miss billie married-第5章

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not　have　outsiders　in　the　home。''



William　laughed　relievedly。



‘‘Oh；　so　that's　it！　　Well；　Aunt　Hannah；　you're

no　outsider。　　Come；　run　right　along　home　and

pack　your　trunk。''



Aunt　Hannah　was　plainly　almost　crying；　but

she　held　her　ground。



‘‘William；　I　can't；''　she　reiterated。



‘‘ButBilly　is　such　a　child；　and''



For　once　in　her　circumspect　life　Aunt　Hannah

was　guilty　of　an　interruption。



‘‘Pardon　me；　William；　she　is　not　a　child。　　She

is　a　woman　now；　and　she　has　a　woman's　problems

to　meet。''



‘‘Well；　then；　why　don't　you　help　her　meet

them？''　retorted　William；　still　with　a　whimsical

smile。



But　Aunt　Hannah　did　not　smile。　　For　a　minute

she　did　not　speak；　then；　with　her　eyes　studiously

averted；　she　said：



‘‘William；　the　first　four　years　of　my　married

life　werewere　spoiled　by　an　outsider　in　our

home。　　I　don't　mean　to　spoil　Billy's。''



William　relaxed　visibly。　　The　smile　fled　from

his　face。



‘‘WhyAuntHannah！''　he　exclaimed。



The　little　old　lady　turned　with　a　weary　sigh。



‘‘Yes；　I　know。　　You　are　shocked；　of　course。

I　shouldn't　have　told　you。　　Still；　it　is　all　past

long　ago；　andI　wanted　to　make　you　understand

why　I　can't　come。　　He　was　my　husband's

eldest　brothera　bachelor。　　He　was　good　and

kind；　and　meant　well；　I　suppose；　buthe

interfered　with　everything。　　I　was　young；　and

probably　headstrong。　　At　all　events；　there　was

constant　friction。　　He　went　away　once　and

stayed　two　whole　months。　　I　shall　never　forget

the　utter　freedom　and　happiness　of　those　months

for　us；　with　the　whole　house　to　ourselves。　　No；

William；　I　can't　come。''　　She　rose　abruptly　and

turned　toward　the　door。　　Her　eyes　were　wistful；

and　her　face　was　still　drawn　with　suffering；　but

her　whole　frail　little　self　quivered　plainly　with

high　resolve。　　‘‘John　has　Peggy　outside。　　I　must

go。''



‘‘Butbut；　Aunt　Hannah；''　began　William；

helplessly。



She　lifted　a　protesting　hand。



‘‘No；　don't　urge　me；　please。　　I　can't　come　here。　

ButI　believe　I　won't　close　the　house　till　Billy

gets　home；　after　all；''　she　declared。　　The　next

moment　she　was　gone；　and　William；　dazedly；

from　the　doorway；　was　watching　John　help　her

into　Billy's　automobile；　called　by　Billy　and　half

her　friends；　‘‘Peggy；''　short　for　‘‘Pegasus。''



Still　dazedly　William　turned　back　into　the

house　and　dropped　himself　into　the　nearest　chair。



What　a　curious　call　it　had　been！　　Aunt　Hannah

had　not　acted　like　herself　at　all。　　Not　once　had

she　said　‘‘Oh；　my　grief　and　conscience！''　while

the　things　she　_had_　said！　　Someway；　he　had

never　thought　of　Aunt　Hannah　as　being　young；

and　a　bride。　　Still；　of　course　she　must　have　been

once。　　And　the　reason　she　gave　for　not　coming

there　to　livethe　pitiful　story　of　that　outsider

in　her　home！　　But　she　was　no　outsider！　　She　was

no　interfering　brother　of　Billy's



William　caught　his　breath　suddenly；　and　held

it　suspended。　　Then　he　gave　a　low　ejaculation

and　half　sprang　from　his　chair。



Spunkie；　disturbed　from　her　doze　by　the　fire；

uttered　a　purring　‘‘me…o…ow；''　and　looked　up　inquiringly。



For　a　long　minute　William　gazed　dumbly　into

the　cat's　yellow；　sleepily　contented　eyes；　then　he

said　with　tragic　distinctness：



‘‘Spunkie；　it's　true：　　Aunt　Hannah　isn't　Billy's

husband's　brother；　butI　am！　　Do　you　hear？　

I　_am！_''



‘‘Pur…r…me…ow！''　commented　Spunkie；　and

curled　herself　for　another　nap。



There　was　no　peace　for　William　after　that。　　In

vain　he　told　himself　that　he　was　no　‘‘interfering''

brother；　and　that　this　was　his　home　and

had　been　all　his　life；　in　vain　did　he　declare

emphatically　that　he　could　not　go；　he　would　not　go；

that　Billy　would　not　wish　him　to　go：　always　before

his　eyes　was　the　vision　of　that　little　bride　of

years　long　gone；　always　in　his　ears　was　the　echo

of　Aunt　Hannah's　‘‘I　shall　never　forget　the　utter

freedom　and　happiness　of　those　months　for　us；

with　the　whole　house　to　ourselves。''　　Nor；　turn

which　way　he　would；　could　he　find　anything　to

comfort　him。　　Simply　because　he　was　so　fearfully

looking　for　it；　he　found　itthe　thing　that　had

for　its　theme　the　wretchedness　that　might　be

expected　from　the　presence　of　a　third　person　in　the

new　home。



Poor　William！　　Everywhere　he　met　itthe

hint；　the　word；　the　story；　the　song；　even；　and

always　it　added　its　mite　to　the　woeful　whole。　

Even　the　hoariest　of　mother…in…law　jokes　had　its

sting　for　him；　and；　to　make　his　cup　quite　full；　he

chanced　to　remember　one　day　what　Marie　had

said　when　he　had　suggested　that　she　and　Cyril

come　to　the　Strata　to　live：　　‘‘No；　I　think　young

folks　should　begin　by　themselves。''



Unhappy；　indeed；　were　these　days　for　William。　

Like　a　lost　spirit　he　wandered　from　room

to　room；　touching　this；　fingering　that。　　For　long

minutes　he　would　stand　before　some　picture；　or

some　treasured　bit　of　old　mahogany；　as　if　to

stamp　indelibly　upon　his　mind　a　thing　that　was

soon　to　be　no　more。　　At　other　times；　like　a　man

without　a　home；　he　would　go　out　into　the　Common

or　the　Public　Garden　and　sit　for　hours　on

some　benchthinking。



All　this　could　have　but　one　ending；　of　course。　

Before　the　middle　of　August　William　summoned

Pete　to　his　rooms。



‘‘Oh；　Pete；　I'm　going　to　move　next　week；''

he　began　nonchalantly。　　His　voice　sounded　as　if

moving　were　a　pleasurable　circumstance　that

occurred　in　his　life　regularly　once　a　month。　　‘‘I'd

like　you　to　begin　to　pack　up　these　things；　please；

to…morrow。''



The　old　servant's　mouth　fell　open。



‘‘You're　goin'　toto　what；　sir？''　he　stammered。



‘‘Move_move_；　I　said。''　　William　spoke　with

unusual　harshness。



Pete　wet　his　lips。



‘‘You　mean　you've　sold　the　old　place；　sir？

that　wewe　ain't　goin'　to　live　here　no　longer？''



‘‘Sold？　　Of　course　not！　　_I'm_　going　to　move

away；　not　you。''



If　Pete　could　have　known　what　caused　the

sharpness　in　his　master's　voice；　he　would　not

have　been　so　grievedor；　rather；　he　would　have

been　grieved　for　a　different　reason。　　As　it　was　he

could　only　falter　miserably：



‘‘_You_　are　goin'　to　move　away　from　here！''



‘‘Yes；　yes；　man！　　Why；　Pete；　what　ails　you？　

One　would　think　a　body　never　moved　before。''



‘‘They　didn'tnot　you；　sir。''



William　turned　abruptly；　so　that　his　face　could

not　be　seen。　　With　stern　deliberation　he　picked

up　an　elaborately　decorated　teapot；　but　the

valuable　bit　of　Lowestoft　shook　so　in　his　hand

that　he　set　it　down　at　once。　　It　clicked　sharply

against　its　neighbor；　betraying　his　nervous　hand。



Pete　stirred。



‘‘But；　Mr。　William；''　he　stammered　thickly；

‘‘how　are　youwhat'll　you　do　without　　There

doesn't　nobody　but　me　know　so　well　about　your

tea；　and　the　two　lumps　in　your　coffee；　and

there's　your　flannels　that　you　never　put　on　till　I

get　'em　out；　and　the　woolen　socks　that　you'd

wear　all　summer　if　I　didn't　hide　'em。　　And

and　who's　goin'　to　take　care　of　these？''　he

finished；　with　a　glance　that　encompassed　the

overflowing　cabinets　and　shelves　of　curios　all　about

him。



His　master　smiled　sadly。　　An　affection　that　had

its　inception　in　his　boyhood　days　shone　in　his

eyes。　　The　hand　in　which　the　Lowestoft　had

shaken　rested　now　heavily　on　an　old　man's　bent

shouldera　shoulder　that　straightened　itself　in

unconscious　loyalty　under　the　touch。



‘‘Pete；　you　have　spoiled　me；　and　no　mistake。　

I　don't　expect　to　find　another　like　you。　　But

maybe　if　I　wear　the　woolen　socks　too　late　you'll

come　and　hunt　up　the　others　for　me。　　Eh？''　

And；　with　a　smile　that　was　meant　to　be　quizzical；

William　turned　and　began　to　shift　the　teapots

about　again。



‘‘But；　Mr。　William；　whythat　is；　what　will

Mr。　Bertram　and　Miss　Billy　dowithout　you？''

ventured　the　old　man。



There　was　a　sudden　tinkling　crash。　　On　the

floor　lay　the　fragments　of　a　silver…luster　teapot。



The　servant　exclaimed　aloud　in　dismay；　but

his　master　did　not　even　glance　toward　his　once

treasured　possession