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closed； awaiting its sale； but that she would like to open it for
awhile this summer； if I'd like to go。 Naturally； you can
understand that I'd very quickly fall in with a plan like that
one which promised so easily to settle our difficulties。〃
〃Yes； of course； of course；〃 muttered William。 〃It is very fine；
very fine indeed；〃 he concluded。 And again his voice failed quite
to match his words in enthusiasm。
〃Then I'll go and begin to see to my things；〃 murmured Mrs。
Stetson； rising to her feet。 〃Billy seems anxious to get away。〃
Billy did； indeed； seem anxious to get away。 She announced her
intended departure at once to the family。 She called it a visit to
her old home； and she seemed very glad in her preparations。 If
there was anything forced in this gayety； no one noticed it； or at
least； no one spoke of it。 The family saw very little of Billy；
indeed； these days。 She said that she was busy； that she had
packing to do。 She stopped taking lessons of Cyril； and visited
Bertram's studio only once during the whole three days before she
went away； and then merely to get some things that belonged to her。
On the fourth day； almost before the family realized what was
happening； she was gone； and with her had gone Mrs。 Stetson and
Spunk。
The family said they liked itthe quiet； the freedom。 They said
they liked to be aloneall but William。 He said nothing。
And yet
When Bertram went to his studio that morning he did not pick up his
brushes until he had sat for long minutes before the sketch of a
red…cheeked； curly…headed young girl whose eyes held a peculiarly
wistful appeal； and Cyril； at his piano up…stairs； sat with idle
fingers until they finally drifted into a simple little melodythe
last thing Billy had been learning。
It was Pete who brought in the kitten； and Billy had been gone a
whole week then。
〃The poor little beast was cryin' at the alleyway door； sir；〃 he
explained。 〃II made so bold as to bring him in。〃
〃Of course；〃 said William。 〃Did you feed it？〃
〃Yes； sir； Ling did。〃
There was a pause； then Pete spoke； diffidently。
〃I thought； sir； if ye didn't mind； I'd keep it。 I'll try to see
that it stays down…stairs； sir； out of yer way。〃
〃That's all right； Pete； keep it； by all means； by all means；〃
approved William。
〃Thank ye； sir。 Ye see； it's a stray。 It hasn't got any home。
And； did ye notice； sir？ it looks like Spunk。〃
〃Yes； I noticed；〃 said William； stirring with sudden restlessness。
〃I noticed。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 said Pete。 And he turned and carried the small gray
cat away。
The new kitten did not stay down…stairs。 Pete tried； it is true；
to keep his promise to watch it； but after he had seen the little
animal carried surreptitiously up…stairs in Mr。 William's arms； he
relaxed his vigilance。 Some days later the kitten appeared with a
huge pink bow behind its ears； somewhat awkwardly tied； if it must
be confessed。 Where it came from； or who put it there was not
knownuntil one day the kitten was found in the hall delightedly
chewing at the end of what had been a roll of pink ribbon。 Up the
stairs led a trail of pink ribbon and curling white paperand the
end of the trail was in William's room。
CHAPTER XVIII
BILLY WRITES ANOTHER LETTER
By the middle of June only William and the gray kitten were left
with Pete and Dong Ling in the Beacon Street house。 Cyril had
sailed for England； and Bertram had gone on a sketching trip with a
friend。
To William the house this summer was unusually lonely； indeed； he
found the silent； deserted rooms almost unbearable。 Even the
presence of the little gray cat served only to accentuate the
lonelinessit reminded him of Billy。
William missed Billy。 He owned that now even to Pete。 He said
that he would be glad when she came back。 To himself he said that
he wished he had not fallen in quite so readily with Aunt Hannah's
notion of getting the child away。 It was all nonsense； he
declared。 All she needed was a little curbing and directing； both
of which could just as well have been done there at home。 But she
had gone； and it could not be helped now。 The only thing left for
him to do was to see that it did not occur again。 When Billy came
back she should stay； except for necessary absences for school； of
course。 All this William settled in his own mind quite to his own
satisfaction； entirely forgetting； strange to say； that it had been
Billy's own suggestion that she go away。
Very promptly William wrote to Billy。 He told her how he missed
her； and said that he had stopped trying to sort and catalogue his
collections until she should be there to help him。 He told her；
too； after a time； of the gray kitten； 〃Spunkie；〃 that looked so
much like Spunk。
In reply he received plump white envelopes directed in the round；
schoolboy hand that he remembered so well。 In the envelopes were
letters； cheery and entertaining； like Billy herself。 They thanked
him for all his many kindnesses； and they told him something of
what Billy was doing。 They showed unbounded interest in the new
kitten； and in all else that William wrote about； but they hinted
very plainly that he had better not wait for her to help him out on
the catalogue； for it would soon be autumn； and she would be in
school。
William frowned at this； and shook his head； yet he knew that it
was true。
In August William closed the Beacon street house and went to the
Rangeley Lakes on a camping trip。 He told himself that he would
not go had it not been for a promise given to an old college friend
months before。 True； he had been anticipating this trip all
winter； but it occurred to him now that it would be much more
interesting to go to Hampden Falls and see Billy。 He had been to
the Rangeley Lakes； and he had not been to Hampden Falls； besides；
there would be Ned Harding and those queer old maids with their
shaded house and socketed chairs to see。 In short； to William； at
the moment； there seemed no place quite so absorbingly interesting
as was Hampden Falls。 But he went to the Rangeley Lakes。
In September Cyril came back from Europe； and Bertram from the
Adirondacks where he had been spending the month of August。
William already had arrived； and with Pete and Dong Ling had opened
the house。
〃Where's Billy？ Isn't Billy here？〃 demanded Bertram。
〃No。 She isn't back yet；〃 replied William。
〃You don't mean to say she's stayed up there all summer！〃 exclaimed
Cyril。
〃Why； yes； II suppose so；〃 hesitated William。 〃You see； I
haven't heard but once for a month。 I've been down in Maine； you
know。〃
William wrote to Billy that night。
〃My dear：〃 he said in part。 〃I hope you'll come home right away。
We want to see SOMETHING of you before you go away again； and you
know the schools will be opening soon。
〃By the way； it has just occurred to me as I write that perhaps；
after all； you won't have to go quite away。 There are plenty of
good schools for young ladies right in and near Boston； which I am
sure you could attend； and still live at home。 Suppose you come
back then as soon as you can； and we'll talk it up。 And that
reminds me； I wonder how Spu