miss billie married-第30章

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before。　　You　know　I　can't　have　it。''



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

retorted　Billy；　still　with　that　disarming；　airy

cheerfulness。　　‘‘Besides；　'twon't　be　half　so　bad　as　you

think。　　Wasn't　that　a　good　pudding　to…night？



Didn't　you　both　come　back　for　more？　　Well；　I

made　it。''



‘‘Puddings！''　ejaculated　Bertram；　with　an

impatient　gesture。　　‘‘Billy；　as　I've　said　before；　it　takes

something　besides　puddings　to　run　this　house。''



‘‘Yes；　I　know　it　does；''　dimpled　Billy；　‘‘and

I've　got　Mrs。　Durgin　for　that　part。　　She's　coming

twice　a　week；　and　more；　if　I　need　her。　　Why；

dearie；　you　don't　know　anything　about　how

comfortable　you're　going　to　be！　　I'll　leave　it　to

Uncle　William　if''



But　Uncle　William　had　gone。　　Silently　he　had

slipped　from　his　chair　and　disappeared。　　Uncle

William；　it　might　be　mentioned　in　passing；　had

never　quite　forgotten　Aunt　Hannah's　fateful　call

with　its　dire　revelations　concerning　a　certain

unwanted；　superfluous；　third…party　husband's

brother。　　Remembering　this；　there　were　times

when　he　thought　absence　was　both　safest　and

best。　　This　was　one　of　the　times。



‘‘But；　Billy；　dear；''　still　argued　Bertram；

irritably；　‘‘how　can　you？　　You　don't　know　how。　

You've　had　no　experience。''



Billy　threw　back　her　shoulders。　　An　ominous

light　came　to　her　eyes。　　She　was　no　longer　airily

playful。



‘‘That's　exactly　it；　Bertram。　　I　don't　know

howbut　I'm　going　to　learn。　　I　haven't　had

experiencebut　I'm　going　to　get　it。　　I　_can't_

make　a　worse　mess　of　it　than　we've　had　ever

since　Eliza　went；　anyway！''



‘‘But　if　you'd　get　a　maida　good　maid；''

persisted　Bertram；　feebly。



‘‘I　had　_one_Mary　Ellen。　　She　was　a　good

maiduntil　she　found　out　how　little　her　mistress

knew；　thenwell；　you　know　what　it　was

then。　　Do　you　think　I'd　let　that　thing　happen　to

me　again？　　No；　sir！　　I'm　going　into　training　for

my　next　Mary　Ellen！''　　And　with　a　very

majestic　air　Billy　rose　from　the　table　and　began

to　clear　away　the　dishes。







CHAPTER　XVII



THE　EFFICIENCY　STARAND　BILLY





Billy　was　not　a　young　woman　that　did　things


by　halves。　　Long　ago；　in　the　days　of　her　childhood；

her　Aunt　Ella　had　once　said　of　her：　　‘‘If

only　Billy　didn't　go　into　things　all　over；　so；　but

whether　it's　measles　or　mud　pies；　I　always　know

that　she'll　be　the　measliest　or　the　muddiest　of　any

child　in　town！''　　It　could　not　be　expected；　therefore；

that　Billy　would　begin　to　play　her　new　rle

now　with　any　lack　of　enthusiasm。　　But　even　had

she　needed　any　incentive；　there　was　still　ever

ringing　in　her　ears　Bertram's　accusing：　　‘‘If　you'd

tend　to　your　husband　and　your　home　a　little

more''　　Billy　still　declared　very　emphatically

that　she　had　forgiven　Bertram；　but　she　knew；　in

her　heart；　that　she　had　not　forgotten。



Certainly；　as　the　days　passed；　it　could　not　be

said　that　Billy　was　not　tending　to　her　husband

and　her　home。　　From　morning　till　night；　now；

she　tended　to　nothing　else。　　She　seldom　touched

her　pianosave　to　dust　itand　she　never

touched　her　half…finished　song…manuscript；　long

since　banished　to　the　oblivion　of　the　music

cabinet。　　She　made　no　calls　except　occasional　flying

visits　to　the　Annex；　or　to　the　pretty　new　home

where　Marie　and　Cyril　were　now　delightfully

settled。　　The　opera　and　the　Symphony　were　over

for　the　season；　but　even　had　they　not　been；　Billy

could　not　have　attended　them。　　She　had　no　time。　

Surely　she　was　not　doing　any　‘‘gallivanting''

now；　she　told　herself　sometimes；　a　little　aggrievedly。



There　was；　indeed；　no　time。　　From　morning

until　night　Billy　was　busy；　flying　from　one　task

to　another。　　Her　ambition　to　have　everything

just　right　was　equalled　only　by　her　dogged

determination　to　‘‘just　show　them''　that　she　could　do

this　thing。　　At　first；　of　course；　hampered　as　she

was　by　ignorance　and　inexperience；　each　task

consumed　about　twice　as　much　time　as　was　necessary。　

Yet　afterwards；　when　accustomedness　had

brought　its　reward　of　speed；　there　was　still　for

Billy　no　time；　for　increased　knowledge　had　only

opened　the　way　to　other　paths；　untrodden　and

alluring。　　Study　of　cookbooks　had　led　to　the

study　of　food　values。　　Billy　discovered　suddenly

that　potatoes；　beef；　onions；　oranges；　and

puddings　were　something　besides　vegetables；　meat；

fruit；　and　dessert。　　They　possessed　attributes

known　as　proteids；　fats；　and　carbohydrates。　

Faint　memories　of　long　forgotten　school　days

hinted　that　these　terms　had　been　heard　before；

but　never；　Billy　was　sure；　had　she　fully　realized

what　they　meant。



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　Billy　ran　across　a

book　entitled　‘‘Correct　Eating　for　Efficiency。''　

She　bought　it　at　once；　and　carried　it　home　in

triumph。　　It　proved　to　be　a　marvelous　book。　

Billy　had　not　read　two　chapters　before　she　began

to　wonder　how　the　family　had　managed　to　live

thus　far　with　any　sort　of　success；　in　the　face　of

their　dense　ignorance　and　her　own　criminal　carelessness

concerning　their　daily　bill　of　fare。



At　dinner　that　night　Billy　told　Bertram　and

William　of　her　discovery；　and；　with　growing

excitement；　dilated　on　the　wonderful　good　that　it

was　to　bring　to　them。



‘‘Why；　you　don't　know；　you　can't　imagine

what　a　treasure　it　is！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘It　gives

a　complete　table　for　the　exact　balancing　of　food。''



‘‘For　what？''　demanded　Bertram；　glancing　up。



‘‘The　exact　balancing　of　food；　and　this　book

says　that's　the　biggest　problem　that　modern　scientists

have　to　solve。''



‘‘Humph！''　shrugged　Bertram。　　‘‘Well；　you

just　balance　my　food　to　my　hunger；　and　I'll　agree

not　to　complain。''



‘‘Oh；　but；　Bertram；　it's　serious；　really；''　urged

Billy；　looking　genuinely　distressed。　　‘‘Why；　it

says　that　what　you　eat　goes　to　make　up　what　you

are。　　It　makes　your　vital　energies。　　Your　brain

power　and　your　body　power　come　from　what　you

eat。　　Don't　you　see？　　If　you're　going　to　paint　a

picture　you　need　something　different　from　what

you　would　if　you　were　going　toto　saw　wood；

and　what　this　book　tells　isis　what　I　ought　to

give　you　to　make　you　do　each　one；　I　should　think；

from　what　I've　read　so　far。　　Now　don't　you　see

how　important　it　is？　　What　if　I　should　give　you

the　saw…wood　kind　of　a　breakfast　when　you　were

just　going　up…stairs　to　paint　all　day？　　And　what

if　I　should　give　Uncle　William　aa　soldier's

breakfast　when　all　he　is　going　to　do　is　to　go　down

on　State　Street　and　sit　still　all　day？''



‘‘Butbut；　my　dear；''　began　Uncle　William；

looking　slightly　worried；　‘‘there's　my　eggs　that

I　_always_　have；　you　know。''



‘‘For　heaven's　sake；　Billy；　what　_have_　you　got

hold　of　now？''　demanded　Bertram；　with　just　a

touch　of　irritation。



Billy　laughed　merrily。



‘‘Well；　I　suppose　I　didn't　sound　very　logical；''

she　admitted。　　‘‘But　the　bookyou　just　wait。　

It's　in　the　kitchen。　　I'm　going　to　get　it。''　　And

with　laughing　eagerness　she　ran　from　the　room。



In　a　moment　she　had　returned；　book　in　hand。



‘‘Now　listen。　　_This_　is　the　real　thingnot

my　garbled　inaccuracies。　　‘The　food　which　we

eat　serves　three　purposes：　it　builds　the　body

substance；　bone；　muscle；　etc。；　it　produces　heat　in

the　body；　and　it　generates　vital　energy。　　Nitrogen

in　different　chemical　combinations　contributes

largely　to　the　manufacture　of　body　substances；

the　fats　produce　heat；　and　the　starches　and

sugars　go　to　make　the　vital　energy。　　The　nitrogenous

food　elements　we　call　proteins；　the　fats

and　oils；　fats；　and　the　starches　and　sugars

（because　of　the　predominance　of　carbon）；　we　call

carbohydrates。　　Now　in　selecting　the　diet　for　the

day　you　should　take　care　to　choose　those　foods

which　give　the　proteins；　fats；　and　carbohydrates

in　just　the　right　proportion。'　''



‘‘Oh；　Billy！''　groaned　Bertram。



‘‘But　it's　so；　Bertram；''　maintained　Billy；

anxiously。　　‘‘And　it's　every　bit　here。　　I　don't

have　to　guess　at　it　at　all。　　They　even　give　the

quantities　of　calories　of　energy　required　for