Miss Billy Married | Page 3

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MISS BILLY-- MARRIED
BY ELEANOR H. PORTER
AUTHOR OF POLLYANNA, Etc.

TO My Cousin Maud
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
SOME OPINIONS AND A WEDDING II. FOR WILLIAM--A HOME
III. BILLY SPEAKS HER MIND IV. JUST LIKE BILLY V. TIGER
SKINS VI. ``THE PAINTING LOOK'' VII. THE BIG BAD
QUARREL VIII. BILLY CULTIVATES A COMFORTABLE
INDIFFERENCE'' IX. THE DINNER BILLY TRIED TO GET X.
THE DINNER BILLY GOT XI. CALDERWELL DOES SOME
QUESTIONING XII. FOR BILLY--SOME ADVICE XIII. PETE XIV.

WHEN BERTRAM CAME HOME XV. AFTER THE STORM XVI.
INTO TRAINING FOR MARY ELLEN XVII. THE EFFICIENCY
STAR--AND BILLY XVIII. BILLY TRIES HER HAND AT
``MANAGING'' XIX. A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK FOR CYRIL XX.
ARKWRIGHT'S EYES ARE OPENED XXI. BILLY TAKES HER
TURN AT QUESTIONING XXII. A DOT AND A DIMPLE XXIII.
BILLY AND THE ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY XXIV. A
NIGHT OFF XXV. ``SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE
FORGOT'' XXVI. GHOSTS THAT WALKED FOR BERTRAM
XXVII. THE MOTHER--THE WIFE XXVIII. CONSPIRATORS
XXIX. CHESS XXX. BY A BABY'S HAND

Miss Billy--Married
----
CHAPTER I
SOME OPINIONS AND A WEDDING
``I, Bertram, take thee, Billy,'' chanted the white-robed clergyman.
`` `I, Bertram, take thee, Billy,' '' echoed the tall young bridegroom, his
eyes gravely tender.
``To my wedded wife.''
`` `To my wedded wife.' '' The bridegroom's voice shook a little.
``To have and to hold from this day forward.''
`` `To have and to hold from this day forward.' '' Now the young voice
rang with triumph. It had grown strong and steady.
``For better for worse.''
`` `For better for worse.' ''

``For richer for poorer,'' droned the clergyman, with the weariness of
uncounted repetitions.
`` `For richer for poorer,' '' avowed the bridegroom, with the decisive
emphasis of one to whom the words are new and significant.
``In sickness and in health.''
`` `In sickness and in health.' ''
``To love and to cherish.''
`` `To love and to cherish.' '' The younger voice carried infinite
tenderness now.
``Till death us do part.''
`` `Till death us do part,' '' repeated the bridegroom's lips; but
everybody knew that what his heart said was: ``Now, and through all
eternity.''
``According to God's holy ordinance.''
`` `According to God's holy ordinance.' ''
``And thereto I plight thee my troth.''
`` `And thereto I plight thee my troth.' ''
There was a faint stir in the room. In one corner a white-haired woman
blinked tear-wet eyes and pulled a fleecy white shawl more closely
about her shoulders. Then the minister's voice sounded again.
``I, Billy, take thee, Bertram.''
`` `I, Billy, take thee, Bertram.' ''
This time the echoing voice was a feminine one, low and sweet, but
clearly distinct, and vibrant with joyous confidence, on through one

after another of the ever familiar, but ever impressive phrases of the
service that gives into the hands of one man and of one woman the
future happiness, each of the other.
The wedding was at noon. That evening Mrs. Kate Hartwell, sister of
the bridegroom, wrote the following letter:
BOSTON, July 15th.
``MY DEAR HUSBAND:--Well, it's all over with, and they're married.
I couldn't do one thing to prevent it. Much as ever as they would even
listen to what I had to say--and when they knew how I had hurried East
to say it, too, with only two hours' notice!
``But then, what can you expect? From time immemorial lovers never
did have any sense; and when those lovers are such irresponsible
flutterbudgets as Billy and Bertram--!
``And such a wedding! I couldn't do anything with that, either, though I
tried hard. They had it in Billy's living-room at noon, with nothing but
the sun for light. There was no maid of honor, no bridesmaids, no
wedding cake, no wedding veil, no presents (except from the family,
and from that ridiculous Chinese cook of brother William's, Ding Dong,
or whatever his name is. He tore in just before the wedding ceremony,
and insisted upon seeing Billy to give her a wretched little green stone
idol, which he declared would bring her `heap plenty velly good luckee'
if she received it before she `got married.' I wouldn't have the hideous,
grinning thing