BILLINGS RAMBLES
Ten minutes later I was almost wide awake, for Billings was talking over
long distance--and to _her_!
But I did not like the way he did it.
"Shut up, Francis!" he bellowed. "Now you listen to what I'm telling
you--and do _just_ as I tell you to, too--if you don't, I'll mash your
face when I come up there! You hear?"
And he swore at her--yes, by Jove, _swore_!
"Oh, here--I say now!" I remonstrated indignantly.
"It's all right, Dicky," and he waved his fat hand indifferently as he
hung up the receiver. "Francis wants to drive that car down for us in
the morning--Francis, now!" And his hands went out impressively.
And dash it, I _was_ impressed--I was delighted.
"By Jove!" I cried. "Fine!" For I knew by that that she had forgiven me.
"Fine!" snorted Billings. "You don't know what you're talking about!
Francis hasn't got sense enough to get a road engine ten feet without
smashing it, much less a car twenty-five miles."
"Oh, look here!" I growled protestingly, "I don't like to hear you
talking about--er--Frances that way."
Billings grunted and bit a cigar savagely without stopping to clip it.
He pulled fiercely at it a moment.
"Kind of you, old chap," he exclaimed, "but you don't know our family as
_I_ do. If Francis has got a headache _now_, I know that by morning--"
"Headache?" I cried in dismay.
He nodded. "So I understood over the 'phone--been getting at the
governor's private stock, I'd bet all I've got." He shook his head
gloomily. "No, sir; that car cost five thousand, and when you can't
trust people sober, how are you going to trust them drunk?"
I sighed as I remembered the half pint of whisky she had taken--but,
dash it, I didn't care! It somehow didn't seem to make any difference in
my loving her. The only thing important, really, in the matter of the
car was that she might hurt herself. Billings didn't seem to think of
that. And yet, by Jove, she _wanted_ to come! She _must_!
"See here," I said coaxingly, for Billings seemed to have gone off in a
moody, brown study, "you must remember, old chap, your sister has been
cooped up there in Radcliffe for months. Why not let her have the run
down to the city and back? It will do her good, you know."
"Of course," he said absently. "She's going to drive the car down."
"Eh--what say?" I was sure I had not heard aright.
"I say she's going to bring the car down--my chauffeur's sick, it
seems."
I didn't wonder at that, but I _did_ wonder at his sudden change.
"Then you're not afraid--"
"Afraid? I should say not! She can drive better than I can--better than
anybody in Westchester County!"
"I see--I see!" I said in a low voice. And I _did_ see, poor fellow! By
Jove, my spirits sank to zero.
"Yes, _there's_ somebody you can always rely on!" he enthused under his
changing mood. "Good thing in this blankety world there's _somebody_ you
can rely on--among women, I mean. There's a girl with a purpose in
life--yes, sir! Never dances, plays bridge, nor uses slang--no, sir! And
what's more, in this cursed age, she's one woman who can go through life
and say she never touched a cigarette or a cocktail."
"Of course--of course!" I agreed soothingly. By Jove, it was a devilish
sight better to have him talk this way about her. I wouldn't antagonize
anything he might say now. And I had turned his mind just by a simple
hint--the power of suggestion, you know. Just as I had myself forgotten
I was sleepy.
"Of course, you never have met my sister, have you?" he puffed. "I mean
the one that's been up at Radcliffe."
"Oh, _never_!" I said promptly.
"You will in the morning," said Billings, flicking his ash. "Not much to
look at--I mean not what you would call handsome--"
I interrupted. "Oh, but I say," I exclaimed unguardedly, "how can you
say that? I think she's just beautiful."
"Eh?" He stared so hard I was afraid I had got his mind off again.
"Thought you said you had never met her."
"No, no, I never did," I stammered. "Mistake, you know."
He went on musingly: "But I understand that her room-mate--who has come
home with her, by the way--is a peach. English girl, you know. They tell
me Francis is crazy about her beauty."
Dashed if I could see how she could be, for, by Jove, I had seen her
myself. It was the frump! Peach? She was a _fright_!
Here Billings' eyes hung on the ceiling as though he would bore through
it.
"Say, do you know"--he dropped his voice, still looking up--"I hope the
old gazabe up there won't get wise to those rubies. Awfully careless of
us--forgot all about them. By George, I've half a mind to go up there
and get the pajamas back."
"Oh, dash it, no!" I protested, for I was getting sleepy again. "It's
the silk the old fellow was interested in; he wants to examine it--try
some experiments--something. He'll never think of the jolly rubies, you
know."
Billings looked at me oddly. "That's so," he agreed. "Still, I know I
won't sleep, thinking about those rubies." Then he looked up at the
ceiling again and muttered: "Wonder if the old boy _will_ have any
visitors to-night?"
I yawned. I knew it wasn't likely--not with _him_!
Billings rose. "Well, I'll get along over to the club, old chap. Now
mind, the car will call for you about nine. Then you are to pick me
up--that is, unless I should come over here. And, oh, say, Dicky!" He
turned back from the door where Jenkins waited with his hat and cane.
"Speaking of pajamas--er--what do you think of black ones--eh?"
By Jove, I got red--could just feel it, you know!
"Ever see a suit of black silk pajamas?" Billings chuckled.
Now for it! "I--I--never did," I managed to get out.
"Never heard of any myself before," Billings gurgled. "But great idea,
don't you think? Good thing, traveling--Pullmans, hotels--that sort of
thing--eh? Just got them to-day--ordered two weeks ago."
By Jove, what a relief! I felt myself breathing again.
"Wish you would stay," I said, for I felt uneasy about him.
"Oh, no," carelessly; "all my traps are over there, you know." He
smiled. "To say nothing of the new pajamas."
Standing in the door, he looked upward again, twirling his cane. His
head shook dubiously.
"Could kick myself about those rubies," he grumbled. "Just half a mind
to go up there--" He shrugged. "Oh, well, good night, old chap; see you
in the morning."
I murmured some reply as I followed him without. Then I stood a moment
looking down the shaft after he had descended.
"Hope he'll be all right in the morning," I mused. "And hope his
infernal mood won't shift round again as to Frances!"