[Miss Billy's Decision by Eleanor H. Porter]@TWC D-Link book
Miss Billy's Decision

CHAPTER IX
13/21

I've counted.
There are exactly seventy-three," he concluded, as he laughingly led the way from the room.
"How about leap year ?" quizzed Billy.
"Ho! Trust Will to find another 'Old Blue' or a 'perfect treasure of a black basalt' by that time," shrugged Bertram.
Below William's rooms was the floor once Bertram's, but afterwards given over to the use of Billy and Aunt Hannah.

The rooms were open to-day, and were bright with sunshine and roses; but they were very plainly unoccupied.
"And you don't use them yet ?" remonstrated Billy, as she paused at an open door.
"No.

These are Mrs.Bertram Henshaw's rooms," said the youngest Henshaw brother in a voice that made Billy hurry away with a dimpling blush.
"They were Billy's--and they can never seem any one's but Billy's, now," declared William to Marie, as they went down the stairs.
"And now for the den and some good stories before the fire," proposed Bertram, as the six reached the first floor again.
"But we haven't seen your pictures, yet," objected Billy.
Bertram made a deprecatory gesture.
"There's nothing much--" he began; but he stopped at once, with an odd laugh.

"Well, I sha'n't say _that_," he finished, flinging open the door of his studio, and pressing a button that flooded the room with light.
The next moment, as they stood before those plaques and panels and canvases--on each of which was a pictured "Billy"-- they understood the change in his sentence, and they laughed appreciatively.
"'Much,' indeed!" exclaimed William.
"Oh, how lovely!" breathed Marie.
"My grief and conscience, Bertram! All these--and of Billy?
I knew you had a good many, but--" Aunt Hannah paused impotently, her eyes going from Bertram's face to the pictures again.
"But how--when did you do them ?" queried Marie.
"Some of them from memory.

More of them from life.


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