Bertramwasashamedtoownit，eventohimself，buthewasfeelingjustalittleabusedthatsummer；andheknewthat，inhisheart，hewasactuallygettingjealousofhisownson，inspiteofhisadorationofthelittlefellow。Hetoldhimselfdefensivelythatitwasnottobeexpectedthatheshouldnotwanttheloveofhiswife，theattentionsofhiswife，andthecompanionshipofhiswife——apartofthetime。ItwasnothingmorethannaturalthatoccasionallyheshouldliketoseehershowsomeinterestinsubjectsnotmentionedinMothers’GuidesandScientificTrainingsofInfants；andhedidnotbelievehecouldbeblamedforwantinghisresidencetobeahomeforhimselfaswellasanurseryforhisoffspring。
Evenwhilehethusdiscontentedlyarguedwithhimself，however，BertramcalledhimselfaselfishbrutejusttothinksuchthingswhenhehadsodearandlovingawifeasBilly，andsofineandsplendidababyasBertram，Jr。Hetoldhimself，too，thatverylikelywhentheywerebackintheirownhouseagain，andwhenmotherhoodwasnotsonewtoher，Billywouldnotbesoabsorbedinthebaby。Shewouldreturntoheroldinterestinherhusband，hermusic，herfriends，andherownpersonalappearance。Meanwhiletherewasalways，ofcourse，forhim，hispainting。Sohewouldpaint，acceptinggladlywhatcrumbsofattentionfellfromthebaby’stable，andtrusttothefuturetomakeBillynonethelessamother，perhaps，butalittlemorethewife。
Justhowconfidentlyhewascountingonthiscomingchange，Bertramhardlyrealizedhimself；
butcertainlythefamilywasscarcelysettledattheStratabeforethehusbandgaylyproposedoneeveningthatheandBillyshouldgotothetheatertoseeRomeoandJuliet。’
Billywasclearlybothsurprisedandshocked。
Why，Bertram，Ican’t——youknowIcan’t!’
sheexclaimedreprovingly。
Bertram’sheartsank；buthekeptabravefront。
Whynot？’
Whataquestion!AsifI’dleaveBaby!’
But，Billy，dear，you’dbegonelessthanthreehours，andyousayDelia’sthemostcarefulofnurses。’
Billy’sforeheadpuckeredintoananxiousfrown。
Ican’thelpit。Somethingmighthappentohim，Bertram。Icouldn’tbehappyaminute。’
But，dearest，aren’tyou_ever_goingtoleavehim？’demandedtheyounghusband，forlornly。
Why，yes，ofcourse，whenit’sreasonableandnecessary。IwentouttotheAnnexyesterdayafternoon。Iwasgonealmosttwowholehours。’
Well，didanythinghappen？’
N-no；butthenItelephoned，yousee，severaltimes，soI_knew_everythingwasallright。’
Oh，well，ifthat’sallyouwant，Icouldtelephone，youknow，betweeneveryact，’suggestedBertram，withasarcasmthatwasquitelostontheearnestyoungmother。
Y-yes，youcoulddothat，couldn’tyou？’
concededBilly；and，ofcourse，I_haven’t_beenanywheremuch，lately。’
IndeedIcould，’agreedBertram，withapromptnessthatcarefullyhidhissurpriseatherliteralacceptanceofwhathehadproposedasahugejoke。Come，isitago？ShallItelephonetoseeifIcangetseats？’
YouthinkBaby’llsurelybeallright？’
Icertainlydo。’
Andyou’lltelephonehomebetweeneveryact？’
Iwill。’Bertram’svoicesoundedalmostasifhewererepeatingthemarriageservice。
Andwe’llcomestraighthomeafterwardsasfastasJohnandPeggycanbringus？’
Certainly。’
ThenIthink——I’ll——go，’breathedBilly，tremulously，plainlyshowingwhatamomentousconcessionshethoughtshewasmaking。Idolove`RomeoandJuliet，’andIhaven’tseenitforages!’
Good!ThenI’llfindoutaboutthetickets，’
criedBertram，soelatedattheprospectofhavinganold-timeeveningoutwithhiswifethateventhehalf-hourlytelephonesdidnotseemtoogreatapricetopay。
Whenthetimecame，theywerealittlelateinstarting。Babywasfretful，andthoughBillyusuallylaidhiminhiscribandunhesitatinglylefttheroom，insistingthatheshouldgotosleepbyhimselfinaccordancewiththemostapprovedrulesinherScientificTraining；yetto-nightshecouldnotbringherselftothepointofleavingthehouseuntilhewasquiet。Hurriedastheywerewhentheydidstart，BillywasconsciousofBertram’sfrowningdisapprovalofherfrock。
Youdon’tlikeit，ofcourse，dear，andIdon’tblameyou，’shesmiledremorsefully。
Oh，Ilikeit——thatis，Idid，whenitwasnew，’rejoinedherhusband，withapologeticfrankness。But，dear，didn’tyouhaveanythingelse？Thislooksalmost——well，mussy，youknow。’
No——well，yes，maybetherewereothers，’
admittedBilly；butthiswasthequickestandeasiesttogetinto，anditallcamejustasIwasgettingBabyreadyforbed，youknow。Iamafright，though，I’llacknowledge，sofarasclothesgo。Ihaven’thadtimetogetathingsinceBabycame。Imustgetsomethingrightaway，Isuppose。’
Yes，indeed，’declaredBertram，withemphasis，hurryinghiswifeintothewaitingautomobile。
Billyhadtoapologizeagainatthetheater，forthecurtainhadalreadyrisenontheancientquarrelbetweenthehousesofCapuletandMontague，andBillyknewherhusband’sspecialabhorrenceoftardyarrivals。Later，though，whenwellestablishedintheirseats，Billy’smindwasplainlynotwiththeplayersonthestage。
DoyousupposeBaby_is_allright？’shewhispered，afteratime。
Sh-h!Ofcourseheis，dear!’
Therewasabriefsilence，duringwhichBillypeeredatherprograminthesemi-darkness。
Thenshenudgedherhusband’sarmecstatically。
Bertram，Icouldn’thavechosenabetterplayifI’dtried。Thereare_five_acts!I’dforgottenthereweresomany。Thatmeansyoucantelephonefourtimes!’
Yes，dear。’Bertram’svoicewassternlycheerful。
YoumustbesuretheytellyouexactlyhowBabyis。’
Allright，dear。Sh-h!Here’sRomeo。’
Billysubsided。Sheevenclappedalittleinspasmodicenthusiasm。Presentlyshepeeredatherprogramagain。
Therewouldn’tbetime，Isuppose，totelephonebetweenthescenes，’shehazardedwistfully。
Therearesixteenofthose!’
Well，hardly!Billy，youaren’tpayingonebitofattentiontotheplay!’
Why，ofcourseIam，’whisperedBilly，indignantly。Ithinkit’sperfectlylovely，andI’mperfectlycontented，too——sinceIfoundoutaboutthosefiveacts，andaslongasI_can’t_havethesixteenscenes，’sheadded，settlingbackinherseat。
Asiftoprovethatshewasinterestedintheplay，hernextwhisper，sometimelater，hadtodowithoneofthecharactersonthestage。
Who’sthat——thenurse？Mercy!Wewouldn’twantherforBaby，wouldwe？’
InspiteofhimselfBertramchuckledthistime。
Billy，too，laughedatherself。Then，resolutely，shesettledintoherseatagain。
ThecurtainwasnotfairlydownonthefirstactbeforeBillyhadlaidanurgenthandonherhusband’sarm。
Now，remember；askifhe’swakedup，oranything，’shedirected。AndbesuretosayI’llcomerighthomeiftheyneedme。Nowhurry。’
Yes，dear。’Bertramrosewithalacrity。
I’llbebackrightaway。’
Oh，butIdon’twantyoutohurry_too_much，’
shecalledafterhim，softly。Iwantyoutotakeplentyoftimetoaskquestions。’
Allright，’noddedBertram，withaquizzicalsmile，asheturnedaway。
ObedientlyBertramaskedallthequestionshecouldthinkof，thencamebacktohiswife。
TherewasnothinginhisreportthatevenBillycoulddisapproveof，orworryabout；andwithalmostacontentedlookonherfacesheturnedtowardthestageasthecurtainwentuponthesecondact。
Ilovethisbalconyscene，’shesighedhappily。
Romeo，however，hadnothalffinishedhisimpassionedlove-makingwhenBillyclutchedherhusband’sarmalmostfiercely。
Bertram，’shefairlyhissedinatragicwhisper，I’vejusthappenedtothink!Won’titbeawfulwhenBabyfallsinlove？IknowIshalljusthatethatgirlfortakinghimawayfromme!’
Sh-h!_Billy!_’expostulatedherhusband，chokingwithhalf-stifledlaughter。Thatwomaninfrontheardyou，Iknowshedid!’
Well，Ishall，’sighedBilly，mournfully，turningbacktothestage。
`Goodnight，goodnight!partingissuchsweetsorrow，ThatIshallsaygoodnight，tillitbemorrow，’
sighedJulietpassionatelytoherRomeo。
Mercy!Ihopenot，’whisperedBillyflippantlyinBertram’sear。I’msureIdon’twanttostayheretillto-morrow!IwanttogohomeandseeBaby。’
_Billy!_’pleadedBertramsodespairingly，thatBilly，reallyconscience-smitten，satbackinherseatandremained，fortherestoftheact，veryquietindeed。
Deceivedbyherapparenttranquillity，Bertramturnedasthecurtainwentdown。
Now，Billy，surelyyoudon’tthinkit’llbenecessarytotelephonesosoonasthisagain，’heventured。
Billy’scountenancefell。
But，Bertram，you_said_youwould!Ofcourseifyouaren’twillingto——butI’vebeencountingonhearingallthroughthishorridlongact，and——’
Goodnessme，Billy，I’lltelephoneeveryminuteforyou，ofcourse，ifyouwantmeto，’
criedBertram，springingtohisfeet，andtryingnottoshowhisimpatience。
Hewasbackmorepromptlythistime。
Everything0。K。，’hesmiledreassuringlyintoBilly’sanxiouseyes。Deliasaidshe’djustbeenup，andthelittlechapwassoundasleep。’
Totheman’sunboundedsurprise，hiswifegrewactuallywhite。
Up!Up!’sheexclaimed。DoyoumeanthatDeliawentdown-stairsto_stay_，andleftmybabyuptherealone？’
But，Billy，shesaidhewasallright，’
murmuredBertram，softly，castinguneasysidelongglancesathistoointerestedneighbors。
`Allright’!Perhapshewas，_then_——buthemaynotbe，later。Deliashouldstayinthenextroomallthetime，whereshecouldheartheleastthing。’
Yes，dear，shewill，I’msure，ifyoutellherto，’soothedBertram，quickly。It’llbeallrightnexttime。’
Billyshookherhead。Shewasobviouslyneartocrying。
But，Bertram，Ican’tstandittosithereenjoyingmyselfallsafeandcomfortable，andknowthatBabyis_alone_upthereinthatgreatbigroom!
Please，_please_won’tyougoandtelephoneDeliatogoup_now_andstaythere？’
Bertram，weary，sorelytried，andincreasinglyawareofthoseannoyinglyinterestedneighbors，wasonthepointofsayingaverydecidedno；butaglanceintoBilly’spleadingeyessettledit。
Withoutawordhewentbacktothetelephone。
Thecurtainwasupwhenheslippedintohisseat，veryredofface。InanswertoBilly’shurriedwhisperheshookhishead；butintheshortpausebetweenthefirstandsecondsceneshesaid，inalowvoice：
I’msorry，Billy，butIcouldn’tgetthehouseatall。’
Couldn’tgetthem!Butyou’djustbeentalkingwiththem!’
That’sexactlyit，probably。Ihadjusttelephoned，sotheyweren’twatchingforthebell。
Anyhow，Icouldn’tgetthem。’
Thenyoudidn’tgetDeliaatall!’
Ofcoursenot。’
AndBabyisstill——allalone!’
Buthe’sallright，dear。Delia’skeepingwatchofhim。’
Foramomenttherewassilence；then，withcleardecisivenesscarneBilly’svoice。