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Show The TheSILVER TheSLVE SILVER SLVE SLVEd d SILVERFLUTE SLVEFLUTE FLUTE FLUTEBy JBy By Lida Larrimore eo 0 . , Uacrae MacrAe Smith Smltb Oomp"Ul7WNU OompinyWNU Oompiny Oomp"Ul7 OompUl7 OompinyOn " WNU Servlco . . SYNOPSIS SYNOPSISOn On her ! tightconth Clghtcenth eighteenth birthday blrtbday D\r D r Bar Drbara Barbarn Barbara ! \ bara barn . , motherless dauehtor dnughtor daughter of Christo Chrlsto- Chrlsto Christo- Chrlstophor Christophor Christopher - pher phor Thorno Thornc Thorne artist nrtist , rocoh rocei receives os es a blrthda.y blrthday blrthdayy blrthda.yring blrthdayyrig birthdayring . ring rig from Bruce MncLaIn MncLaln DlacLain young artist artistfrlond artistfriond artistfriend frlond friond of tho the family , , but moro more Ulc1n then Ulc1nfriend thenfriend tliAnfriend friend to Barbara . . . Bruco Bruce tells her aatory astory a atory story tory of a eipsy gpsy gypsy ) boy , a & little gpsy gypsy gypsygirl gipsyftrl ) "Irl Irl girl & " wliom wJlOm whom ha he loveg loves and the sonff song of a asilver asilver asilver silver flute cute . . She kno knows knons " 8 It Is her own ownlova ownlove ownlove lova love tale tne . ] Her Iicr father fatMr Is Tttllod 'killed killed ' ' In an anaccldont anaccidont anaccldont accldont accidont Relatives ReJatives arrive arrlvo arrivo and t\lto t lto tike tikecharge tltocharge tiicocharge ' \ charge of thlnc thIng things . To her dismay D'1.r- D1.r D'1.r D1r D'1.rbara 13 Dir-b&ra Dir b&ra bra ' . r- r rbara - bara & learns that eho sho she and her two twobrothers twobrothers twobrothers brothers and small sman slater sistoI sister ' are to be beseparated beseparated beseparated separated Desperate Desporate the four Cour tour chttdren children chttdrenplot childrenplot childrenplot plot to run away awny to Barbaras Barbun s godfa godfa- godfathoI godfather godfather - ' ' Stephen StephenDrake StephenDrake StephenDrake ther thoI ' , . 'Uncle Uncle Stephen Stephon Drake Drake , bachelor bn.cheIor bncheIor . , forty torty years yoars old stili still stilihu stillhas stillhas hu has vivid recollections of Barbara s smothor smother smother mothor mother , whom he had hnd loved 10'012 10012 loped ' eIghteen eIghteenyoars eighteenyears eighteenyears yoars years before He had mido m\do m do made ' \ up hta hIs mInd mIndto mindto mindto to propose that night to Emily Trent , 80 o that hia his well ordered housohold household housoholdmight householdmight householdmight might havo hao ha'e hae , ' a & permanent head hend But Buttho Butthe Butthe tho the children chlldren arrive and nnd the tho proposal Isinterrupted Is IsInterrupted laInterrupted Interrupted Stephen feels his heart heartwarm heartwarm heartwarm warm to the small daughter of his hisearly hisearly hisearly early love , but he tells her be he must mustsend mustsend mustsend send them thorn all back Kit la Is le taken III IIIStephen IIIStephen IIIStephen Stephen finds himself hlmseJf unable to resume resumehIs resumehis resumehis hIs lover-like lover like - feeling feollng tor for : Emily ImUy The Thechlldron Thechildren Thechildren chlldron children B 8 s relatives relative . appear nppea.r nppear . , highly an- an annoyed annoyed an annoyed - noyed and vociferously dlsnpprolng disappro.ing disapproing dlsnpprolngStephen disappro.ingStephen disapprovingStephen , ' . Stephen pacifies them thorn The youngsters youngstors youngstorsbecome youngstersbecome youngstersbecome become a recognized part of ot the house house- househoM household household - hold hoM hold holdCHAPTER CHAPTER IX-Continued IX Continued IX - Continued IXContinued15 -15- 15 - 15"You 15"You 15 - - Tou "You You " h:1\ h:1 h1 have h:1e : \ e reason to be , . " Bhe she site de decded decried decided cded cried [ , , after an Interval of or thought thought"Maybe thoughtMaybe . . . "Maybe Maybe " we could pay you back back.There'll back.Therell backTherell . . . There'll Therell ' be some money when they sell sellthe sellthe sellthe the Pro\ Pro Pros Provlncetown ProIncetown \ Incetown lncetown housett house tt " tt"That's " "That's Thats " ' a good Idea Wea , " Stephen Stephenagreed Stephenagreed Stephenagreed agreed "I'll Ill " ' ' present you with all aU or of orthe ofthe ofthe the bills bms . . " "Promise Promise "Promlse7 Promlse7 " ? " she asked nshed very gravely . "I I 1'1 11 " ' promise . , " he be gravely agreed agreedA A day or two later he took too1 . them themshopping themshopping themshopping shopping , leaving the office at noon noonWIth noonwith noonwith WIth no explanations , which caused causedMIss causedMiss causedMiss MIss Finch to wonder more than ever everwhat everwhat everwhat what had happened to Mr DrakeStephen DrakeStephen Drake DrakeStephen Stephen \ wondered ondercd , , too .The The . , The chil chil- children children children - dren , be thought , were discovering dIscoverJDg for forhim forhim forhim him qualities qual1ttes which he did dld not hnow know hnowthat knowthat knowthat that he possessed He was suddenly suddenlyinterested suddenlyinterested suddenlyInterested interested In bats hats and dresses and andslIppers andslippers andslippers slIppers jealously wanting to do every every- everythIng everything everything - thing for Barbara's Barbaras arbara's arbaras ' children hImself himselfas as long as they were with him He Hedid Hedid Hedid did It tor for her-tbe her tbe her-the the her - the Barbara he had hadlot hadlov 10 lot ' cd ed I IHe cdHe edHe He was a little llttle embarrassed at first firstby , by the suave salesladies In the shop shopNatalJe shopNatalie shopNatalie NatalJe Natalie had recommended But the theembarrassment theembarrassment theembarrassment embarrassment gradually graduaHy merged Into Intointerest intoInterest . Interest and pride Gay was en enchantlng enchanting enchanting chantlng chanting In the frocks frod.s frods . \ which hlch the sales salesladles salesladies salesladies ladles ladies selected . . " "Sweet Sweet " t " ' ' they murmured to each eachother eachother eachother other , loud enough for Stephen to tohear tohear tohear hear . , " "A A " real little beautJ beauty beautyt beaut } t , ' " . Gay wore her look of a little girl girlwho girlwho girlwho who had just given her shoes to an anorphan anorphan anorphan orphan But Stephen knew she hnd had hndheard hadheard hadheard heard the admiring comments commentq She Shewas Shewas Shewas was an artful Uttle Little mtns mina mln : ! but she was wasalso wasalso wasalso also a beauty . It embarrassed and andpleased andpleased andpleased pleased him , too , when "hen hen " she flung her herarms herarms herarms arms around his neck and cried hap happl1y happoly happlly happlly"Oh pl1y poly ' "Oh Oh " , Uncle Stephen aren't arent ' they per perfectly perfectly perfectly fectly sweet t ' , " . "We We " can t afford much for me , " Bar Barbara Barbara Barbara bara said when they had selected selectedtroc1 selectedfrocks selectedrocks troc1 frocks ( tor for Gay and a coat with a asquIrrel asqulrrel asquirrel squIrrel squlrrel collar and a cap bonded b\nded b nded banded ' \ wIth wIthsoft withsoft withsoft soft , , dark furc'Try fur"Try fur fur'Try " 'Try Try c'Try cTry "Try ' ' them on , anywiy anyw'1.Y anyw1.Y anyw1Y anyway ' . ; , " Stephen Stephenfjuggested Stephensuggested Stephensuggested fjuggested suggested , seeing seelDg the wistful e e'tpresBlon etpresBlon ' ' Ares Aressoon res ression sion soon In her eyesThey eyesThey eyes eyesThey They changed her ber amazingly , he hethought hethought hethought thought . . He had not realized reahzed the themagic themagic themagic magic of or pretty clothes In thf'se thfse these thf'setrocks thesefrocks thesefrocks ' trocks frocks , cunningly cut and fitted , sbe she sbelooked shelooked shelooked looked older-unm older unm older-until until older - until he saw her eyes eyesThen eyesThen eyesThen Then she looked like ll1.e ll1e . a little girl dresslng dressIng dress 'Ing Ing ' lng Ing up . "We We " can cant t . , " she protested when whenStephen whenStephen whenStephen Stephen would have Instructed the thesaleslady thesaleslady thesaleslady saleslady enchantingfrocks ngfrocks to send the enchan enchanting < [ ng frocks frocks"Ono frocks"One enchantingfrocks"Ono "Ono Ono "One One " or tw07 two ? ? " ' He smiled smlled at her . . "One One 'One " ' or two , " " she agreed , quickly quicklyreturning quicklyreturning quicklyreturning returning the smile . . The saleslady displayed a n short fur furjacket furjacket furJacket jacket the color of coffee coffeo with creamc'Graclous cream"Gracious cream cream"Gracious "Gracious Gracious c'Graclous cGraclous " ' 1 I " Barbara exclaimed "I I "Ican't "Ican't "Ican't Icant " can't cant ' buy fur coats conts . , Uncle Stephen 1 I ! ' ' "Try Try 'Try " ' It on " , " he suggestedShe suggestedShe suggested suggestedShe She slipped sllpped her arms Into the coat"Will coat"Will coat coat"Will "Will Will " you let me buy It for tor a pres present present present ent ? ' Stephen Stcphen asked when the sales saleslady saleslady saleslady lady had disappeared In quest of other othertemptations othertemptations othertemptations othertemptations"I temptations temptations"I "I I " can't cant ' . , Uncle Stephen , " she said saidc'You said"You said"You saidYou c'You cYou "You You " ' ve ye done so much for tor us I can't cant can'tlet can'tlet can'tlet cantlet ' let you buy presents like thisII this II " ' Barbara , " Stephen said , ' "Uo Uo 'do do " ' o you youknow know what a godfather Is7 Is ? He's Hes ' a n see sec seeond secand second ond and father . , I\ow I ow I\ovv ovv \ I \ ow , . will you let mebuy me ' buy you the coat 7 ? ? " " ' ' But you've youve ' done so much , UncIe Uncle UncIeStephen UncleStephen UncleStephen Stephen " . "I I " like Illce doing things for you , " you"Stephen youStephen Stephen said " gently "It It gives me a agreat agreat agreat great deil de'll dell de'iI deiI ' ' of pleasure " " Then I Id d let him , " " Gay advIsed advIsedBarbara advisedBarbara advisedBarbara Barbara finally agreed agreed"Thank agreed"Thank agreed"Thank agreedThank "Thank Thank " you outt ou tt " ttshe she said , when Uley they theyhad Uleyhad had decided that she should wear the theco'lt thecoat thecoit co'lt colt coat ' , . "I I " 1 guess I have a frivolous dls dis dlsposition disposition disposition position I wish-to wish to wishtoShe wish - " " She paused and anda andIt It a wistful wbtful expression crept Into her tier herees tiereyes here ees eyes > ) es fche She he wished Bruce Brnce could see her herIn In andhe andthe the fur jacket with the muff murr and and\he and he \he he the \ \ soft little llttle pull on hat . . . expressionHe expressionlie Stephen saw the wistful expression He lie thought she wished that her Cather father Catherml fathermight fathermight ml might ht see her hc.r hcr . Or her mother , per perhips perh1P5 perh'tlis h1P5 h'tlis htlis ' Stephen , of or course , huc knew , . noth aoth nothln aothIng Ing Ln it 'It ' ' ill 111 Tll about Bruce BruceTl13f BruceThat BruceTlia Tl13f That * e\ e eenl'ng enlng evening \ enl'ng enlng nlng ' Barbara saw . , for the first time , the painting which hung hungbo hung'tbotie hungibove \bo bo 'tbotie tbotie ' \ ' , e the Ule fireplace In Stephen's Stephens ' room ' I wanted you to sec see me , . " she said saidstanding , standIng In the open door Just before beforetime beforetime beforetime time for dinner dhmer dither . . She wore one of ot the theCrocks thefrocks thefrocks Crocks frocks they had selected that tllat after afternoon afternoon noon , , a frock tho the color of ot a tea rose rosenhich rosewhich nhich \ hlch hlchfell fell to licr her ankles In gncetul gr'lceful grlceful gncetulfolds gr'lcefulfolds gnccfulfolds ' folds folds"You Tou "You You " look lool ( \ very fiery ery nice " " Stephen said saidfeelIng saidfeeling saidfeeling feelIng a stnnge str-mge str mge str'inge stringe ' - disturbance In his hisheart hisheart hisheart heart . . And then she saw SIlW the pilnting p'1.Intlng p1.Intlng p1Intlng p'ilnting ' . ' ; red redrocI redrocks redrocks rocI rocks s , blue sei se'l sel set ' , . distant rust colored coloredsalls coloredsails coloredsails salls sails , a girl " with Ith the wind blowing het her hets1.lrt herskirt herskirt s1.lrt s1lrt skirt . against her bare brown legs"rather legs"rather legs legs"rather "rather rather " did tint th'1.t th1.t th1t th'tt thtt ' ' . I ! ' ' she said , movIng movIngtoward movingtoward movingtoward toward the ' ( lieplaco tlleplacc 'Replace Replace . "Yes Yes " . , " " Stephen said"Il's said"It's said said"It's "It's Its "Il's Ils " ' Mother " " She Sbe stood looking lookingup lookingup lookingup up at the painting , her lashes Inehes ; misted mistedwith mistedwith mistedwith with to te1"SCOlt teirs te\1"S te 1"S 1S ' \ irs " "It It COlt " Isn lsn t \ Mother's Mothers 1\lother's 1 lother's lothers ' ' ' face faceemctIJ faceexactl3 faceexactly emctIJ exactl3 : but the rest of It Is " "Yes Yes " , " " , _ Stephen said agaIn"She again"She again again"She " "She She " was lovely lo.ey loey lolely . ] , , " wasn't wasnt "asn't asnt hasn't hasnt ' ' she7 she ? ' "Very Very " lovely loiely 10\ 10 10el \ el . " " Was Wa'J WaJ ' It memories or of orthe ofthe ofthe the Barbara he had lot 10 loved ' ed , , Stephen Stephenwondered Stephenwondered Stephenwondered wondered , or was It the Barbara In Inthe Inthe Inthe the tea rose frock that caused the thestrange thestrange thestrange strange disturbance In 1n his heart hcnrt7 ? lIo Ho lIosaw Hosaw Hosaw saw her , . stnnding \ndlng ndlng stndlng st'Tnding stTnding st < \ ' there In the flreIlg-ht flreIlg ht firelight firelightas - , as he had not seen her before She Sheseemed Sheseemed Slieseemed seemed , tor for a moment , a woman old oldenough oldenough oldenough enough to be 10 loved . ed as he had loved her hermother hermother hermother mother . . . . . . . . Emilv Dmllv Emily came to see Barbara and tho the thochildren thechildren thochildren thochildrenThe children childrenThe The visit HSIt lisit was not entirely a success successShe successShe successShe She came one rainy Saturday after after- afternoon afternoon afternoon - noon and Henry took her directly up upto upto upto to the schoolroom scboolroom Stephen tephen was there therewith therewith therewith with the children The room was In Inan Inan Inan an uproar . They had been pl plgying plgyingsome pliyingsome 1ylng 1ylngsome < some sort of a noisy game All An of at this thisshe , sh shd thought , must be very upsetting upsettingto to Stephen who liked lilted quiet and order . Stephen did not appear to bo be upset upset"You're upsetYoure . "You're Youre " ' Just In tIme,1t tIme1t time , " he said 'Ye're Yere "We're Were "We'rephying "We'reploying Wereploying " 'Ye'rephylng ' ' phylng phying a very exciting game " " He had wanted Emily Drolly to see the thechIldren thechildren thechildren chIldren He lie had thought that she shewould shewould vould would be friendly and gracious graclous Shev She She"I v r 4r 4 4sy sy sy4Q1 4Q1 4Q1"I " "I I " 1 Like Doing Things for You You"Stephen YouStephen , " Stephen Said Gently . was-but was but was - - but with a difference Her lier m'1.n m1.n m1n man m'1.nner mannor minnor ' . ner nor \ was as playful and slightly slfghtly condescending conde conde- condescending condescending - - scending She made the fatil fat\l fat l fatal ' \ error at of atcalling ofcalling ofcalling calling them "Stephens Stephens "Stephen Stephen " s kiddles hIddles hIddlesIt kiddies It1 It " " "liVill liVill " \1- 1 \ - 1111 % 111 ill let the you me play game with withyou7 withyou withyou you7 you ? " she asked al.ed aled ' ) . smiling smlllng a shade too toobrightly toobrightly toobrightly brightly , Stephen thought . . They Theyweren Theyweren Theywercnt weren t babies , these theso children of or his his.They hisThey . . They were Intelligent InteUlgent Why must mustEmily mustEmily mustEmily |