



Produced by Donald Lainson





MISS BILLY


by Eleanor H. Porter




CONTENTS


CHAPTER

I.      BILLY WRITES A LETTER

II.     "THE STRATA"

III.    THE STRATA--WHEN THE LETTER COMES

IV.     BILLY SENDS A TELEGRAM

V.      GETTING READY FOR BILLY

VI.     THE COMING OF BILLY

VII.    INTRODUCING SPUNK

VIII.   THE ROOM--AND BILLY

IX.     A FAMILY CONCLAVE

X.      AUNT HANNAH

XI.     BERTRAM HAS VISITORS

XII.    CYRIL TAKES HIS TURN

XIII.   A SURPRISE ALL AROUND

XIV.    AUNT HANNAH SPEAKS HER MIND

XV.     WHAT BERTRAM CALLS "THE LIMIT"

XVI.    KATE TAKES A HAND

XVII.   A PINK-RIBBON TRAIL

XVIII.  BILLY WRITES ANOTHER LETTER

XIX.    SEEING BILLY OFF

XX.     BILLY, THE MYTH

XXI.    BILLY, THE REALITY

XXII.   HUGH CALDERWELL

XXIII.  BERTRAM DOES SOME QUESTIONING

XXIV.   CYRIL, THE ENIGMA

XXV.    THE OLD ROOM--AND BILLY

XXVI.   "MUSIC HATH CHARMS"

XXVII.  MARIE, WHO LONGS TO MAKE PUDDINGS

XXVIII. "I'M GOING TO WIN"

XXIX.   "I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY"

XXX.    MARIE FINDS A FRIEND

XXXI.   THE ENGAGEMENT OF ONE

XXXII.  CYRIL HAS SOMETHING TO SAY

XXXIII. WILLIAM IS WORRIED

XXXIV.  CLASS DAY

XXXV.   SISTER KATE AGAIN

XXXVI.  WILLIAM MEETS WITH A SURPRISE

XXXVII. "WILLIAM'S BROTHER"

XXXVIII. THE ENGAGEMENT OF TWO

XXXIX.  A LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER

XL.     WILLIAM PAYS A VISIT

XLI.    THE CROOKED MADE STRAIGHT

XLII.   THE "END OF THE STORY"




MISS BILLY



CHAPTER I

BILLY WRITES A LETTER



Billy Neilson was eighteen years old when the aunt, who had brought her
up from babyhood, died. Miss Benton's death left Billy quite alone
in the world--alone, and peculiarly forlorn. To Mr. James Harding,
of Harding & Harding, who had charge of Billy's not inconsiderable
property, the girl poured out her heart in all its loneliness two days
after the funeral.

"You see, Mr. Harding, there isn't any one--not any one who--cares," she
choked.

"Tut, tut, my child, it's not so bad as that, surely," remonstrated the
old man, gently. "Why, I--I care."

Billy smiled through tear-wet eyes.

"But I can't LIVE with you," she said.

"I'm not so sure of that, either," retorted the man. "I'm thinking that
Letty and Ann would LIKE to have you with us."

The girl laughed now outright. She was thinking of Miss Letty, who had
"nerves," and of Miss Ann, who had a "heart"; and she pictured her own
young, breezy, healthy self attempting to conform to the hushed and
shaded thing that life was, within Lawyer Harding's home.

"Thank you, but I'm sure they wouldn't," she objected. "You don't know
how noisy I am."

The lawyer stirred restlessly and pondered.

"But, surely, my dear, isn't there some relative, somewhere?" he
demanded. "How about your mother's people?"

Billy shook her head. Her eyes filled again with tears.

"There was only Aunt Ella