Unfortunately for him, Mr.Joe Bullitt now made his appearance at the other end of the porch.Mr.Bullitt, though almost a year younger than either William or Johnnie Watson, was of a turbulent and masterful disposition.Moreover, in regard to Miss Pratt, his affections were in as ardent a state as those of his rivals, and he lacked Johnnie's meekness.He firmly declined to be shunted by Miss Parcher, who was trying to favor William's cause, according to a promise he had won of her by strong pleading.Regardless of her efforts, Mr.Bullitt descended upon William and his Baby-Talk-Lady, and received from the latter a honeyed greeting, somewhat to the former's astonishment and not at all to his pleasure.
``Oh, goody-cute!'' cried Miss Pratt.``Here's big Bruvva Josie-Joe!'' And she lifted her little dog close to Mr.Bullitt's face, guiding one of Flopit's paws with her fingers.``Stroke big Bruvva Josie-Joe's pint teeks, darlin' Flopit.''
(Josie-Joe's pink cheeks were indicated by the expression ``pint teeks,'' evidently, for her accompanying action was to pass Flopit's paw lightly over those glowing surfaces.) `` 'At's nice!'' she remarked.``Stroke him gently, p'eshus Flopit, an' nen we'll coax him to make pitty singin' for us, like us did yestiday.''
She turned to William.
``COAX him to make pitty singin'? I LOVE his voice--I'm dest CRAZY over it.Isn't oo?''
William's passion for Mr.Bullitt's voice appeared to be under control.He laughed coldly, almost harshly.``Him sing?'' he said.``Has he been tryin' to sing around HERE? I wonder the family didn't call for the police!''
It was to be seen that Mr.Bullitt did not relish the sally.``Well, they will,'' he retorted, ``if you ever spring one o' your solos on 'em!'' And turning to Miss Pratt, he laughed loudly and bitterly.``You ought to hear Silly Bill sing--some time when you don't mind goin' to bed sick for a couple o' days!''
Symptoms of truculence at once became alarmingly pronounced on both sides.William was naturally incensed, and as for Mr.Bullitt, he had endured a great deal from William every evening since Miss Pratt's arrival.William's evening clothes were hard enough for both Mr.
Watson and Mr.Bullitt to bear, without any additional insolence on the part of the wearer.
Big Bruvva Josie-Joe took a step toward his enemy and breathed audibly.
``Let's ALL sing,'' the tactful Miss Pratt proposed, hastily.``Come on, May and Cousin Johnnie-
Jump-Up,'' she called to Miss Parcher and Mr.
Watson.``Singin'-school, dirls an' boys! Singin'-
school! Ding, ding! Singin'-school bell's a-wingin'!''
The diversion was successful.Miss Parcher and Mr.Watson joined the other group with alacrity, and the five young people were presently seated close together upon the steps of the porch, sending their voices out upon the air and up to Mr.Parcher's window in the song they found loveliest that summer.
Miss Pratt carried the air.William also carried it part of the time and hunted for it the rest of the time, though never in silence.Miss Parcher ``sang alto,'' Mr.Bullitt ``sang bass,'' and Mr.
Watson ``sang tenor''--that is, he sang as high as possible, often making the top sound of a chord and always repeating the last phrase of each line before the others finished it.The melody was a little too sweet, possibly; while the singers thought so highly of the words that Mr.Parcher missed not one, especially as the vocal rivalry between Josie-Joe and Ickle Boy Baxter incited each of them to prevent Miss Pratt from hearing the other.
William sang loudest of all; Mr.Parcher had at no time any difficulty in recognizing his voice.
``Oh, I love my love in the morning And I love my love at night, I love my love in the dawning, And when the stars are bright.
Some may love the sunshine, Others may love the dew.
Some may love the raindrops, But I love only you-OO-oo!
By the stars up above It is you I luh-HUV!
Yes, _I_ love own-LAY you!''
They sang it four times; then Mr.Bullitt sang his solo, ``Tell her, O Golden Moon, how I Adore her,'' William following with ``The violate loves the cowslip, but _I_ love YEW,'' and after that they all sang, ``Oh, I love my love in the morning,''
again.
All this while that they sang of love, Mr.
Parcher was moving to and fro upon his bed, not more than eighteen feet in an oblique upward-
slanting line from the heads of the serenaders.
Long, long he tossed, listening to the young voices singing of love; long, long he thought of love, and many, many times he spoke of it aloud, though he was alone in the room.And in thus speaking of it, he would give utterance to phrases and words probably never before used in connection with love since the world began.
His thoughts, and, at intervals, his mutterings, continued to be active far into the night, long after the callers had gone, and though his household and the neighborhood were at rest, with never a katydid outside to rail at the waning moon.And by a coincidence not more singular than most coincidences, it happened that at just about the time he finally fell asleep, a young lady at no great distance from him awoke to find her self thinking of him.
