Show the SILVER c F FUTE UTE i t Lida s Larrimore H HN N U SE e Jl l SYNOPSIS On h hr her r eIghteenth birthday Barbara C daughter r of Christopher Thorne Thome lovable but Impractical artist awakes to a pleasurable anticipation of the Joys of the day y She receives amon among other presents a birthday bu ring l from Bruce Druce MacLain young artist friend trie of the family but more than friend to Barbara Bart With Bruce she goes goU on the sands uj at i Provincetown i roi Taking shelter from a sudden Hidden storm ito Brut Bruce tells te her a story of a boy a little gypsy y girl whom he loves lovu and th tb the tong song of a silver flute nute She knows it la Is her ber own love lov tale talc Her I fer happiness turn turns to sorrow when she returns home to learn her ber father falber has us been ken drowned in the storm CHAPTER III 3 pEOPLE were Unu All day they came to the shingled gray house bouse er E Everybody was sorry and kind and anxious to help Cousin Evie le arrived ed from Pro Provi Providence dence deuce and was Installed In Gars Cays room Aunt Josephine she reported was just getting gelling over one of her spells and md would come as soon as the doctor gave her ber permIssion to travel tra Cousin Evie le was tall and thin with crimped yellow gray hair and amI a long pink nose In Providence Pro she was merely Aunt JosephIne's echo a poor relation often orten enough snubbed and disregarded In the shingled gray house she felt Important tant Cousin Julia came carne from Augusta Maine and Jamie mOH moved d up with KIt CousIn Julia felt Important wherever wherever ever er she was was because she was Aunt Josephine daughter She was large and ros rosy and handsome and very efficient and kind Aunt Lola wired from Florida where she had gone for the winter Site She was leaving lea at once the tele tele- telegram telegram telegram gram said slId Uncle Herbert wIred front from his office In Pittsburgh that business would detain him there un until til the end of the week After that lie he would start for Provincetown lie He and Aunt Emma and the boys sent s sympathy and find love lo The Tho clung to each other dazed bewildered shaken shalen with grief The house no longer seemed sir own a pleasant friendly place B was all nIl at once so painfully tidy and neat They were more com com- comfortable comfortable out of doors There at least everything e was as It had al- al always al always ways been They sat together on the studio steps Gay Gny pressing close to KIt Jamies Jamie's head licad against Barbaras Barbara's knee Chips stretched out In the sunshine across their let fet Some Some- Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes times they talked about Father re- re remembering re- re remembering re remembering little things some some- sometimes sometimes sometimes times they were silent and each ench knew v what the others were thinkIng though no one put It Into words They were to be separated again again- again tills this time perhaps forever fore The thought was never ne far from Barbaras Barbara's mind She grieved ed for Father deeply and sincerely but the thought that the children might be separated was somehow harder to bear There were times when she hoped that It needn't happen Ly Ly- LyIng LyIng Ly Lying ing awake In the low carved bed with Gay Cay asleep beside her she made elaborate plans She would sell Fathers Father's paintings the lovely ones In the attic She would start n a shop In the studio hooked ru rugs s sand and china and etchings s She would take boarders In the summer Some Some- Somehow Somehow how JIO she would manage to keep the children together The plans seemed possible at night 1 lying awake with Gay close and warm beside her In the morn morn- morning morning ing however howe with Cousin JulIa managing everything and Cousin EvIl Evie acting as though she were no older than Gay Gny the plans would seem sm silly and childish Bit by bit hope would vanish and her heart would feel heavy as ns lead She seemed visibly to grow v thinner The color left her cheeks checks and her eyes were tragically large Bruce who had postponed his return to New York YorI was constantly at the tho But nut he seldom saw Barbara alone She seemed con con- content content content tent In a n measure only when she was with the children Loving her herIt It hurt burt him to know how v completelY they filled her mind Even when occasionally he lie held her In his arms he felt that she wasn't there Something had lint gone The fhe warm loving part of her which for a few hours had been his Ills was now ab nb- absorbed absorbed by the children He lie felt hurt and helpless and left behind In his studio Bruce spent many sleepless hours liours Was she old enough 7 he asked himself Did she know how bow deeply he lie loved her Had nad be beJet belet belet let Jet himself In for unhappiness lIe IC asked her none of these questions Lo ln Loving her deeply he tried when he was with her to forget foret for the emoI emo- emo moment his own O disturbing ns ns ns Ue lie knew she slie was as glad that I I had postponed 11 his bis return to New NewYork york When he left her at bedtime Site JIbe be clung to 10 him The gray shingled house tilled with flowers There were all sorts of letters and cards Sir Mr Tubbs the postman brought a letter from Uncle Uncle Stephen it was a very ery nice letter Barbara read It children to the chil then dren ren as they sat on the studio steps Uncle Uncle Stephen had seen In a pa- pa per paper Perthe the letter said an account of Fathers Father's death ll Ue lie sent sympathy to his little fillette Ints Int's a J fillette Gay Gap wanted to know v French for goddaughter Barbara arbara explained Is he a II Frenchman 7 asked JamIe to whom Frenchman meant the French French Canadians who lived In A Augusta InA Maine OC Of 0 course not Kit answered Dont you rou remember how Father used to tell us that he was the only other American besides Moth Mother er and Father In the town where naLs Babs was born horn The children talked In low voices about letter Father Barbara read the let Jet ter again It was nice and friendly she thought ht She lingered over o the concluding sentence If It a crust crusty old bachelor can be of assist assist- assistance assistance ance please let him know at once A crusty old bachelor I Then he wasn't married And he must be older than she had thought But he didn't sound crusty Fill etto cUe ett was a charming word Saying It over o made her feel that she Rhe knew v Uncle Stephen My Iy little mIette fillette She tucked the let let- letter let letter ter Inside her blouse and felt she had found a friend And then on a day so blue and golden so filled with sunshine and gentle wind and the smoky fragrance of autumn tha that It didn't seem pos pos- possible sible there could be sadness In the world the they left Father beside Moth Moth- Mother Mother Iother er In the cemetery on the hill hili The house seemed desolate when they returned too quiet too tidy and neat Father was gone That evening c they sat SIlt around the living Ing room room hearth It grew v chilly when the sun went down and Bruce had built a n fire Cre Cousin Evie le had gone to bed with a headache Cousin Julia In Jamies Jamie's room upstairs was writing a letter to Cousin Will The children were glad t to be alone Barbara told them about the plans she made at nl night ht lying awake In Inthe Inthe n the low carved car bed The children accepted them with enthusiasm I can cnn get a job after school Kit said his face brighter than It had bad been since the day of the storm Dicky Woods says I can cnn be be his delivery boy Jamie announced from the hearth rug Ive I already asked him about it It If It Martha goes Ill I'll do the dishes Gay said nestling close to Kit her head against his shoulder Stout fella I Kit said eald softly knowing bow Gay Gap hated washing dishes and dusting and makIng beds Other people have ha shops Bar Bar- Barbara Barbara ar- ar arbara bara continued loving the children for wanting to help She lifted lilted her fac fac- fac facto to Bruce Cruce feeling hopeful want ant wanting ing to be assured We e could couldn't we Bruce Cruce Isn Isn't t It a sensible sensible ble plan 7 Dont Don't you think we could Bruce Cruce smiled but his eyes were grave What a child she was no older than Gay making her fairy tale fairy tale plans If It he lie could bear It for her the her the certain disappointment She was too small to bear It her her- herself herself herself self too young In spite spite- of her cour cour- courage cour-a cour age e If It he c could bear It for her her-he her loved lored her he loved lo her so much The plans seemed possible talk talk- tall talking talking ing about them In front of the lire are surrounded by things that were fa- fa familiar fa familiar and friendly and dear They needn't be separated They could house bouse stay In the gray shingled And then she knew that they couldn't The plans vanished like bubbles touched by a careless hand Cousin Julia Julin rosy and handsome kind appeared at the lIv liv- liv living In and very ery In ing room door Ten o'clock she said In the brisk cheerful voice olce that made Bar Bar- Barbara Barbara bara feel small and rather foolIsh TIme for tor tired Uret kiddies to be In bed hed Wc We Vc cant can't can we B Bruce ruce 7 Bar ar- ar arbara bars bara asked asked sled when the children mar mar- s by Cousin Julia ula had bad gone upstairs to b bed d We e can cant can't t stay here together Im afraid not Babble he an- an answered an answered his face very cry troubled and grave gra It all II a along I she b I guess ess I knew a ong S e wearily y F tales tules flag IIer said quivered Looking I down lie he voice saw sate that her lashes were jeweled Je with tears Dont mind so terribly darling not to mind so much p pl Please I se try 1 l l cant can't help It It Bru Bruce e Ie He knew V that she couldn't t help It it lIe Knew Gnew that at atLie words were useless held her close dose wanting to bear U Lie e It Ite for her ber racked by her ber shaking Gradually the sobs grew less sobs She h he sighed and then was still so flO still tI that he be thought she had gone But ut presently she stirred to sleep p Bruce Yes darling Wh When When n are arc you ou going back to Sew New NewYork ew York Tomorrow She clung to him for a moment then raised her head from his shoulder shoulder der I dont don't suppose suppose- suppose She h e pause paused d and he saw V In the firelight a faint pink flush lush creeping Into her ber cheeks checks What Babbler Babble I dont don't suppose suppose- suppose Her tier eyes were suddenly shy You couldn't take us with you Kit you Kit and Gay and Jamie and me Why Babble Babble- Babble No o i I suppose you couldn't She was ns grown up p now v and reason reason- r reasonable reasonable ason able too reasonable for her years years Shoes and things are expensive e and bo boys s 's eat cat such a lot But nut I can take you ou Bruce brushed the soft sort hair back bac from her brow You Yu and I In my studio We IVe can count the stars through our skylight and every ery morning for breakfast Ill I'll sing you a new brand brand song tier Her eyes brIghten brightened ell A little smile touched her ber lips Bruce 1 she whispered A new one every ery day l I Ind And nd a special one for Sunday he promised loving 10 the shine In her eyes It faded away leaving lea her for for- forlorn forlorn forlorn lorn You mustn't Bruce I 1 have ha to think of ibe the children She squared her shoulders and lifted her firm lit lit- littie lit little tIe tle chin Im the oldest They They've no one at all but me Kit hates bates It at Uncle Herberts Herbert's She steadied I the quivering of her lips They tease him because he wants to be bean bean bean an artist Uncle Herbert nerbert will probably probably probably ably him sell life lICe Insurance or something he wouldn't like Ike And Kits Kit's so splendid Bruce Dont Don't you see And Aunt Lola Is so silly She 1 1 1 it f ylla A ii r Yes She Sighed Contentedly Now Were We're Really Engaged lives lI mostly In hotels since Uncle George died lied That Isn't good for a achild achild achild child like Gay Cay And Jamie Jamie- Jamie She paused and drew a long breath Dont Babble Bruce ruce said gen gen- gently gently gently Youre so tired Dont Don't think about it tonight I cant can't help thinking You Youve seen It Bruce the way Jamie looks at Chips Cousin Julia wont won't have hate havea a dog In the house She's kind of course but she doesn't know about boys And JamIes JamIe's so funny and dear But what can you ou do Something I dont don't know Bruce felt a vague ague sort of fear She looked so small and determIned so very ery dear In her velveteen frock with Its childish white collar and culls cuffs If It he should lose her her- her Babble he Babble he held her closer afraid she might slip away If away It you cant can't manage It you'll come to me Yes Bruce lf lt I cant can't He lle wanted to be further assured Very gently he changed the birth birth- birthday birthday day birthday ring from her right hand to her left Now were we're engaged he said Yes she sighed contentedly Now were we're really engaged CHAPTER IV A AUNT AUNT theA LOLAS LOLA'S car stood at the the the- dove A gate a beautiful car gray dove wIth er fittings and a chauffeur named Pierre Aunt Lola small and plump with looking massaged skin and hair a shade too golden sat beside the living room fire wrapped In moleskin as soft as vel- vel velvet vel el velvet vet et Gay Gny was bewitched by Aunt Lola her clothes her jewels the dove e gray dove gray car the chauffeur named Pierre Already she was different Barbara Carbara thought watching Gay adopt Aunt Lolas Lola's mannerisms her gestures the affected tones of her olce She didn't want Gay Cay to grow up Into a silly little peacock like Gwen Aunt Lolas Lola's daughter mar mar- married married ried now and according to family gossip leading lendIng her husband a life Mother Iother would have hated It so And Father too Gay Cap could be so nice Uncle Herbert came and went at tending attending to business matters natters Inter Interviewing vIewing the real estate agent and the officials at nt the bank Uncle Herbert was not above medium weight ruddy and built nut But you felt that he was very Cry tall and Imposing Uncle Herbert was kind to the children He tie was especially kind to KIt I Well Michael Angelo he would say have you painted a n master master- I pIece masterpiece yet Or pinching Kits Kit's arm he would say No o m muscle scle 1 I He ne would pretend to be terribly shocked See here young fellow that wont won't do we get got you rou out in Pittsburgh Boast beef Is what you OU need Did he think they hadn't been properly fed Barbara would try to choke back her ber Indignation know v knowing knowing ing that Uncle Herbert meant only I to be kind He Oe would talk about Paul who pla played on his college collego football team and Joe who was a n prep school star and Junior who had six medals for swImmIng although he was only fifteen Barbara an nn ache In her heart would see Kits Kit's flush lush deepen and a frIghtened look creep Into his eyes Kit couldn't play piny football lIe He would never ne he be very ery strong Her lIer last hope hind had vanished She had pinned up her hair and worn her longest frock but she knew that I she looked as young and frIghtened as she felt felt when she asked them to toI I let her keep the children there Inthe In inthe the shIngled gray house I We could manage Barbara felt felther felther her courage slipping away with wIlh the pIns that held her hair You can live JIve so cheaply In It If live JI so cheaply In Pro Provincetown It Isn't only a n question of money Uncle Herbert said not unkindly un- un un unkindly kindl kindly There are many things to toI tobe tobe tobe I be considered Youre You're too young to toI I assume such a n responsibility Be Be- BesIdes Besides Besides sides he added |