miss billie married-第58章

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objections　to　being　placed　under　too　great

obligations。



‘‘And　you　see；　really；　anyway；''　she　told　Billy；



‘‘I　owe　the　whole　thing　to　you；　to　begin　with

even　my　husband。''



‘‘Nonsense！　　Of　course　you　don't；''　disputed

Billy。



‘‘But　I　do。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　you　I　should

never　have　found　him　again；　and　of　_course_　I

shouldn't　have　had　this　dear　little　home　to　be

married　in。　　And　I　never　could　have　left　mother

if　she　hadn't　had　Aunt　Hannah　and　the　Annex

which　means　you。　　And　if　I　hadn't　found　Mr。

Arkwright；　I　might　never　have　known　how

how　I　could　go　back　to　my　old　home　（as　I　am

going　on　my　honeymoon　trip）；　and　just　know　that

every　one　of　my　old　friends　who　shakes　hands

with　me　isn't　pitying　me　now；　because　I'm　my

father's　daughter。　　And　that　means　you；　for　you

see　I　never　would　have　known　that　my　father's

name　was　cleared　if　it　hadn't　been　for　you。　

And''



‘‘Oh；　Alice；　please；　please；''　begged　Billy；

laughingly　raising　two　protesting　hands。　　‘‘Why

don't　you　say　that　it's　to　me　you　owe　just　breathing；

and　be　done　with　it？''



‘‘Well；　I　will；　then；''　avowed　Alice；　doggedly。　

‘‘And　it's　true；　too；　for；　honestly；　my　dear；　I

don't　believe　I　would　have　been　breathing　to…day；

nor　mother；　either；　if　you　hadn't　found　us　that

morning；　and　taken　us　out　of　those　awful　rooms。''



‘‘I？　Never！　　You　wouldn't　let　me　take　you

out；''　laughed　Billy。　　‘‘You　proud　little　thing！　

Maybe　_you've_　forgotten　how　you　turned　poor

Uncle　William　and　me　out　into　the　cold；　cold

world　that　morning；　just　because　we　dared　to

aspire　to　your　Lowestoft　teapot；　but　I　haven't！''



‘‘Oh；　Billy；　please；　_don't_；''　begged　Alice；　the

painful　color　staining　her　face。　　‘‘If　you　knew

how　I've　hated　myself　since　for　the　way　I　acted

that　dayand；　really；　you　did　take　us　away

from　there；　you　know。''



‘‘No；　I　didn't。　　I　merely　found　two　good

tenants　for　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Delano；''　corrected　Billy；

with　a　sober　face。



‘‘Oh；　yes；　I　know　all　about　that；''　smiled　Alice；

affectionately；　‘‘and　you　got　mother　and　me

here　to　keep　Aunt　Hannah　company　and　teach

Tommy　Dunn；　and　you　got　Aunt　Hannah　here

to　keep　us　company　and　take　care　of　Tommy

Dunn；　and　you　got　Tommy　Dunn　here　so　Aunt

Hannah　and　we　could　have　somebody　to　teach

and　take　care　of；　and；　as　for　the　others；''　

But　Billy　put　her　hands　to　her　ears　and　fled。



The　wedding　was　to　be　on　the　fifteenth。　　From

the　West　Kate　wrote　that　of　course　it　was　none

of　her　affairs；　particularly　as　neither　of　the

interested　parties　was　a　relation；　but　still　she　should

think　that　for　a　man　in　Mr。　Arkwright's　position；

nothing　but　a　church　wedding　would　do　at　all；

as；　of　course；　he　did；　in　a　way；　belong　to　the

public。　　Alice；　however；　declared　that　perhaps　he

did　belong　to　the　public；　when　he　was　Don　Somebody…

or…other　in　doublet　and　hose；　but　when　he

was　just　plain　Michael　Jeremiah　Arkwright　in

a　frock　coat　he　was　hers；　and　she　did　not　propose

to　make　a　Grand　Opera　show　of　her　wedding。　

And　as　Arkwright；　too；　very　much　disapproved

of　the　church…wedding　idea；　the　two　were　married

in　the　Annex　living…room　at　noon　on　the　fifteenth

as　originally　planned；　in　spite　of　Mrs。　Kate

Hartwell's　letter。



It　was　soon　after　the　wedding　that　Bertram

told　Billy　he　wished　she　would　sit　for　him　with

Bertram；　Jr。



‘‘I　want　to　try　my　hand　at　you　both　together；''

he　coaxed。



‘‘Why；　of　course；　if　you　like；　dear；''　agreed

Billy；　promptly；　‘‘though　I　think　Baby　is　just

as　nice；　and　even　nicer；　alone。''



Once　again　all　over　Bertram's　studio　began

to　appear　sketches　of　Billy；　this　time　a　glorified；

tender　Billy；　with　the　wonderful　mother…love　in

her　eyes。　　Then；　after　several　sketches　of　trial

poses；　Bertram　began　his　picture　of　Billy　and

the　baby　together。



Even　now　Bertram　was　not　sure　of　his　work。　

He　knew　that　he　could　not　yet　paint　with　his　old

freedom　and　ease；　he　knew　that　his　stroke　was

not　so　sure；　so　untrammeled。　　But　he　knew；　too；

that　he　had　gained　wonderfully；　during　the　summer；

and　that　he　was　gaining　now；　every　day。　

To　Billy　he　said　nothing　of　all　this。　　Even　to

himself　he　scarcely　put　his　hope　into　words；　but　in

his　heart　he　knew　that　what　he　was　really　painting

his　‘‘Mother　and　Child''　picture　for　was　the

Bohemian　Ten　Club　Exhibition　in　Marchif

he　could　but　put　upon　canvas　the　vision　that　was

spurring　him　on。



And　so　Bertram　worked　all　through　those

short　winter　days；　not　always　upon　the　one　picture；

of　course；　but　upon　some　picture　or　sketch

that　would　help　to　give　his　still　uncertain　left

hand　the　skill　that　had　belonged　to　its　mate。　

And　always；　cheering；　encouraging；　insisting　on

victory；　was　Billy；　so　that　even　had　Bertram

been　tempted；　sometimes；　to　give　up；　he　could

not　have　done　soand　faced　Billy's　grieved；

disappointed　eyes。　　And　when　at　last　his　work

was　completed；　and　the　pictured　mother　and

child　in　all　their　marvelous　life　and　beauty　seemed

ready　to　step　from　the　canvas；　Billy　drew　a　long

ecstatic　breath。



‘‘Oh；　Bertram；　it　_is_；　it　is　the　best　work　you

have　ever　done。''　　Billy　was　looking　at　the　baby。　

Always　she　had　ignored　herself　as　part　of　the

picture。　　‘‘And　won't　it　be　fine　for　the　Exhibition！''



Bertram's　hand　tightened　on　the　chair…back

in　front　of　him。　　For　a　moment　he　could　not

speak。　　Then；　a　bit　huskily；　he　asked：



‘‘Would　you　darerisk　it？''



‘‘Risk　it！　　Why；　Bertram　Henshaw；　I've

meant　that　picture　for　the　Exhibition　from　the

very　firstonly　I　never　dreamed　you　could　get

it　so　perfectly　lovely。　　_Now_　what　do　you　say

about　Baby　being　nicer　than　any　old　‘Face　of　a

Girl'　that　you　ever　did？''　she　triumphed。



And　Bertram；　who；　even　to　himself；　had　not

dared　whisper　the　word　exhibition；　gave　a　tremulous

laugh　that　was　almost　a　sob；　so　overwhelming

was　his　sudden　realization　of　what　faith　and

confidence　had　meant　to　Billy；　his　wife。



If　there　was　still　a　lingering　doubt　in　Bertram's

mind；　it　must　have　been　dispelled　in　less　than

an　hour　after　the　Bohemian　Ten　Club　Exhibition

flung　open　its　doors　on　its　opening　night。　　Once

again　Bertram　found　his　picture　the　cynosure

of　all　admiring　eyes；　and　himself　the　center　of　an

enthusiastic　group　of　friends　and　fellow…artists

who　vied　with　each　other　in　hearty　words　of

congratulation。　　And　when；　later；　the　feared　critics；

whose　names　and　opinions　counted　for　so　much

in　his　world；　had　their　say　in　the　daily　press　and

weekly　reviews；　Bertram　knew　how　surely　indeed

he　had　won。　　And　when　he　read　that　‘‘Henshaw's

work　shows　now　a　peculiar　strength；　a　sort　of

reserve　power；　as　it　were；　which；　beautiful　as　was

his　former　work；　it　never　showed　before；''　he

smiled　grimly；　and　said　to　Billy：



‘‘I　suppose；　now；　that　was　the　fighting　I　did

with　my　good　left　hand；　eh；　dear？''



But　there　was　yet　one　more　drop　that　was　to

make　Bertram's　cup　of　joy　brim　to　overflowing。　

It　came　just　one　month　after　the　Exhibition　in　the

shape　of　a　terse　dozen　words　from　the　doctor。　

Bertram　fairly　flew　home　that　day。　　He　had　no

consciousness　of　any　means　of　locomotion。　　He

thought　he　was　going　to　tell　his　wife　at　once　his

great　good　news；　but　when　he　saw　her；　speech

suddenly　fled；　and　all　that　he　could　do　was　to

draw　her　closely　to　him　with　his　left　arm　and　hide

his　face。



‘‘Why；　Bertram；　dearest；　whatwhat　is　it？''

stammered　the　thoroughly　frightened　Billy。　

‘‘Has　anything…happened？''



‘‘No；　noyesyes；　everything　has　happened。　

I　mean；　it's　going　to　happen；''　choked

the　man。　　‘‘Billy；　that　old　chap　says　that　I'm

going　to　have　my　arm　again。　　Think　of　itmy

good　right　arm　that　I've　lost　so　long！''



‘‘_Oh；　Bertram！_''　breathed　Billy。　　And　she；　too；

fell　to　sobbing。



Later；　when　speech　was　more　coherent；　she

faltered：



‘‘Well；　anyway；　it　doesn't　make　any　difference

_how_　many　beautiful　pictures　you　p…paint；　after

this；　Bertram；　I　_can't_　be　pr