按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
clearing of his throat； and hurriedly resumed
his search。 When he did find his wife； at
last； he gave a cry of dismayshe was on her
own bed； huddled in a little heap； and shaking
with sobs。
‘‘Billy！ Why； Billy！'' he gasped； striding to
the bedside。
Billy sat up at once； and hastily wiped her eyes。
‘‘Oh； is it you； B…Bertram？ I didn't hear you
come in。 Youyou s…said you weren't coming
till six o'clock！'' she choked。
‘‘Billy； what is the meaning of this？''
‘‘N…nothing。 II guess I'm just tired。''
‘‘What have you been doing？'' Bertram spoke
sternly； almost sharply。 He was wondering why
he had not noticed before the little hollows in
his wife's cheeks。 ‘‘Billy； what have you been
doing？''
‘‘Why； n…nothing extra； only some sweeping；
and cleaning out the refrigerator。''
‘‘Sweeping！ Cleaning！ _You！_ I thought Mrs。
Durgin did that。''
‘‘She does。 I mean she did。 But she couldn't
come。 She broke her legfell off the stepladder
where she was three days ago。 So I _had_ to do it。
And to…day； someway； everything went wrong。
I burned me； and I cut me； and I used two sodas
with not any cream of tartar； and I should think
I didn't know anything； not anything！'' And
down went Billy's head into the pillows again in
another burst of sobs。
With gentle yet uncompromising determination；
Bertram gathered his wife into his arms and carried
her to the big chair。 There； for a few minutes；
he soothed and petted her as if she were a
tired childwhich； indeed； she was。
‘‘Billy； this thing has got to stop；'' he said then。
There was a very inexorable ring of decision in his
voice。
‘‘What thing？''
‘‘This housework business。''
Billy sat up with a jerk。
‘‘But； Bertram； it isn't fair。 You can'tyou
mustn'tjust because of to…day！ I _can_ do it。
I have done it。 I've done it days and days； and
it's gone beautifullyeven if they did say I
couldn't！''
‘‘Couldn't what？''
‘‘Be an e…efficient housekeeper。''
‘‘Who said you couldn't？''
‘‘Aunt Hannah and K…Kate。''
Bertram said a savage word under his breath。
‘‘Holy smoke； Billy！ I didn't marry you for a
cook or a scrub…lady。 If you _had_ to do it； that
would be another matter； of course； and if we did
have to do it； we wouldn't have a big house like
this for you to do it in。 But I didn't marry for a
cook； and I knew I wasn't getting one when I
married you。''
Billy bridled into instant wrath。
‘‘Well； I like that； Bertram Henshaw！ Can't
I cook？ Haven't I proved that I can cook？''
Bertram laughed； and kissed the indignant lips
till they quivered into an unwilling smile。
‘‘Bless your spunky little heart； of course you
have！ But that doesn't mean that I want you
to do it。 You see； it so happens that you can do
other things； too； and I'd rather you did those。
Billy； you haven't played to me for a week； nor
sung to me for a month。 You're too tired every
night to talk； or read together； or go anywhere
with me。 I married for companionshipnot
cooking and sweeping！''
Billy shook her head stubbornly。 Her mouth
settled into determined lines。
‘‘That's all very well to say。 You aren't
hungry now； Bertram。 But it's different when
you are； and they said 'twould be。''
‘‘Humph！ ‘They' are Aunt Hannah and
Kate； I suppose。''
‘‘Yesand the ‘Talk to Young Wives。' ''
‘‘The w…what？''
Billy choked a little。 She had forgotten that
Bertram did not know about the ‘‘Talk to Young
Wives。'' She wished that she had not mentioned
the book； but now that she had； she would make
the best of it。 She drew herself up with dignity。
‘‘It's a book； a very nice book。 It says lots
of thingsthat have come true。''
‘‘Where is that book？ Let me see it； please。''
With visible reluctance Billy got down from her
perch on Bertram's knee； went to her desk and
brought back the book。
Bertram regarded it frowningly； so frowningly
that Billy hastened to its defense。
‘‘And it's truewhat it says in there； and
what Aunt Hannah and Kate said。 It _is_ different
when they're hungry！ You said yourself if I'd
tend to my husband and my home a little more；
and''
Bertram looked up with unfeigned amazement。
‘‘I said what？'' he demanded。
In a voice shaken with emotion； Billy repeated
the fateful words。
‘‘I neverwhen did I say that？''
‘‘The night Uncle William and I came home
fromPete's。''
For a moment Bertram stared dumbly； then a
shamed red swept to his forehead。
‘‘Billy； _did_ I say that？ I ought to be shot if
I did。 But； Billy； you said you'd forgiven
me！''
‘‘I did； deartruly I did； but； don't you see？
it was true。 I _hadn't_ tended to things。 So I've
been doing it since。''
A sudden comprehension illuminated Bertram's
face。
‘‘Heavens； Billy！ And is that why you haven't
been anywhere； or done anything？ Is that why
Calderwell said to…day that you hadn't been with
them anywhere； and that Great Scott； Billy！
Did you think I was such a selfish brute as
that？''
‘‘Oh； but when I was going with them I _was_
following the bookI thought；'' quavered Billy；
and hurriedly she turned the leaves to a carefully
marked passage。 ‘‘It's thereabout the outside
interests。 See？ I _was_ trying to brush up
against them； so that I wouldn't interfere with
your Art。 Then； when you accused me of
gallivanting off with'' But Bertram swept her
back into his arms； and not for some minutes
could Billy make a coherent speech again。
Then Bertram spoke。
‘‘See here； Billy；'' he exploded； a little shakily；
‘‘if I could get you off somewhere on a desert
island； where there weren't any Aunt Hannahs or
Kates； or Talks to Young Wives； I think there'd
be a chance to make you happy； but''
‘‘Oh； but there was truth in it；'' interrupted
Billy； sitting erect again。 ‘‘I _didn't_ know how to
run a house； and it was perfectly awful while we
were having all those dreadful maids； one after
the other； and no woman should be a wife who
doesn't know''
‘‘All right； all right； dear；'' interrupted
Bertram； in his turn。 ‘‘We'll concede that point； if
you like。 But you _do_ know now。 You've got
the efficient housewife racket down pat even to the
last calory your husband should be fed； and I'll
warrant there isn't a Mary Ellen in Christendom
who can find a spot of ignorance on you as big as
a pinhead！ So we'll call that settled。 What you
need now is a good rest； and you're going to have
it； too。 I'm going to have six Mary Ellens here
to…morrow morning。 Six！ Do you hear？ And
all you've got to do is to get your gladdest rags
together for a trip to Europe with me next month。
Because we're going。 I shall get the tickets to…
morrow； _after_ I send the six Mary Ellens packing
up here。 Now come； put on your bonnet。 We're