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ong Ling loathes anybody who's late to his meals--as I found out to my sorrow the night we got home. Good-by, dear. I'll be out soon again and fix it all up--about the Annex, you know.'' And with a bright smile she was gone.
``Dear me,'' sighed Aunt Hannah, stooping to pick up the black shawl; ``dear me! Of course everything will be all right--there's a girl coming, even if Dong Ling is going. But--but-- Oh, my grief and conscience, what an extraordinary child Billy is, to be sure--but what a dear one!'' she added, wiping a quick tear from her eye. ``An Overflow Annex, indeed, for her `extra happiness'! Now isn't that just like Billy?''
CHAPTER V
TIGER SKINS
September passed and October came, bringing with it cool days and clear, crisp evenings royally ruled over by a gorgeous harvest moon. According to Billy everything was just perfect--except, of course, poor Bertram's arm; and even the fact that that gained so slowly was not without its advantage (again according to Billy), for it gave Bertram more time to be with her.
``You see, dear, as long as you _can't_ paint,'' she told him earnestly, one day, ``why, I'm not really hindering you by keeping you with me so much.''
``You certainly are not,'' he retorted, with a smile.
``Then I may be just as happy as I like over it,'' settled Billy, comfortably.
``As if you ever could hinder me,'' he ridiculed.
``Oh, yes, I could,'' nodded Billy, emphatically. ``You forget, sir. That was what worried me so. Everybody, even the newspapers and magazines, said I would do it, too. They said I'd slay your Art, stifle your Ambition, destroy your Inspiration, and be a nuisance generally. And Kate said--''
``Yes. Well, never mind what Kate said,'' interrupted the man, savagely.
Billy laughed, and gave his ear a playful tweak.
``All right; but I'm not going to do it, you know--spoil your career, sir. You just wait,'' she continued d