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grimly； ‘‘but I mean our real lady in the kitchen。
Great Scott； Billy； how long are you going to
stand this？''
Billy tossed her head airily； though she shook
in her shoes。 Billy had been dreading this moment。
‘‘I'm not standing it。 She's gone；'' responded
Billy； cheerfully； resuming her seat。 ‘‘Uncle
William； sha'n't I give you some more pudding？''
‘‘Gone； so soon？'' groaned Bertram； as William
passed his plate； with a smiling nod。 ‘‘Oh；
well；'' went on Bertram； resignedly； ‘‘she stayed
longer than the last one。 When is the next one
coming？''
‘‘She's already here。''
Bertram frowned。
‘‘Here？ Butyou served the dessert； and''
At something in Billy's face； a quick suspicion
came into his own。 ‘‘Billy； you don't mean that
you_you_''
‘‘Yes；'' she nodded brightly； ‘‘that's just what
I mean。 I'm the next one。''
‘‘Nonsense！'' exploded Bertram； wrathfully。
‘‘Oh； come； Billy； we've been all over this
before。 You know I can't have it。''
‘‘Yes； you can。 You've got to have it；''
retorted Billy； still with that disarming； airy
cheerfulness。 ‘‘Besides； 'twon't be half so bad as you
think。 Wasn't that a good pudding to…night？
Didn't you both come back for more？ Well； I
made it。''
‘‘Puddings！'' ejaculated Bertram； with an
impatient gesture。 ‘‘Billy； as I've said before； it takes
something besides puddings to run this house。''
‘‘Yes； I know it does；'' dimpled Billy； ‘‘and
I've got Mrs。 Durgin for that part。 She's coming
twice a week； and more； if I need her。 Why；
dearie； you don't know anything about how
comfortable you're going to be！ I'll leave it to
Uncle William if''
But Uncle William had gone。 Silently he had
slipped from his chair and disappeared。 Uncle
William； it might be mentioned in passing； had
never quite forgotten Aunt Hannah's fateful call
with its dire revelations concerning a certain
unwanted； superfluous； third…party husband's
brother。 Remembering this； there were times
when he thought absence was both safest and
best。 This was one of the times。
‘‘But； Billy； dear；'' still argued Bertram；
irritably； ‘‘how can you？ You don't know how。
You've had no experience。''
Billy threw back her shoulders。 An ominous
light came to her eyes。 She was no longer airily
playful。
‘‘That's exactly it； Bertram。 I don't know
howbut I'm going to learn。 I haven't had
experiencebut I'm going to get it。 I _can't_
make a worse mess of it than we've had ever
since Eliza went； anyway！''
‘‘But if you'd get a maida good maid；''
persisted Bertram； feebly。
‘‘I had _one_Mary Ellen。 She was a good
maiduntil she found out how little her mistress
knew； thenwell； you know what it was
then。 Do you think I'd let that thing happen to
me again？ No； sir！ I'm going into training for
my next Mary Ellen！'' And with a very
majestic air Billy rose from the table and began
to clear away the dishes。
CHAPTER XVII
THE EFFICIENCY STARAND BILLY
Billy was not a young woman that did things
by halves。 Long ago； in the days of her childhood；
her Aunt Ella had once said of her： ‘‘If
only Billy didn't go into things all over； so； but
whether it's measles or mud pies； I always know
that she'll be the measliest or the muddiest of any
child in town！'' It could not be expected； therefore；
that Billy would begin to play her new rle
now with any lack of enthusiasm。 But even had
she needed any incentive； there was still ever
ringing in her ears Bertram's accusing： ‘‘If you'd
tend to your husband and your home a little
more'' Billy still declared very emphatically
that she had forgiven Bertram； but she knew； in
her heart； that she had not forgotten。
Certainly； as the days passed； it could not be
said that Billy was not tending to her husband
and her home。 From morning till night； now；
she tended to nothing else。 She seldom touched
her pianosave to dust itand she never
touched her half…finished song…manuscript； long
since banished to the oblivion of the music
cabinet。 She made no calls except occasional flying
visits to the Annex； or to the pretty new home
where Marie and Cyril were now delightfully
settled。 The opera and the Symphony were over
for the season； but even had they not been； Billy
could not have attended them。 She had no time。
Surely she was not doing any ‘‘gallivanting''
now； she told herself sometimes； a little aggrievedly。
There was； indeed； no time。 From morning
until night Billy was busy； flying from one task
to another。 Her ambition to have everything
just right was equalled only by her dogged
determination to ‘‘just show them'' that she could do
this thing。 At first； of course； hampered as she
was by ignorance and inexperience； each task
consumed about twice as much time as was necessary。
Yet afterwards； when accustomedness had
brought its reward of speed； there was still for
Billy no time； for increased knowledge had only
opened the way to other paths； untrodden and
alluring。 Study of cookbooks had led to the
study of food values。 Billy discovered suddenly
that potatoes； beef； onions； oranges； and
puddings were something besides vegetables； meat；
fruit； and dessert。 They possessed attributes
known as proteids； fats； and carbohydrates。
Faint memories of long forgotten school days
hinted that these terms had been heard before；
but never； Billy was sure； had she fully realized
what they meant。
It was at this juncture that Billy ran across a
book entitled ‘‘Correct Eating for Efficiency。''
She bought it at once； and carried it home in
triumph。 It proved to be a marvelous book。
Billy had not read two chapters before she began
to wonder how the family had managed to live
thus far with any sort of success； in the face of
their dense ignorance and her own criminal carelessness
concerning their daily bill of fare。
At dinner that night Billy told Bertram and
William of her discovery； and； with growing
excitement； dilated on the wonderful good that it
was to bring to them。
‘‘Why； you don't know； you can't imagine
what a treasure it is！'' she exclaimed。 ‘‘It gives
a complete table for the exact balancing of food。''
‘‘For what？'' demanded Bertram； glancing up。
‘‘The exact balancing of food； and this book
says that's the biggest problem that modern scientists
have to solve。''
‘‘Humph！'' shrugged Bertram。 ‘‘Well； you
just balance my food to my hunger； and I'll agree
not to complain。''
‘‘Oh； but； Bertram； it's serious； really；'' urged
Billy； looking genuinely distressed。 ‘‘Why； it
says that what you eat goes to make up what you
are。 It makes your vital energies。 Your brain
power and your body power come from what you
eat。 Don't you see？ If you're going to paint a
picture you need something different from what
you would if you were going toto sa