Show The he SILVER FLUTE By Lf Lida a Larrimore ore O Q Maera B SYNOPSIS On her Pier nth birthday flat Bar tiara barn motherless daughter of Christopher Christ Christ- opher Thorne Thorn artist arUt awakes awake with an anticipation an- an of the Joy joys of the h day Bh She rc receives lT a birthday ring from Brume Drue young artt friend nd of th the family but more mor than friend to Barbara flat Bar bars bara Barbara Darbara and Bruce Drue go Inn Ing on th the sands landi at Provincetown Iro If Ue Ifs t tells teU ll her a tor story of a gypsy boy bo a lit 1 tl tie cyp gypsy y girl Ctrl whom ii loves and th the tong song of a a sliver flut She Bhe Bh know knows It I I. I her ber ow Ion tae tN list happiness turn tarns to sorrow lorrow when the She h return returns home hom r I to learn her het father he hn has been beu drowned anti and tal take chare harge of ot things thine Having h beer ei k r mother mothr to th the others other cannot think of their separation Kit Kits sensitive nature bruised In Uncle Herbert Herberts household b by hi his hi rough and ready cousins and 0 Day Oay spoiled polled b by her with silly Illy Aunt Lola LolL Bruce Druce urges urge Immediate Immedi Immedi- ate marriage but that would mean separation Desperate the tour four children children chil ehll dren plot to run WI away to Barbaras sad cod godfather father Uncle Stephen Stophen Drake Drak I whom th they have haye never seen neen Stephen Drake Drak bachelor tort forty years year eara old till still ha h. has vivid recollections recollection of th the beautiful tul ful young oun matron Barbaras Barbara's mother whom he had loved lond eighteen years year ean be be- beor tore or lie He had made up hi his hi mind to pro- pro propose po pose that night to Emil Emily Trent so 0 o that hi his hll well well ordered ordered household might have ban a permanent head hd But nut the children children chil chil- dren arrive and the proposal I is Ie In In in- Interrupted CHAPTER VI VI- VI Continued VI-Continued Continued 10 i 10 t Have they no relatives she naked asked when he lie had hac c concluded the sketch with the death of ot Christopher Thorne Tao Too many moni relatives Stephen an an- That seems to be the trouble The The children d don't dont t flint to tobe tobe tobe be separated They for a time after after the mother died That's why wilt they ran away Tl e rel relatives ore are In The children ran ron away from them them them-ln In a truck I never heard of ot such a thing 1 I Aunt Edith brIstled bristled with Indignation They mutt be distracted Have yo you wired them 7 What sort lort of at people are they Highly respectable table I I should say ay Again Stephen smiled Barbara Darbara spoke of or an Uncle Herbert A relative named Uncle Herbert must mu t be a respectable person Aunt Edith looked distressed I cant can't see that It Its It's a matter tor for making jokes she said It isa The smite smile vanished Stephens Stephen's expression was grave rave and troubled again arl I II J wish 1 l' l co could ld help them They're nice r youngsters u But Bat what hat In the world would C cab l I ilo or dot fYon f f- You Yon send can can t lemback to their relatives Mind Aund Edith said laid firmly Tomorrow Not tomorrow Aunt Edith They're completely exhausted Stephen rem remembered re re- m Kits Kit's white face the circles circles circles' of ot weariness chalked under Barbaras Barbara's eye eyes TheY bave havo to rest for tor a day or two A word of ot protest rose to Aunt Edith's lips 1111 She Was having a luncheon lunch eon tomorrow Four children would be hard to explain But then this was Stephens Stephen's house bouse The protest prates dissolved slowly and became a sigh You arent aren't thinking of ot keeping them she he asked Ot Of course not I Stephens Stephen's expression lIon don was so BO startled that Aunt Edith was reassured What would I do with four tour children on my hands hands' I wondered Aunt J Edith collected tier her wrap and her ber scarf her ber gloves and her ber Jet headed bended bolt bog Youve had a disturbing evening she he said as 81 she rose from the chair better go goto goto goto to bed and think no more about them And In the morning t she added pausing paus ing Jag at door better call I Emily and apologize O. O There are some things I a woman finds It difficult to be understanding under standing about Stephen raked the coals In the grate Irate and returned to the deep soft chair lie He had been bren rude lie He hadn't be remembered now now returned to the conservatory and the love-birds love and ithe the blossoming orange trees lie He had had bad dinner with the children In the old i schoolroom upstairs nut Hut he thought I Emily would understand He Be would send Bend her flowers In the the morning No he be would take them himself him him- self her favorite white 1 lilacs and he would tell her ber the things he had hall meant to to say oy this evening before the children arrived What had bad he told her How far tar had he gone gone It emt embarrassed him to realize e that he couldn't remember distinctly The second part of ot Aunt Edith's advice ad ad- vice Ice he found taunt himself entirely unable 10 to follow tollow They were WE're amusing you young young- nit nit- etere Tired as they were a little awed by y their surroundings he had hat enjoyed them tonight Barbara That was tier her mothers mother's name The daughter was very like the Barbara arbara he be had loved the same shaped heart-shaped face tare the soft sott brown hair the dimple te that woke when she smiled Younger of ot course more slightly built not so 80 vivid perhaps But Dut sufficiently like her to arouse disturbing memories memories mem memo ories orles of ot the adventure In southern France That he hough hought his eyes on the lowing glowing coals was the only rt real l adventure adventure ad ad- I venture he had ever known He lie had been restless for tor a time w when en he returned home lie He had planned vacation vaca- vaca i i tion adventures a voyage ou on a tramp schooner a walking trip through Nova Scotia a winter jaunt through Italy and aha Spain lie He had hat accomplished none of ot them theiU n He lie had never recaptured the of at that spring In southern France I Even ven the war i i sd d tall failed him He Ile Hei j i i sad aad bd through no DO fault of f his own spent the time In Washington behind a quartermasters quartermaster's quartermasters quartermaster's desk Gradually the rest had disappeared II lie was WaI on aD the whole content with his orderly life Ute It was wae years since he had experienced expert erl the restlessness which troubled him tonight The ch 1 children ren were responsible he ha thought Barbara with her soft ott brown hair nod nail the dimple at the left corner corner cor cor- ner of ot her mouth When WIlen he had bad returned returned returned re re- turned them tl to their thelt relatives life lite would go on the usual way Barbara arbora In a rose colored kimono her hn hair tumbled about her er face tace stood hesitating Just Inside the room Why arent aren't you a asleep Stephen naked asked Its fits after midnight young lady II f I fI I know w. w She pushed hack back the tumbling hair There are so 80 many clocks I i heard t them striking all over the tho house you siept pl at all m Not a single wink I came down downto to see It If you were pre here I want to talk Uncle Stephen Stphen But nut Barbara you call me Babble she asked She was standing beside him now She lifted her face race and he saw aw sawa awa a wistful expression In her wide dark eyes Father always did Father and Bruce ruce she thought thou ht She did not mention Bruce Babble He e je smiled Is Ja that that better bet bet- ter terl lie Her face tore brightened Much better she said ly 11 the ly-the the smile What shall hall we talk about he fie e asked asked when when she she he had hind curled hers herself lt Into int the the chair beside the tho fire I want ant to She looked l at him gravely gravly T 1 haven't v very welt well Im I'm not sure that I can can try She so young ii Sl Stephen phen thought curler curled In the deep dep soft chair younger than she had st In the evening It U was the tho kimono perhaps and nd the tumbled tum turn bled bIrd soft oft brown hair Id rather Her eyes were troubled chalked under underneath el th with circles of ot fa ta tigue I couldn't sleep I wondered Wh what t you were thinking Ive been thinking Stephen said gravely that It was wrong rong to run runaway away she said laid with witha I suppose It was a l soft tt little sigh But Dut I didn't know what else to do You see the see the wide dark eyes tyes n asked him to understand understand- It was because of ot Kit lie He cried so Uncle Stephen Id I'd never seen Kit cry like that She told him of at Uncle Herbert and the boys who were too healthy and active ac ac- tive Uve for tor Kit Kit Isn't very lir strong strong ng The doctors never entirely outgrow the limp And I nd bd h a a so brave brave about 11 It ItHer ither Her lieI voice vorce was warm warm with love for tor Kit Kits so so-so so so splendid Uncle Stephen Im Tm sure he heals Is Is Stephen said laId I fOI knew at once that Kit was a splendid chap Barbaras Barbara's face tace lighted sweetly with pleasure Uncle Stephen seemed to understand It was easier now to tell him about the relatives She talked eagerly a torrent of at words Stephen watched the changing expressions expressions ex In the small pale face tace framed In curly soft IOU brown hair lie He found himself resenting the mature mature ma ma- ture expression which had settled Into her eyes She had known too too much sadness he thought It occurred to him that charming Christopher Thorne might not have been blen an entirely reliable parent Why did you come to me he asked when she had finished and sat looking Into the fire Ore lIe He wished that sh shy wasn't so small mall and n 1 forlorn and ap ap- ap- ap pealing Your letter leller was Will friendly I carried It In my DIY blouse the she confessed suddenly sud cud denly shy story i You you did lie He was touched b by her het I con confidence a little provoked as all well They were nice youngsters all of at them But nut what In the world could he do do doShe She nodded A flush that matched the kimono crept Into her cheeks You didn't sound like a crusty old bachelor she said her lashes drop- drop In Ing again ne Besides ldes there was no noone noone noone one else elst Father had no close rela There was wu only Mothers Mother's family fam fam- ily And they just think were we're a duty They dont don't approve of at us at all What did you think I could do dor Stephen had left his chair and was pacing across the hearth I thought maybe It If you'd write to them about It they'd let me keep the children In Provincetown Her voice was eager Hope had lighted the dark stars In her EJe eyes Youre a r arent aren't you Uncle Stephen Yes he answered wondering what lay behind the question They have ha a great respect for tor lawyers law lawyers she said laid Of Ot course they thought It was crazy when I asked them because they think Im I'm no older ohler than Gay But maybe It you thought It was a sensible plan plan plan- I dont Stephen was surprised at atthe atthe atthe the vehemence In his voice Youre too young to assume the responsibility for tor three children Youre You're no more than a child chUd yourself Im not 1 I The rose flush deepened The dark eyes eyes eyes' flashed Im And older than that Inside Ive I've taken care of at the children always At least leas least she added with a little sob In her voice ever since Mother Molher died Father Fa a then ther was a darling But nut he didn't know about sore throats and upset stomachs and tantrums and tures lures I do Uncle Stephen 1 I could take care of ot them I 1 She had meant to say ay that she was old enough to be engaged to Bruce Cruce But nut perhaps Uncle Stephen would think that was wai crazy too TO aTo BK ea coN CONTINUED u |