BILLY HILL Chapter Seventeen

Telephone courtesy
photobucket.com

 

There were about six people on Billy's party line and every one would listen in on each other’s conversation.  It had become an accepted form of entertainment.

Linda was aware of this, and had to be careful of what she said.

She said; “This is Linda and I haven't heard from you for a while. I was wondering if your letters might have been lost in the mail.”  

Billy said; “No, I must apologize, I have just been swamped and so tired that when I get home I just go to bed.” She asked if everything was alright, and he said; “Everything is just great except I miss seeing you.”  She answered “Well school will soon be over and I will be home again.”

image courtesy photobucket.com

 Billy addressed those listening in; “Will all of you please hang up so I can tell Linda some real intimate stuff.”  There was a click or two that sounded like people were hanging up but he knew they were still on the line so he said; “They won't get off the line so I will have to save the good stuff until later when we are alone.”  

 

This embarrassed Linda so she said; “Goodbye,” and Billy said; “good bye and good night everyone.”

Linda felt a lot better but still had a feeling of guilt and she asked her girl friends if she should write, and tell Billy she had not been totally true to him.

They said; “What he doesn't know won't hurt him so just bear your own guilt and don't tell him.”

Later her girl friends had to laugh for they knew Billy was already aware of everything about the affair or at least almost all.  

Billy had made his brothers swear that they would never tell anyone about Linda’s fling, especially their wives for they would spread it far and wide.

They agreed that was true. Though they loved their wives they knew they were the town's chief gossips.

It was many years later before Billy told Linda about what had transpired on his trip to take care of that problem.  

The way it came about was he was teasing her and saying he was probably the only one who would have married her so she was lucky to have him.

She fought back and told him all about her lover boy romance.  Billy thought after all these many years she should know why he left town.

Linda was awe struck when he told her what and how all of that went down. How her mother was worried about her and how her friends told on her, then him going there quietly dispatching lover boy on his way. And how those who knew what happened were sworn not to ever tell about it.

She sat down and turned red in the face and for awhile said nothing.

Then she smiled and said; “I bet you were worried weren't you!”  Billy admitted he was but said; “I wasn't one to give up on you that easy.”

She went on to explain that she had become bored, and when “con man” came along it brought some life back into the doldrums of the studies she was doing. He was very entertaining and even though she knew what he was all about, he did break up the boredom of college life.

She then told Billy the guy got a little too frisky and she had stuck a hat pin in him that settled him down, but she decided she had been entertained enough by him and broke it off.  She said she felt guilty about the whole thing but didn't know how Billy would react so she kept it to herself or so she thought until now.

We have got a little ahead of our story so we will have to backtrack in our next chapter.

To be Continued