then。　　‘‘Is　this　what　you　call　staying　to　dinner；
  Bertram　Henshaw？''
  Bertram　stared。　　A　slow　red　stole　to　his
  forehead。　　It　was　his　first　experience　of　coming　home
  to　meet　angry　eyes　that　questioned　his　behavior
  and　he　did　not　like　it。　　He　had　been；　perhaps；
  a　little　conscience…smitten　when　he　saw　how　late
  he　had　stayed；　and　he　had　intended　to　say　he
  was　sorry；　of　course。　　But　to　be　thus　sharply
  called　to　account　for　a　perfectly　innocent　good
  time　with　a　couple　of　friends！　　To　come　home
  and　find　Billy　making　a　ridiculous　scene　like
  this！　　Hehe　would　not　stand　for　it！　　He
  Bertram's　lips　snapped　open。　　The　angry　retort
  was　almost　spoken　when　something　in　the　piteously
  quivering　chin　and　white；　drawn　face　opposite
  stopped　it　just　in　time。
  ‘‘Why；　Billydarling！''　he　murmured　instead。
  It　was　Billy's　turn　to　change。　　All　the　anger
  melted　away　before　the　dismayed　tenderness　in
  those　dear　eyes　and　the　grieved　hurt　in　that　dear
  voice。
  ‘‘Well；　youyouI''　Billy　began　to　cry。
  It　was　all　right　then；　of　course；　for　the　next
  minute　she　was　crying　on　Bertram's　big；　broad
  shoulder；　and　in　the　midst　of　broken　words；
  kisses；　gentle　pats；　and　inarticulate　croonings；
  the　Big；　Bad　Quarrel；　that　had　been　all　ready　to
  materialize；　faded　quite　away　into　nothingness。
  ‘‘I　didn't　have　such　an　awfully　good　time；　anyhow；
  avowed　Bertram；　when　speech　became
  rational。　　‘‘I'd　rather　have　been　home　with　you。''
  ‘‘Nonsense！''　blinked　Billy；　valiantly。　　‘‘Of
  course　you　had　a　good　time；　and　it　was　perfectly
  right　you　should　have　it；　too！　　And　II　hope
  you'll　have　it　again。''
  ‘‘I　sha'n't；''　emphasized　Bertram；　promptly；
  ‘‘not　and　leave　you！''
  Billy　regarded　him　with　adoring　eyes。
  ‘‘I'll　tell　you；　we'll　have　'em　come　here；''　she
  proposed　gayly。
  ‘‘Sure　we　will；''　agreed　Bertram。
  ‘‘Yes；　sure　we　will；''　echoed　Billy；　with　a
  contented　sigh。　　Then；　a　little　breathlessly；　she
  added：　　‘‘Anyhow；　I'll　knowwhere　you　are。
  I　won't　think　you'redead！''
  ‘‘Youblessedlittle…goose！''　scolded
  Bertram；　punctuating　each　word　with　a　kiss。
  Billy　drew　a　long　sigh。
  ‘‘If　this　is　a　quarrel　I'm　going　to　have　them
  often；''　she　announced　placidly。
  ‘‘Billy！''　　The　young　husband　was　plainly
  aghast。
  ‘‘Well；　I　ambecause　I　like　the　making…up；
  dimpled　Billy；　with　a　mischievous　twinkle　as　she
  broke　from　his　clasp　and　skipped　ahead　up　the
  stairway。
  CHAPTER　VIII
  BILLY　CULTIVATES　A　‘‘COMFORTABLE　INDIFFERENCE''
  The　next　morning；　under　the　uncompromising
  challenge　of　a　bright　sun；　Billy　began　to　be
  uneasily　suspicious　that　she　had　been　just　a　bit
  unreasonable　and　exacting　the　night　before。　　To
  make　matters　worse　she　chanced　to　run　across　a
  newspaper　criticism　of　a　new　book　bearing　the
  ominous　title：　　‘‘When　the　Honeymoon　Wanes
  A　Talk　to　Young　Wives。''
  Such　a　title；　of　course；　attracted　her
  supersensitive　attention　at　once；　and；　with　a　curiously
  faint　feeling；　she　picked　up　the　paper　and　began　to
  read。
  As　the　most　of　the　criticism　was　taken　up　with
  quotations　from　the　book；　it　was　such　sentences
  as　these　that　met　her　startled　eyes：
  ‘‘Perhaps　the　first　test　comes　when　the　young
  wife　awakes　to　the　realization　that　while　her　husband
  loves　her　very　much；　he　can　still　make
  plans　with　his　old　friends　which　do　not　include
  herself。　。　。　。　　Then　is　when　the　foolish　wife　lets
  her　husband　see　how　hurt　she　is　that　he　can　want
  to　be　with　any　one　but　herself。　。　。　。　　Then　is
  when　the　husbandused　all　his　life　to　independence；
  perhapsbegins　to　chafe　under　these　new
  bonds　that　hold　him　so　fast。　。　。　。　　No　man　likes
  to　be　held　up　at　the　end　of　a　threatened　scene　and
  made　to　give　an　account　of　himself。　。　。　。　　Before
  a　woman　has　learned　to　cultivate　a　comfortable
  indifference　to　her　husband's　comings　and　goings；
  she　is　apt　to　be　tyrannical　and　exacting。''
  ‘‘　‘Comfortable　indifference；'　indeed！''　stormed
  Billy　to　herself。　　‘‘As　if　I　ever　could　be　comfortably
  indifferent　to　anything　Bertram　did！''
  She　dropped　the　paper；　but　there　were　still
  other　quotations　from　the　book　there；　she　knew；
  and　in　a　moment　she　was　back　at　the　table　reading　them。
  ‘‘No　man；　however　fondly　he　loves　his　wife；
  likes　to　feel　that　she　is　everlastingly　peering　into
  the　recesses　of　his　mind；　and　weighing　his　every
  act　to　find　out　if　he　does　or　does　not　love　her　to…
  day　as　well　as　he　did　yesterday　at　this　time。　。　。　。
  Then；　when　spontaneity　is　dead；　she　is　the　chief
  mourner　at　its　funeral。　。　。　。　　A　few　couples　never
  leave　the　Garden　of　Eden。　　They　grow　old　hand
  in　hand。　　They　are　the　ones　who　bear　and　forbear；
  who　have　learned　to　adjust　themselves　to
  the　intimate　relationship　of　living　together。　。　。　。
  A　certain　amount　of　liberty；　both　of　action　and
  thought；　must　be　allowed　on　each　side。　。　。　。　　The
  family　shut　in　upon　itself　grows　so　narrow　that　all
  interest　in　the　outside　world　is　lost。　。　。　。　　No
  two　people　are　ever　fitted　to　fill　each　other's
  lives　entirely。　　They　ought　not　to　try　to　do　it。
  If　they　do　try；　the　process　is　belittling　to　each；
  and　the　result；　if　it　is　successful；　is　nothing　less
  than　a　tragedy；　for　it　could　not　mean　the　highest
  ideals；　nor　the　truest　devotion。　。　。　。　　Brushing　up
  against　other　interests　and　other　personalities　is
  good　for　both　husband　and　wife。　　Then　to　each
  other　they　bring　the　best　of　what　they　have
  found；　and　each　to　the　other　continues　to　be　new
  and　interesting。　。　。　。　　The　young　wife；　however；
  is　apt　to　be　jealous　of　everything　that　turns　her
  husband's　attention　for　one　moment　away　from
  herself。　　She　is　jealous　of　his　thoughts；　his　words；
  his　friends；　even　his　business。　。　。　。　　But　the　wife
  who　has　learned　to　be　the　clinging　vine　when　her
  husband　wishes　her　to　cling；　and　to　be　the　sturdy
  oak　when　clinging　vines　would　be　tiresome；　has
  solved　a　tremendous　problem。''
  At　this　point　Billy　dropped　the　paper。　　She
  flung　it　down；　indeed；　a　bit　angrily。　　There　were
  still　a　few　more　words　in　the　criticism；　mostly　the
  critic's　own　opinion　of　the　book；　but　Billy　did
  not　care　for　this。　　She　had　read　quite　enough
  boo　much；　in　fact。　　All　that　sort　of　talk　might　be
  very　well；　even　necessary；　perhaps　（she　told　herself）；
  for　ordinary　husbands　and　wives！　but　for
  her　and　Bertram
  Then　vividly　before　her　rose　those　initial　quoted
  words：
  ‘‘Perhaps　the　first　test　comes　when　the　young
  wife　awakes　to　the　realization　that　while　her　husband
  loves　her　very　much；　he　can　still　make
  plans　with　his　old　friends　which　do　not　include
  herself。''
  Billy　frowned；　and　put　her　finger　to　her　lips。
  Was　that　then；　last　night；　a　‘‘test''？　　Had　she
  been　‘‘tyrannical　and　exacting''？　　Was　she
  ‘‘everlastingly　peering　into　the　recesses''　of　Bertram's
  mind　and　‘‘weighing　his　every　act''？
  Was　Bertram　already　beginning　to　‘‘chafe''
  under　these　new　bonds　that　held　him？
  No；　no；　never　that！　　She　could　not　believe　that。
  But　what　if　he　should　sometime　begin　to　chafe？
  What　if　they　two　should；　in　days　to　come；
  degenerate　into　just　the　ordinary；　everyday　married
  folk；　whom　she　saw　about　her　everywhere；　and
  for　whom　just　such　horrid　books　as　this　must　be
  written？　　It　was　unbelievable；　unthinkable。　　And
  yet；　that　man　had　said
  With　a　despairing　sigh　Billy　picked　up　the　paper
  once　more　and　read　carefully　every　word　again。
  When　she　had　finished　she　stood　soberly　thoughtful；
  her　eyes　out　of　the　window。
  After　all；　it　was　nothing　but　the　same　old　story。
  She　was　exacting。　　She　did　want　her　husband's
  every　thought。　　She　_gloried_　in　peering　into　every
  last　recess　of　his　mind　if　she　had　half　a　chance。
  She　was　jealous　of　his　work。　　She　had　almost
  hated　his　paintingat　times。　　She　had　held　him
  up　with　a　threatened　scene　only　the　night　before
  and　demanded　that　he　should　give　an　account
  of　himself。　　She　had；　very　likely；　been　the　clinging
  vine　when　she　should　have　been　the　sturdy
  oak。
  Very　well；　then。　　（Billy　lifted　her　head　and
  threw　back　her　shoulders。）　　He　should　have　no
  further　cause　for　complaint。　　She　would　be　an
  oak。　　She　would　cultivate　that　comfortable
  indifference　to　his　comings　and　goings。　　She　would
  brush　up　against　other　interests　and　personalities
  so　as　to　be　‘‘new''　and　‘‘interesting''　to　her
  husband。　　She　would　not　be　tyrannical；　exacting；
  or　jealous。　　She　would　not　threaten　scenes；　nor
  peer　into　recesses。　　Whatever　happened；　she
  would　not　let　Bertram　begin　to　chafe　against
  those　bonds！
  Having　arrived　at　this　heroic　and　（to　her）
  eminently　satisfactory　state　of　mind；　Billy　turned
  from　the　window　and　fell　to　work　on　a　piece　of
  manuscript　music。
  ‘‘　‘Brush　up　against　other　interests；'　''　she
  admonished　herself　sternly；　as　she　reached　for　her
  pen。
  Theoretically　it　was　beautiful；　but　practically
  Billy　began　at　once　to　be　that　oak。　　Not　an
  hour　after　she　had