miss billie married-第38部分

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Billy　subsided。　　She　even　clapped　a　little　in

spasmodic　enthusiasm。　　Presently　she　peered　at

her　program　again。



‘‘There　wouldn't　be　time；　I　suppose；　to　telephone

between　the　scenes；''　she　hazarded　wistfully。　

‘‘There　are　sixteen　of　those！''



‘‘Well；　hardly！　　Billy；　you　aren't　paying　one

bit　of　attention　to　the　play！''



‘‘Why；　of　course　I　am；''　whispered　Billy；

indignantly。　　‘‘I　think　it's　perfectly　lovely；　and

I'm　perfectly　contented；　toosince　I　found　out

about　those　five　acts；　and　as　long　as　I　_can't_　have

the　sixteen　scenes；''　she　added；　settling　back　in

her　seat。



As　if　to　prove　that　she　was　interested　in　the

play；　her　next　whisper；　some　time　later；　had　to

do　with　one　of　the　characters　on　the　stage。



‘‘Who's　thatthe　nurse？　　Mercy！　　We

wouldn't　want　her　for　Baby；　would　we？''



In　spite　of　himself　Bertram　chuckled　this　time。　

Billy；　too；　laughed　at　herself。　　Then；　resolutely；

she　settled　into　her　seat　again。



The　curtain　was　not　fairly　down　on　the　first

act　before　Billy　had　laid　an　urgent　hand　on　her

husband's　arm。



‘‘Now；　remember；　ask　if　he's　waked　up；　or

anything；''　she　directed。　　‘‘And　be　sure　to　say　I'll

come　right　home　if　they　need　me。　　Now　hurry。''



‘‘Yes；　dear。''　　Bertram　rose　with　alacrity。　

‘‘I'll　be　back　right　away。''



‘‘Oh；　but　I　don't　want　you　to　hurry　_too_　much；''

she　called　after　him；　softly。　　‘‘I　want　you　to　take

plenty　of　time　to　ask　questions。''



‘‘All　right；''　nodded　Bertram；　with　a　quizzical

smile；　as　he　turned　away。



Obediently　Bertram　asked　all　the　question

she　could　think　of；　then　came　back　to　his　wife。　

There　was　nothing　in　his　report　that　even　Billy

could　disapprove　of；　or　worry　about；　and　with

almost　a　contented　look　on　her　face　she　turned

toward　the　stage　as　the　curtain　went　up　on　the

second　act。



‘‘I　love　this　balcony　scene；''　she　sighed　happily。



Romeo；　however；　had　not　half　finished　his

impassioned　love…making　when　Billy　clutched　her

husband's　arm　almost　fiercely。



‘‘Bertram；''　she　fairly　hissed　in　a　tragic

whisper；　‘‘I've　just　happened　to　think！　　Won't　it　be

awful　when　Baby　falls　in　love？　　I　know　I　shall

just　hate　that　girl　for　taking　him　away　from　me！''



‘‘Sh…h！　　_Billy！_''　expostulated　her　husband；

choking　with　half…stifled　laughter。　　‘‘That　woman

in　front　heard　you；　I　know　she　did！''



‘‘Well；　I　shall；''　sighed　Billy；　mournfully；

turning　back　to　the　stage。



　　　　　‘‘　‘Good　night；　good　night！　parting　is　such　sweet　sorrow；

　　　　　　　　　That　I　shall　say　good　night；　till　it　be　morrow；'''



sighed　Juliet　passionately　to　her　Romeo。



‘‘Mercy！　　I　hope　not；''　whispered　Billy　flippantly

in　Bertram's　ear。　　‘‘I'm　sure　I　don't　want

to　stay　here　till　to…morrow！　　I　want　to　go　home

and　see　Baby。''



‘‘_Billy！_''　pleaded　Bertram　so　despairingly；

that　Billy；　really　conscience…smitten；　sat　back　in

her　seat　and　remained；　for　the　rest　of　the　act；

very　quiet　indeed。



Deceived　by　her　apparent　tranquillity；　Bertram

turned　as　the　curtain　went　down。



‘‘Now；　Billy；　surely　you　don't　think　it'll　be

necessary　to　telephone　so　soon　as　this　again；''　he

ventured。



Billy's　countenance　fell。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　you　_said_　you　would！　　Of　course

if　you　aren't　willing　tobut　I've　been　counting　on

hearing　all　through　this　horrid　long　act；　and''



‘‘Goodness　me；　Billy；　I'll　telephone　every

minute　for　you；　of　course；　if　you　want　me　to；''

cried　Bertram；　springing　to　his　feet；　and　trying

not　to　show　his　impatience。



He　was　back　more　promptly　this　time。



‘‘Everything　0。　K。；''　he　smiled　reassuringly

into　Billy's　anxious　eyes。　　‘‘Delia　said　she'd　just

been　up；　and　the　little　chap　was　sound　asleep。''



To　the　man's　unbounded　surprise；　his　wife

grew　actually　white。



‘‘Up！　　Up！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘Do　you　mean

that　Delia　went　down…stairs　to　_stay_；　and　left　my

baby　up　there　alone？''



‘‘But；　Billy；　she　said　he　was　all　right；''

murmured　Bertram；　softly；　casting　uneasy　sidelong

glances　at　his　too　interested　neighbors。



‘‘　‘All　right'！　　Perhaps　he　was；　_then_but　he

may　not　be；　later。　　Delia　should　stay　in　the　next

room　all　the　time；　where　she　could　hear　the　least

thing。''



‘‘Yes；　dear；　she　will；　I'm　sure；　if　you　tell　her

to；''　soothed　Bertram；　quickly。　　‘‘It'll　be　all

right　next　time。''



Billy　shook　her　head。　　She　was　obviously　near

to　crying。



‘‘But；　Bertram；　I　can't　stand　it　to　sit　here

enjoying　myself　all　safe　and　comfortable；　and　know

that　Baby　is　_alone_　up　there　in　that　great　big　room！　

Please；　_please_　won't　you　go　and　telephone　Delia

to　go　up　_now_　and　stay　there？''



Bertram；　weary；　sorely　tried；　and　increasingly

aware　of　those　annoyingly　interested　neighbors；

was　on　the　point　of　saying　a　very　decided　no；　but

a　glance　into　Billy's　pleading　eyes　settled　it。　

Without　a　word　he　went　back　to　the　telephone。



The　curtain　was　up　when　he　slipped　into　his

seat；　very　red　of　face。　　In　answer　to　Billy's　hurried

whisper　he　shook　his　head；　but　in　the　short

pause　between　the　first　and　second　scenes　he　said；

in　a　low　voice：



‘‘I'm　sorry；　Billy；　but　I　couldn't　get　the　house

at　all。''



‘‘Couldn't　get　them！　　But　you'd　just　been

talking　with　them！''



‘‘That's　exactly　it；　probably。　　I　had　just

telephoned；　so　they　weren't　watching　for　the　bell。　

Anyhow；　I　couldn't　get　them。''



‘‘Then　you　didn't　get　Delia　at　all！''



‘‘Of　course　not。''



‘‘And　Baby　is　stillall　alone！''



‘‘But　he's　all　right；　dear。　　Delia's　keeping

watch　of　him。''



For　a　moment　there　was　silence；　then；　with

clear　decisiveness　carne　Billy's　voice。



‘‘Bertram；　I　am　going　home。''



‘‘Billy！''



‘‘I　am。''



‘‘Billy；　for　heaven's　sake　don't　be　a　silly　goose！　

The　play's　half　over　already。　　We'll　soon　be　going；

anyway。''



Billy's　lips　came　together　in　a　thin　little

determined　line。



‘‘Bertram；　I　am　going　home　now；　please；''　she

said。　　‘‘You　needn't　come　with　me；　I　can　go

alone。''



Bertram　said　two　words　under　his　breath　which

it　was　just　as　well；　perhaps；　that　Billyand　the

neighborsdid　not　hear；　then　he　gathered　up

their　wraps　and；　with　Billy；　stalked　out　of　the

theater。



At　home　everything　was　found　to　be　absolutely

as　it　should　be。　　Bertram；　Jr。；　was　peacefully

sleeping；　and　Delia；　who　had　come　up　from

downstairs；　was　sewing　in　the　next　room。



‘‘There；　you　see；''　observed　Bertram；　a　little

sourly。



Billy　drew　a　long；　contented　sigh。



‘‘Yes；　I　see；　everything　is　all　right。　　But　that's

exactly　what　I　wanted　to　do；　Bertram；　you　know

to　_see　for　myself_；''　she　finished　happily。



And　Bertram；　looking　at　her　rapt　face　as　she

hovered　over　the　baby's　crib；　called　himself　a

brute　and　a　beast　to　mind　_anything_　that　could

make　Billy　look　like　that。







CHAPTER　XXV





‘‘SHOULD　AULD　ACQUAINTANCE　BE　FORGOT''





Bertram　did　not　ask　Billy　very　soon　again　to

go　to　the　theater。　　For　some　days；　indeed；　he　did

not　ask　her　to　do　anything。　　Then；　one　evening；

he　did　beg　for　some　music。



‘‘Billy；　you　haven't　played　to　me　or　sung　to

me　since　I　could　remember；''　he　complained。　　‘‘I

want　some　music。''



Billy　gave　a　merry　laugh　and　wriggled　her

fingers　experimentally。



‘‘Mercy；　Bertram！　　I　don't　believe　I　could

play　a　note。　　You　know　I'm　all　out　of　practice。''



‘‘But　why　_don't_　you　practice？''



‘‘Why；　Bertram；　I　can't。　　In　the　first　place　I

don't　seem　to　have　any　time　except　when　Baby's

asleep；　and　I　can't　play　then…I'd　wake　him

up。''



Bertram　sighed　irritably；　rose　to　his　feet；　and

began　to　walk　up　and　down　the　room。　　He　came

to　a　pause　at　last；　his　eyes　bent　a　trifle

disapprovingly　on　his　wife。



‘‘Billy；　dear；　_don't_　you　wear　anything　but

those　wrapper　things　nowadays？''　he　asked　plaintively。



Again　Billy　laughed。　　But　this　time　a　troubled

frown　followed　the　laugh。



‘‘I　know；　Bertram；　I　suppose　they　do　look

dowdy；　sometimes；''　she　confessed；　‘‘but；　you

see；　I　hate　to　wear　a　really　good　dressBaby

rumples　them　up　so；　and　I'm　usually　in　a　hurry

to　get　to　him　mornings；　and　these　are　so　easy　to

slip　into；　and　so　much　more　comfortable　for　me

to　handle　him　in！''



‘‘Yes；　of　course；　of　course；　I　see；''　mumbled

Bertram；　listlessly　taking　up　his　walk　again。



Billy；　after　a　moment's　silence；　began　to　talk

animatedly。　　Baby　had　done　a　wonderfully　cunning

thing　that　morning；　and　Billy　had　not　had

a　chance　yet　to　tell　Bertram。　　Baby　was　growing

more　and　more　cunning　anyway；　these　days；

and　there　were　several　things　she　believed　she

had　not　told　him；　so　she　told　them　now。



Bertram　listened　politely；　interestedly。　　He

told　himself　that　he　_was_　interested；　too。　　Of

course　he　was　interested　in　the　doings　of　his　own

child！　　But　he　still　walked　up　and　down　the　room

a　little　restlessly；　coming　to　a　halt　at　last　by　the

window；　across　which　the　shade　had　not　been

drawn。



‘‘Billy；''　he　cried　suddenly；　with　his　old

boyish　eagerness；　‘‘there's　a　glorious　moon。　　Come

on！　　Let's　take　a　little　walka　real　fellow…and…

his…best…girl　walk！　　Will　you？''



‘‘Mercy！　dear；　I　couldn't；''　cried　Billy

springing　to　her　feet。　　‘‘I'd　love　to；　though；　if　I　could；''

she　added　hastily；　as　she　saw　disappointment

cloud　her　husband's　face。　　‘‘But　I　told　Delia　she

might　go　out。　　It　isn't　her　regular　evening；　of

course；　but　I　told　her　I　didn't　mind　staying　with

Baby　a　bit。　　So　I'll　have　to　go　right　up　now。　

She'll　be　going　soon。　　But；　dear；　you　go　and　take

your　walk。　　It'll　do　you　good。　　Then　you　can

come　back　and　tell　me　all　about　itonly　you

must　come　in　quietly；　so　not　to　wake　the　baby；''

she　finished；　giving　her　husband　an　affectionate

kiss；　as　she　left　the　room。



After　a　disconsolate　five　minutes　of　solitude；

Bertram　got　his　hat　and　coat　and　went　out　for

his　walkbut　he　told　himself　he　did　not　expect