Show B lae SO aives 9 em by lida larrimore ca valrae smith company service SYNOPSIS on her eighteenth birthday barbara motherless mother loBS daughter of christopher 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 aruo po go picnicking ile he tells her a story of a gypsy boy a little gypsy girl whom he loves and the song of a silver hutc flute she knows it Is her own love tale talc her father Is 19 killed in an accident relatives arrive and take charge of things barbara fears the children a separation and its effects desperate the she plans to take her two brothers and sister and run away to her godfather uncle stephen drake ile he a bachelor forty years old still hs has vivid recollections of Bar barbaras barVa mother whom he had loved eighteen years before he had made up his mind to propose that night to emily trent so that his well ordered household might have hana a permanent head eu bu the arrival of the children interrupts the proposal barbara tells him why they ran away and be feels his heart warm to the brave daughter of his early love but ho be tells her ho he must send them all back kit Is taken ill stephen finds himself strangely unable to resume his lover liko feeling tor for emily CHAPTER VIII 13 uncle herbert was very angry in deed stephen realized that when uncle herbert exploded in the office ile he was glad he had sent him the office address the children would be spared the worst of the explosion aunt lola who had bad come with alth uncle herbert to represent the relatives angry she was merely very much hurt it was barbaras fault the repeated whenever uncle herbert paused to catch a breath dear little gay would never neier have thought of such a thin thing barbara she feared was like her mother willful and headstrong with no proper regard for other peoples feelings barbara Is an unusual child 11 stephen said nettled by aunt lolas remarks impulsive perhaps rut but not headstrong she wanted to keep the children hild together ji ry notion all a notion acle cle hot stormed we cant blame her too much I 1 suppose aunt lola said with a fluttering sigh its the way she has been brought up christopher thorne was respect for the dead caused aunt lola to pause rut but her expression ston implied many things poor barbara she sighed again im afraid the she a happy life stephen had thought her the hap blest person he had ever known the barbara he be had bad loved through uncle herberts voice he heard her voice gay and amused through aunt lolas perfume which was making his bis head ache a little lie he smelled the roses of southern france it seemed an act of treachery to barbara to deliver her children into the hands of the enemy but what in the world could he do kit 1 Is 13 3 a bit ill he said when uncle herberts Ifer borts rage had bad subsided a little and aunt lola had ceased to sigh well have to keep him a week or two uncle herberts expression indicated that this was the final andl indignity gelty 1 I must get back to the office he be said laid louder than was vas necessary 1 I hale haie wasted a great real of time theres no reason for you to stay stephen felt that his patience was fraying at the edges well send kit to you as soon as lie he Is well enough to travel what about jamie aunt lola asked aunt josephine Is very much 1111 anno pd she thou thought ht of the irate old lady in the red brick providence dence house stephen thought of her too as barbara had described her ile he felt ft a disturbing desire to guard and protect tile the children ile he knew it was an unreasonable desire but it seemed a shame that barbara should be forced to live where here she had once been so unhappy he was reluctant to send her to providence stephen of course knew nothing at all about pruce bruce 1 I can take nay gay at once I 1 suppose aunt lola askani there are such delightful children at the hatel ho tel im sure site she will have a lovely time hotel children I 1 stephen thought with a silent groan lie he had seen them in many places pert over dressed girls little boys who aho bullied the porters and maids and smoked cigarettes on the sly gay barbaras chor character acter looking at aunt LIt was easy to see what pretty Gay probably become still there was no reason why aby he should make himself responsible ile he was sorry for the four thorns Thorn Thorl cs but what in the world could lie he do 1 I suppose so go he said with no great enthusiasm gay lie thought would lie be entirely willing to go with aunt lola but gay surprised him when they reached stephens horne home that afternoon she sat bat on the side of the huge bed helping kit fit together one of the picture puzzles barbara had been reading aloud to jamie when stephen brought aunt lola and uncle herbert into the room the reading had stopped abruptly and the color had paled from her cheeks A little of it returned alien gay said sweetly but firmly oh no aunt lola I 1 cant leave kit when hes sick alck but e impose on oil mr drake aunt lola was hurt by gays lack of interest in the trip to florida are we imposing ay asked glancing up at stephen from under her long curled lashes they all looked at Rt stephen ephen ba dar harn barn kit gay and jamie ile he fel felt t that he fall them its pleasant havid having you here ile he said and realized with a start 0 surprise that wit what it he slid was true is aunt lola was plaintive but gay was firm she leave kit when lie he was sick it if uncle stephen Step lien mind she would very much rather I 1 stay uncle stephen mind it was decided that gay should go to florida later uncle herbert behaved very well an excellent luncheon had mel mellowed loved his temper ue he scolded the children for running away in a somewhat jocular fashion ue lie asked kit riddles and tousled gays curls and admired jamies electric tr trains alris lie ile was agreeable to barbara ue ile produced a checkbook and pen quite all right stephen said let me take care of them please think of it mr air dra drake ile uncle herbert was pompous and dignified the family pride was nt at stake id rather they are my guests I 1 have some claim on them yoa you know he added with a smile barbara is my little Bl illette lette ily aly little fil lettel barbara felt a singing inside of herself uncle stephen she thought was the k kindest man in the world it if you insist P uncle herbert said I 1 doubtfully 1 I certainly do well well the checkbook was restored to uncle herberts Ue pocket lie he looked kindly at the children we cant expect old heads on young shoulders I 1 suppose he said to stephen and accepted another elgar cigar they left some time later declining an all invitation to dinner tile the children greeted him jubilantly when stephen returned to 0 o the room where kit lay propped cropped against pillo pillows INS after aunt lola and uncle herbert had gone jamie and gay fell upon him with rapturous cries stephen felt himself smothered in thin young arms and lusty bear like embraces embr ices it did something strange to ills his heart ile he looked over their heads at barbara standing beside kits bed tier her eyes thanked him she smiled her gayest smile bless them he thought alib with a lump in his throat what jolly youngsters they were they sang lustily to tell uncle stephen how very happy they were aunt edith opened the door her face beneath waved white hair very tern stern and disapproving the doctor advised rest and quiet she said when she could he be beadi heard A little pleasant excitement wont hurt him stephen smiled at kit propped against the pillows were celebrating he said the enemy has been routed whoopee jamie shouted his freckled face shining with happy excitement cit ement they swung into the chorus again chips barked jamie to aunt editha horror boat beat time with a pair of drum sticks that used to be stephens agal against ast the foot of the bed kit tinkled the spoon against the glass find and croaked like a happy bullfrog gracious aunt edith thought and buttoned her lips together 0 0 0 0 that evening barbara wrote to eruce B r u 11 kit Is sick but not very just a cold and a temperature I 1 was worried but kit says its an act of providence you tou know the old fashioned way he talks anyhow uncle stephen will let us stay here until kit is better although he was provoked about us running away I 1 think hes getting to like us a little he brought us presents last night a lovely necklace for ml me and add he has been so kind about kit aunt lola and uncle herbert came today but they wore were very polite I 1 think they were impressed by uncle stephens home bome its very elegant bruce its built out of stone with ivy all over it and stables only they dont have horses now and greenhouses and lawns and gardens and lovely trees and a butterill butler erIll 11 what do you think of that its a very educating experience to lle live in a house that lias has a name arid and a butler and cords with tassels cassels to ring for the servants there is a library just full of books bonks slid and a drawing room all full of rosewood furniture an and chandeliers will glass icicles dripping from them and cabinets ls full of the loveli loveliest ost things little jade trees and ivory elephants and flowers made out of glass and a conservatory I 1 know people had conservatories conserva tories and drawing draing rooms except in books did you bruce dir dar ling but of course this Is a very old house we have a great deal to live up to because although Mot mothers bers re relatives lathes are well to do they dont live in places like this gay Is simply on en t ra need I 1 you know how 1 alic I lovea elegance I 1 but I 1 nasli we were back in provincetown Province town with martha scold scolding irig us and mnnuel manuel playing ills his accor accordion dinn and father corning coining in from froin the studio with paint on his trousers and its his hair all mussed up making jokes an and I 1 tell ing us stories the way hp he used to do TO BE CONTIN CONTINUED LIED |