Miss Billy

up-stairs to tell his master, William, that Mr

went dow

, what's the matter?" he broke off concernedly, as he caught a c

"but I simply had to go to some one. I-I feel so nervous and unset

to do? About what?

faltered Aunt Hannah, sinkin

rowned th

you know. There was really very little chance to make plans

ng was in such confusion! Still, I didn't kn

get back from their trip I fancy she won't lose much time in having what things she

y to a more erect position. "That's what I thought, too. Then don'

ttled here when she comes home. I'm sure, the soone

ah turned

Henshaw, you didn't suppose I w

am's turn to

coming here! Where el

Hannah a little tremulously, but with a certain dignity. "I

illy would listen to that! You

d her chin the fr

ore. Billy is a married woman

illiam, again. "Billy

shook her he

me, William, but I know,

y n

pause; then, decisi

rried folks should not ha

aughed re

h, you're no outsider. Come, run ri

ly almost crying; but

can't," sh

is such a c

ct life Aunt Hannah was g

child. She is a woman now, and s

her meet them?" retorted Willi

minute she did not speak; then, with

ed life were-were spoiled by an outsider i

sibly. The smile f

Hannah!" h

lady turned wit

interfered with everything. I was young, and probably headstrong. At all events, there was constant friction. He went away once and stayed two whole months. I shall never forget the utter freedom and happiness of those months for us, with the whole house t

annah," began Wi

d a prote

after all," she declared. The next moment she was gone, and William, dazedly, from the doorway, was watchin

ack into the house and dropped

she had said-! Someway, he had never thought of Aunt Hannah as being young, and a bride. Still, of course she must have been-once. And the reason sh

held it suspended. Then he gave a low ej

by the fire, uttered a purring "m

to the cat's yellow, sleepily contented e

h isn't Billy's husband's broth

d Spunkie; and curled h

ish him to go: always before his eyes was the vision of that little bride of years long gone; always in his ears was the echo of Aunt Hannah's "I shall never forget the utter freedom and happiness of those months for us, with the whole house to ourselves."

en the hoariest of mother-in-law jokes had its sting for him; and, to make his cup quite full, he chanced to remember one day what Mar

he would stand before some picture, or some treasured bit of old mahogany, as if to stamp indelibly upon his mind a thing that was soon to be no

of course. Before the middle of Augu

as if moving were a pleasurable circumstance that occurred in his life regularly

vant's mout

o-to what, sir?

" William spoke wit

et his

place, sir?-that we-we ain't

ot! I'm going to m

ce, he would not have been so grieved-or, rather, he would have been g

' to move awa

hat ails you? One would thin

n't-not y

up an elaborately decorated teapot; but the valuable bit of Lowestoft shook so in his hand th

sti

in your coffee; and there's your flannels that you never put on till I get 'em out, and the woolen socks that you'd wear all summer if I didn't hide 'e

his eyes. The hand in which the Lowestoft had shaken rested now heavily on an old man's

if I wear the woolen socks too late you'll come and hunt up the others for me. Eh?" And, with a

t will Mr. Bertram and Miss Billy d

ash. On the floor lay the frag

t his master did not even glance toward h

found out that newly-married folks don't need any one else around? Come, do you suppose we could begin

sion on his face as he turned away showed that he was no