miss billie married-第50章

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‘‘Great　Scott；　Bertie；　what's　up？''　ejaculated

Seaver。　　‘‘You　look　as　if　you'd　seen　a　ghost。''



‘‘I　have；''　answered　Bertram；　with　grim

bitterness。　　‘‘I've　seen　the　ghost　ofof　every　‘Face

of　a　Girl'　I　ever　painted。''



‘‘Gorry！　　So　bad　as　that？　　No　wonder　you

look　as　if　you'd　been　disporting　in　graveyards；''

chuckled　Seaver；　laughing　at　his　own　joke

‘‘What's　the　matterarm　on　a　rampage　to

day？''



He　paused　for　reply；　but　as　Bertram　did　not

answer　at　once；　he　resumed；　with　gay　insistence：　

‘‘Come　on！　　You　need　cheering　up。　　Suppose

we　go　down　to　Trentini's　and　see　who's

there。''



‘‘All　right；''　agreed　Bertram；　dully。　　‘‘Suit

yourself。''



Bertram　was　not　thinking　of　Seaver；　Trentini's；

or　whom　he　might　find　there。　　Bertram　was　thinking

of　certain　words　he　had　heard　less　than　half

an　hour　ago。　　He　was　wondering；　too；　if　ever

again　he　could　think　of　anything　but　those　words。



‘‘The　truth？''　the　great　surgeon　had　said。　

‘‘Well；　the　truth　isI'm　sorry　to　tell　you　the

truth；　Mr。　Henshaw；　but　if　you　will　have　it

you've　painted　the　last　picture　you'll　ever　paint

with　your　right　hand；　I　fear。　　It's　a　bad　case。　

This　break；　coming　as　it　did　on　top　of　the　serious

injury　of　two　or　three　years　ago；　was　bad　enough；

but；　to　make　matters　worse；　the　bone　was　imperfectly

set　and　wrongly　treated；　which　could　not

be　helped；　of　course；　as　you　were　miles　away　from

skilled　surgeons　at　the　time　of　the　injury。　　We'll

do　the　best　we　can；　of　course；　butwell；　you

asked　for　the　truth；　you　remember；　so　I　had　to

give　it　to　you。''







CHAPTER　XXVII



THE　MOTHERTHE　WIFE





Bertram　made　up　his　mind　at　once　that；　for

the　present；　at　least；　he　would　tell　no　one　what

the　surgeon　had　said　to　him。　　He　had　placed

himself　under　the　man's　care；　and　there　was　nothing

to　do　but　to　take　the　prescribed　treatment

and　await　results　as　patiently　as　he　could。　

Meanwhile　there　was　no　need　to　worry　Billy；　or

William；　or　anybody　else　with　the　matter。



Billy　was　so　busy　with　her　holiday　plans　that

she　was　only　vaguely　aware　of　what　seemed　to

be　an　increase　of　restlessness　on　the　part　of　her

husband　during　those　days　just　before　Christmas。



‘‘Poor　dear；　is　the　arm　feeling　horrid　to…day？''

she　asked　one　morning；　when　the　gloom　on　her

husband's　face　was　deeper　than　usual。



Bertram　frowned　and　did　not　answer　directly。



‘‘Lots　of　good　I　am　these　days！''　he　exclaimed；

his　moody　eyes　on　the　armful　of　many…shaped；

many…sized　packages　she　carried。　　‘‘What　are

those　for…the　tree？''



‘‘Yes；　and　it's　going　to　be　so　pretty；　Bertram；''

exulted　Billy。　　‘‘And；　do　you　know；　Baby

positively　acts　as　if　he　suspected　thingslittle　as

he　is；''　she　went　on　eagerly。　　‘‘He's　as　nervous

as　a　witch。　　I　can't　keep　him　still　a　minute！''



‘‘How　about　his　mother？''　hinted　Bertram；

with　a　faint　smile。



Billy　laughed。



‘‘Well；　I'm　afraid　she　isn't　exactly　calm

herself；''　she　confessed；　as　she　hurried　out　of　the

room　with　her　parcels。



Bertram　looked　after　her　longingly；　despondently。



‘‘I　wonder　what　she'd　say　if　sheknew；''

he　muttered。　　‘‘But　she　sha'n't　knowtill　she

just　has　to；''　he　vowed　suddenly；　under　his　breath；

striding　into　the　hall　for　his　hat　and　coat。



Never　had　the　Strata　known　such　a　Christmas

as　this　was　planned　to　be。　　Cyril；　Marie；　and　the

twins　were　to　be　there；　also　Kate；　her　husband

and　three　children；　Paul；　Egbert；　and　little　Kate；

from　the　West。　　On　Christmas　Day　there　was

to　be　a　big　family　dinner；　with　Aunt　Hannah

down　from　the　Annex。　　Then；　in　concession　to

the　extreme　youth　of　the　young　host　and　his　twin

cousins；　there　was　to　be　an　afternoon　tree。　　The

shades　were　to　be　drawn　and　the　candles　lighted；

however；　so　that　there　might　be　no　loss　of　effect。　

In　the　evening　the　tree　was　to　be　once　more　loaded

with　fascinating　packages　and　candy…bags；　and

this　time　the　Greggorys；　Tommy　Dunn；　and　all

the　rest　from　the　Annex　were　to　have　the　fun　all

over　again。



From　garret　to　basement　the　Strata　was　aflame

with　holly；　and　aglitter　with　tinsel。　　Nowhere

did　there　seem　to　be　a　spot　that　did　not　have　its

bit　of　tissue　paper　or　its　trail　of　red　ribbon。　　And

everythingholly；　ribbon；　tissue；　and　tinsel

led　to　the　mysteriously　closed　doors　of　the　great

front　drawing…room；　past　which　none　but　Billy

and　her　accredited　messengers　might　venture。　

No　wonder；　indeed；　that　even　Baby　scented

excitement；　and　that　Baby's　mother　was　not

exactly　calm。　　No　wonder；　too；　that　Bertram；　with

his　helpless　right　arm；　and　his　heavy　heart；　felt

peculiarly　forlorn　and　‘‘out　of　it。''　　No　wonder；

also；　that　he　took　himself　literally　out　of　it　with

growing　frequency。



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Hartwell　and　little　Kate　were

to　stay　at　the　Strata。　　The　boys；　Paul　and

Egbert；　were　to　go　to　Cyril's。　　Promptly　at　the

appointed　time；　two　days　before　Christmas；　they

arrived。　　And　from　that　hour　until　two　days　after

Christmas；　when　the　last　bit　of　holly；　ribbon；

tissue；　and　tinsel　disappeared　from　the　floor；

Billy　moved　in　a　whirl　of　anxious　responsibility

that　was　yet　filled　with　fun；　frolic；　and　laughter。



It　was　a　great　success；　the　whole　affair。　

Everybody　seemed　pleased　and　happythat　is；

everybody　but　Bertram；　and　he　very　plainly　tried　to

seem　pleased　and　happy。　　Even　Cyril　unbent　to

the　extent　of　not　appearing　to　mind　the　noise

one　bit；　and　Sister　Kate　（Bertram　said）　found

only　the　extraordinarily　small　number　of　four

details　to　change　in　the　arrangements。　　Baby

obligingly　let　his　teeth…getting　go；　for　the

occasion；　and　he　and　the　twins；　Franz　and　Felix；　were

the　admiration　and　delight　of　all。　　Little　Kate；

to　be　sure；　was　a　trifle　disconcerting　once　or　twice；

but　everybody　was　too　absorbed　to　pay　much

attention　to　her。　　Billy　did；　however；　remember

her　opening　remarks。



‘‘Well；　little　Kate；　do　you　remember　me？''

Billy　had　greeted　her　pleasantly。



‘‘Oh；　yes；''　little　Kate　had　answered；　with　a

winning　smile。　　‘‘You're　my　Aunt　Billy　what

married　my　Uncle　Bertram　instead　of　Uncle

William　as　you　said　you　would　first。''



Everybody　laughed；　and　Billy　colored；　of

course；　but　little　Kate　went　on　eagerly：



‘‘And　I've　been　wanting　just　awfully　to　see

you；''　she　announced。



‘‘Have　you？　　I'm　glad；　I'm　sure。　　I　feel　highly

flattered；''　smiled　Billy。



‘‘Well；　I　have。　　You　see；　I　wanted　to　ask　you

something。　　Have　you　ever　wished　that　you　_had_

married　Uncle　William　instead　of　Uncle　Bertram；

or　that　you'd　tried　for　Uncle　Cyril　before　Aunty

Marie　got　him？''



‘‘Kate！''　gasped　her　horrified　mother。　　‘‘I

told　you　　You　see；''　she　broke　off；　turning　to

Billy　despairingly。　　‘‘She's　been　pestering　me

with　questions　like　that　ever　since　she　knew　she

was　coming。　　She　never　has　forgotten　the　way

you　changed　from　one　uncle　to　the　other。　　You

may　remember；　it　made　a　great　impression　on

her　at　the　time。''



‘‘Yes；　II　remember；''　stammered　Billy；

trying　to　laugh　off　her　embarrassment。



‘‘But　you　haven't　told　me　yet　whether　you

did　wish　you'd　married　Uncle　William；　or　Uncle

Cyril；''　interposed　little　Kate；　persistently。



‘‘No；　no；　of　course　not！''　exclaimed　Billy；

with　a　vivid　blush；　casting　her　eyes　about　for　a

door　of　escape；　and　rejoicing　greatly　when　she

spied　Delia　with　the　baby　coming　toward　them。　

‘‘There；　look；　my　dear；　here's　your　new　cousin；

little　Bertram！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘Don't　you

want　to　see　him？''



Little　Kate　turned　dutifully。



‘‘Yes'm；　Aunt　Billy；　but　I'd　rather　see　the

twins。　　Mother　says　_they're_　real　pretty　and　cunning。''



‘‘Ery…yes；　they　are；''　murmured　Billy；　on

whom　the　emphasis　of　the　‘‘they're''　had　not

been　lost。



Naturally；　as　may　be　supposed；　therefore；

Billy　had　not　forgotten　little　Kate's　opening　remarks。



Immediately　after　Christmas　Mr。　Hartwell

and　the　boys　went　back　to　their　Western　home；

leaving　Mrs。　Hartwel