Miss Billy

, Billy," chanted the

,'" echoed the tall young brid

wedde

'" The bridegroom's

o hold from th

ward.'" Now the young voice rang with t

tter fo

tter for

d the clergyman, with the wear

egroom, with the decisive emphasis of one

ess and i

ess and in

and to

" The younger voice carrie

ath us d

room's lips; but everybody knew that what his

o God's holy

to God's hol

I plight th

I plight the

oman blinked tear-wet eyes and pulled a fleecy white shawl more cl

take thee

take thee,

oyous confidence, on through one after another of the ever familiar, but ever impressive phrases of the

Mrs. Kate Hartwell, sister of the br

, July

thing to prevent it. Much as ever as they would even listen to what I had to say-an

ers never did have any sense; and when those lovers are

e the wedding ceremony, and insisted upon seeing Billy to give her a wretched little green stone idol, which he declared would bring her 'heap plenty velly good luckee' if she received it before she 'got married.' I wouldn't have the hideous, grinning thing around, but William says it's real jade, and very valuable, and of course Billy was crazy over it-or pretended to be). There was no trouss

sation with either of them was out of the question. When Billy broke the engagement last spring none of us knew why she had done it, as you know; and I fancy we shall be almost as much in the dark as to why she has-er-mended it now, as you might say.

in Boston to alternate between stony despair and reckless gayety, according to William; and it was while he was in the latter mood tha

unearthly hour, and in the rain; and Aunt Hannah couldn't do a thing with her. All Billy would say, was, 'Bertram wants me.' And Aunt Hannah told me that if I could have seen Billy's face I'd have known that she'd have gone to Bertram then if he'd been at the top of the Himalaya M

law, Aunt Hannah said she gave up for fear he'd get a special dispensation, or go to the Governor or the President, or do some other dreadful thing. (What a funny old soul Aunt Hannah is!) Bertram told me that he should n

it suited to each other, and that matrimony will simply ruin his career. Bertram never has loved and never will love any girl long-except to

about as much of real life and its problems as-as our little Kate. A more impulsive, irresponsible, regardless-of-consequences young woman

r marriage, especially marriage to a fellow like Bertram who has had his own way and everything he's want

g-but, there! What's the use? They're

uld. As you see, though, my trip East has been practically useless. I saw the wedding, to be sure, but I didn't prevent it, or even postpone

t we shall see. As for me,

ionatel

AT

t the piano, but where his thoughts were was plain to be seen-or rather, heard; for from under his fingers there came the Lohengrin wedding march until all the ro

sat Marie, Cyril's wife, a dainty sewing-basket by her side.

eased, she dre

autiful wedding tha

about on the

sible wedding," he

amily; "so-so sort of above and beyond everything about

fted his

efore, it was a very sens

phasis. She laughed, though he

t our wedding was beautiful; but I would have mad

e sake of what it brought me." His face showed now only the smile; the frown had vanished. For a man known for years to

lored as she met his gaze. Hurr

ed happily at

g? Is that my stoc

, half reproach,

-you told me not to, long ago.

ess of that half-sobbed "bunches" had been quite lost. "I love to see you mending them," h

ression came t

nd them just for-for the sake of seeing me d

hen, with a sudden laugh, he asked: "I w

she sighed, too, a

aid not,

r c

time. The vaguely troubled

knew her to cook a thing or want to cook a thing, but once; then sh

r m

ered her l

ll events she was trying to make them for some one of

erved: "I judge Kate thinks Billy'll never make them

ing," apologized Marie, quickly. "You know she wanted i

al-I mean, her wedding," retorted Cyril, dryly. "Kate

frowning smile of recollection at

aste in guests, either," remarked

most of her social friends are away-in July; but Billy is never a society girl,

seems as if Billy needn't have gone out and ga

for her. "I suppose she said that just because

y, you must admit," laughed Cyril; "what with the bridegroo

te happy? Billy says she'd have had Pete if she had no one else; that there wouldn't have

Will t

y's been following them up and doing little things for them ever since-sugarplums and frosting on their cake, she calls it; and they adore her, of course. I think it was lovely of her to have them, and they did have such a good tim

they looked happy enough to-day," declared Cyril, patting a yawn as he rose to hi

and handkerchief of Billy's she finds. And she'll do that until that funny clock of hers strikes twelve, then she'll say 'Oh, my grief and conscience-midnight!' But the next minute s

ghed appr

hat Will is doi

ing before the fireplace with

ta, the Henshaws' old Beacon Street home, William was sitting before the

nd to Miss Billy. He'll be bringing her home one of these days-your n

fore we scarcely knew they were here. That girl was Miss Billy, and she was a dear then, just as she is now, only now she's coming here to stay. She's coming home, Spunkie; and she'll make it a home for you, for me, and for all of us. Up to now, you know, it hasn't really been a home, for years-just us men, so. It'll be

had said. She was crying, too, over a glove she had found on Billy's piano; but she was

dear little house on the side of Corey Hill was Billy's home, and Billy would not need it any longer. It would be sold, of course; and she, Aunt Hannah, would go back to

e in her hand. No wonder, too, that-being Aunt Hannah-she reached for the shawl

tain little South-End flat where, in two rented rooms, lived Alice Greggory and her crippled mother, Alice was talking to Mr. M

t was plainly moo

listening at all," complained Alic

effort the man

am," he

g. You used to be friends-you and Billy." Th

ilence; then, a little

ore than-a friend-is why you're n

to Alice Greggory's eyes. She flush

u m

p. "I cared too much for her. I supposed

sh before, a little unste

y-so very sorry!

f times; you've been so good to me all these weeks." He raised

ly. Her eyes swerved a li

crutches on a bare floor she turned in obvious relief. "Oh, here's mother. She's

de and groom. The wondrousness of the first hour of their journey side by

ride, after a long min

, lo

g was very different

urse i

ide's voice grew tenderly earnest. "I think

fere

, everyday marriages where-where-Why, Bertram, as if you co

to you?" Bertram's voi

rleton is to Mrs.

am subsided

to each other a whole evening, when they've been at a dinner, or something; and I've seen Mrs. Carleton not even seem to know her husband came into

't," agreed Bert

o be such a beau

rse it

ll be so

d I shall try t

ed Billy, blissfully. "And now we can'

not. Er-w

ything is all explained up. I know, now, that you don't love Miss Winthrop, or just girls-

s would have given had it not been for the presence of

w now that I lov

en Arkw

rkwright,"

esitations; then, a little

never had cared for

for her. In Billy's opinion, a man's unrequited love for a girl was his secret, not hers, and was certainly one that the girl had no rig

er,

so," murmured Bertra

didn't say anything definite, I'll admit," confessed Billy, with an arch smile; "but she spoke of his being there lots, and they used to know each

answered Bertram, with the unmistakably satisfied air of the

grew suddenly grave. She regarded her husband with

rtram, whimsically

illy's voice

ed his face into sobriety; then Bil

cooking-except what I've been learnin

an across the aisle glanced over t

s that what you were

didn't-much; there were so many things for me to think of, you know, with only a wee

t, at Billy's unchangingly tragic face,

marry you to-to get a

hook he

oversee it. She said that-that no woman, who didn't know how to cook and keep house properly, had any business to be a wife.

rtram, shamelessly; but he got only

eep my mind on it. Everything, everywhere was singing to me. And how do you suppose I could remember how many pinches of flour and spoonfuls of salt and cupfuls of b

id almost kiss her this time.) "As if anybody cared how many c

u will-when you're h

a sharp word b

arm, and all. Kate thinks she's kind, and I suppose she means well; but-well, she's made trouble enough between us already. I'

th us do part,'

a time, they

illy,'" sang the whirring

the other. While straight ahead before them both, stretched fair and beautif