Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-31
BILLY AND THE BONNETS

| Everybody liked Billy as everyone
liked his aunt, whom the golden youth
generally were agreed to call Mother
Benton. The lady enjoyed the enormous
revenues of Bentons brewery, and since
she had never given the late Mr.. Benton
an heir or heiress, there was no one for
the money to come to but her nephew,
Billy. She was the soul of good nature,
and her good heart made lady of her.
when, without it, she might have passed
for a cook. But there could be no real
vulgarity about a person who, however
fat and redfaced and rolypoly and fond
of bright colors. was yet overlooking with
the milk of human kindness, and so kind
that she had learned a simple delicacy in
the manner OF performing her kindnesses.
Billy adored his aunt. He was fat,
white faced youth, with small eyes and
shapeless features, who gave one the inn
preston of always being half asleep. His
brother officers would assure you that
Billy was really quite wideawake, not
such fool as he looked, and other things
of the same kind; and generally wound
up by adding that he was no end of a
good fellow, which was true. Billy was
quite as good fellow as his aunt.
He belonged to very smart regiment
which has usually at least portion of
its quarters in town, and is popularity
supposed to exist for ornamental pur-
poses, although in times of war it has
occasionally disproyed that idea. He had
never given his aunt a moments reason
for anxiety about him. At lis prepare
tory school, at Eton, at Sandhurst, he
had been invariably honest and well
liked, although his best friend couldn't
say he had been exactly brilliant But
then, what did Billy want with brill
fancy, seeing that he had been born with
a gold spoon in his mouth?
Mrs. Benton's one desire unsatisfied
was TO see Billy married, and well mar
ried. The desire to have Billy's son in
her arms was corollary to the first
She wanted to see the succession to the
brewery assured; that once done, she
was fond of saying that she would be
ready to depart in peace.
she and Billy quite undcistoo each
Cher.
she must have birth, Billy" Mrs
benton had often said to him. 1T is
. just the one thing we lack. If she has
, birth, | don't care ii she hasn't a second
| garment to her lack
Billy would assure his aunt that he
quite agreed with her. Still, he was slow
, to give her her hearts desire Numbers
+ of the young women of the aristocracy
! neNccptionablc in every way, were
ready to share Billy's great fortune. But
somehow Bily's little affairs always
hung fire, and year after year Mrs. Ben
toms going in peace was postponed.
E One cay Billy was taking a short cut
from Piccadilly to Portman Square
, where Mrs. Benton's great townhouse
= was.
. Tic was passing through a quiet street
nearly given over to miliiuars Inodistes
and other persons whose province i'm hfs
! 1t l. to make ladics beautiful. Some
/ thing drew him TO stand Lfarp !. ben.
t net shop. He had noycr done such a
5 Il ing in his life bciore-aC least; when
t he was alone but Fate was working out
l lis designs with him.
Suddenly, between an osprey and a
big bow OF panne, he saw Il face that. as
he described it to himself. knocked him
p silly. 1t wasn't that it was SO beautiful
o Billy had run the gauntlet of many kinds
It of beauty. 1t was a girls face. pale
r with very blue eyes. 1t was framed in
IL pale, fair hair, silky like child's. The
: eyclids, long and hal: closed, gave the
: eyes languishing look. The mouth was
;, thin and humorous, the lips family scar
: let.
Billy stood an instant looking into the
: eyes, feeling, ls he said afterward, as
= though he had been shot through the
y heart, Then he lifted his hat and passed
: on. But after that he took 30 haunting
, the quiet street and Nine. Elodie's win
dows
lie didn't know in the least what to
do Billy mad never Hcen a Lothario
His feelings toward the face in the mil.
liners shop were not ut all Lothario.
{ like. He wanted to know the owner of
t the face, as ne knew the Young hides in
. Park Lane on Gro>vcn~r Square. Bun
/ how to set about it?
j. At last the thing was done for him
One evening of summer twilight. when
: Billy ought to have been dressing for :,
particularly smart dinner. but, ON the
contrary, was haunting the gray street
where the blinds had Just been pulled
down IN front ot the hats and costumes
the little door ny the side of Mime. Flo
dies shop opened, and there came out the
, face Of his dreams 1t was under a soft
, white hat, with blue conyolvulus in it.
, 1t sumountcd long blne coat, which
Billy would not have found amiss in hi,
own world
. The girl was not alone. She was keep.
lng very close 10 q large. red faced girl
with much more famboyant taste in
, costume. who looked a person of char,
! aeter and decision. As they passed close
J TO Billy who had drawn himself back in
the shadow of the shop fronts, the red