going to do."

CHAPTER XXII

HUGH CALDERWELL

In the Beacon Street house William mournfully removed the huge pink bow
from Spunkie's neck, and Bertram threw away the roses. Cyril marched
up-stairs with his pile of new music and his book; and Pete, in
obedience to orders, hid the workbasket, the tea table, and the low
sewing-chair. With a great display of a "getting back home" air, Bertram
moved many of his belongings upstairs--but inside of a week he had moved
them down again, saying that, after all, he believed he liked the first
floor better. Billy's rooms were closed then, and remained as they had
for years--silent and deserted.

Billy with Aunt Hannah had gone directly to their Back Bay hotel. "This
is for just while I'm house-hunting," the girl had said. But very soon
she had decided to go to Hampden Falls for the summer and postpone her
house-buying until the autumn. Billy was twenty-one now, and there were
many matters of business to arrange with Lawyer Harding, concerning her
inheritance. It was not until September, therefore, when Billy once more
returned to Boston, that the Henshaw brothers had the opportunity of
renewing their acquaintance with William's namesake.

"I want a home," Billy said to Bertram and William on the night of
her arrival. (As before, Mrs. Stetson and Billy had gone directly to a
hotel.) "I want a real home with a furnace to shake--if I want to--and
some dirt to dig in."

"Well, I'm sure that ought to be easy to find," smiled Bertram.

"Oh, but that isn't all," supplemented Billy. "It must be mostly closets
and piazza. At least, those are the important things."

"Well, you might run across a snag there. Why don't you build?"

Billy gave a gesture of dissent.

"Too slow. I want it now."

Bertram laughed. His eyes narrowed quizzically.

"From what Calderwell says," he bantered, "I should judge that there are
plenty of sighing swains who are only too ready to give you a home--and
now."

The pink deepened in Billy's cheeks.

"I said closets and a piazza, dirt to dig, and a furnace to shake," she
retorted merrily. "I didn't say I wanted a husband."

"And you don't, of course," interposed William, decidedly. "You are much
too young for that."

"Yes, sir," agreed Billy demurely; but Bertram was sure he saw a twinkle
under the downcast lashes.

"And where is Cyril?" asked Mrs. Stetson, coming into the room at that
moment.

William stirred restlessly.

"Well, Cyril