Show the aSIL VEL in ar FLUTE by lida larrimore 0 birdth kompany service lc SYNOPSIS on her eighteenth birthday barbars barbara motherless daughter of chri christopher t thorne artist receives a birthday ring from bruce maclalan MacL aln young artist friend of the family but more than friend to barbara barbara and bruce go picnicking lie tells her a story of a gypsy boy a little gypsy girl whom he loves and the soni song of a silver flute flats she knows it Is her own lov tale her father Is killed in ao an accident relatives arrive and take charge of things barbara tears fears the childrens separation and its effects desperate she plans to take her two brothers and sister and run away to her godfather uncle stephen drake lie he a bachelor forty years old still has vivid recollections of barbaras mother whom he had loved eighteen years before ho he had made up his mind to propose that night to emily trent so that his well ordered household might have a permanent head but the arrival of the children interrupts the proposal barbara tells him why they ran away and ho he feels his heart warm to the bravo brave daughter of his bis early love CHAPTER VI continued 11 barbara gabble babble dear youre like the rest of them she said stormily 1 I thought you would understand your letter was so friendly and nice dice 1 I she knew it was useless to talk tears caught in a lump in her throat she buried her head in her arms and under the rose kimono her shoulders trembled with sobs bubble stephen said dont cry so please barbaras daughter it wads was strange that she should be here lie wished he be might help her for that other barbaras sake but ahat ft hat in the world could lie he do barbara grew quieter presently the curly head lifted again aro are you going to send us back the she asked and the expression that was not cot childish settled into her eyes im afraid I 1 must yes she sighed 1 I suppose you must then after a moment when not for a day or two youre tired she looked so dreadfully ed he thought lie ile wanted to keep raer ra ver there not permanently of 0 course just until she had rested 1 I want you to stay for a day or two I 1 have wired to Province toun thank you she smiled shakily will your aunt mind very much it if we stay 1 I think not she seem pleased to see us it was a surprise stephen said tactfully she was silent tor for a moment her head drooping against the chair her eyes watching the fire cre uncle stephen yes you answer if this Is an impertinent question but Is the lady who had on the lacy dress a particular friend of yours miss bliss trent ashes a very dear friend gay thought you were engaged to her are you uncle stephen stephen smiled ile he wished someone would answer that question tor for him it would help him tomorrow with the lilacs 1 I have known her for years he be said barbara did not insist upon a more definite answer again she was quiet for a moment then again her lashes lashes slowly lifted im sorry I 1 said what I 1 did her wide dark eyes sleepy misted with tears to forgive her you arent like others uncle stephen youre comfortable she said drowsily and very very nice stephen had difficulty with his voice ile he was obliged to cough once or twice before he was able to say a nice compliment thank you babble dear CHAPTER VII kit was ill exhaustion the doctor said what have you been doing he asked timing kits pulse stephen answered for kit lie ile told the story briefly they were friends of his big ho be said they had come to make him a visit the trip from brov Ince town in the rain had bad been perhaps a little too much for kit amm hmm said doctor chase Is lie he very ill barbara asked anxiously slie she would never dever forgive herself if running away had made kit very ill VW V 0 W the doctor reas reassured her A touch of bronchitis lie he said some fever nothing to be alarmed about ile he needs quiet and rest ilow how long kit croaked from the huge bed oh a week or two I 1 hope he added twinkling at kit you any important engagements A week or two atwol I 1 barbara looked at udee stephen ile he was frowning a little lila his brows drawn down over his pleasant gray eyes they were going to be a bother to him they have live run away slie she sat acry ery still in the stuffed damask chair feeling eato mely unhappy I 1 get a nurse stephen asked well doctor chase shook some som bright colored pills into an envelope welli well i ho he repeated considering the question oh no uncle stephen nurses are very expensive I 1 can take care of NIL kit I 1 always have barbara said bold earnestly when kit has been sick like this I 1 know just exactly what to do well doctor chase seemed surprised stand up he said eald let me see it if you look like a reliable nurse barbara uncurled herself from the chair she tried to look grown up and tall will I 1 do she asked doctor chase considered that question ilow how old are you lie ho asked rast past eighteen the doctor raised a quizzical eyebrow 1 I have thought it he said lie looked at stephen ile he looked at barbara ills his eyebrow lifted again very well he said snapping the catch on his leather bag ill stop in again this evening doctor chase took himself off im sorry kit said when h he e had gone all right stephen said gently the frown vanished ile he found it hard bard to be severe with kit the boy hid had charming manners and he looked so completely done in stephen smiled at barbara dont m i 10 I 1 4 are you going to send Us back worry he said to kit got get well as fast as you can 1 I will kit promised and then remembering mem bering his manners its very kind of yau abu sir very kind echoed barbara he lovely kit stephen left them together extraordinary tra children he be thought too reasonable and grown up for their years and at the same time so delightfully childish the boy was a charming lad lie he wondered it if anS anything thing could be done about the limp lie might as well speak to doctor chase now dow while the children were here A clock struck ten as he walked downstairs stephen frowned ile he was already an hour late at the office ills his dally daily routine would be upset well it be for long aunt edith stood in the lower hall tier her expression was resigned what did the doctor say she asked A touch of bronchitis oh dear aunt edith sighed and buttoned her lips together the sigh irritated stephen it was merely bronchitis after all she sh 0 look as though the house was smitten with a plague it cant be helped he said brusquely we cant put a sick child out of the house but after all it was dim cult tor aunt edith she ec ae cus customer custo tomed to children you be inconvenienced he be said eald more gently barbara will take care of him Is she competent aunt edith unbuttoned her lips to ask 1 I think so stephen smiled she an ordinary child no aunt edith agreed she looked at stephen questioningly have you called emily she asked after a moment of silence stephen lie ile had meant to of course but this morning kit had been ill women were curious he thought aunt edith last evening had not seemed very happy about his marrying emily now she was emiles champion champ fon it was difficult to explain 0 0 is AN 0 0 miss bliss finch stephens secretary glanced up from the papers on her desk as stephen came into his office her eyes were two startled questions im late this morning stephen said feeling uncomfortably guilty yes mr drake miss bliss finch adjusted her paper cuffs mr air drake was invariably punctual you could set the clock by him she told her married sister with whom she lived A and nd here lie was two hours late I 1 the man from thompson add gal lards was here she said as stephen began to open the letters placed in a neat pile on ills his desk ile he waited an hour miss bliss finch primly consulted a pad the appointment was for ten good lordt stephen groaned that was important yes said miss bliss finch accusingly families are distracting 1 I beg your pardon mr drake 1 I 1 was thinking aloud stephen smiled a smile half amused and half provoked miss bliss finch had never seen before that curious sort of a smile oll oh she said wondering what in the world had happened to mr drake get him on the phone for me please miss bliss finch stephen sold said and make an appointment for tomorrow TO ITO BE CONTINUED |