BILLIE ECONOMISES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 13 (Supplement)

BILLIE ECONOMISES.

/ A NEW ZEALAND STORY *

" Trumpeter! Trumpeter wins! Well run. sir—oh, well run!" Tno grandstand went mad. Hats waved, sticks were whirled aloft as the favourite won by a neck. It was a gallant race, with Hot Air a.close second and Drivel a game third. Tho rest of the field were bunched together. But in any case Billie cou ld' not have distinguished- My Luck, for her eyes were swimming with hot tears which no one in the world must 6e e, Dick/least of all.

She had been so certain; for days now she had hugged this tip of Blake's to her heart My Luck was an outsider; sh& would pay fth ou t twenty pounds. Roger, re joicing in a temporary nrmistice and anxious to re-establish his friendship with the most popular girl in the district, had been keen on it. " It's a certainty, Bill. Put your'shirt on it."

' She had; moreover, sho hadn't even paid Roger the ten pounds he had " plunged /' for her. He had come to her just before the race, murmured in her ear " I'll girl," and had vanished before she could tell'him that she simply couldn't afford it. Under cover of the general excitement she looked hurriedly into her purse; her powdei puff and lip stick, some old tote tickets, and six and ninepence in small change. She felt rather sick, but her head went up with its old, defiant jerk /so that when Roger returned, very crestfallen, whisper apologies and murmur that he himself had been "stung" for twenty-five pounds, she was able to laugh and say, " Better luck next time. I'm sorry I haven't got it on me now, Roger, but I'll let y°u have it in the morning." He had gone away thinking, " Bill's frightfully game; but then, what's money to her ?"

The trouble was that money was a great deal just now, for this is what had happened. A week ago Dick had looked up from a harassed scrutiny of his passbook to meet Billie's gaze. " What's up, old thing?"

"Nothing mnch, except that I'm afraid we'll hava to draw in our horns a bit; ny overdraft's getting pretty solid."

"Dick, do you mean we're hard up?" " Pretty stony, old dear. You see, there's a slump on and I haven't sold any wool. I don't want to sack any of the hands, because it's a rotten time to look for a job. So we'll just have to go slow. I'm awfully sorry. Will you mind very much 1"

What could loyal litllo # Billie do but fly across the room, perch on his knee, 'ruffle his hair and say, " Mind? Not a bit.' It'll bo rather a lark." Alone in her bedroom a littlo later it didn't look so, much like a lark. She had overdrawn hfer allowance for the next six months; she had piles of bills, she didn't know quite how many; and her parents to whom she could so easily have turned, were away on a year's trip. Billie faced the situation squarely. No thing would induce her to ask Dick for money. Never before in her brief married life had he so much as hinted economy to her. On the contrary he had indulged every whim and had delighted to spend on her fancies. She guessed what it must have cost him to appeal to her now. Well, he should not appeal, in vain. She would get the money somewhere; and pay all her bills; then she would start an economy campaign. A week later they went up for the races. " Shouldn't we cut them out this year, Dicl/?" Billie had suggested heroically._ But he had laughed as he kissed her. "You darling kid! When races are your greatest joy—but don't punt on outsiders" '

And that was just what she had done. Soger had been so sure, and she had bugged herself at the thought of paying all those nasty " accounts rendered,"

and having a pretty balance to see her through. She had even seen herself saying to Dick, " No allowance this quarter, Dick; I've made money." .* . . The tears were very near again. . . .

When they got back to the hotel Dick said, " Had a good day, old girl ? You're looking a bit fagged. I've made the whopping sum of thirty-two bob on the day. Let's go to a cabaret and bust it." " Not to-night, Dick; I really am tired. But you go; all the others are keen." For the whole country-side went up to the races and usually " did " a cabaret or show together at night. He protested violently, "Go without you ? Thai; would be a lark for me!"

She smiled wanly. If only he would go and leave her quiet to think! Whatever happened she must get that £lO by tHeAorning; it would have been enough not to give it to Roger to-night. The telephone went insistently and at the fifth call Billie said firmly, "No, I really don't want to; got a head—yes, probably 'flu. But Dick will go. Call round for him at eight." Dick swdra a good deal, but he went in the end and left her mercifully alone. She sat forlornly on the edge of her bed, gazing before her. And then her eye fell on it; so suddenly that it seemed to her childish mind almost like an, answer to prayer. The paper was lying Carelessly on the floor, where Dick had dropped it. and the advertisement stared up at her. " A friend in Need Short-dated loans. Strictest privacy. Day or Night. Phone No. 000,999." Bilhe sat very still, breathing hard, and into her eyes hope had come. Then she took the lift downstairs and enquired for the telephone box. . . . She was rather late for the cabaret, but they were ®ll delighted to see her. . .

It had heen, Billie thought, the most wretched four months of her life. At first H had all seemed so simple. Joseph Simeon had been so pleasant and understandthough his looks were certainly against hirri. She had signed a lot of .papers that she didn't understand and he had given her simply piles of banknotes She, had paid every one of her hills and had handed Roger a ten-pound note with a fine air of casualness. • And for two months she had been happy. Then she had begun to receive endless letters from Joseph Simeon, until the s'ght of her type-written address, although it e * lways usoc * plain envelopes, v Secrecy ' and Despatch " are our mottoes), could make her feel quite ill. It was all in privacy, that was the trouble. She was so ignorant of business hat the whole thing had been magnified "i her mind until it became a tragedy and a disgrace, ati unbearable weight upon her soul.

Billie took the letter and locked herself ® 'he bathroom. It seemed the only place where she could be certain of being uninterrupted. Then she took a deep reath and opened the envelope. Last jme he had suggested, with a veiled ' re at, that she " consult her husband and Qggest his offering security;" what now? he read it through twice before the full „ orr or °f it dawned on her; ho was motoring through her district on Friay night and would call in to see her ween eight, and nine o'clock." Fri■tJ- 1 hat .was to-night, and to-night ey were giving a little wool-shed sa^ 06 * «< lar ' su ?S este d it; he had j.i'Let's have a little hop some 8 t this week. Nothing to cost Just a glass of beer and a •> wich o " —which was just like Dick—,e been lying low for ages and 7 e had no fun. You're looking off c ° j Ur > 00 - We'll just have our own Ever : Wun 't expect anything, the n knows economy's the order of Dipt 6 i? n rather listlessly and Ejjj, ~a " l°°ked. sharply at her and wrong, clear? You're . e yourself," and then, with a added e, « ear * n vo ' ce :W Wsl y „ liu ' ve b . een a lo t of te Dari' . haven t vou?'' JUsbipiJ® ' was so sweetly unfecret. US , w^ eQ there was any real j 11118 - stu pid about old worn-

/ By M. STUART.

(COPYRIGHT.)

settwlf / ike However i she had settled that and had tried to pretend enthusiasm lor the dance; and now she euestT T? Wlth the unexpected guest, the skeleton at the feast! Keailv leading a doubie life was making her a llStr" ; sooL WOUld aWe t0 W ? it6

, t the ~l ' !r ute was coming; she couldn t possibly put him off. All their telegrams were dictated over the party offW. » the g° ssi Py little post office; she couldn t risk sending one. he would have to see him, and pretend —on, pretend something. She must have time to think. At tho moment Uick s voice shouted urgently for her 1, l i lr u ed , 0n all tho ta P s at. once - t , ( L a " ed back ' " Can ' < ' come-having a bath. °

The evening was going splendidly; all the crowd had turned up and Billio had never looked prettier. Desperation had | lent a fresh sparkle to her eves and her cheeks were so bright that for the first time for months, she had been able to discard her rouge. She had on her newest frock, and round her neck were the pearls that Dick had given her when they were married. She felt quite lightHeaded,_ too; was this how people felt when they were going to the scaffold?" She had hoped the vulture might turn up before everybody came. Anything, anything sooner than have to introduce him as 'a friend from town!" She pictured that oily Hebrew among these clean, bronzed, out-of-doors men and these gay and charming women. But he did not come. Perhaps, he had had ao accident. If only he had been killed ♦ Why, Bill, you're looking simply stunning to-night," said Roger Blake, as they danced together. " I thought you'd been a bit off colour lately, but you'ro dancing better than ever." She answered rather coldly; why did Roger always try to strike that itupid personal note ? A moment later she saw old Sarah the cook, hovering unhappily in the darkness of the wool shed door, and her heart turned a nasty little somersault. The unbidden guest had arrived. She was still breathing quickly when she 'faced Simeon in the drawing room. She could only stay two minut6s, and she run all tho way; soon thev would begin to look for her. Simeon was explaining eagerly. " But you did not understand. I vill most certaintly the loan continue, but a leetle secureety." His eyes strayed to her neck, and Billie suddenly lost her head. In The distance she could hear Dick's laugh. " Here, take them and keep them till I pay you back. No, I don't want a receipt now. Post it to-morrow. Go, go." She almost pushed him out of the room, and switched off the light. Simeon tried to protest; this was not " beesness there was no need. But she was gone. He hurried off to his car which he had thoughtfully left at the foot of the drive. He would post her a receipt at ouce. For Joseph Simeon had seen what he wanted to see; there was wealth here, and he " need not worry." He was honest enough, if he did expect eighty per cent, on "short-dated loans." " Whither away ?" laughed Blake's voice, and half-dozen of them barred her path. " What's np Bill ? You seem in a mighty hurry ?" Dick switched his torch full on her face. * Something in its pallor drove the laugh from his hps; next moment he said quickly "Where's your necklace? What on earth has frightened you ? " She was panting and very pale, and her hand shook as it went to her throat. *' D you mean you've been robbed ? Great Scott, Dick, who's that sneaking down the drive. How she hated Roger Blake! And then, while she struggled for words, she heard Tim Mathews' shout, " A srieakthief! By gad, we'll get him. (Jome on, boys. It was too late. They had scattered and were tearing down "the drive after the unhappy and unconscious vulture— Billie sank on to the ground. " Let him go, let him get away, and I'll tell Dick to-morrow." She prayed incoherently; and then, as a last inducement, " Let him go and I'll never say ' damn ' again." Than she got up slowly and went on to the wool-shed; whatever happened she must " carry on," according to her inexorable code. The rest of the evening always appeared to her afterwards as a series of dramatic pictures. She was dancing when there was the sound of those tramping feet, and Tim's triumphant voice, " Got him, boys. A sneak-thief." And then Mick Kennedy, " By Jove, snatching a woman's necklace in the dark! What next, I wonder ? They may do this sort of thing in the towns, but we'll soon stop it here;'' and Roger's quietly, vicious, " Four years, I hope." All the time the unbidden guest was talking, protesting, explaining; but no one even looked at him until Billio herself stepped forward. She didn't feel excited or upset, and her head was clearer, than it had been all day. " Let him go, Tim. He's not a thief. He's a moneylender. I gave him the pearls because I owe him money." The short sentences dropped crisply into air, grown suddenly tense. Then everyone began talking at once, laughing a great deal and avoiding Dick's eye. Someone even started the gramophone and began to dance, but she walked over and switched it off; then she faced them again.

" Listen please. It's nothing to do with Dick. I'd been extravagant, and I didn't want him to know. 1 thought I'd try and economise—so I borrowed a hundred pounds from this man." Thore was something so entirely illogical and naive—so like Billie, and no one else on earth—in this remark, that the crowd laughed genuinely this time. But Billie was watching Dick's face. Ho was very white, but the lines around his mouth had relaxed.

And then another picture later. The vulture, soothed and cheered and heavily fed, going off infinitely comforted by Dick's cheque. And a dozen women whispering to Bill as thoy passed " Darling, why didn't you come to mo— I thought we were pals." And later, when the reluctant May. dawn was already struggling into the wintry sky, herself standing by Dick's side and watching the last car hoot its way cheerily down the drive with the parting shot, " Three cheer s for our wizard of finance —BiJJie!" And then the knowledge that it was all over at last—Dick knew, everyone knew; all that she had tried to do had failed. And then turning to moot Dick's eyes, to feel his arms round her —and to know that none of it mattered after all. . But next morning, when Dick had finished a laborious noto to his banker, she said, " Darling, is it very awful ? Will the place stand it?" Ho replied, very seriously, " I won't stand it, Bill." Her heart was heavy as she answered. " Stand what ?' ' " stand you worrying your little nead like this—stand you looking all faggfid out—and not telling me—and leading a double life."' . There were tears in Bills eyes as she remembered those wakeful nights. Then she murmured faintly, " But what about the bank, Dick ?" „ . „ , "TV bank will stand anything, ho assured her, except—" He paused dramatically, and she whispered, Except what ?" " Except another bit of economy on your part," he» shouted—and then ducked suddenly to avoid a flying missile.