miss billie married-第49章

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of　sunshine　on　a　rainy　dayand　Bertram　detested

rainy　days。　　He　was　feeling　now；　too；　as

if　he　had　just　had　a　whole　week　of　them。



‘‘Yes；　I　am　something　of　a　stranger　here；''

nodded　Seaver。　　‘‘But　I　tell　you　what；　little　old

Boston　looks　mighty　good　to　me；　all　the　same。　

Come　on！　　You're　just　the　fellow　we　want。　　I'm

on　my　way　now　to　the　old　stamping　ground。　

Comeright　about　face；　old　chap；　and　come　with

me！''



Bertram　shook　his　head。



‘‘Sorrybut　I　guess　I　can't；　to…night；''　he

sighed。　　Both　gesture　and　words　were　unhesitating；

but　the　voice　carried　the　discontent　of　a

small　boy；　who；　while　the　sun　is　still　shining；　has

been　told　to　come　into　the　house。



‘‘Oh；　rats！　　Yes；　you　can；　too。　　Come　on！　

Lots　of　the　old　crowd　will　be　thereGriggs；

Beebe；　Jack　Jenkins；　and　Tully。　　We　need　you

to　complete　the　show。''



‘‘Jack　Jenkins？　　Is　he　here？''　　A　new　eagerness

had　come　into　Bertram's　voice。



‘‘Sure！　　He　came　on　from　New　York　last　night。　

Great　boy；　Jenkins！　　Just　back　from　Paris　fairly

covered　with　medals；　you　know。''



‘‘Yes；　so　I　hear。　　I　haven't　seen　him　for　four

years。''



‘‘Better　come　to…night　then。''



‘‘No…o；''　began　Bertram；　with　obvious

reluctance。　　‘‘It's　already　nine　o'clock；　and''



‘‘Nine　o'clock！''　cut　in　Seaver；　with　a　broad

grin。　　‘‘Since　when　has　your　limit　been　nine

o'clock？　　I've　seen　the　time　when　you　didn't　mind

nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Bertie！　　What's

got　　Oh；　I　remember。　　I　met　another　friend

of　yours　in　Berlin；　chap　named　Arkwright

and　say；　he's　some　singer；　you　bet！　　You're

going　to　hear　of　him　one　of　these　days。　　Well；　he

told　me　all　about　how　you'd　settled　down　now

son　and　heir；　fireside　bliss；　pretty　wife；　and　all

the　fixings。　　But；　I　say；　Bertie；　doesn't　she　let

you　out_any_？''



‘‘Nonsense；　Seaver！''　flared　Bertram　in

annoyed　wrath。



‘‘Well；　then；　why　don't　you　come　to…night？　

If　you　want　to　see　Jenkins　you'll　have　to；　he's

going　back　to　New　York　to…morrow。''



For　only　a　brief　minute　longer　did　Bertram

hesitate；　then　he　turned　squarely　about　with　an

air　of　finality。



‘‘Is　he？　　Well；　then；　perhaps　I　will；''　he　said。　

‘‘I'd　hate　to　miss　Jenkins　entirely。''



‘‘Good！''　exclaimed　his　companion；　as　they

fell　into　step。　　‘‘Have　a　cigar？''



‘‘Thanks。　　Don't　mind　if　I　do。''



If　Bertram's　chin　was　a　little　higher　and　his

step　a　little　more　decided　than　usual；　it　was　all

merely　by　way　of　accompaniment　to　his　thoughts。



Certainly　it　was　right　that　he　should　go；　and

it　was　sensible。　　Indeed；　it　was　really　almost

imperativedue　to　Billy；　as　it　wereafter　that

disagreeable　taunt　of　Seaver's。　　As　if　she　did　not

want　him　to　go　when　and　where　he　pleased！　　As

if　she　would　consent　for　a　moment　to　figure　in

the　eyes　of　his　friends　as　a　tyrannical　wife　who

objected　to　her　husband's　passing　a　social　evening

with　his　friends！　To　be　sure；　in　this　particular

case；　she　might　not　favor　Seaver's　presence；

but　even　she　would　not　mind　this　once

and；　anyhow；　it　was　Jenkins　that　was　the　attraction；

not　Seaver。　　Besides；　he　himself　was　no

undeveloped　boy　now。　　He　was　a　man；　presumedly

able　to　take　care　of　himself。　　Besides；　again；　had

not　Billy　herself　told　him　to　go　out　and　enjoy　the

evening　without　her；　as　she　had　to　stay　with　the

baby？　　He　would　telephone　her；　of　course；　that

he　had　met　some　old　friends；　and　that　he　might

be　late；　then　she　would　not　worry。



And　forthwith；　having　settled　the　matter　in

his　mind；　and　to　his　complete　satisfaction；　Bertram

gave　his　undivided　attention　to　Seaver；　who

had　already　plunged　into　an　account　of　a　recent

Art　Exhibition　he　had　attended　in　Paris。







CHAPTER　XXVI



GHOSTS　THAT　WALKED　FOR　BERTRAM





October　proved　to　be　unusually　mild；　and

about　the　middle　of　the　month；　Bertram；　after

much　unselfish　urging　on　the　part　of　Billy；　went

to　a　friend's　camp　in　the　Adirondacks　for　a　week's

stay。　　He　came　back　with　an　angry；　lugubrious

faceand　a　broken　arm。



‘‘Oh；　Bertram！　　And　your　right　one；　too

the　same　one　you　broke　before！''　mourned　Billy；

tearfully。



‘‘Of　course；''　retorted　Bertram；　trying　in　vain

to　give　an　air　of　jauntiness　to　his　reply。　　‘‘Didn't

want　to　be　too　changeable；　you　know！''



‘‘But　how　did　you　do　it；　dear？''



‘‘Fell　into　a　silly　little　hole　covered　with

underbrush。　　Butoh；　Billy；　what's　the　use？　　I

did　it；　and　I　can't　undo　itmore's　the　pity！''



‘‘Of　course　you　can't；　you　poor　boy；''

sympathized　Billy；　‘‘and　you　sha'n't　be　tormented　with

questions。　　We'll　just　be　thankful　'twas　no　worse。　

You　can't　paint　for　a　while；　of　course；　but　we

won't　mind　that。　　It'll　just　give　Baby　and　me　a

chance　to　have　you　all　to　ourselves　for　a　time；

and　we'll　love　that！'



‘‘Yes；　of　course；''　sighed　Bertram；　so　abstractedly

that　Billy　bridled　with　pretty　resentment。



‘‘Well；　I　like　your　enthusiasm；　sir；''　she　frowned。　

‘‘I'm　afraid　you　don't　appreciate　the　blessings

you　do　have；　young　man！　　Did　you　realize　what

I　said？　　I　remarked　that　you　could　be　with　_Baby_

and　_me_；''　she　emphasized。



Bertram　laughed；　and　gave　his　wife　an　affectionate

kiss。



‘‘Indeed　I　do　appreciate　my　blessings；　dear

when　those　blessings　are　such　treasures　as　you

and　Baby；　but''　　Only　his　doleful　eyes　fixed

on　his　injured　arm　finished　his　sentence。



‘‘I　know；　dear；　of　course；　and　I　understand；''

murmured　Billy；　all　tenderness　at　once。





They　were　not　easy　for　Bertramthose　following

days。　　Once　again　he　was　obliged　to　accept

the　little　intimate　personal　services　that　he

so　disliked。　　Once　again　he　could　do　nothing　but

read；　or　wander　disconsolately　into　his　studio

and　gaze　at　his　half…finished　‘‘Face　of　a　Girl。''　

Occasionally；　it　is　true；　driven　nearly　to　desperation

by　the　haunting　vision　in　his　mind's　eye；　he

picked　up　a　brush　and　attempted　to　make　his

left　hand　serve　his　will；　but　a　bare　half…dozen

irritating；　ineffectual　strokes　were　usually　enough

to　make　him　throw　down　his　brush　in　disgust。　

He　never　could　do　anything　with　his　left　hand；

he　told　himself　dejectedly。



Many　of　his　hours；　of　course；　he　spent　with

Billy　and　his　son；　and　they　were　happy　hours；

too；　but　they　always　came　to　be　restless　ones

before　the　day　was　half　over。　　Billy　was　always

devotion　itself　to　himwhen　she　was　not

attending　to　the　baby；　he　had　no　fault　to　find　with

Billy。　　And　the　baby　was　delightfulhe　could

find　no　fault　with　the　baby。　　But　the　baby　_was_

fretfulhe　was　teething；　Billy　saidand　he

needed　a　great　deal　of　attention；　so；　naturally；

Bertram　drifted　out　of　the　nursery；　after　a　time；

and　went　down　into　his　studio；　where　were　his

dear；　empty　palette；　his　orderly　brushes；　and

his　tantalizing　‘‘Face　of　a　Girl。''　　From　the

studio；　generally；　Bertram　went　out　on　to　the　street。



Sometimes　he　dropped　into　a　fellow…artist's

studio。　　Sometimes　he　strolled　into　a　club　or

caf