Miss Billy's Decision

by Eleanor H. Porter

  CHAPTER XIII. CYRIL AND A WEDDING

  The twelfth was a beautiful day. Clear, frosty air set the blood totingling and the eyes to sparkling, even if it were not your weddingday; while if it were--

  It _was_ Marie Hawthorn's wedding day, and certainly her eyes sparkledand her blood tingled as she threw open the window of her room andbreathed long and deep of the fresh morning air before going down tobreakfast.

  "They say 'Happy is the bride that the sun shines on,'" she whisperedsoftly to an English sparrow that cocked his eye at her from aneighboring tree branch. "As if a bride wouldn't be happy, sun or nosun," she scoffed tenderly, as she turned to go down-stairs.

  As it happens, however, tingling blood and sparkling eyes are a matterof more than weather, or even weddings, as was proved a little laterwhen the telephone bell rang.

  Kate answered the ring.

  "Hullo, is that you, Kate?" called a despairing voice.

  "Yes. Good morning, Bertram. Isn't this a fine day for the wedding?"

  "Fine! Oh, yes, I suppose so, though I must confess I haven't noticedit--and you wouldn't, if you had a lunatic on your hands."

  "A lunatic!"

  "Yes. Maybe you have, though. Is Marie rampaging around the house like awild creature, and asking ten questions and making twenty threats to theminute?"

  "Certainly not! Don't be absurd, Bertram. What do you mean?"

  "See here, Kate, that show comes off at twelve sharp, doesn't it?"

  "Show, indeed!" retorted Kate, indignantly. "The _wedding_ is at noonsharp--as the best man should know very well."

  "All right; then tell Billy, please, to see that it is sharp, or I won'tanswer for the consequences."

  "What do you mean? What is the matter?"

  "Cyril. He's broken loose at last. I've been expecting it all along.I've simply marvelled at the meekness with which he has submittedhimself to be tied up with white ribbons and topped with roses."

  "Nonsense, Bertram!"

  "Well, it amounts to that. Anyhow, he thinks it does, and he's wild. Iwish you could have heard the thunderous performance on his piano withwhich he woke me up this morning. Billy says he plays everything--hispast, present, and future. All is, if he was playing his future thismorning, I pity the girl who's got to live it with him."

  "Bertram!"

  Bertram chuckled remorselessly.

  "Well, I do. But I'll warrant he wasn't playing his future this morning.He was playing his present--the wedding. You see, he's just waked up tothe fact that it'll be a perfect orgy of women and other confusion,and he doesn't like it. All the samee,{sic} I've had to assure him justfourteen times this morning that the ring, the license, the carriage,the minister's fee, and my sanity are all O. K. When he isn't askingquestions he's making threats to snake the parson up there an hour aheadof time and be off with Marie before a soul comes."

  "What an absurd idea!"

  "Cyril doesn't think so. Indeed, Kate, I've had a hard struggle toconvince him that the guests wouldn't think it the most delightfulexperience of their lives if they should come and find the ceremony overwith and the bride gone."

  "Well, you remind Cyril, please, that there are other people besideshimself concerned in this wedding," observed Kate, icily.

  "I have," purred Bertram, "and he says all right, let them have it,then. He's gone now to look up proxy marriages, I believe."

  "Proxy marriages, indeed! Come, come, Bertram, I've got something to dothis morning besides to stand here listening to your nonsense. Seethat you and Cyril get here on time--that's all!" And she hung up thereceiver with an impatient jerk.

  She turned to confront the startled eyes of the bride elect.

  "What is it? Is anything wrong--with Cyril?" faltered Marie.

  Kate laughed and raised her eyebrows slightly.

  "Nothing but a little stage fright, my dear."

  "Stage fright!"

  "Yes. Bertram says he's trying to find some one to play his role, Ibelieve, in the ceremony."

  "_Mrs. Hartwell!_"

  At the look of dismayed terror that came into Marie's face, Mrs.Hartwell laughed reassuringly.

  "There, there, dear child, don't look so horror-stricken. There probablynever was a man yet who wouldn't have fled from the wedding part of hismarriage if he could; and you know how Cyril hates fuss and feathers.The wonder to me is that he's stood it as long as he has. I thought Isaw it coming, last night at the rehearsal--and now I know I did."

  Marie still looked distressed.

  "But he never said--I thought--" She stopped helplessly.

  "Of course he didn't, child. He never said anything but that he lovedyou, and he never thought anything but that you were going to be his.Men never do--till the wedding day. Then they never think of anythingbut a place to run," she finished laughingly, as she began to arrange ona stand the quantity of little white boxes waiting for her.

  "But if he'd told me--in time, I wouldn't have had a thing--but theminister," faltered Marie.

  "And when you think so much of a pretty wedding, too? Nonsense! It isn'tgood for a man, to give up to his whims like that!"

  Marie's cheeks grew a deeper pink. Her nostrils dilated a little.

  "It wouldn't be a 'whim,' Mrs. Hartwell, and I should be _glad_ to giveup," she said with decision.

  Mrs. Hartwell laughed again, her amused eyes on Marie's face.

  "Dear me, child! don't you know that if men had their way, they'd--well,if men married men there'd never be such a thing in the world as ashower bouquet or a piece of wedding cake!"

  There was no reply. A little precipitately Marie turned and hurriedaway. A moment later she was laying a restraining hand on Billy, who wasfilling tall vases with superb long-stemmed roses in the kitchen.

  "Billy, please," she panted, "couldn't we do without those? Couldn't wesend them to some--some hospital?--and the wedding cake, too, and--"

  "The wedding cake--to some _hospital!_"

  "No, of course not--to the hospital. It would make them sick to eat it,wouldn't it?" That there was no shadow of a smile on Marie's face showedhow desperate, indeed, was her state of mind. "I only meant that Ididn't want them myself, nor the shower bouquet, nor the rooms darkened,nor little Kate as the flower girl--and would you mind very much if Iasked you not to be my maid of honor?"

  "_Marie!_"

  Marie covered her face with her hands then and began to sob brokenly;so there was nothing for Billy to do but to take her into her arms withsoothing little murmurs and pettings. By degrees, then, the whole storycame out.

  Billy almost laughed--but she almost cried, too. Then she said:

  "Dearie, I don't believe Cyril feels or acts half so bad as Bertram andKate make out, and, anyhow, if he did, it's too late now to--to send thewedding cake to the hospital, or make any other of the little changesyou suggest." Billy's lips puckered into a half-smile, but her eyes weregrave. "Besides, there are your music pupils trimming the living-roomthis minute with evergreen, there's little Kate making her flower-girlwreath, and Mrs. Hartwell stacking cake boxes in the hall, to saynothing of Rosa gloating over the best china in the dining-room, andAunt Hannah putting purple bows into the new lace cap she's countingon wearing. Only think how disappointed they'd all be if I should say:'Never mind--stop that. Marie's just going to have a minister. No fuss,no feathers!' Why, dearie, even the roses are hanging their heads forgrief," she went on mistily, lifting with gentle fingers one of thefull-petalled pink beauties near her. "Besides, there's your--guests."

  "Oh, of course, I knew I couldn't--really," sighed Marie, as she turnedto go up-stairs, all the light and joy gone from her face.

  Billy, once assured that Marie was out of hearing, ran to the telephone.

  Bertram answered.

  "Bertram, tell Cyril I want to speak to him, please."

  "All right, dear, but go easy. Better strike up your tuning fork to findhis pitch to-day. You'll discover it's a high one, all right."

  A moment later Cyril's tersely nervou
s "Good morning, Billy," cameacross the line.

  Billy drew in her breath and cast a hurriedly apprehensive glance overher shoulder to make sure Marie was not near.

  "Cyril," she called in a low voice, "if you care a shred for Marie, forheaven's sake call her up and tell her that you dote on pink roses, andpink ribbons, and pink breakfasts--and pink wedding cake!"

  "But I don't."

  "Oh, yes, you do--to-day! You would--if you could see Marie now."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing, only she overheard part of Bertram's nonsensical talk withKate a little while ago, and she's ready to cast the last ravellingof white satin and conventionality behind her, and go with you to thejustice of the peace."

  "Sensible girl!"

  "Yes, but she can't, you know, with fifty guests coming to the wedding,and twice as many more to the reception. Honestly, Cyril, she'sbroken-hearted. You must do something. She's--coming!" And the receiverclicked sharply into place.

  Five minutes later Marie was called to the telephone. Dejectedly,wistful-eyed, she went. Just what were the words that hummed across thewire into the pink little ear of the bride-to-be, Billy never knew;but a Marie that was anything but wistful-eyed and dejected left thetelephone a little later, and was heard very soon in the room abovetrilling merry snatches of a little song. Contentedly, then, Billy wentback to her roses.

  It was a pretty wedding, a very pretty wedding. Every one said that. Thepink and green of the decorations, the soft lights (Kate had had her wayabout darkening the rooms), the pretty frocks and smiling faces of theguests all helped. Then there were the dainty flower girl, little Kate,the charming maid of honor, Billy, the stalwart, handsome best man,Bertram, to say nothing of the delicately beautiful bride, who lookedlike some fairy visitor from another world in the floating shimmer ofher gossamer silk and tulle. There was, too, not quite unnoticed, thebridegroom; tall, of distinguished bearing, and with features that wereclear cut and-to-day-rather pale.

  Then came the reception--the "women and confusion" of Cyril'sfears--followed by the going away of the bride and groom with its merrywarfare of confetti and old shoes.

  At four o'clock, however, with only William and Bertram remaining forguests, something like quiet descended at last on the little house.

  "Well, it's over," sighed Billy, dropping exhaustedly into a big chairin the living-room.

  "And _well_ over," supplemented Aunt Hannah, covering her white shawlwith a warmer blue one.

  "Yes, I think it was," nodded Kate. "It was really a very prettywedding."

  "With your help, Kate--eh?" teased William.

  "Well, I flatter myself I did do some good," bridled Kate, as she turnedto help little Kate take the flower wreath from her head.

  "Even if you did hurry into my room and scare me into conniption fitstelling me I'd be late," laughed Billy.

  Kate tossed her head.

  "Well, how was I to know that Aunt Hannah's clock only meant half-pasteleven when it struck twelve?" she retorted.

  Everybody laughed.

  "Oh, well, it was a pretty wedding," declared William, with a long sigh.

  "It'll do--for an understudy," said Bertram softly, for Billy's earsalone.

  Only the added color and the swift glance showed that Billy heard, forwhen she spoke she said:

  "And didn't Cyril behave beautifully? 'Most every time I looked at himhe was talking to some woman."

  "Oh, no, he wasn't--begging your pardon, my dear," objected Bertram. "Iwatched him, too, even more closely than you did, and it was always the_woman_ who was talking to _Cyril!_"

  Billy laughed.

  "Well, anyhow," she maintained, "he listened. He didn't run away."

  "As if a bridegroom could!" cried Kate.

  "I'm going to," avowed Bertram, his nose in the air.

  "Pooh!" scoffed Kate. Then she added eagerly: "You must be married inchurch, Billy, and in the evening."

  Bertram's nose came suddenly out of the air. His eyes met Kate'ssquarely.

  "Billy hasn't decided yet how _she_ does want to be married," he saidwith unnecessary emphasis.

  Billy laughed and interposed a quick change of subject.

  "I think people had a pretty good time, too, for a wedding, don't you?"she asked. "I was sorry Mary Jane couldn't be here--'twould have beensuch a good chance for him to meet our friends."

  "As--_Mary Jane?_" asked Bertram, a little stiffly.

  "Really, my dear," murmured Aunt Hannah, "I think it _would_ be morerespectful to call him by his name."

  "By the way, what is his name?" questioned William.

  "That's what we don't know," laughed Billy.

  "Well, you know the 'Arkwright,' don't you?" put in Bertram. Bertram,too, laughed, but it was a little forcedly. "I suppose if you knew hisname was 'Methuselah,' you wouldn't call him that--yet, would you?"

  Billy clapped her hands, and threw a merry glance at Aunt Hannah.

  "There! we never thought of 'Methuselah,'" she gurgled gleefully. "Maybeit _is_ 'Methuselah,' now--'Methuselah John'! You see, he's told us totry to guess it," she explained, turning to William; "but, honestly, Idon't believe, whatever it is, I'll ever think of him as anything but'Mary Jane.'"

  "Well, as far as I can judge, he has nobody but himself to thank forthat, so he can't do any complaining," smiled William, as he rose to go."Well, how about it, Bertram? I suppose you're going to stay a while tocomfort the lonely--eh, boy?"

  "Of course he is--and so are you, too, Uncle William," spoke up Billy,with affectionate cordiality. "As if I'd let you go back to a forlorndinner in that great house to-night! Indeed, no!"

  William smiled, hesitated, and sat down.

  "Well, of course--" he began.

  "Yes, of course," finished Billy, quickly. "I'll telephone Pete thatyou'll stay here--both of you."

  It was at this point that little Kate, who had been turning interestedeyes from one brother to the other, interposed a clear, high-pitchedquestion.

  "Uncle William, didn't you _want_ to marry my going-to-be-Aunt Billy?"

  "Kate!" gasped her mother, "didn't I tell you--" Her voice trailed intoan incoherent murmur of remonstrance.

  Billy blushed. Bertram said a low word under his breath. Aunt Hannah's"Oh, my grief and conscience!" was almost a groan.

  William laughed lightly.

  "Well, my little lady," he suggested, "let us put it the other way andsay that quite probably she didn't want to marry me."

  "Does she want to marry Uncle Bertram?" "Kate!" gasped Billy and Mrs.Hartwell together this time, fearful of what might be coming next.

  "We'll hope so," nodded Uncle William, speaking in a cheerfullymatter-of-fact voice, intended to discourage curiosity.

  The little girl frowned and pondered. Her elders cast about in theirminds for a speedy change of subject; but their somewhat scattered witswere not quick enough. It was little Kate who spoke next.

  "Uncle William, would she have got Uncle Cyril if Aunt Marie hadn'tnabbed him first?"

  "Kate!" The word was a chorus of dismay this time.

  Mrs. Hartwell struggled to her feet.

  "Come, come, Kate, we must go up-stairs--to bed," she stammered.

  The little girl drew back indignantly.

  "To bed? Why, mama, I haven't had my supper yet!"

  "What? Oh, sure enough--the lights! I forgot. Well, then, come up--tochange your dress," finished Mrs. Hartwell, as with a despairing lookand gesture she led her young daughter from the room.