Miss Billy

"I, Bertram, take thee, Billy," chanted the white-robed clergyman."'I, Bertram, take thee, Billy, '" echoed the tall young bridegroom, his eyes gravely tender."To my wedded wife.""'To my wedded wife.'" The bridegroom's voice shook a little."To have and to hold from this day forward.""'To have and to hold from this day forward.'" Now the young voice rang with triumph. Ithad grown strong and steady."For better for worse.""'For better for worse.'""For richer for poorer," droned the clergyman, with the weariness of uncountedrepetitions."'For richer for poorer, '" avowed the bridegroom, with the decisive emphasis of one towhom the words are new and significant."In sickness and in health.""'In sickness and in health.'""To love and to cherish.""'To love and to cherish.'" The younger voice carried infinite tenderness now."Till death us do part.""'Till death us do part, '" repeated the bridegroom's lips; but everybody knew that whathis heart said was: "Now, and through all eternity.""According to God's holy ordinance.""'According to God's holy ordinance.'""And thereto I plight thee my troth.""'And thereto I plight thee my troth.'"There was a faint stir in the room. In one corner a white-haired woman blinked tear-weteyes and pulled a fleecy white shawl more closely about her shoulders. Then the minister'svoice sounded again."I, Billy, take thee, Bertram.""'I, Billy, take thee, Bertram.'"This time the echoing voice was a feminine one, low and sweet, but clearly distinct, andvibrant with joyous confidence, on through one after another of the ever familiar, but everimpressive phrases of the service that gives into the hands of one man and of one womanthe future happiness, each of the other. The wedding was at noon. That evening Mrs. Kate Hartwell, sister of the bridegroom, wrote the following letter:4BOSTON, July 15th."MY DEAR HUSBAND: -Well, it's all over with, and they're married. I couldn't do onething to prevent it. Much as ever as they would even listen to what I had to say-and whenthey knew how I had hurried East to say it, too, with only two hours' notice!"But then, what can you expect? From time immemorial lovers never did have any sense;and when those lovers are such irresponsible flutterbudgets as Billy and Bertram-!"And such a wedding! I couldn't do anything with that, either, though I tried hard. Theyhad it in Billy's living-room at noon, with nothing but the sun for light. There was no maidof honor, no bridesmaids, no wedding cake, no wedding veil, no presents (except from thefamily, and from that ridiculous Chinese cook of brother William's, Ding Dong, or whateverhis name is. He tore in just before the wedding ceremony, and insisted upon seeing Billy togive her a wretched little green stone idol, which he declared would bring her 'heap plentyvelly good luckee' if she received it before she 'got married.' I wouldn't have the hideous, grinning thing around, but William says it's real jade, and very valuable, and of course Billywas crazy over it-or pretended to be). There was no trousseau, either, and no reception. There was no anything but the bridegroom; and when I tell you that Billy actually declaredthat was all she wanted, you will understand how absurdly in love she is-in spite of allthose weeks and weeks of broken engagement when I, at least, supposed she had come toher senses, until I got that crazy note from Bertram a week ago saying they were to bemarried