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while？ I'm a brute； I know； dear； but my brush
_will_ try to keep time with that crazy little tune of
yours； and you know my hand is none too steady；
anyhow； and when it tries to keep up with that
jiggety； jig； jig； jiggety； jig； jig！ _Do_ you mind；；
darling； justjust sewing； or doing something
still for a while？''
All the light fled from Billy's face； but her voice；
when she spoke； was the quintessence of cheery
indifference。
‘‘Why； no； of course not； dear。''
‘‘Thank you。 I knew you wouldn't；'' sighed
Bertram。 Then the door shut。
For a long minute Billy stood motionless before
she glanced at her watch and sped to the telephone。
‘‘Is Miss Greggory there； Rosa？'' she called
when the operator's ring was answered。
‘‘Mis' Greggory； the lame one？''
‘‘No； _Miss_ GreggoryMiss Alice。''
‘‘Oh！ Yes'm。''
‘‘Then won't you ask her to come to the telephone；
please。''
There was a moment's wait； during which Billy's
small； well…shod foot beat a nervous tattoo on
the floor。
‘‘Oh； is that you； Alice？'' she called then。
‘‘Are you going to be home for an hour or two？''
‘‘Why； y…yes； yes； indeed。''
‘‘Then I'm coming over。 We'll play duets；
singanything。 I want some music。''
‘‘Do！ AndMr。 Arkwright is here。 He'll
help。''
‘‘Mr。 Arkwright？ You say he's there？ Then
I won't Yes； I will； too。'' Billy spoke with
renewed firmness。 ‘‘I'll be there right away。
Good…by。'' And she hung up the receiver； and
went to tell Pete to order John and Peggy at once。
‘‘I suppose I ought to have left Alice and Mr。
Arkwright alone together；'' muttered the young
wife feverishly； as she hurriedly prepared for
departure。 ‘‘But I'll make it up to them later。
I'm going to give them lots of chances。 But to…
dayto…day I just had to gosomewhere！''
At the Annex； with Alice Greggory and
Arkwright； Billy sang duets and trios； and reveled in
a sonorous wilderness of new music to her heart's
content。 Then； rested； refreshed； and at peace
with all the world； she hurried home to dinner
and to Bertram。
‘‘There！ I feel better；'' she sighed； as she took
off her hat in her own room； ‘‘and now I'll go
find Bertram。 Bless his heartof course he
didn't want me to play when he was so busy！''
Billy went straight to the studio； but Bertram
was not there。 Neither was he in William's room；
nor anywhere in the house。 Down…stairs in the
dining…room Pete was found looking rather white；
leaning back in a chair。 He struggled at once to
his feet； however； as his mistress entered the
room。
Billy hurried forward with a startled exclamation。
‘‘Why； Pete； what is it？ Are you sick？'' she
cried； her glance encompassing the half…set table。
‘‘No； ma'am； oh； no； ma'am！'' The old man
stumbled forward and began to arrange the knives
and forks。 ‘‘It's just a pesky painbeggin'
yer pardonin my side。 But I ain't sick。 No；
Missma'am。''
Billy frowned and shook her head。 Her eyes
were on Pete's palpably trembling hands。
‘‘But； Pete； you are sick；'' she protested。 ‘‘Let
Eliza do that。''
Pete drew himself stiffly erect。 The color had
begun to come back to his face。
‘‘There hain't no one set this table much but
me for more'n fifty years； an' I've got a sort of
notion that nobody can do it just ter suit me。
Besides； I'm better now。 It's gonethat pain。''
‘‘But； Pete； what is it？ How long have you
had it？''
‘‘I hain't had it any time； steady。 It's the
comin' an' goin' kind。 It seems silly ter mind it
at all； only； when it does come； it sort o' takes
the backbone right out o' my knees； and they
double up so's I have ter set down。 There； ye
see？ I'm pert as a sparrer； now！'' And； with
stiff celerity； Pete resumed his task。
His mistress still frowned。
‘‘That isn't right； Pete；'' she demurred； with
a slow shake of her head。 ‘‘You should see a
doctor。''
The old man paled a little。 He had seen a
doctor； and he had not liked what the doctor
had told him。 In fact； he stubbornly refused to
believe what the doctor had said。 He straightened
himself now a little aggressively。
‘‘Humph！ Beggin' yer pardon； Missma'am；
but I don't think much o' them doctor chaps。''
Billy shook her head again as she smiled
and turned away。 Then； as if casually； she
asked：
‘‘Oh； did Mr。 Bertram go out； Pete？''
‘‘Yes； Miss； about five o'clock。 He said he'd
be back to dinner。''
‘‘Oh！ All right。''
From the hall the telephone jangled sharply。
‘‘I'll go；'' said Pete's mistress； as she turned
and hurried up…stairs。
It was Bertram's voice that answered her
opening ‘‘Hullo。''
‘‘Oh； Billy； is that you； dear？ Well； you're
just the one I wanted。 I wanted to saythat
is； I wanted to ask you'' The speaker cleared
his throat a little nervously； and began all over
again。 ‘‘The fact is； Billy； I've run across a
couple of old classmates on from New York； and
they are very anxious I should stay down to dinner
with them。 Would you mindvery much if I
did？''
A cold hand seemed to clutch Billy's heart。
She caught her breath with a little gasp and tried
to speak； but she had to try twice before the
words came。
‘‘Why； nono； of course not！'' Billy's voice
was very high…pitched and a little shaky； but it
was surpassingly cheerful。
‘‘You sure you won't belonesome？'' Bertram's
voice was vaguely troubled。
‘‘Of course not！''
‘‘You've only to say the word； little girl；''
came Bertram's anxious tones again； ‘‘and I
won't stay。''
Billy swallowed convulsively。 If only； only he
would _stop_ and leave her to herself！ As if she were
going to own up that _she_ was lonesome for _him_
if _he_ was not lonesome for _her！_
‘‘Nonsense！ of course you'll stay；'' called Billy；
still in that high…pitched； shaky treble。 Then；
before Bertram could answer； she uttered a gay
‘‘Good…by！'' and hung up the receiver。
Billy had ten whole minutes in which to cry
before Pete's gong sounded for dinner； but she
had only one minute in which to try to efface
the woefully visible effects of those ten minutes
before William tapped at her door； and called：
‘‘Gone to sleep； my dear？ Dinner's ready。
Didn't you hear the gong？''
‘‘Yes； I'm coming； Uncle William。'' Billy
spoke with breezy gayety； and threw open the
door； but she did not meet Uncle William's eyes。
Her head was turned away。 Her hands were
fussing with the hang of her skirt。
‘‘Bertram's dining out； Pete tells me；'' observed
William； with cheerful nonchalance； as they went
down…stairs together。
Billy bit her lip and looked up sharply。 She
had been bracing herself to meet with disdainful
indifference this man's pitythe pity due a poor
neglected wife whose husband _preferred_ to dine
with old classmates rather than with herself。
Now she