Show jr THE SILVER FLUTE FLUT By LIDA LID A LARRIMORE C Muru Mier Company Sele CHAPTER I 1 TIIE town hall clock struck Barbara briskly seven ringing notes Bar ar bara barn drowsily opened her eyes She knew without remembering why that it was a n happy da day What was It An And l then she remembered This was her birthday Today she was eighteen years old ohI Lying Ling th there re her brown hair tum tum- tumble tumbled tumbled ble bled l against the pillow her brown browneyes browneyes browneyes eyes bright with pl pleasure asure she saw the happy day lay unfold At break breal breakfast fast there would be presents from Father and the children They never ne could b bear ar tb lb wait walt until later In the day Sir Mr Ir Tubbs the postman would bring her tier godfathers godfather's gift That er e every birthday was exciting exciting-a exciting a girt gift from someone she hadn't seen since she was a baby being christened l and whom of course course she couldn't remember at all all Stephen Drake Drake- Drake Uncle Stephen Ills His taste In gifts was charming But nut he wasn't ex eJ exactly a friendly person lie Ile never ne answered her Thank Thank you ou notes or the cards she sent him at Christ Christmas mas And she was going on a picnic a avery avery er very exclusive e picnic just she and Bruce and a basket of lunch In Bruce's rattle trap rattletrap trap car Barbara smiled a n gay little smile that woken woke n a sleeping dimple She knew why Bruce had suggested a picnic for her ller birthday He lIe was conspiring with Father and the children They wanted her party arty tonight to be a complete surprise Ire Presents a picnic a part party 1 If only Mother Iother w were re here A shadow dimmed d for a mo- mo moment mo mo- mom moment m ment nt the happy prospects of the day day- Mother I ther had loved lo parties and secrets and surprises Barbara fell fella fella a lump In her lier throat and her lashes misted with tears She hop hoped d Mother Ither knew they were all together Province Provincetown Provincetown again In the gra shingled gray town house that Father hadn't married an anybody as ns Aunt Joseph Joseph- Josephine ine me said he would that Kit wasn't as lame as he used to be and ani Gay was a beauty and Jamie was n a adear dear little hoy hay with freckles nil all over his face Mother Iother hind loved lo them all so much She hoped that Mother knew The house was coming to life life In the kitchen Marthaa Martha Martha 3 i ban banging lids stove and noisily clattering pans pms There were ere soun sounds ls overhead o l in the attic where Kit Eli bad quarters of his own Barbara popped out of bed We sail the ocean blue We catch n da plenty plenty-a fish fish- Ish she humm hummed d as ns fresh from a show show- shower shower er she brushed brushe l her soft brown hair Perhaps she should do It up ap now that she was eighteen But nut the pins woul wouldn't hold and the curly en ends ls kept slipping out of the knot She tied a ribbon around l her hea head l and let the shoulder length mop swing free Thinking of Bruce rute she bent toward the mirror Fie ne said her face was the shape of a n heart It was ns she discovered ered with a feeling of pleased surprise And he said her ller eyes ees were wore like pansies some some- sometimes sometimes times soft sort an and l velvety el brown but that sometimes they turned Into shining dark stars that did some some- som something something thing queer to his breath The girl girlIn girlIn girlIn In the mirror flushed and Barbaras Barbara's cheeks felt warm Silly I 1 Bruce ruce was ns teasing of course lie He said tile the same sort of things to Gay Gny Barbara was never ne a beauty like Gay Cay Her lIer nose tilted l up tip and her mouth was too wide But nt at least she slie was pretty today tier Her cheeks were flushed l an and l her lips were ere red nn and l her eyes were dark nn and l shining Only her skin was too fair to tan nicely and always s 's In the summer t there th re were freckles across her nose Bruce said sald-Gra said Gra Gracious cious clous Why I-Why I Why coul couldn't Bruce Mac Mac- MacLain Mac Lain Lain keep out of her private ate thoughts Happy birthday Bab I Barbara turne turned l from the mirror Gay Cay stood in th the open doorway poised like a n butterfly butter about to light on a rose Gay Gny was fourteen She had bright brown curls foaming all over her head hend and hazel e eyes es with long curled d lashes and her skin was the tawny pink and gold of an nn apricot In the sun She knew she was Barbara thou thought ht But that was Aunt Lolas Lola's fault Lolas fault asked Arent you excited Gay In her duty fluty voice olce Terribly Barbara answered What What should l she wear Clothes for forn fora fora n a picnic Sandals and socks The Theold Theold old brown skirt skirl Gracious I 1 There was a n dreadful rip In her fa favorite 0 e yellow yellow- jersey What do you ou suppose Uncle Stephen will w send I cant can't even Imagine Barbara buckled her sandals f smiling be be- because because cause Gay Cay called tier item godfather Uncle Stephen In that familiar t of way The children oil nil callEd i Uncle Stephen The story of ofer er r christening never ne lost Its charm charm- They liked l Father to tell them about the village In southern r France the church with Its bright robed bright I robe robed l saints the strange young oung I American whom Father had hind Invited to be her godfather But he wasn't a young oung American now He lIe must be as ns old as Father Something nice I suppose Uncle Stephen sends lovely ely gifts arbara agree In Ing for a needle and thread to mend the rip In her jers jersey y A pres pres- present present ent eat every ery birthday lay Uncle Stephen ne never er forgot for the fifteenth of Octo Octo- October October October ber He lIe ha had l remembered l too that babies grow Into little girls and lit little tle the girls grow up The gift each year ar was appropriate to the birth birthday day lay I wish 1 was eighteen What would 1 you do Barbara sat tailor fashion on the sea chest sea beneath the window mending the rip In her j Jersey with long uneven stitches What would you do Gay Cay GayThorne Thorne If you were eighteen years old Id marry somebody very ery rich Gap Gny answered dreamily Id havea have e a squirrel coat and a limousine and anda anda a bell to ring for the maid better learn to spell fi first I 1 That was Kit hit Barbara glanced d toward the tha door Kit was pulling on a sweater S and his head when It popped d through the sweaters sweater's neck was nas a dark tousled mop dark darker er em than Gays Gay's or her tier own dark like Fathers Father's and wavy y too All the Barbara thou thought ht with a certain d degree ree of complacence had naturally curly hair Christopher Kit Kit Christopher for Father Father- was Father was sixteen and tall for his age as Martha said no amount of feed feed- feeding feeding In ing would put any meat on his hones His Ills eyes eys were hazel like Gays Gay's Gay and anil his lashes hashes were almost as lon long lIe He hated It when ladies said What a sensitive e face l I and he tried to make himself healthy and strong exercising with dumb dumb- dumbbells dumb bells bells swimming s rowing a boat lIe could draw but he lie was sh shy and em- em cm l about the things he did A child chili like you 1 I Kit Eli frowned frowne l severely se at Gay better learn something before you talk about getting married l What do lo you think she nabs she spells stomach with a n k kl kI I I I 1 1 guess that lint doesn't matter Gay said airily I guess If I mar mar- mar 1 I rued ried somebody rich I 1 never ne would have ha to spell But nut she looked embarrassed Barbara thought thought- She hated Kit to think she was less loss than perfect Happy birthday nabs I tilt Kit walked across to the chest and stood l smiling at nt her a flush In his thin dark lark checks cheeks his hazel eyes very ery bright Lots of happy birth birth- birthdays birthdays da days s 's He lie stooped an and l kissed her hersh sh shyly h just touching the tip of her ear She couldn't answer just then She looked down lown at the nee needle lle which seemed suddenly to have blurred Kits Kit's limping walk brought bt a lump Into her ber throat He lie was the nicest one of them all It wasn't fair that he should l have tr to be lame But certainly he lie was better hetter There had been two 1 years when he was as wasa wasa a child l that Kit tilt hadn't walked at atall atall all all Kit lilt and Gay left her Barbara arbara looked out through the window across the harbor to the horizon where the water seemed l to meet the sky shy In a dazzle of shining blue blue- She saw them all grown up Kit and Gay and Jamie Kit would be a famous artist with paintings In all the exhibitions an and l the newspapers making a n fuss Gay probably woul would l marry some some- somebody somebody somebody body very rich rich- Jamie would be n a naturalist perhaps His Ills pockets were always alwa's stuffed l with toa toads ls and ands s starfish and things And Barbara She Slie would stay lu In Pro Provincetown with Father Fa- Fa Father Fa Father ther could p paint the things s he liked hiked when the children all were grown Bruce would come In the summer an and l take her swimming an and l play his guitar for her and dance with her evenings at the Ship An And l maybe some time Barbara bounce bounced l off ort the chest chestand chestand and pulle pulled l on the Jersey with a Jerk Silly I 1 she scolded herself When It comes to making up non nonsense nonsense sense youre you're exactly as bad as Gay I But ut the scolding was not effective e It failed to cool her scorching cheeks checks or hush the birds in her heart Footsteps sounded led on the stairs Jamies Jamie's footsteps sturdy and Inde Independent Independent I pendent Barbara met him In till hall Jamie was clean for a won but der-but but then It 11 was early In day Chips the small yellow dog was frisking wildly around his feet feet nabs Dabs Jamie said a bit breath breathlessly breathlessly lessly tI Martha says for goodness sake will will you please come down to breakfast before the muffins get cold Barbara kissed the messenger and gave Jave him a n hearty squeeze But ut Jamie Jambe wriggled away lIe He was to old oM and objected twelve t years beIng kissed The They were waiting for her at the foot of the stairs Father and Kit Kitan an and l Jamie and Gay A chorus of Happy Birthdays s 's 1 I rose to greet reet reether her beautiful wishes with wings Barbara Barham smiled her gayest smile and her sandaled feet li did l skipping steps to a little t tune time ne of their own Presents a picnic n a party Be- Be Because Be Because e cause she was happy and lor loved cd them so much she sang as she lance danced l down lown the stairs We sat sail the ocean blue We catch catch catch-a a da plenty-a plenty fish fish- fish Martha MarUm came out from rom the dining room tier Her face was the picture of woe Sing before breakfast you'll cry before night she said In a n warn warning ing voice olce That set them all to laughing Marthas Martha's face was so droll I S a a a a a Barbara sat with Father In the sun on the wide Ide front steps The children ha had l gone to school Mr Tubbs the postman had left the mall and gone whistling on his way What time Is It It Babble Fa- Fa Father Fa Father ther them aske asked l She knew he was teasing He De asked every Cry five minutes so she could consult the watch Uncle u c Q Today She Was Eighteen Years Old Stephen had sent She had to ad- ad admire ad admire mire It often the delicate carving caning the ribbon strap the sapphire In the stem past Half past ten she answered and then pleased and excited excite l her voice like a shaken chime of bells it beautiful Father How do you suppose Uncle Stephen knew I 1 wante wanted l a watch The mans man's a magician Father was smiling at her She thought bow handsome he was his hazel eyes his thick dark lark hair his lean straight body that made him look so young Kit looked looke l like Fa- Fa Father Fa Father ther but Kit was more grave Ile He would never ne have ha Fathers Father's ringing laugh his lucky happy charm What does docs Aunt Josephine sa say Father Indicated the letter that lay Iny In Barbaras Barbara's lap She told me to take care of my complexion as ns that was my one claim to beauty What hat t else Barbara Barham hesitated There were ere In Inthe inthe Inthe the letter many references to Fa- Fa Fa Father ther them and none of them were latter flatter flattering In ing Father relieved relle her ber embarrass embarrass- embarrassment embarrassment ment She said she he hoped you weren't growing up like heathen his heathen his e eyes ls twinkled though wickedly wickedly though that perhaps was too much to expect since Christopher Thorne has no nomore nomore nomore more Idea Iden how to bring up children than a crow in a n corn field knows about running for congress How did you know Barbara asked surprised d I am ant familiar with all of her Father lit a cigarette Directly or Indirectly Ive I've heard them many times Barbara looked down down at nt the let let- letter letter ter The writing on the envelope elope recalled the brick house in Pro l I dence the elms and the urns on the lawn Aunt Josephine herself ma majestic maJestic jestic and inspiring awe She seemed to hear heM Cousin Evies Evie's twit lory voice agreeing with Aunt Josephine no matter what she site said the sol solemn mn important ticking of the lher's clock In the hall ball I Aunt Josephine was Mothers Mother's aunt Barbara thud had lived lI with her herI I two years after Mother died when the children had bt been en parceled out among Imong the relatives es and rather Father had zone one away It t wasn't a happy two tears Aunt Josephine didn't op prove of artists She didn't ap an approve prove of Father Barbara remembering remembering bering sighed She had missed the children so much Three years year of being together again made her tier forget fort Some Sonic Sometimes Sometimes times even enn now she slie thought for forn forn fora n dreadful moment that they were separated What are you thinking Fn Fa ther's lher's voice olce blessedly near routed the thc dismal thoughts of those past times But she didn't tell him about them It didn't seem quite polite Father might think she didn't trust him He lIe had promised that they should never be parceled out again I 1 was thinking ng she slie answered Instead that the harbor wont won't look the same when the Arlel Ariel Isn't there They l hey saw w her swaying at anchor her sails gleaming white In the sun Mr Ir Lorings Loring's sloop the Ariel Arlel ful as ns p 1 a dream Fa Fa- Father Father Jim is leaving tomorrow v ther spoke regretfully lie asked me to go for a n farewell sail sall thIs tills aft aft- afternoon afternoon That will be nice Fathers Father's attention strayed from the Ark Ariel Babble Babbie he asked taking a let let- letter ter from his pocket do you remember remember remember ber Mr Schwartz Sch That dreadful old man with the whiskers Be more respectful young lady Father pretended to be stern He was an nn angel In disguise Why Barbara asked thinking that old Jr Schwartz Sch looked less like an angel than she had ever er s seen en In her life Hes lIes bull building ding a swanky home a castle on the Rhine No not the Rhine Father Father consulted the letter the the the Hudson to be exact and he wants ship panels In his library and and- Father 1 I He De wants you to paint them I That's the reward of being po pa po- po polite polite lite to gentlemen with whiskers Father i 1 I Barbara was bouncing with excitement We can buy the rest of the house an and l put In n a heater an and l mend the roof an and l- l lA A gulp stemmed the torrent of words The prospect of sud sudden len riches had taken away awny her br breath ath Father sh sha urged when she ha had l found It again go send him a |