming　her　seat。　　‘‘Uncle

William；　sha'n't　I　give　you　some　more　pudding？''



‘‘Gone；　so　soon？''　groaned　Bertram；　as　William

passed　his　plate；　with　a　smiling　nod。　　‘‘Oh；

well；''　went　on　Bertram；　resignedly；　‘‘she　stayed

longer　than　the　last　one。　　When　is　the　next　one

coming？''



‘‘She's　already　here。''



Bertram　frowned。



‘‘Here？　　Butyou　served　the　dessert；　and''　

At　something　in　Billy's　face；　a　quick　suspicion

came　into　his　own。　　‘‘Billy；　you　don't　mean　that

you_you_''



‘‘Yes；''　she　nodded　brightly；　‘‘that's　just　what

I　mean。　　I'm　the　next　one。''



‘‘Nonsense！''　exploded　Bertram；　wrathfully。　

‘‘Oh；　come；　Billy；　we've　been　all　over　this

before。　　You　know　I　can't　have　it。''



‘‘Yes；　you　can。　　You've　got　to　have　it；