| Show I I II II I IJ J I The I I Ii i SILVER i FLUTE s I s si ss 1 s I i By Lida C Q Company 5 1 j je e S SYNOPSIS On her birthday Barbara Bar itar- bars bar daughter of Christopher Christopher Christ Christ- opher Thorne Thorn lovable but Impractical artist awakes awake with lIel lively anticipation of 01 th the Joy Jore of the d. d day CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued 2 Sing before breakfast you'll cry before night she said laid In a warning voice olce That set let them all tl to laughing Martha's Marthas Mar liar thas tha's face was so 10 droll I 1 IS S e e e e Barbara sat lot with Father In the sun lIun on the wide front steps The children had gone to school Mr Tubbs the postman had bad left lett the mall moll and gone whistling on his hll way war lively day dayt l October In Provincetown Province Province- town Barbara arbora thought was waa the nicest month of ot the year What time lime la is It Babble Father asked I She knew he was teasing He lie asked every live five minutes so 10 she could consult consult con con- sult the watch Uncle Stephen had sent lent She had to admire It often orten the delicate carving the ribbon strap the sapphire IP II the stem Ilem Half past ten she answered and then pleased ed and excited her voice like a shaken chime of ot bells It beautiful Father low How do you yon 00 sup suppose suppose suppose pose Uncle Stephen knew I wanted a watch f The man nan U le a magician Father was smiling I at her She thought how handsome he be was wa hi his hazel eyes hi his thick dark hair hi his lean Ilin straight body that made him look 00 so young Kit looked like Father but Kit was more grave lie He would never neer hue have Father Fathers ringing laugh his hap hop lucky py-go-lucky charm What does Aunt Josephine say rather Father Indicated the letter that lay laytn tn rn Barbaras Barbara's lap She told me to take care of my complexion as II that wa was my one ono claim to beauty What else elser Barbara hesitated There were In Inthe Inthe inthe the letter many references to Father ather and none of or them were flattering Father relieved her embarrassment She said laid she hoped you IOU weren't growing ap up like heathen his heathen his eyes ee twinkled wickedly wickedly though though that per bap was III too much to expect since Christopher Thome Thorne has haa no more Idea how bow to bring up children than a crow crowIn crowin In to a corn field knows knowl about running for tor congress now How did you know Barbara arbara asked surprised d I am familiar with all of ot her ber similes Father lit a cigarette elorette D Directly Dl Di or Indirectly Ive I've heard hoard them many times Barbara looked down at the letter The writing on the envelope recalled recall ell the brick house In Providence the theelma elms elma and the urns on the lawn Aunt AUDI Josephine herself majestic and awe awe- inspiring She seemed to hear Cousin Evies Evie's voice agreeing with Aunt Josephine no matter DIRtier what she said Mid the solemn Important ticking of ot the grandfathers grandfather's clock In the hall holL Aunt Josephine was Mothers Mother's aunt Barbara had hod lived ved with her two years after aner Mother died when the children had been parceled out amon among the relatives relatives rela relo tives and Father Falber had bad gone away It wasn't a happy hapPl two years l rs Aunt Josephine didn't approve of ot artists She didn't approve of ot Father Barbara Barbara Bar nor bara remembering sighed She had hod missed mined the children so much Three years ears of at being together again hadn't made her forget torget Sometimes even now she thought for tor a dreadful moment that they thel were wen separated separate What hat are you thinking Fathers Father's voice blessedly near routed the ins Ill mal oral thoughts of those past times But she site didn't tell him about them It didn't seem quite polite Father might think she didn't trust him lie He had promised sd that they should never ne be parceled out again I was thinking she answered In Instead instead stead that the harbor barbor wont won't look the same when the Ariel Arlel Isn't there The They saw her swaying at anchor her sails lAlla gleaming white In the sun sun Mr Lorings Loring's sloop the Ariel Arid beautiful as asa asa asa a dream Jim Is la leaving tomorrow Father poke spoke lie Do a asked ked me to togo togo go 10 for tor a farewell salt sail this afternoon That Tha t will be nice Barbara was 1181 glad for Father lie He loved sailing and boats The ships he b painted were ere the pictures people bought Tripe ripe rather Father called cabled them They Ther weren't as 88 nice as the things he be did before Mother died They were up In the attic collecting dust People preferred the ships Fathers Father's attention strayed from the Ariel Arid Babble he be asked taking a I letter from his hi pocket do you remember Mr Schwartz That dreadful old oid man with the whiskers Be ne more respectful young lady lad Fath Father r pretended to be stern Item II was an angel In disguise Why Barbara 1811 asked thinking that old Mr Schwartz looked booked less les like an angel Ingel than anyone she Ih had ever evet seen In her life lies Hes building a swanky home borne a I castle on the Rhine No not the tap Father Father consulted the letter letter- the Hudson to be exact and he wants ship panels panell In ID his library and and and- lie He wants you OU to paint them I IThai Thai the reward for tor being polite to gentlemen with whiskers Father I Barbara was wa bouncing with excitement We can caD buy bUl the rest t of the house houlle and put In a heater and mend the root roof and and and- andA A gulp stemmed the torrent of word words I The prospect of ot sudden riches had taken away her breath Father she urged url when she had found It II again go send him a telegram right away away Im going Father swung down the walk and hurdled the picket fence Barbara arbara watching S saw W him turn down Pearl street headed bare the wind tossing his hi hair How young he looked and healthy and brown I Lovely Ively vely day I Oh everything was so nice I They could finish buying the house Dear Mr Schwartz I She loved even his whiskers Aunt Josephine's letter couldn't bother her now But It was WO ft a blot on the day dart She would bury burr It out of sight She found a stick and scooped out outa a hole under the willow tree That was the end of Aunt Josephine JO She heaped up the earth and stuck In a twig tor for a headstone She tried to compose her features and think of ofa a dismal hymn I Hello lIello there there happy Happy Birthday I Barbara looked up from tram Aunt Josephine's Josephine's Josephine's Jose Jose- phines phine's premature grave She felt her heart beat faster fuler Bruce was as unlatching unlatching unlatch unlatch- ing the gate tote S e e e e e a t The picnic basket bosket was packed with lunch The presents had been displayed displayed dis dl played Fathers Father's coral necklace Kits Kit's water color of at the willows willow Rays Ray's slipper slipper slip slip- per buckles the window box Jamie had bad made filled with vines and blossoming blossoming blos blos- plants Bruce had bad admired them all lie He had bad heard about old Mr Schwartz who had turned out to be bean bean bean an angel angll In ID disguise Now he was wo In to the kitchen talking secrets with Martha 1 Barbara bad tactfully remained In the living room Waiting was difficult Why didn't Bruce hurry It was wu after eleven o'clock I 1 She looked at herself tn in the mirror above the bock book shelves set In Its Ita frame of tarnished gilt The freckles were growing fainter tainter she Ibe thought The kitchen door opened and there was Bruce Druce Bruce tanned a lovely color she Ille thought sort lort of at golden rolden brown too like beech leaves In the tall fall Ills Bus eyes ees were blue That was always surprising You Tou expected them to be brown They Ther were smiling crinkling at the corners corner Do you ou like her hert Bruce asked Do no you lOU She whirled around bold as BI bra brass because It was wu her birthday pretty nice Ills III eyes said more than that Or mal maybe be she Ibe just Imagined It It You couldn't tell about Bruce Are you ready He lie came Into the room with the basket of at lunch Ive been beeD waiting hours I She didn't feel tell bold any anI longer lODger She felt sort of at happy and aDd shy The They went out through the dining room door under the arbor that led from the house to the studio under uDder the swaying willows Babble Dabble Bruce stopped suddenly sudden sudden- ly 11 and set the basket on the grass Barbara stopped too She looked up at him wonderingly Ills eyes weren't smiling now The They looked at ather ather ather her so 10 strangely Did you ou think I 1 hadn't brought you a present he bt asked I didn't know Would you have hUt minded If It I hadn't he be said gravely I couldn't have ha-e borne It she an an- Shut your our eyes ees and give me your our hand band Barbara liar barn screwed her ber eyes together and aDd held out her small right hand She I knew the present sent was a ring before he said she might look Such a I hovel lovel ring I It was made of twisted gold and from a tiny clasp In the center hung a SOlO small 11 gold heart which made a s tinkling sound whenever she moved move her hand Brucel I She lifted h her r face and starry eyed framed In ID blowing blowin tendrils of ot soft Boft brown hair A smile that tha t was close to tears trembled across her lips Iles Bruce I 1 she marveled II It Just exactly fits l I lIt It should he said It was matt mat for tor you The heart Is to match yoji face They were silent for tor an Interval The wind In the willows was a song that was happy and sad Barbara moved her hand band an and heard the tinkling of at tb the heart She he wanted to thank him She couldn't find words She looked down at the grass afraid she was going to cry crr Bruce saw law the droop of ot the curl curb head What was as she thinking Did the ring mean more to her ber than a birthday gift Babble A low little laugh broke the spell of sunlight and shadow and the willows willows' sad sweet song Barbara raised her head head- Her lIer face tare sparkled with mis mis- chief 1 she cried stand standIng standing Ing on top tCp of ot Or Great aunt eat aunt Josephine's gra grave gravel Te 1 I II I TO fro T DB DS II CONTINUE |
