Miss Billy

n Street homestead facing the Public Garden was in spick-and-span order, with Dong Ling in the basement hovering ov

namesake: once, when it had been decorated with guns and fishing-rods to welcome the "boy" who turned out to be a girl; and agai

r, and Cyril with his music on a third. Cyril was gone now. Only Pete and his humble belongings occupied the top floor. The floor below, too, was silent now, and almost empty save for a rug or two, and a few pie

m the top-floor storeroom, and the long-closed piano stood invitingly open. In a conspicuous place, also, sat the little green

al overhauling. Even Spunkie did not escape, but had to submit to the ignominy of a bath. And th

g: Pete with his wrinkled old face alight with joy and excitement; Do

illee-plenty much we

ing at the door, with an elaborate flourish that did n

and colored

w good, good everything does look to me! Why, where's Uncle Wi

hoed Bertram. "Where is he,

he old servant's face. H

e a gleef

oled, skipping to the bottom

Better wake up, sir.

ared his

ere, Miss-ma'am," he

d, but she

over to the small bag she had brought in with her. "I'm glad I did, too, for our trunks didn't come," she continued laughingly. "Still, if he isn't here to receive them-There, Pete, aren't they beautiful?" she cried, careful

, I mean," stamm

e hard, don't they, P

miled

ant to. Bertram," she added, turning to her husband, "I'm going to just run up-stairs and put these

then he tried to speak to his young master, to explain that Mr. William was not

ame-Billy's shar

am! Be

not reached the top when he met his wife com

s not so much as a teapot t

of this? Where is my brother?" To hear him, one would thin

ing hand and fumbl

moved,

oms-to Cyril's." Bertram relaxed

hook h

oved away-out of

uld not believe what his ears had heard. Then

brother-has moved-gone away-

s,

ave a l

dlong down the stairway in her effort to reach

was no

p-"what is the meaning of this? Do yo

s and swallowed choking

aiting

ant's arm-in the other hand she sti

w, won't you tell us

ng face with the beseeching eyes. His own features worked

id," he stammered,

t wa

was no

, you know," cut in Bertram, decisively,

hroat. This time the words c

at he said-he said as how young folks didn't

e!" exclaimed Bertram, p

married so, now." Pete'

ave a l

ause I came?"

-" Pete stopped with an ap

as-on account of

still more

as only that he thought you

re!" ejacula

!" echoed Bill

opped the mirror knobs into her open bag, and reached

ve the

ill," he added excitedly, divining her purpos

" scorned Billy, her eyes ablaze. "C

hed out a de

demurred. "Hadn't we better wait t

w, do you think I'd leave that dear man even one minute longer, if I coul

ad a headache, dear," still objected B

dinner with Uncle William turned out of his home! I'm going t

at. He threw a despairing

en we can," he sa

force, he touched his master's arm. "It was that way she looked, sir, when

ertram's lips. The frow

o!" he whispered back. The next mo

us doorway, and a landlady who, in response to the summons of the neat m

ieved, called him to State Street through the day. Outside of that, she had been told, he spent much t

lly, as she and Bertram hurried down the wi

ured her husband, "you'll co

rned ind

no! Why, Bertram, you wouldn't, either," she cried, as she

before him, could only murmur: "No, of course n

t all this was lost on Bertram. Bertram did not wish to take a walk. He was hungry. He wanted his dinner; and he wanted, too, his old home with his new wife flitting about the rooms as he had pictured this first evening

ed Billy and her increasingly impatient husband. Then when the fifteen weary minutes h

ked like this all night? He might move-change his seat-go home, even. He probably has gone home. And surely never before did a bride insist on spen

y she had darted to the side of the humped-up figur

she cried, dropping herself on to one end of the

f irritation, dropping himself on to the other end of the s

nd bowed head straig

tle bride," cried Uncle William, fondly. "And t

ife could speak. "Oh, we looked in at the door an hour or so ba

ke with gay cheeriness; but he refused

could you do it?" re

illiam was plainly

e house l

anted a

elieve that!"

en," laughed Bertram, "and we'll send over for your

is head. He ess

to stay-oh, I don't know how long I'

ed her chi

laying square. Pete told us

iam looked up wi

ou. So we know, now, why you l

-that's nonsense I-I'

aughed

of him. And now we're here to tell you that

his head. A swift sh

o, children,"

arried life." (William's voice now sounded as if he were reciting a well-learned lesson.) "If I went away and stayed

ped Billy, "what are

y not going ba

angrily. "Oh, come, Will, this is utter nonsense

ers of William's mouth-a look

l out. I know I'm right. Come, we'll go to dinner now, and say no more about it," he finished with a che

eem to have heard his question. In the fast f

that just because I married your brother I am going to live in tha

urned out. I just go," cor

dain Billy brus

't," she declare

gasped

expostulated W

ar the old home was to you-how much you thought of it. And she said-she said that I had upset everything." (Bertram interjected a sharp word, but Billy paid no attention.) "That's

. William glanced at Bertram; Bertr

t go to dinner," stammere

ram. And the three fe