Produced by Donald Lainson MISS BILLY by Eleanor H. Porter CONTENTS CHAPTER I. BILLY WRITES A LETTER II. “THE STRATA” III. THE STRATA--WHEN THE LETTER COMES IV. BILLY SENDS A TELEGRAM V. GETTING READY FOR BILLY VI. THE COMING OF BILLY VII. INTRODUCING SPUNK VIII. THE ROOM--AND BILLY IX. A FAMILY CONCLAVE X. AUNT HANNAH XI. BERTRAM HAS VISITORS XII. CYRIL TAKES HIS TURN XIII. A SURPRISE ALL AROUND XIV. AUNT HANNAH SPEAKS HER MIND XV. WHAT BERTRAM CALLS “THE LIMIT” XVI. KATE TAKES A HAND XVII. A PINK-RIBBON TRAIL XVIII. BILLY WRITES ANOTHER LETTER XIX. SEEING BILLY OFF XX. BILLY, THE MYTH XXI. BILLY, THE REALITY XXII. HUGH CALDERWELL XXIII. BERTRAM DOES SOME QUESTIONING XXIV. CYRIL, THE ENIGMA XXV. THE OLD ROOM--AND BILLY XXVI. “MUSIC HATH CHARMS” XXVII. MARIE, WHO LONGS TO MAKE PUDDINGS XXVIII. “I'M GOING TO WIN” XXIX. “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” XXX. MARIE FINDS A FRIEND XXXI. THE ENGAGEMENT OF ONE XXXII. CYRIL HAS SOMETHING TO SAY XXXIII. WILLIAM IS WORRIED XXXIV. CLASS DAY XXXV. SISTER KATE AGAIN XXXVI. WILLIAM MEETS WITH A SURPRISE XXXVII. “WILLIAM'S BROTHER” XXXVIII. THE ENGAGEMENT OF TWO XXXIX. A LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER XL. WILLIAM PAYS A VISIT XLI. THE CROOKED MADE STRAIGHT XLII. THE “END OF THE STORY” MISS BILLY CHAPTER I BILLY WRITES A LETTER Billy Neilson was eighteen years old when the aunt, who had brought her up from babyhood, died. Miss Benton's death left Billy quite alone in the world--alone, and peculiarly forlorn. To Mr. James Harding, of Harding & Harding, who had charge of Billy's not inconsiderable property, the girl poured out her heart in all its loneliness two days after the funeral. “You see, Mr. Harding, there isn't any one--not any one who--cares,” she choked. “Tut, tut, my child, it's not so bad as that, surely,” remonstrated the old man, gently. “Why, I--I care.” Billy smiled through tear-wet eyes. “But I can't LIVE with you,” she said. “I'm not so sure of that, either,” retorted the man. “I'm thinking that Letty and Ann would LIKE to have you with us.” The girl laughed now outright. She was thinking of Miss Letty, who had “nerves,” and of Miss Ann, who had a “heart”; and she pictured her own young, breezy, healthy self attempting to conform to the hushed and shaded thing that life was, within Lawyer Harding's home. “Thank you, but I'm sure they wouldn't,” she objected. “You don't know how noisy I am.” The lawyer stirred restlessly and pondered. “But, surely, my dear, isn't there some relative, somewhere?” he demanded. “How about your mother's people?” Billy shook her head. Her eyes filled again with tears. “There was only Aunt Ella, ever, that I knew anything about. She and mother were the only children there were, and mother died when I was a year old, you know.” “But your father's people?”