| Show the SILVER FLUTE by lida larrimore Larn more 0 marao smith compary service CHAPTER XV continued 25 all right very gently he lifted her from the floor settled into a chair and held her close in his arms it was always eruce bruce he asked yes always she said why you tell me dear 1 I 1 I uncle stephen why not because she paused suddenly thy shy please he urged tilting her chin to look into her eyes well she said at first I 1 because wed made so much trouble I 1 mean your aunt edith went away and silas miss emily and that was all our fault you know about children I 1 thought I 1 ought to stay and then 7 again she paused her lashes misted with tears curved down against her heeks cheeks then what stephen asked gently you must tell me dear then the night of my party beside the illy pond I 1 cant uncle stephen the lashes swept up from her cheeks her eyes were troubled and shy it it seems so dreadfully hard 1 I kissed you he said understanding she nodded in a different way he continued crushing brushing the soft hair back from her brow she nodded again you thought you knew that I 1 loved you again the brown head nodded and you want to hurt me 1 I she said earnestly you had been so kind to us all and I 1 do love you uncle stephen her arms were around his neck her cheek damp with tears pressed closely against his 1 I love you better than anyone c except she added cruce bruce 1 know stephen said there are 1 S kinds of love ill try to be satis 1 with the kind that you can give me you wont be hurt uncle stephen no I 1 want you to be happy you see he be said thoughtfully 1 I sure I 1 about what about you I 1 sure that you loved me in a marrying marring way I 1 mean and he be continued 1 I sure about myself I 1 thought that I 1 might have been kissing your mother that night by the lily illy pond mother barbara asked he told her the story then lie he told her about the barbara he had loved a very long time ago she listened quietly her cheek against his the fingers of one small hand folded around his thumb why you have fathers painting of her she said when he had finished yes aby you are very like her I 1 know which of you I 1 kissed that night by the illy pond you see he be added 1 I loed her very much then you dont mind about bruce 1 I mind he said holding her very close but not too much I 1 want you to be happy you are very dear to me barbara dearer than anything else it in the world youre lovely I 1 she smiled through the tears on her lashes and then there was a change in her face her eyes widened the flush paled out of her cheeks lie felt her tremble felt the swift beating of her heart listen she said what Is it dear but he heard beard it then and he knew the song lie ile had heard it very often we sail ball the ocean blue we catch a da plenty a ish brucel barbara slipped away from stephens arms lies hes cowing coming uncle stephen I 1 barbara met bruce at the door stephen saw her hes hesitate state saw her expression nn change when she looked at bruce saw faw her run into his arms lie ile heard beard incoherent words babble babble darling ml where were you bruce 1 I went away but you came back here 1 I had to find something of you sou youve uve found all of me saor r always fir r always do you hear bear it jice what darling the silver flute funny I 1 do you hear bear it dearr dear yes I 1 for ever so long iong dont let it stop playing again no dont ever let it be lost no darling 1 I 1 love you so touch much they had bad forgotten stephen ne ile went out and closed the door 0 0 0 0 0 stephen sat in a deck chair under the willows looking down across the harbor calm in the twilight the shadows were deepening the sound of the wind in the willows was a song that was happy and sad stephens mood harmonized harmon ked with the song lie too was happy and sad happy because barbara was happy sad because something la in him had died something which he thought would never live again there would never be for him a real and tender romance lie ile had had bad only glimpses glimpse of it the barbara lie he had loved a very long time ago the barbara whom he ha had held for a moment against hll his heart beart the thought hurt him deeply but under the sadness it brought there was a feeling of contentment such things were not for him ile he had been in the cradle a sedate bachelor gray at the temples even then adventure romance they had no part in the pattern of his life some men were destined for adventure he had been born under a quiet star ile he knew now why he had been troubled by doubts and uncertainties at times during the summer ile he wanted to marry barbara lie ile wanted to marry emily he a marrying man it was the future alone he had dreaded he need not fear that now there were kit and gay and jamie camle to give his life a meaning he would never feel entirely alone A ready made family was a blessing he a marrying man the notes of a guitar drifted through the shadows barbara and bruce sat on the studio steps stephen could not see them but he be knew they were there one small table dear and two small email chairs A lazy parrot tor for a pet pat the kind that never swears two small chairs that was adventure stephen thought they would be happy together they were young and deeply in love lie he could bear it to lose her to bruce lose her he if 1 I of babble babbie darling need never lose her entirely he had a place in her life he knew that she would love him and remember him that he thought was enough there would be cares of course but what did they matter ile he could help them perhaps give them the gray shingled house better not parents he thought amused at himself in the role of a father meddled entirely too much better to let them make their own way but he would buy the house sometime she might have it uncle stephen she was standing beside him her arm linked through braces arm her eyes shining like stars theres so much id like to say she hesitated ile he knew she was searching for grateful words never mind he said she gave up the attempt she left bruce and crossed to stephens chair 1 I love you uncle stephen she said her arms around his bis neck 1 I know ile he smoot smoothed bed the soft hair back from her brow 1 I ill always be grateful 1 I dont want you to be grateful lie he held her for a moment he held the barbara he had loved closely against his heart 1 I want you to be happy ill do my best bruce said huskily im sure of that thank you sir they ibey walked across the lawn and through the gate in the picket fence stephen watched them until they disappeared in the shadows ile he was sad for a moment a sadness that had nothing to do with reason there was in his heart for a moment a longing tor for the thing that was riot not for him too late he thought hearing above abode his head the happy sad song of the wil willows loAs too late for always too late the door of the house opened lot kit came across the lawn gay waltzing like a butterfly jamie with chips at his heels they clustered about his chair gays curly head dropped against his shoulder kit sat on the grass at his bis feet jamie camle hung bung over the chair wanting to be close chips lapped stephens hand with a rough wet tongue how ion long can we stay gay asked breaking a friendly silence A day or two stephen answered roughing her bright brown curls are we to live at school gay and I 1 jamie asked 1 I think so kit and I 1 are going abroad just you and 1 I uncle stephen kit looked up through the shadows with a question in his eyes lie he wondered it if uncle stephen was hurt about bruce ile he wanted to know that he stephen read the question in kits lifted eyes suddenly the sadness vanished the longing for something he could not have they were nice youngsters they were his ile he need never feel alone yes yei he be said and there was a note of contentment in his voice well have to leave barbara here I 1 guess I 1 think she wants to stay THE END |
