miss billie married-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



rules　in　her　Scientific　Training；　yet　to…night　she

could　not　bring　herself　to　the　point　of　leaving　the

house　until　he　was　quiet。　　Hurried　as　they　were

when　they　did　start；　Billy　was　conscious　of　Bertram's

frowning　disapproval　of　her　frock。



‘‘You　don't　like　it；　of　course；　dear；　and　I　don't

blame　you；''　she　smiled　remorsefully。



‘‘Oh；　I　like　itthat　is；　I　did；　when　it　was

new；''　rejoined　her　husband；　with　apologetic

frankness。　　‘‘But；　dear；　didn't　you　have　anything

else？　　This　looks　almostwell；　mussy；

you　know。''



‘‘Nowell；　yes；　maybe　there　were　others；''

admitted　Billy；　‘‘but　this　was　the　quickest　and

easiest　to　get　into；　and　it　all　came　just　as　I　was

getting　Baby　ready　for　bed；　you　know。　　I　am　a

fright；　though；　I'll　acknowledge；　so　far　as　clothes

go。　　I　haven't　had　time　to　get　a　thing　since　Baby

came。　　I　must　get　something　right　away；　I　suppose。''



‘‘Yes；　indeed；''　declared　Bertram；　with

emphasis；　hurrying　his　wife　into　the　waiting　automobile。



Billy　had　to　apologize　again　at　the　theater；　for

the　curtain　had　already　risen　on　the　ancient　quarrel

between　the　houses　of　Capulet　and　Montague；

and　Billy　knew　her　husband's　special　abhorrence

of　tardy　arrivals。　　Later；　though；　when　well

established　in　their　seats；　Billy's　mind　was　plainly

not　with　the　players　on　the　stage。



‘‘Do　you　suppose　Baby　_is_　all　right？''　she

whispered；　after　a　time。



‘‘Sh…h！　　Of　course　he　is；　dear！''



There　was　a　brief　silence；　during　which　Billy

peered　at　her　program　in　the　semi…darkness。　

Then　she　nudged　her　husband's　arm　ecstatically。



‘‘Bertram；　I　couldn't　have　chosen　a　better

play　if　I'd　tried。　　There　are　_five_　acts！　　I'd　forgotten

there　were　so　many。　　That　means　you　can

telephone　four　times！''



‘‘Yes；　dear。''　　Bertram's　voice　was　sternly

cheerful。



‘‘You　must　be　sure　they　tell　you　exactly　how

Baby　is。''



‘‘All　right；　dear。　　Sh…h！　　Here's　Romeo。''



Billy　subsided。　　She　even　clapped　a　little　in

spasmodic　enthusiasm。　　Presently　she　peered　at

her　program　again。



‘‘There　wouldn't　be　time；　I　suppose；　to　telephone

between　the　scenes；''　she　hazarded　wistfully。　

‘‘There　are　sixteen　of　those！''



‘‘Well；　hardly！　　Billy；　you　aren't　paying　one

bit　of　attention　to　the　play！''



‘‘Why；　of　course　I　am；''　whispered　Billy；

indignantly。　　‘‘I　think　it's　perfectly　lovely；　and

I'm　perfectly　contented；　toosince　I　found　out

about　those　five　acts；　and　as　long　as　I　_can't_　have

the　sixteen　scenes；''　she　added；　settling　back　in

her　seat。



As　if　to　prove　that　she　was　interested　in　the

play；　her　next　whisper；　some　time　later；　had　to

do　with　one　of　the　characters　on　the　stage。



‘‘Who's　thatthe　nurse？　　Mercy！　　We

wouldn't　want　her　for　Baby；　would　we？''



In　spite　of　himself　Bertram　chuckled　this　time。　

Billy；　too；　laughed　at　herself。　　Then；　resolutely；

she　settled　into　her　seat　again。



The　curtain　was　not　fairly　down　on　the　first

act　before　Billy　had　laid　an　urgent　hand　on　her

husband's　arm。



‘‘Now；　remember；　ask　if　he's　waked　up；　or

anything；''　she　directed。　　‘‘And　be　sure　to　say　I'll

come　right　home　if　they　need　me。　　Now　hurry。''



‘‘Yes；　dear。''　　Bertram　rose　with　alacrity。　

‘‘I'll　be　back　right　away。''



‘‘Oh；　but　I　don't　want　you　to　hurry　_too_　much；''

she　called　after　him；　softly。　　‘‘I　want　you　to　take

plenty　of　time　to　ask　questions。''



‘‘All　right；''　nodded　Bertram；　with　a　quizzical

smile；　as　he　turned　away。



Obediently　Bertram　asked　all　the　question

she　could　think　of；　then　came　back　to　his　wife。　

There　was　nothing　in　his　report　that　even　Billy

could　disapprove　of；　or　worry　about；　and　with

almost　a　contented　look　on　her　face　she　turned

toward　the　stage　as　the　curtain　went　up　on　the

second　act。



‘‘I　love　this　balcony　scene；''　she　sighed　happily。



Romeo；　however；　had　not　half　finished　his

impassioned　love…making　when　Billy　clutched　her

husband's　arm　almost　fiercely。



‘‘Bertram；''　she　fairly　hissed　in　a　tragic

whisper；　‘‘I've　just　happened　to　think！　　Won't　it　be

awful　when　Baby　falls　in　love？　　I　know　I　shall

just　hate　that　girl　for　taking　him　away　from　me！''



‘‘Sh…h！　　_Billy！_''　expostulated　her　husband；

choking　with　half…stifled　laughter。　　‘‘That　woman

in　front　heard　you；　I　know　she　did！''



‘‘Well；　I　shall；''　sighed　Billy；　mournfully；

turning　back　to　the　stage。



　　　　　‘‘　‘Good　night；　good　night！　parting　is　such　sweet　sorrow；

　　　　　　　　　That　I　shall　say　good　night；　till　it　be　morrow；'''



sighed　Juliet　passionately　to　her　Romeo。



‘‘Mercy！　　I　hope　not；''　whispered　Billy　flippantly

in　Bertram's　ear。　　‘‘I'm　sure　I　don't　want

to　stay　here　till　to…morrow！　　I　want　to　go　home

and　see　Baby。''



‘‘_Billy！_''　pleaded　Bertram　so　despairingly；

that　Billy；　really　conscience…smitten；　sat　back　in

her　seat　and　remained；　for　the　rest　of　the　act；

very　quiet　indeed。



Deceived　by　her　apparent　tranquillity；　Bertram

turned　as　the　curtain　went　down。



‘‘Now；　Billy；　surely　you　don't　think　it'll　be

necessary　to　telephone　so　soon　as　this　again；''　he

ventured。



Billy's　countenance　fell。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　you　_said_　you　would！　　Of　course

if　you　aren't　willing　tobut　I've　been　counting　on

hearing　all　through　this　horrid　long　act；　and''



‘‘Goodness　me；　Billy；　I'll　telephone　every

minute　for　you；　of　course；　if　you　want　me　to；''

cried　Bertram；　springing　to　his　feet；　and　trying

not　to　show　his　impatience。



He　was　back　more　promptly　this　time。



‘‘Everything　0。　K。；''　he　smiled　reassuringly

into　Billy's　anxious　eyes。　　‘‘Delia　said　she'd　just

been　up；　and　the　little　chap　was　sound　asleep。''



To　the　man's　unbounded　surprise；　his　wife

grew　actually　white。



‘‘Up！　　Up！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘Do　you　mean

that　Delia　went　down…stairs　to　_stay_；　and　left　my

baby　up　there　alone？''



‘‘But；　Billy；　she　said　he　was　all　right；''

murmured　Bertram；　softly；　casting　uneasy　sidelong

glances　at　his　too　interested　neighbors。



‘‘　‘All　right'！　　Perhaps　he　was；　_then_but　he

may　not　be；　later。　　Delia　should　stay　in　the　next

room　all　the　time；　where　she　could　hear　the　least

thing。''



‘‘Yes；　dear；　she　will；　I'm　sure；　if　you　tell　her

to；''　soothed　Bertram；　quickly。　　‘‘It'll　be　all

right　next　time。''



Billy　shook　her　head。　　She　was　obviously　near

to　crying。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　I　can't　stand　it　to　sit　here

enjoying　myself　all　safe　and　comfortable；　and　know

that　Baby　is　_alone_　up　there　in　that　great　big　room！　

Please；　_please_　won't　you　go　and　telephone　Delia

to　go　up　_now_　and　stay　there？''



Bertram；　weary；　sorely　tried；　and　increasingly

aware　of　those　annoyingly　interested　neighbors；

was　on　the　point　of　saying　a　very　decided　no；　but

a　glance　into　Billy's　pleading　eyes　settled　it。　

Without　a　word　he　went　back　to　the　telephone。



The　curtain　was　up　when　he　slipped　into　his

seat；　very　red　of　face。　　In　answer　to　Billy's　hurried

whisper　he　shook　his　head；　but　in　the　short

pause　between　the　first　and　second　scenes　he　said；

in　a　low　voice：



‘‘I'm　sorry；　Billy；　but　I　couldn't　get　the　house

at　all。''



‘‘Couldn't　get　them！　　But　you'd　just　been

talking　with　them！''



‘‘That's　exactly　it；　probably。　　I　had　just

telephoned；　so　they　weren't　watching　for　the　bell。　

Anyhow；　I　couldn't　get　them。''



‘‘Then　you　didn't　get　Delia　at　all！''



‘‘Of　course　not。''



‘‘And　Baby　is　stillall　alone！''



‘‘But　he's　all　right；　dear。　　Delia's　keeping

watch　of　him。''



For　a　moment　there　was　silence；　then；　with

clear　decisiveness　carne　Billy's　voice。



‘‘Bertram；　I　am　going　home。''



‘‘Billy！''



‘‘I　am。''



‘‘Billy；　for　heaven's　sake　don't　be　a　silly　goose！　

The　play's　half　over　already。　　We'll　soon　be　going；

anyway。''



Billy's　lips　came　together　in　a　thin　little

determined　line。



‘‘Bertram；　I　am　going　home　now；　please；''　she

said。　　‘‘You　needn't　come　with　me；　I　can　go

alone。''