Miss Billy's Decision

-according to Billy, and according to what Marie had said it was to be. Billy still serenely spoke of it as a "simple affair," but Marie was beginning to be fearful. As the day

to be a simple we

so it

his I hear abo

umed its most st

re, what you did hear

il

born, but the smiling lips above it grac

side, "don't fret. Besides, I'm sure I should thi

elaborate, fro

! Not a b

lads and cakes and ices-a

ooked c

have oatmeal and doughnuts," she began wi

"Won't you be serious? And there'

r and cleaner than-just fingers," ap

n indignant, grieved

f them, in December! Billy, I ca

lonesome I'll be! I shall have to adopt somebody else then-now that Mary Jane has proved to be n

he frown still lay bet

re were so many things th

he egg-beaters," Billy

w, but she shoo

t have you do a

y n

direct question, Mar

she stammered. "I can't ge

you l

h stole to

I do,

I lov

ush de

hop

nk roses and ice cream and lace flounces for you. Marie,"-Billy's voice trembled a little-"I never had a sister till I had you, and I have had such a good time buying things

and cuddled the bowed h

one," she urged. "Now promise me-promise me that you'll

of hesitations, then

u really w

ngs," declared Marie, fervently. "And now I must go. I promised to meet Cyril at Park Street at three o'clock." And she hurried from the room-and not until she was half-

h shame then. But alm

y?" she was saying to herself,

for Marie from Cyril. Marie was not at home, and Billy hersel

the old servant, his face lighting up as Billy entered t

to carry it back with you," she smiled. "I'll see that M

to see your bright face." He hesitated, t

oked after the old man, who was now almost to the door. Something in hi

Cyril, Pete," she

ce and turned. He lifted

ere when he was born.

e him so," smiled the girl, vaguely wishing that she could say someth

ly erect. In his eyes shone the loyal pride of more than fifty years' honest ser

ourse," he said. "Mr. Cyril's a fine man, and we shall

eyes grew a

hey must," s

n, as if impelled by some

urse, that when you get there you'll be wantin' younger blood to serve ye. My feet ain't so spry as they once was, and my old hands

head and shoulders erect, his eyes loo

?" The girlish voice wa

head

wanted," came

ly came straight to the old ma

et

ed blotted them all out and left only worshipful rapture. With a choking cry he took the slim little hand in

s Bi

rve me than yours, no matter if they stumble and blunder all day! I shall love stumbles and blunde

ise, Billy found her own eyes wet and her own voice trembling, and the words that she would have said she found fast shut in her throat. So there was nothing t

llable!" she re

. Then he turned and fled with

in the living-room, her slender self was almost hi

eyes gre

e to hug all tha

him a mischi

don't have to hug

offending linen into the nearest c

d poor Marie's table-cloth!" s

iffed impe

I'd like to crush

rtr

ith stormy eyes. "It's Marie, Marie, Marie-always. If I telephone in the morning, you've gone shopping with Mari

errupted Billy,

nd yards upon yards of lace and flummydiddles you call 'doilies.' They all belong to Marie, and they fill your

d softly. He

at is, there'll

the man, with a sudden change of man

down her ey

s wedding; but I've sort of regarded it as an-unde

remely happy voice in a shell-like e

she drew away wi

go back to my se

t loosen. His eyes ha

must be practising my part

Bertram again; this time

ingly, as she seated herself and gathered the table-clo

risk of leading his bride to the altar and finding her robed in

am la

so bad

utterly oblivious to clothes as Marie was till one day in d

ever could bear any sort of w

that part," smiled Billy. "I j

it

a gesture

a dowdy woman. And from that day to this she has pursued every lurking wrinkle and every fold awry, until her dressmaker's life isn't worth the

ertram. "No wonder you don

ression crosse

who, at times, is otherwise en

do you

nd last Monday, and las

then," argued Bertram,

terrupted Billy in her turn, smoothly. "By the way,"-Billy was examining

s for her pink teas and folderols. She's going to Washington next we

work than usual into th

little shortly. "You see, she's

nged

ied. Fancied she wa

t you have somethin

having her own way about everything. Naturally, under those circumstances, I can't expect to get a satisfactory portrait, if she's out of tune with the po

wet he

e lightness was a little artificial Bertram did not s

ing. "It's going to mean a lot to me-this picture, Billy. In the first place I'm just at the point in my career where a big success would

ly's voice was

f course, the most famous subject I've had, and half the artistic world knows by this tim

on't fail,

his chin and threw

lessly and gave her thread so savage a jerk that it broke)"-a something that isn't easily caught by the brush. Anderson and Fullam-big fellows, both of them-didn't catch it. At least, I've understood that neither her family nor her friend

and sprang to her feet. Her

r," she cried, holding out both he

kissed first one then the oth

onately, leading her to the sofa,

f. You have to!-to doing things. That's what I told Mary Jane yesterday, w

little. A quick fr

ive a full-grown, six-foot man! Billy, do, for p

into a rip

, dear," she si

can't think of him as anything bu

es-when one reme

t off now. He looks

rned a lit

e the fell

aughed

been up once or twice to see Aunt Hannah and to get acquainted, as he expresses it, and once h

a pity, I'm sure," r

ed in slig

, don't you l

sake! Hasn't he got

her hands toge

me to guess what his name was, and we never hit it

ay, I'm sure.

l us. You see he l

d h

minute she stirred and settled herself more comfortably in the curve of h

ot like to call forth a repetition of it. Abruptly, therefore, he changed the subject. "By the way, what did you do to Pete to-day?" he asked laughingly. "He came home

y sm

aged him for our

hat was dear

lse! And now for Dong Li

am ch

sundry and various preliminaries, that he should be 'velly much glad' when the 'Little Missee' came to live with me, for then he

But for you-do you realize, young man, what that means for you? A

contented smile; "besides, as perhaps you noti