Show SILVER The SILVER By Lida Larrimore C C. ll cr slee SYNOPSIS Oa On her b birthday Star Star- bars bara daughter of Thorne arU awak with anticipation an- an fl t of the Jo of the da day She from Bruce Drue a birthday ring artist frIend of the MacLain young oung friend to liar Dar family but more than bars bara Barbara Darbara and Bruce Druce go pick ins Ing on the sands at Ile 11 tells tell her a alor story of a gyps gypsy boy bo a II little lit lit- t- t tie tle gypsy girl whom he love and sr the song long of a sliver lIver flute She know now now- It US ii I. h. h her bel own love tale tal lIer turn turns to orrow when sh he been r lun drowned hom bome to earn learn her father rather h. h hM has been Downed drowned nel Relatives arrive and take tak charge arge of or things Having lining been almost a mother to the others otherl Barbara Darbara cannot think of or theIr he separation Kits Kit's sensitive nature bruised In Uncle ferbert household by hi ST rough and rough ready cousins cousin and Oa Gay spoiled polled b by her association with silly Aunt Lola Lola- Bruce Druce urges urge ImmedIate ImmedI- ImmedI ate marriage but that would mean mea n separation Desperate the four children children chil- chil dren plot to run a awa away to Barbara Barbara godfather Uncle Stephen Drake whom they have bave never een leen seen CHAPTER V Continued V-Continued Continued V-Continued S 8 Henry stood beside Stephen holding balding g hIs lila dinner coat with the sleeves arranged ar arranged ranged Just so so Mister Stephen was wa s taking laking great pains with the tie h he C thought doing It ft o over o er and over which whit h wasn't his usual way You'd think h beWIS be S was WI going courting Perhaps Sarah was right Perhaps Mister Stephen was going to marry that pale pate Miss Emily Trent Looked like It It Inviting her and her father tather for tor dinner tonight and t tying Ing his tie five the times Well Veil he wished them joy How lIow does dols It look Stephen asked patting the neat nent silk IlIk bow Splendid sir air No hint of ot what he be was thinking appeared In Henrys Henry's parchment face Ill take your sour word for tor it Henry Stephen smiled d and slipped his arms Into the coat Have you everything sir Henry felt responsible Mister Duster Stephen wasn't himself tonight When a man was thinking of ot marriage he be was as apt to be absent abent minded ship shIp shape Then men Ill I'll be petting getting downstairs Henry spare and neat and elderly moved with measured tread trend toward the door Alone In the room Stephen was conscious con con- of Irritation Was he In loewith love lo with Emily Trent Treat He Ill considered the question gravely ell He lie admired her very much enjoyed being with Ith her There was In Emily a Quality of serenity as rare as It was charming He lie saw he her r moving through his house always lIer serene ne and gracious her head wit with h Its braids of ot light brown hair lifted d In the gently dignified way he admired ad mired The picture plea pleased ed him Hut But he wasn't In love with her no not t love as the poets described It a sweet Insanity a madness of ot the senses It was not youthful ardor which had d caused his difficulty with the tie No Nor Not was It the fear of ot being refused ll He Ill e was confident that Emily would accept accept ac his offer of ot marriage Wh Why not She was well ort over r thirty And living g alone with her father was certainly y not too pleasant Professor Trent a former Instructor at the university was an eccentric old chap who de de- devoted Toted voted his time to translating the more obscure Greek and Latin poets Her Iler path through life lite had bad not bee been n strewn with roses She and her fa to ther lived a pinched d sort of ot existence existent S In a small apartment on the outer oute r fringe of square He lIe H could do a great deal for tor Emily An And he knew v that she admired him eve even Iven loved him perhaps In fn her gentle fled fied way ay Emily would accept him He lie was quite certain of that No It was not youthful ardor n or r fear of ot being refused which caused ht his s present uneasiness It was he admitted ad mated It reluctantly a fantastic dread drea d of ot changes Ills His life was well well ordered d and satisfying lie He enjoyed his won work k In the law firm of Van Wyck Penrose and Drake an old established firm 1 In which his grandfather had bt been en the th e original Drake Aunt Edith his fa ther's widowed sister capably ma man n aged his house bouse He lie had his books hl his ns s friendships an occasional concert o or r play golf golt or riding when he felt th the e need of ot exercising out of ot doors He lie H e was content with things as they were But Dut would he be continue to be co content con con- i tent He lie was Vas getting on forty on-forty forty his hi 5 s last birthday An elderly I bachelor h he e had observed ld was a pathetic sort o of ot f figure Aunt Edith was sixty eight t. t His Ills sister r Natalie twelve years young er than he he was married lie He didn't t want to be left lett alone In the house hous e w which had sheltered three generations generation I S of Drakes Nor did he want things thing s changed Emily was the one woman woma of ot his acquaintance who he felt tell would woul d make no attempt to reorganize his lif life lite e Did this dread of ot ee change mean he h e was getting old Stephen the crossed t to wardrobe mirror and gravel gravely 1 In In himself He Ile was not una t he decided It was strange Strang that he had never known o- o a real ro ro- r mance lIe He had bad a greater capacity to for r It than even his bis most Intimate friends friend suspected nut But only once In fn his 11 life lite s e had he had a glimpse of ot romance lIl Ills His e eyes turned to the painting above th the e fireplace She had never er known how ho w v ardently he loved her A Drake Is a al I. I ways nays a gentleman and her had ad been blen husband j d Ms friend She She perhaps a was the true reason why he had Z never nev er known a real romance He lie had for her and looked Tooke d never ne found her In n th the a men we-men be bot had known kno e Stephen walked to the replace an and aDd I crossing his bis arms on the mantel look looked r up at the girl with the 1012 nil M blo her skirt against her bare bar brolly How lovely she had bad been rt That Ion long time since Almost t Rot tl elgh h He tie years had not lot seen lIe He knew that she was her het I lees dead H. H never forgotten her ba vivid face h ber berrt brown hair the dimple that when she smiled V cote ol olA A knock at the door back from the past brou brought ht k Iii Come In he called The Intruder was Aunt was a large handsome Edith fo She had been known kno In her woman v tho youth ai II i bea Edith Drake But Dut that too a long time ago Aunt EdIth Dot nov was comfortably stout with white hair the handsome wi i Drake b nw aoe and a 11 fair smooth complexion a SIl ghe was a Drake by birth and a t v V. V Wyck by marriage That fortnat combination assured her of a t prom pram inept place on patroness lists list and aUd U tbt boards of charitable organizations Iler Her customary manner of ot assume was somewhat shaken tonight You arent aren't Ill are you Stephen she asked when she had closed dosed th the door Of course not Why Steph Stephen again was Will conscious of Irritation You were so 80 Ion long coming do dour Natalie and Robert are here I supposed they were I 1 heard tt th the piano Aunt was uneasy too ke k thought As always he found It W i EY p Perhaps Mister Stephen Stephn Was Wu Going to Marry That Pale Miss MI Emily m Trent cult to discuss Intimate matters matter with wit Aunt Edith The Drakes brakes were K not Dot demonstrative They lived themselves Are you going to marry End Emily Trent she asked after arter a moment of silence I haven't asked her But ut you mean to to Before Detore dinner tonight Stephen knew a moment of ot panic He ne wIshed that he be might recall the words T Too Toolate Toolate late He lie had committed himself Emily Empty Is a sweet unselfish Bh girl SI SIwill She will make you a suitable wife It needn't change things he be sal saId wanting to reassure rea her wanting d des des- to reassure himself Tl This will always be your home Thank you my dear drew hIs bis head down to the level or of her lips and lightly kissed his bis bro broI brow I hope you will be happy The kiss embarrassed them bo boThey both They heard with mutual relief tells t the sound of a car In n the drive Theres Thomas Aunt Ed Edith turned toward the door We must go godown godown down at once Stephen followed her slowly T The feeling of panic returned That was 11 absurd he be told himself lie He bad hadn't been forced Into this situation It was 11 something he wanted to do But Dut I the panic persisted In spite of ot clear think dear Ing lug reason lie felt like a sailor caller em em- barking upon a strange grange uncharted t sea This Is a charming room En Emily said Mid In her gentle voice A bit old Im I'm afraid Stephen felt the panic recede lie v wil soothed by Emily's serenity She was 1 almost pretty prelly tonight he thought ID o the cream colored lace he be particularly admired her only ornament a s cc coral rose on a slender golden chain Its perfect Emily continued I should hate you she you she smiled to let leI him know that she could never un under any circumstances hate him It bim If you should change It t In n any way A perfect setting for tOt you Step Stephen said softly That at least was ti tiThe true The drawing room with Its ran ranel d walls Its rosewood and silver silver gees gr brocade was a perfect setting foe tor Emily But nut be he wouldn't ask her t to marry Lila him her here He lIe would take her Into the conservatory That we would please her ter he thought I with masculine tolerance for if II woman woman's to- to mantle mantic whims The orange trees we weIn were In bloom That would be an excuse Thank you Stephen A faint taint 0 flash crept Into her cheeks You say i plc things II so nicely Did he be mean men anything by that she sh wondered frantic with hope and f fear If lt Stephen asked her to marry bli him It t would make up for tor everything tM the girlhood she had missed the pinching and contriving being patient with ra Fa Father ther when she wanted to scream and fly Into mil million II III of ot pieces Hut But SIC sh must be calm She knew that her tranquility was her greatest cli charm charUl for tor St Stephen She Sho spoke of ot the concert eon con cert they were to attend this e e ening after atter dinner TO eTO DE na CONTINUED I e |