miss billie married-第13部分

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supersensitive　attention　at　once；　and；　with　a　curiously

faint　feeling；　she　picked　up　the　paper　and　began　to

read。



As　the　most　of　the　criticism　was　taken　up　with

quotations　from　the　book；　it　was　such　sentences

as　these　that　met　her　startled　eyes：



‘‘Perhaps　the　first　test　comes　when　the　young

wife　awakes　to　the　realization　that　while　her　husband

loves　her　very　much；　he　can　still　make

plans　with　his　old　friends　which　do　not　include

herself。　。　。　。　　Then　is　when　the　foolish　wife　lets

her　husband　see　how　hurt　she　is　that　he　can　want

to　be　with　any　one　but　herself。　。　。　。　　Then　is

when　the　husbandused　all　his　life　to　independence；

perhapsbegins　to　chafe　under　these　new

bonds　that　hold　him　so　fast。　。　。　。　　No　man　likes

to　be　held　up　at　the　end　of　a　threatened　scene　and

made　to　give　an　account　of　himself。　。　。　。　　Before

a　woman　has　learned　to　cultivate　a　comfortable

indifference　to　her　husband's　comings　and　goings；

she　is　apt　to　be　tyrannical　and　exacting。''



‘‘　‘Comfortable　indifference；'　indeed！''　stormed

Billy　to　herself。　　‘‘As　if　I　ever　could　be　comfortably

indifferent　to　anything　Bertram　did！''



She　dropped　the　paper；　but　there　were　still

other　quotations　from　the　book　there；　she　knew；

and　in　a　moment　she　was　back　at　the　table　reading　them。



‘‘No　man；　however　fondly　he　loves　his　wife；

likes　to　feel　that　she　is　everlastingly　peering　into

the　recesses　of　his　mind；　and　weighing　his　every

act　to　find　out　if　he　does　or　does　not　love　her　to…

day　as　well　as　he　did　yesterday　at　this　time。　。　。　。　

Then；　when　spontaneity　is　dead；　she　is　the　chief

mourner　at　its　funeral。　。　。　。　　A　few　couples　never

leave　the　Garden　of　Eden。　　They　grow　old　hand

in　hand。　　They　are　the　ones　who　bear　and　forbear；

who　have　learned　to　adjust　themselves　to

the　intimate　relationship　of　living　together。　。　。　。　

A　certain　amount　of　liberty；　both　of　action　and

thought；　must　be　allowed　on　each　side。　。　。　。　　The

family　shut　in　upon　itself　grows　so　narrow　that　all

interest　in　the　outside　world　is　lost。　。　。　。　　No

two　people　are　ever　fitted　to　fill　each　other's

lives　entirely。　　They　ought　not　to　try　to　do　it。　

If　they　do　try；　the　process　is　belittling　to　each；

and　the　result；　if　it　is　successful；　is　nothing　less

than　a　tragedy；　for　it　could　not　mean　the　highest

ideals；　nor　the　truest　devotion。　。　。　。　　Brushing　up

against　other　interests　and　other　personalities　is

good　for　both　husband　and　wife。　　Then　to　each

other　they　bring　the　best　of　what　they　have

found；　and　each　to　the　other　continues　to　be　new

and　interesting。　。　。　。　　The　young　wife；　however；

is　apt　to　be　jealous　of　everything　that　turns　her

husband's　attention　for　one　moment　away　from

herself。　　She　is　jealous　of　his　thoughts；　his　words；

his　friends；　even　his　business。　。　。　。　　But　the　wife

who　has　learned　to　be　the　clinging　vine　when　her

husband　wishes　her　to　cling；　and　to　be　the　sturdy

oak　when　clinging　vines　would　be　tiresome；　has

solved　a　tremendous　problem。''



At　this　point　Billy　dropped　the　paper。　　She

flung　it　down；　indeed；　a　bit　angrily。　　There　were

still　a　few　more　words　in　the　criticism；　mostly　the

critic's　own　opinion　of　the　book；　but　Billy　did

not　care　for　this。　　She　had　read　quite　enough

boo　much；　in　fact。　　All　that　sort　of　talk　might　be

very　well；　even　necessary；　perhaps　（she　told　herself）；

for　ordinary　husbands　and　wives！　but　for

her　and　Bertram



Then　vividly　before　her　rose　those　initial　quoted

words：



‘‘Perhaps　the　first　test　comes　when　the　young

wife　awakes　to　the　realization　that　while　her　husband

loves　her　very　much；　he　can　still　make

plans　with　his　old　friends　which　do　not　include

herself。''



Billy　frowned；　and　put　her　finger　to　her　lips。　

Was　that　then；　last　night；　a　‘‘test''？　　Had　she

been　‘‘tyrannical　and　exacting''？　　Was　she

‘‘everlastingly　peering　into　the　recesses''　of　Bertram's

mind　and　‘‘weighing　his　every　act''？　

Was　Bertram　already　beginning　to　‘‘chafe''

under　these　new　bonds　that　held　him？



No；　no；　never　that！　　She　could　not　believe　that。　

But　what　if　he　should　sometime　begin　to　chafe？　

What　if　they　two　should；　in　days　to　come；

degenerate　into　just　the　ordinary；　everyday　married

folk；　whom　she　saw　about　her　everywhere；　and

for　whom　just　such　horrid　books　as　this　must　be

written？　　It　was　unbelievable；　unthinkable。　　And

yet；　that　man　had　said



With　a　despairing　sigh　Billy　picked　up　the　paper

once　more　and　read　carefully　every　word　again。　

When　she　had　finished　she　stood　soberly　thoughtful；

her　eyes　out　of　the　window。



After　all；　it　was　nothing　but　the　same　old　story。　

She　was　exacting。　　She　did　want　her　husband's

every　thought。　　She　_gloried_　in　peering　into　every

last　recess　of　his　mind　if　she　had　half　a　chance。　

She　was　jealous　of　his　work。　　She　had　almost

hated　his　paintingat　times。　　She　had　held　him

up　with　a　threatened　scene　only　the　night　before

and　demanded　that　he　should　give　an　account

of　himself。　　She　had；　very　likely；　been　the　clinging

vine　when　she　should　have　been　the　sturdy

oak。



Very　well；　then。　　（Billy　lifted　her　head　and

threw　back　her　shoulders。）　　He　should　have　no

further　cause　for　complaint。　　She　would　be　an

oak。　　She　would　cultivate　that　comfortable

indifference　to　his　comings　and　goings。　　She　would

brush　up　against　other　interests　and　personalities

so　as　to　be　‘‘new''　and　‘‘interesting''　to　her

husband。　　She　would　not　be　tyrannical；　exacting；

or　jealous。　　She　would　not　threaten　scenes；　nor

peer　into　recesses。　　Whatever　happened；　she

would　not　let　Bertram　begin　to　chafe　against

those　bonds！



Having　arrived　at　this　heroic　and　（to　her）

eminently　satisfactory　state　of　mind；　Billy　turned

from　the　window　and　fell　to　work　on　a　piece　of

manuscript　music。



‘‘　‘Brush　up　against　other　interests；'　''　she

admonished　herself　sternly；　as　she　reached　for　her

pen。



Theoretically　it　was　beautiful；　but　practically



Billy　began　at　once　to　be　that　oak。　　Not　an

hour　after　she　had　first　seen　the　fateful　notice　of

‘‘When　the　Honeymoon　Wanes；''　Bertram's　ring

sounded　at　the　door　down…stairs。



Bertram　always　let　himself　in　with　his　latchkey；

but；　from　the　first　of　Billy's　being　there；　he

had　given　a　peculiar　ring　at　the　bell　which　would

bring　his　wife　flying　to　welcome　him　if　she　were

anywhere　in　the　house。　　To…day；　when　the　bell

sounded；　Billy　sprang　as　usual　to　her　feet；　with　a

joyous　‘‘There's　Bertram！''　　But　the　next　moment

she　fell　back。



‘‘Tut；　tut；　Billy　Neilson　Henshaw！　　Learn　to

cultivate　a　comfortable　indifference　to　your

husband's　comings　and　goings；''　she　whispered

fiercely。　　Then　she　sat　down　and　fell　to　work　again。



A　moment　later　she　heard　her　husband's　voice

talking　to　some　onePete；　she　surmised。　　‘‘Here？　

You　say　she's　here？''　　Then　she　heard　Bertram's

quick　step　on　the　stairs。　　The　next　minute；　very

quietly；　he　came　to　her　door。



‘‘Ho！''　he　ejaculated　gayly；　as　she　rose　to

receive　his　kiss。　　‘‘I　thought　I'd　find　you　asleep；

when　you　didn't　hear　my　ring。''



Billy　reddened　a　little。



‘‘Oh；　no；　I　wasn't　asleep。''



‘‘But　you　didn't　hear''　Bertram　stopped

abruptly；　an　odd　look　in　his　eyes。　　‘‘Maybe　you

did　hear　it；　though；''　he　corrected。



Billy　colored　more　confusedly。　　The　fact　that

she　looked　so　distressed　did　not　tend　to　clear

Bertram's　face。



‘‘Why；　of　course；　Billy；　I　didn't　mean　to　insist

on　your　coming　to　meet　me；''　he　began　a　little

stiffly；　but　Billy　interrupted　him。



‘‘Why；　Bertram；　I　just　love　to　go　to　meet　you；''

she　maintained　indignantly。　　Then；　remembering

just　in　time；　she　amended：　　‘‘That　is；　I　did　love

to　meet　you；　until''　　With　a　sudden　realization

that　she　certainly　had　not　helped　matters　any；

she　came　to　an　embarrassed　pause。



A　puzzled　frown　showed　on　Bertram's　face。



‘‘You　did　love　to　meet　me　until''　he　repeated

after　her；　then　his　face　changed。　　‘‘Billy；

you　aren'tyou　_can't_　be　laying　up　last　night

against　me！''　he　reproached　her　a　little　irritably。



‘‘Last　night？　　Why；　of　course　not；''　retorted

Billy；　in　a　panic　at　the　bare　mention　of　the

‘‘test''　whichaccording　to　‘‘When　the　Honeymoon

Wanes''was　at　the　root　of　all　her　misery。　

Already　she　thought　she　detected　in　Bertram's

voice　signs　that　he　was　beginning　to　chafe

against　those　‘‘bonds。''　　‘‘It　is　a　matter　of

of　the　utmost　indifference　to　me　what　time　you

come　home　at　night；　my　dear；''　she　finished　airily；

as　she　sat　down　to　her　work　again。



Bertram　stared；　then　he　frowned；　turned　on

his　heel　and　left　the　room。　　Bertram；　who　knew

nothing　of　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''　in　the

newspaper　at　Billy's　feet；　was　surprised；　puzzled；

and　just　a　bit　angry。



Billy；　left　alone；　jabbed　her　pen　with　such　force

against　her　paper　that　the　note　she　was　making

became　an　unsightly　blot。



‘‘Well；　if　this　is　what　that　man　calls　being

‘comfortably　indifferent；'　I'd　hate　to　try　the

_un_comfortable　kind；''　she　muttered　with　emphasis。







CHAPTER　IX



THE　DINNER　BILLY　TRIED　TO　GET





Notwithstanding　what　Billy　was　disposed　to

regard　as　the　non…success　of　her　first　attempt　to

profit　by　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives；''　she　still

frantically　tried　to　avert　the　waning　of　her　honeymoon。　

Assiduously　she　cultivated　the　prescribed

‘‘indifference；''　and　with　at　least　apparent　enthusiasm

she　sought　the　much…to…be…desired　‘‘outside

interests。''　　That　is；　she　did　all　this　when　she

thought　of　it　when　something　reminded　her

of　the　sword　of　destruction　hanging　over　her

happiness。　　At　other　times；　when　she　was　just　being

happy　without　question；　she　was　her　old　self

impulsive；　affectionate；　and　altogether　adorable。



Naturally；　under　these　circumstances；　her　conduct

was　somewhat　erratic。　　For　three　days；　perhaps；

she　would　fly　to　the　door　at　her　husband's

ring；　and　hang　upon　his　every　movement。　　Then；

for　the　next　three；　she　wou