The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-10-12
CHAPTER xv.-(continued)

SVAF j En- Av.@NNOUtlUuooJs
Since Truscott had undertaken to
superintend those mournful monthly
bursts of his, he had found himself
able to conduct them with discretion.
At any rate, they brought no open
shame upon him. Truscott's wife was
discretion itself, ana If the poor man
were always rather bleared about the
eyes and puffy in the under eyeltd
when he came down to luncheon, she
never showed that she had an inkling
of its meaning. There was a polite
fiction by virtue of which Billery was
supposed to be engaged in writing In
the morning, and he was excused
from breakfast on that ground. 1t
was, perhaps, the best way of dealing
with him at the present phase of hi;
disease, and, at all events, it had a
great practical effect for the better
upon his life and conduct. Billery
never drank at all save once month,
and then always in the room allotted
to him in Truscott's house. His host
measured out for him on these month
ly visits what he had himself de-
scribed as "a moderate sldnfull,"
though to tell the truth, the average
man would have thought it a some
what inordinate dose. But BMlery,
having consumed it, slept it of, was
allowed to- refresh himself with
whisky and soda in the morning, and.
then, entered upon another month of
combat.
Before he and Truscott started to
motor up to town together the two
men shook hands, and the host would
say, another month, Hamilton?" and
Billery would answer. Eyes. Word of
honor" And the result of this regime
was that Billery became another man
to look at, and was gradually growing
to be another man within. He earned,
by light labor, enough for his simple
needs, and, since his spare hours hung
heavy on his hands, he began to read
again and work a little at his long
neglected essays. His nose lost its
too aggressive pink, his eyes regained
their proper luster, and his pimples
faded.
By the time midsummer had gone
these signs were noticed by one sus-
ceptible heart. 1t had become a set
ties habit with him to run down by
train for afternoon service at Lisle's
church, and afterward to take tea
with one of the score or so of friends
he had down there. The pew he sat
in commanded a view of the pew in
which Belle Molloy had been sitting,
and to that young ladys mind there
was something rather particular in
the way in which Billery raised his
hat and bowed to her as she passed
along the crurchyard. Occasionally
the lady would catch the gentleman's
eye in the course of the service, and
Miss Molloy would look demurely
down in the direction of her own toes
on the hassock, or would gaze up at
the Reverend Mr.. Lisle with an as
pect of devotion. The pulpit was one
of the old three-deckers, and the par
son, Of course, preached from the up
per deck. Miss Molloy sat rather near
the pulpit, and the visual angle from
her eye to the preachers face was
most anything she possessed to have
known exactly what the expression
looked like when she cast her own
Irish eyes upward in that fashion, but,
unhappily, it is not possible to look
elsewhere and to scrutinize your own
aspect in mirror at the same time.
Miss Molloy had tried hard, and on
that one fact in optics she had an ex-
detrimental certainty.
Miss Molloy was technically on the
shelf, but though she had looked for
ward with courage and resignation to
n single life--and who shall laugh at
woman's courage and resignation in
such a case?-she felt no vocation for
it; and. really, when one came to
think of it, it was little odd, to say
the least, if a gentleman like Mr..
Billery came down with regularity to
that sleepy little place Sunday after
Sunday afternoon the summer through
with no Interior purpose in his mind.
And is some of Miss Molloy's friends
thought Miss Molloy mature, it was
certain that Mr.. Billery was no chick
en-, and in respect to age the match
could not be regarded as unsuitable.
On these and kindred subjects Miss
Molloy pondered deeply, and the re-
suit of her ponderings was that she
and Billery met a great deal oftener
than they would have done by mere
accident: And the result was that
they became great friends, and that
Billery oftener took "tay" with Miss
Molloy than with any other person in
the parish, the mild festivity being al
ways presided over by judicious
sheep dog, who gave Billery ample OPP
portunity for the utterance of many
tender speeches, which the obtuse
and laundering creature never made.
Nevertheless, there went abroad an
Impression that Billery was paying his
addresses to Miss. Molloy, and. was
4 laying siege In form before demanding
the surrender Of the fortrels; and
there was no person In the; parish
who was. more fnily, inspired With
thaf bet3ef than Miss Mosloy. and no
1 pessons ~ narishs more pro Goundly
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