E our guests came. She held a letter in her hand. "Coffee, Bee?" I
asked. "No, thank you. I had mine in bed." She wrinkled her brow in
perplexity. "I don't know what to do about it," she murmured. "About
what?" "Billy. He wants to see me so much, mother writes. She thinks I
ought to come home immediately." "Let's see," I said. "It's only eight
months since you saw your child. Isn't mother rather absurd?" Bee lifted
her eyes. "Don't be nasty," she said. "You learned that tone from
Aubrey." Aubrey smiled pleasantly at our guest. "I didn't!" I said,
warmly. "I used to be quite nasty at times before I was married." Bee
showed her little white teeth in a smile. "I'm glad to hear you admit
it," she said, sweetly. "If you would like to see Billy so much," said
Aubrey, politely, "why not bring him on here?" "Could you?" I cried, in
delight. To think of having Billy! The lamb had never been in the
country in his life, and he was wild over my letters about Peach
Orchard. "I can arrange it, if you like," Aubrey went on--mostly to me,
for Billy's mother was silently thinking. "Do have him, Bee!" I cried.
"I won't let him get in your way. He needn't even sleep in your room.
I'll have Norah put up a cot in the alcove of the rose room. She can
sleep there, and dress him and everything. You won't be annoyed the
least bit." "Well," said Bee, with graceful reluctance, "if you are sure
he won't be in your way, and if Aubrey's cousin will bring him, I see no
reason why he mightn't come." I almost squealed in my delight. It would
certainly be worth while to see the child's eyes when he first saw the
calves and little chickens. I left both Aubrey and Bee at the table
while I rushed up-stairs to see if the rose room would be just right for
him. I made Aubrey promise to arrange everything by telegraph. Norah
loved children, and entered into my plans with delight. Then I flew out
to interview old Amos. He had told me only a few days before that the
boys on the estate next ours wanted to sell their goats and goat
carriages. The days passed rapidly in preparations, but of all my
guests, titled or otherwise, it was Billy--my Billy--I wanted to see
worst. In two days I got a letter. "Dear Miss Tats," it ran, "I only
write to say that I shall be glad to come. If I had not written

<<inline: mabuse.jpg>>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community
Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support
A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy
Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers
http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev 
_______________________________________________
shttpd-general mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shttpd-general

Reply via email to