Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 150, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1911 — Billy Boy [ARTICLE]

Billy Boy

By MAITLAND L. OSBORNE

■ Billy Bey sat on the garden steps and gloomily watched Belshazzar's frantic endeavor to dig out a mole. Time was when Billy would have seconded Belshazzar’s efforts —but today he would scarce have turned his head to watch a circus parade. The somber black pall of utter desolation had settled over him and life, which once ■had seemed so fair, mocked him with jits uselessness. v 'V For Billy was in love, and his Hove ;waß scorned, flaunted, derided and refused—and at Billy’s age such things jcount The iron had struck deep into ?his soul and broken off, and the barbs Still rankled. ■ That he had reached the epochal age tof ten before attaining the grand paseon shows at least that he did not ear his heart upon his sleeve. Previously he had sauntered idly along )the primrose path of dalliance, • indulged in tentative flirtations with his murse, his kindergarten teacher, and the pink-cheeked fairy with the flaxen curls who waved him generous kisses with her chubby hands from the adjoining lawn. Then had intervened a period during which he viewed the advances of the gentldr sex with calm disdain, , merging at times on distinct disfavor —as, for Instance, when effusive feminine visitors of uncertain age, alluding to him as “the little dear,” drew him inwardly raging against his fate, within their detested embrace and kissed his freckled face. On the evening of hie tenth birthday he had had a party—such a party! with oceans of pink lemonade and Continents of angel cake, mountain ranges of ice cream, isthmuses of lady-fingers and island of cookies, principalities of pound cake and kingdoms of candy sufficient to allure the gloating gaze of ; the expectant guests—and causea legion of little “tummies” to ache in concert ' (

At the party she appeared, pinkcheeked, adorable dimpled, demure, looking for all the world as though she might have wandered. Just awakened, from some huge gilt frame in the iPlcture gallery—the type of little girl that one instinctively longs surreptitiously to pinch to convince one’s self of her reality; also she lisped enchantingly, and at her advent Billy beheld his, preconceived ideas of femininity take instant flight “Glut you must dance with the other little girls also,” protested hiß mother, gently guiding his reluctant steps where duty pointed, “and I’m afraid Bessie’s mamma would not like to have her eat more than four dishes of Ice cream in one evening.” Bessie—divine name! After a month’s devotion on his .part, Bessie bad passed him on the avenue that forenoon, seated in the donkey cart of the snub-nosed boy across the street, haughtily unconscious of his existence, while he of the snub nose had grinned at him offensively as they passed. True, Billy had sauntered casually across the street later in the day and gravely pummelled the snub-nosed one In the seclusion of the coach house till he howled for mercy, but this consummation of righteous vengeance was at best vicarious punishment for the fickle Bessie. So now, whbn Belshazzar cocked an inquiring ear in his direction and whined eagerly, Billy gloomily disdained his invitation to assist in excavating the mole, and with hands thrust deeply In his pocket viewed, life darkly through disillusioned eyes. Appeared presently arbund the corner of the house Billy's big uncle Jack, likewise engulfed in gloom, with hands in pockets and unlighted pipe despondently aslant, who seated himself beside Billy upon the steps and watched Belshazzar’s efforts dejectedly. An Uncle Jack unsociable, untalkative and downcast of men was distinctly new to Billy’s experience that he viewed the phenomenon with wonderment. Could it bp possible the barbed shafts of Jealousy had likewise entered his soul? With chin in hand Billy pondered upon the problem in silence. Ah! he had It. The cause of Uncle Jack’s woe was plain to him. Around the fickle, the inconstant Bessie revolved an attendant satellite yclept Aunt Agatha, after Whom Billy had lately observed his Uncle Jack dangling quite disgracefully, though why Billy could not understand, certainly she was not pretty—that is, from Billy's standpoint—lacking the adorable Bessie’s pink cheeks and infantile plumpness, likewise her bewitching lisp. Then, too, she blushed if spoken to suddenly, which Billy regarded as a foolish habit, and once In the early stages of their acquaintance when he had shown her a little green snake no longer than that. She had shuddered with horror and begged him to take the horrid thing away, whereupon he had stuffed the offending reptile back Into his pocket together with this handkerchief, three china marbles, and a Hump of chewing gum, and sulked disdainfully away. Still, if Uncle Jack liked that sort of a girl—all right There was no .accounting far tastes. Belshazzar, despairing at last of capturing the mole, oocked an ear inquiringly st each of his audience In turn, and, neither offering further dtvertlsernent, curled himself up comfortably between Billy's feet and went to sleep. Billy cogitated further. Unde Jack' * K* - M

had ofeenly evinced a pronounced fondness for the society Of Bessie’s aunt and now when by all precedent he should have been playing golf with her, he was sitting on the garden steps staring gloomily at nothing. Fbr this state of affairs there could be but one plausible explanation. Bessie’s aunt had deceived Uncle Jack, even as Bessie had deceived him. Girls were all alike. .•£&£,.<• Then suddenly he rememberd having seen her whizzing down the avenue earlier in the day in Mr. Stanhope’s auto, with Mr. Stanhope at the steering wheel. That luckless individual had once patronizingly addressed him as “my little man,” and Billy detested him accordingly. “I’ll punch him,” reflected Billy aloud, vindictively. “Who—what?" asked Uncle Jack, startled. * “Mr. Stanhope,” explained Billy.' saw Bessie’s aunt out riding with him in his auto.” I 7 Uncle Jack stared. Then he laughed. “Well you are an observant little beggar,” he conceded admiringly. “Though? that isn’t the root of the difficulty, Billy Boy. Mr. Stanhope is merely an accessory after the sact — non particeps criminis, as it were.” This being too deep for Billy’s comprehension, he ignored it and opened up a new line of investigation. “What is the matter, then?” he demanded calmly. > f “We quarreled,” confessed Uncle Jack. “What about?” Billy’s inquisitorial tune was recognized and feared on accaslons by all the family. t Uncle Jack shrugged his shoulders. "You can search me,” he answered expressively. ‘1 don’t know what about. The fact remains that we did quarrel, and now she won’t speak to me, so I can’t tell her I’m sorry and ask her to make up.” “Are you sorry?” demanded Billy. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry all right,” admitted Uncle'Jack with a rueful laugh. “However, that don’t mend matters any, so don’t bother your curly head about it, Billy Boy. You’ll have troubles of your own some, day.” Billy thought of the Inconstant Bessie and wisely remained silent. Belshazzar, waking, stretched higiself lazily and wandered out of sight around the corner of the house. Billy, absorbed in thought, followed. If Uncle Jack really wanted to make up, surely Bessie’s aunt ought to be informed of the fact. “I’H go tell her.” decided Billy sagely. , v Behold then presently Billy trudging sturdily up the street with Belshazzar tagging happily at his heels. When he had turned the first corner he spied Bessie’s aunt, book in hand, comfortably ensconced in a hammock in the shelter of a tiny summer house. Making their way directly across the lawn, Billy and Belshazzar appeared before her with disconcerting suddenness. “Why—how do you do, Billy Boy?” said Bessie’s aunt a little uncertainly. It was hard to presage what a-visit from Billy might portend. “How do you do?” responded Billy with owl-likb gravity; then wrinkling his forehead thoughtfully, he regarded her with unwinking gaze for an appreciable space of time. ’“I don’t think you’re pretty," he stated at last judicially. Bessie’s aunt laughed delieiouatly. "To tell the truth, Billy,” she admitted confidentially, “I don’t think so either.” “But I guess my Uncle Jack does,” continued Billy, whereat Bessie’s aunt forgot to laugh and blushed instead. “And he don’t know what you and him quarreled about,” went on Billy gravely, “but he’s sorry anyway, and it wasn’t about Mr. Stanhope, because he says Mr. Stanhope is 'a non—non—something that I forget, but if I was Uncle Jack I’d punch him,” said Billy, doubling up his fists belligerently. “Anyway, I think Uncle Jack is lots nicer than Mr. Stanhope," he added. “So do I,” admitted Bessie’s aunt, after thoughtful consideration. “And did you say he was BorryT’ she\adked. Billy nodded emphatically. “Well—if he’s sorry—” Bessie’s aunt was visibly impresesd. “Why—there’s Uncle Jack now!” announced Billy, pointing an accusing finger. “Unde Jack! Uncle Jack!” he called shrilly.

Uncle Jack turned his' head, but It was not at Billy that he looked. He must have read forgiveness in the glance of Bessie’s aunt, for a moment later he was crossing the lawn. *Tm afraid my small nephew has been disturbing you," he apologized, picking up the book that Bessie’s aunt had conveniently dropped, and carefully restoring it to her. “Not in the least,” smiled Bessie’s aunt “We’ve been exchanging confidences on—oh, lots of personal matters.” She hunted diligently fer the place she had lost when she dropped the book. “He says you are sorry.” ”1 am abjectly repentant." he assured her gravely. Bessie aimeared, pinked-cheeked, adorably dimpled, demure. At eight of Billy she chewed reflectively on one chubby finger and smiled at him ingenuously. “Leth go see my while rabbity Billy ” she cooed alluringly. Billy went