miss billie married-第43章

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course　the　twins　are　a　good　deal　older；　but　they

have　such　a　_bright_　look；and　they　did　have；

from　the　very　first。　　I　saw　it　in　their　tiniest　baby

pictures。　　But　this　baby''



‘‘_This_　baby　is　_mine_；　please；''　cut　in　a

tremulous；　but　resolute　voice；　and　Mrs。　Hartwell

turned　to　confront　Bertram；　Jr。's　mother；

manifestly　weak　and　trembling；　but　no　less

manifestly　blazing…eyed　and　determined。



‘‘Why；　Billy！''　expostulated　Mrs。　Hartwell；

as　Billy　stumbled　forward　and　snatched　the　child

into　her　arms。



‘‘Perhaps　he　doesn't　look　like　the　Henshaw

babies。　　Perhaps　he　isn't　as　pretty　as　the　twins。　

Perhaps　he　hasn't　much　hair；　and　does　have　a

snub　nose。　　He's　my　baby　just　the　same；　and　I

shall　not　stay　calmly　by　and　see　him　abused！　

Besides；　_I_　think　he's　prettier　than　the　twins　ever

thought　of　being；　and　he's　got　all　the　hair　I　want

him　to　have；　and　his　nose　is　just　exactly　what　a

baby's　nose　ought　to　be！''　　And；　with　a　superb

gesture；　Billy　turned　and　bore　the　baby　away。







CHAPTER　XXIII



BILLY　AND　THE　ENORMOUS　RESPONSIBILITY





When　the　doctor　heard　from　the　nurse　of　Mrs。

Hartwell's　visit　and　what　had　come　of　it；　he　only

gave　a　discreet　smile；　as　befitted　himself　and　the

occasion；　but　to　his　wife　privately；　that　night；

the　doctor　said；　when　he　had　finished　telling　the

story：



‘‘And　I　couldn't　have　prescribed　a　better　pill

if　I'd　tried！''



‘‘_Pill_Mrs。　Hartwell！　　Oh；　Harold；''　reproved

the　doctor's　wife；　mildly。



But　the　doctor　only　chuckled　the　more；　and

said：



‘‘You　wait　and　see。''



If　Billy's　friends　were　worried　before　because

of　her　lassitude　and　lack　of　ambition；　they　were

almost　as　worried　now　over　her　amazing　alertness

and　insistent　activity。　　Day　by　day；　almost　hour

by　hour；　she　seemed　to　gain　in　strength；　and　every

bit　she　acquired　she　promptly　tested　almost　to

the　breaking　point；　so　plainly　eager　was　she　to

be　well　and　strong。　　And　always；　from　morning

until　night；　and　again　from　night　until　morning；

the　pivot　of　her　existence；　around　which　swung

all　thoughts；　words；　actions；　and　plans；　was　the

sturdy　little　plump…cheeked；　firm…fleshed　atom

of　humanity　known　as　Bertram；　Jr。　　Even　Aunt

Hannah　remonstrated　with　her　at　last。



‘‘But；　Billy；　dear；''　she　exclaimed；　‘‘one　would

almost　get　the　idea　that　you　thought　there　wasn't

a　thing　in　the　world　but　that　baby！''



Billy　laughed。



‘‘Well；　do　you　know；　sometimes　I　'most　think

there　isn't；''　she　retorted　unblushingly。



‘‘Billy！''　protested　Aunt　Hannah；　then；　a

little　severely；　she　demanded：　　‘‘And　who　was　it

that　just　last　September　was　calling　this　same

only…object…in…the…world　a　third　person　in　your

home？''



‘‘Third　person；　indeed！　　Aunt　Hannah；　did　I？　

Did　I　really　say　such　a　dreadful　thing　as　that？　

But　I　didn't　know；　then；　of　course。　　I　couldn't

know　how　perfectly　wonderful　a　baby　is；　especially

such　a　baby　as　Bertram；　Jr。；　is。　　Why；　Aunt　Hannah；

that　little　thing　knows　a　whole　lot　already。　

He's　known　me　for　weeks；　I　know　he　has。　　And

ages　and　ages　ago　he　began　to　give　me　little　smiles

when　he　saw　me。　　They　were　smilesreal　smiles！　

Oh；　yes；　I　know　nurse　said　they　weren't　smiles　at

the　first；''　admitted　Billy；　in　answer　to　Aunt

Hannah's　doubting　expression。　　‘‘I　know　nurse　said

it　was　only　wind　on　his　stomach。　　Think　of　it

wind　on　his　stomach！　　Just　as　if　I　didn't　know　the

difference　between　my　own　baby's　smile　and　wind

on　his　stomach！　　And　you　don't　know　how　soon

he　began　to　follow　my　moving　finger　with　his

eyes！''



‘‘Yes；　I　tried　that　one　day；　I　remember；''

observed　Aunt　Hannah　demurely。　　‘‘I　moved　my

finger。　　He　looked　at　the　ceiling_fixedly_。''



‘‘Well；　probably　he　_wanted_　to　look　at　the

ceiling；　then；''　defended　the　young　mother；　promptly。　

‘‘I'm　sure　I　wouldn't　give　a　snap　for　a　baby　if　he

didn't　sometimes　have　a　mind　of　his　own；　and

exercise　it！''



‘‘Oh；　Billy；　Billy；''　laughed　Aunt　Hannah；

with　a　shake　of　her　head　as　Billy　turned　away；

chin　uptilted。



By　the　time　Bertram；　Jr。；　was　three　months

old；　Billy　was　unmistakably　her　old　happy；　merry

self；　strong　and　well。　　Affairs　at　the　Strata　once

more　were　moving　as　by　clockworkonly　this

time　it　was　a　baby's　hand　that　set　the　clock；　and

that　wound　it；　too。



Billy　told　her　husband　very　earnestly　that　now

they　had　entered　upon　a　period　of　Enormous

Responsibility。　　The　Life；　Character；　and　Destiny

of　a　Human　Soul　was　intrusted　to　their　care；　and

they　must　be　Wise；　Faithful；　and　Efficient。　　They

must　be　at　once　Proud　and　Humble　at　this

their　Great　Opportunity。　　They　must　Observe；

Learn；　and　Practice。　　First　and　foremost　in　their

eyes　must　always　be　this　wonderful　Important

Trust。



Bertram　laughed　at　first　very　heartily　at　Billy's

instructions；　which；　he　declared；　were　so　bristling

with　capitals　that　he　could　fairly　see　them　drop

from　her　lips。　　Then；　when　he　found　how　really

very　much　in　earnest　she　was；　and　how　hurt　she

was　at　his　levity；　he　managed　to　pull　his　face　into

something　like　sobriety　while　she　talked　to　him；

though　he　did　persist　in　dropping　kisses　on　her

cheeks；　her　chin；　her　finger…tips；　her　hair；　and　the

little　pink　lobes　of　her　ears‘‘just　by　way　of

punctuation''　to　her　sentences；　he　said。　　And　he

told　her　that　he　wasn't　really　slighting　her　lips；

only　that　they　moved　so　fast　he　could　not　catch

them。　　Whereat　Billy　pouted；　and　told　him　severely

that　he　was　a　bad；　naughty　boy；　and　that

he　did　not　deserve　to　be　the　father　of　the　dearest；

most　wonderful　baby　in　the　world。



‘‘No；　I　know　I　don't；''　beamed　Bertram；　with

cheerful　unrepentance；　‘‘but　I　am；　just　the　same；''

he　finished　triumphantly。　　And　this　time　he　contrived

to　find　his　wife's　lips。



‘‘Oh；　Bertram；''　sighed　Billy；　despairingly。　



‘‘You're　an　old　dear；　of　course；　and　one　just

can't　be　cross　with　you；　but　you　don't；　you　just

_don't_　realize　your　Immense　Responsibility。''



‘‘Oh；　yes；　I　do；''　maintained　Bertram　so

seriously　that　even　Billy　herself　almost　believed

him。



In　spite　of　his　assertions；　however；　it　must　be

confessed　that　Bertram　was　much　more　inclined

to　regard　the　new　member　of　his　family　as　just

his　son　rather　than　as　an　Important　Trust；　and

there　is　little　doubt　that　he　liked　to　toss　him　in

the　air　and　hear　his　gleeful　crows　of　delight；

without　any　bother　of　Observing　him　at　all。　　As

to　the　Life　and　Character　and　Destiny　intrusted

to　his　care；　it　is　to　be　feared　that　Bertram　just

plain　gloried　in　his　son；　poked　him　in　the　ribs；

and　chuckled　him　under　the　chin　whenever　he

pleased；　and　gave　never　so　much　as　a　thought　to

Character　and　Destiny。　　It　is　to　be　feared；　too；

that　he　was　Proud　without　being　Humble；　and

that　the　only　Opportunity　he　really　appreciated

was　the　chance　to　show　off　his　wife　and　baby　to

some　less　fortunate　fellow…man。



But　not　so　Billy。　　Billy　joined　a　Mothers'　Club

and　entered　a　class　in　Child　Training　with　an

elaborate　system　of　Charts；　Rules；　and　Tests。

She　subscribed　to　each　new　‘‘Mothers'　Helper；''

and　the　like；　that　she　came　across；　devouring　each

and　every　one　with　an　eagerness　that　was

tempered　only　by　a　vague　uneasiness　at　finding　so

many　differences　of　opinion　among　Those　Who

Knew。



Undeniably　Billy；　if　not　Bertram；　was　indeed

realizing　the　Enormous　Responsibility；　and　was

keeping　ever　before　her　the　Important　Trust。



In　June　Bertram　took　a　cottage　at　the　South

Shore；　and　by　the　time　the　really　hot　weather　arrived

the　family　were　well　settled。　　It　was　only

an　hour　away　from　Boston；　and　easy　of　access；

but　William　said　he　guessed　he　would　not　go；　he

would　stay　in　Boston；　sleeping　at　the　house；　and

getting　his　meals　at　the　club；　until　the　middle　of

July；　when　he　was　going　down　in　Maine　for　his

usual　fishing　trip；　which　he　had　planned　to　take

a　little　earlier　than　usual　this　year。



‘‘But　you'll　be　so　lonesome；　Uncle