Miss Billy's Decision

ll, Billy herself sat writing at the desk. Her pen had just traced the date,

don't let me disturb you

feet, flew to the little woman's side

Aunt Hannah into the biggest easy chair. "I feel better. I just had to

, and patting with agitated fingers her cap, her curls, the two shawls about her shoulder

lly, dropping herself on to a lo

ar, you-you

d into a chu

nd, oh, Aunt Hannah, such a time as I've had, telling what a dear Bertram is, and

ah was sitting ere

y's eyes w

rite that in

me show you," she broke off, springing to her feet and running over to her desk. "There! this is about what I wrote to them all," she

ry good-for you,"

things I wanted to write," bridled Billy. "Besides, they'd have been ever so much more intere

t," observed Aun

d tossed the note

announced musingly, dropping herself again o

He'll be di

t she uptilted h

m long, long ago, the very fir

annah sighed in sympathy with the far-away Hugh Calderwe

silence; then Billy

n't ever care for any girl except to paint. To paint, indeed! As if B

he does,

e; then, from Billy's

weeks-and to-morrow it'll be announced. I'm

two!" cried

y la

You didn't kn

yr

myself to him in imagination, you know, to see how I'd like it. I didn't like it. But it didn't last, anyhow, v

ested Aunt Ha

nnah, you don't know how good it does seem to call him 'Uncle' again. It was always

y dear, how entirely unsuit

or flooded B

hen all he wants is a daughter, and if she blandly says 'Yes,

t-misery, and almost a tragedy,"

ht came into

nd he'd have marched straight to the altar, too, with never a fl

elonged somewhere else. A month ago, Billy Neilson, you did not look as if you'd live out half

"I couldn't grieve Uncle William so, after

ips grew stern

r if Mrs. Kate Hartwell would attend to her own aff

d Billy in mischievous hor

h flushed

it. I ought not to have said it, o

y la

y now, even to Cyril and Marie. Did you ever see anything so beatifically happy as that couple are? Bertram says he hasn't heard a dirge fro

at I came in here for," cried Aunt Hannah, fumbling in the folds of her dress for the letter that

nie

boys do. But I really am related to her, for her mother and I are third cous

s her

wright.' Where

Billy. "Were you going to read it t

you don'

ve to h

I wasn't living by myself any longer-that I was living with you. I'm sure I thought I wrote them tha

old i

, to be coming here to Boston to study

remember

aused, the letter half wi

eral children-and I suppose I've been told their names. I know there's a boy-the eldest, I think-who i

lf," suggested Billy, dropping her chin into the smal

Hannah; and she opened th

ANNAH:-This

to Boston to s

Grand Opera, an

you object? I

t I'd half a mind

a home with her

y don't you,

, I should not

hall be lonesom

'll let me see

I plan now to

t as far as New

-and I shall h

o

ly would send

ARKWR

how perfectly lo

invite her to make her home with me? I shall have to

wned and

ddenly her face cleared. "Aunt Hannah, I've

you do that," demurred Aunt Hannah. "Y

as not. After Marie is married in December, she can have that

n't know anyth

d we know she's musical. I shall love her for eve

now anything a

retorted Billy, promptly. "Why, Aunt Hannah, just as if you di

, of cour

d," interposed Billy,

we-we shouldn

r, if you'd feel better, just ask her to come and stay with us a

Hannah got

o; and it's lovely of you to do it. Now I'll leave you to

declared Billy, fl

d by those same young arms, drew her shawls about he

y la

rway: "Tell Mary Jane to let us know the day and train and we'll meet her. Oh, and Aunt Ha