Show I 1 M RY UA ad A d 0 LIDA LARRIMORE 0 service i copyright ca 1 SYNOPSIS to the quiet household of doctor 23 allar d in mulberry square youthful D dr r hugh kennedy son on of rn an old arlend of tho the physician comes as an a assistant sal stant to stay atay a year ile he first meets janle janie unaffected and likable nineteen ne teen year old oia daughter ot of doctor I 1 ballard her older sister leter cella celia a petted beau beauty ty Is away from homo home on a visit CHAPTER II 11 2 young doctor kennedy encumbered with an array of expensive luggage followed janle janie up a wide flight fit lit of polished stairs the old brick house bouse was deceiving on the outside he thought noticing with some surprise the chesterfield in the hall a fine oil painting the grandfathers clock on the landing where the steps branched right and left it was shabby of course but it had an air 1 mother lother would probably put you in the guest room janle janie led the way into a dim spacious room at the rear on the second floor 1 I think this Is nicer it was a pleasant room the long side windows opened out on a balcony formed by the roof of the porch downstairs between them was a fireplace the furniture was of carved walnut heavy but not opples the khe because the room was large and the ceiling was high over all was a faint perfume cedar he thought and lemon verbena and the locust blossoms so close outside its strange it he said surveying his new quarters with approval I 1 that some rooms seem to welcome you and make you feel at home janies face lighted swiftly with pleasure it Is a nice room she said you can see the garden and the sunset he crossed to the rear window and looked out over her head the sunset promised to be satisfactory he thought but it much of a garden thinking in terms of southampton and newport and beverly hills there was a catalpa tree girdled with a circular wooden seat and a summer house tau tati aled with vines at the end of the arbor a gate opened into the alleyway beyond and morning glories scrambled over a building which once had been a stable no doubt and now was a double garage it certainly needed attention the roses mingled sociably with the poppies and nasturtiums the arbor sagged under its weight of vines the birdbath was tilted and rimmed with moss oss but it bad an air you felt ithac that children had played on the grass i and swung from the apple tree boughs its a very nice garden be said nu I 1 it I 1 Is a nice room she said you can see the garden and the sunset olt it used to be janle janie sighed for vanished glories no one has time i any more trees only rachel and stoney oh theres old thomas corning coming in at the gate I 1 young doctor kennedy watched a burly old man walking waiting up under the arbor abor towards the house la Is Mi thomas timas a friend of yours be asked tb thinking inking that the rugged old i chap looked a little like the gardener at roselyn my oldest friend janle janie explained he be used to be the caretaker of the square lies iles scotch and plays play the bagpipes and has a wonderful garden if excuse me ill run down and tee see what hes brought young doctor kennedy remained at the window presently he saw her running across the grass to meet the burly old man hello thomas tier her voice was c harming charming young duct doctor or ke kennedy dy thought low and a bit husky sprinkled with gay little laughing notes 1 I brought you a bit of a present A gruff voice thickened with a scottish burr strawberries I 1 an excited squeal lovely thomas mary thought you had company miss bliss janle janie its fathers young doctor ile de came this afternoon youre a darling thomas and also a precious lambl iambi young doctor kennedy watching behind the window hanging was sur to see her set the basket on the grass crass and throw both arms ground around the hurly burly old scotchmans Scotch mans nek the rear window interfered rather seriously with the young doctors unpacking ile he found himself drawn there frequently attracted by voices in the garden already he had identified certain members of the family the fat colored woman was rachel of course the charcoal giant turning an tee ice cream freezer in the shade of if the en catalpa tallia tree was stoney stonewall jackson perhaps stone looked like a pugilist ills face was battered and crisscrossed criss crossed with scars the muscles bulged under tits his cotton shirt his chest and shoulders were enormous but for nil nii his apparent strength hugh observed that the freezer whirred whirled more briskly whenever Ah enever rachel bulked balked into sight Rai liel he bad decided was the officer in command Il mother lother was the pretty plump little woman in the lowered flowered dress she must he thought he very much younger than doctor ballard her manner seemed a bit flurried ile he hoped that his unexpected arrival was not upsetting things A call of mother had sent her hurrying back into the house that was janies canles voice mother tom mcallister McAll lster has sent cella celia allies of the valley 1 that the luckiest thing cella 1 young doctor kennedy wondered about her as he turned into chaos the order among his luggage achieved that morning by his brother in laws valet cella celia and lilies of the valley who was celia A sister per haps celia and bilics of the valley they went together somehow both were cool and fragrant voices in the garden perhaps cella celia was there ile he returned to the window half expecting to see a cool and lovely malden maiden with lilles lilies odthe of the valley bun bunched bed in tier her slender white hands lie he was disappointed janle janie was talking to a stout middle aged woman with grayish hair strained back from a round red face and a billowy bosom encased in snuff colored gingham arn angel cake gay little laughing notes sprinkling themselves through the air olt oh thank you mrs quillen its a pleasure darlan A blurt bluff hearty voice v well ell flavored with brogue it looks almost too good to eat go on wid your blarney I 1 mary alary seen a taxi tail stop an a somebody git alt out wid luggage its the duvvll himself as send comp comply lly when there a scrap of cake in the house thank you a hundred times what a perfectly beautiful plate 1 aint it now bowl A degree degre e of complacency ency in the bluff hearty voice mary got it wid trail traille ln stamps the best aint none too good for a saint 0 on n earth like your father there aint no hurry you can keep it as long iong as you want the snuff colored bosom became a snuff colored back moving ponderously under the arbor and out at the alleyway gate Al mother otherl 1 another excited squeal mrs quillen just brought us an angel cake so I 1 see mothers voice with will a bit of an edge 1 I wish they keep running in here Mo mother therl I 1 the gay little laughing notes drowned in a flood of reproach she only meant to be kind of course dear A soothing tone suggesting patience with the whims of a difficult child but you be quite so intimate the lady of the macort manor 1 mother an ad patently parent ly drew lines it was a good thing hugh thought with a chuckle of amusement that she seen janie embracing the burly old scotchman ile he moved around the room hanging things in the wardrobe opening bureau drawers gradually the chaos was restored to order again at the bottom of a calfskin calf calt skin case lay his evening clothes se jle lifted them out with a rueful sort of expression need them here he supposed A wisp of pink chiffon fluffed out of one of the pockets madge Cop copelande elands handkerchief I 1 he permitted himself a moment or two of regret not for madge exactly but for the easy gay life he had left behind ile he be swimming this summer with louise and rod and the temple girls madge be tucking her handkerchief into his pocket between dances at the club oh ob well A shriek in the garden young doctor kennedy returned again to the window A small white dog was streaking aers across the grass with janle janie in hot pur pursuit sult the garden was thrown into sudden confusion stoney left the ice cream freezer calling here dog nice in a voice as mild as the bleat of a lamb mother panting a little joined the chase rachel lumbered down the back porch steps with a pink lined willow basket froni from the din and fuss young doe doc tor for kennedy judged that thy the small white dog was a cherished family treasure ile ie was surprised accordingly to hear janle janie exclaim ns she yanked him out of the poppy bed you nasty mean little thins thank goodness il mother was holding her hand against tier her side tella cella would never have forgiven us rats janie dumped the small white log dog into the willow basket site she cure care if he hung himself on the gate janie I 1 A somewhat breathless reproach rep colia celia Is always kind to her peli 1 she let the persian cat bob gave her starve said bald janie and the love birds that old widower sent her frore to death because Jan janle lel just for a moment young doctor kennedy thought that mother had glanced up at the window ile he was glad that the hanging concealed him it polite to spy on family scenes scene that kind mother continued sweetly cella celia Is devoted to Twe Tue edles well she wont ont be now janie was marching herself towards the house ned ferris you know is engaged to somebody else cella celia the red haired young man at the window reflected was evidently a belle ile he wondered on dered about the scene in ID the garden for a moment and then put it out of his bis mind cut but cella celia was not to be so lightly dismissed ten minutes later as he brushed his hair with vigorous strokes he be found himself singing in an unremarkable who Is 1 cella celia what to 1 the she that all the swains adore her II 11 im glad to see you my boy doctor callard ballard tall white haired blittle a little stooped stood at the foot of the stairs with janle janie clinging like a green cocoon to his arm young doctor kennedy was embarrassed for the moment by a choked feeling in his throat no one had called him my boy in that fatherly way ay since he was sixteen years old my bly boy lie ile swallowed twice thank you sir im sorry about your letter the doctor was holding his hand in a warm friendly clasp its a falling failing of mine ills his eyes twinkled now how about that janle janie 1 I told him father I 1 explained how hov you are about letters all right 1 I can keep you busy I 1 promise you that young doctor kennedy thou thought bt he never had seen such a kindly heart warming smile well try our best to make you happy as well ell thank you sir A gong sounded four ran ringing ing notes supper youngsters come on they walked together out into the dining room doctor ballard in the middle one arm around janle janie and it the he other arm around hugh mother very flushed and pretty in her flowered dress met them at the door how do you do doctor kennedy she smiled and gave him her hand band call him hugh how about lt it my boy my boy D n that choke in his bis throat id like it much better mrs bat bal lard hugh then of course im afraid just have to take potluck it if we had known you were coming now helen doctor ballard embraced them all in the genial warmth of tits his smile dont try to make him feel like a guest hugh has just come home CHAPTER III the square was pleasant at night shadows concealed the ugly places touched with the magic of MOO moonlight Dlight it seemed to regain a little of its former dignity you could forget that in the sunshine it was old and dingy and down at the heel its nicer at night it janle janie asked a bit anxiously as she walked with hugh beneath flowering locusts she wanted him to find the square endurable at least mother at supper had been so discouraging about it all much nicer he agreed janle janie thought that the words lacked enthusiasm youre being polite she said with a sigh the sigh was prompted by sympathy janie at the particular moment was feeling sorry for fathers young doctor sentenced to a year in the square whether hether he ilk liked ed it or not you think it pretty dreadful 11 I 1 did this afternoon he be confessed 1 I had expected something rather dif ferent my father used to tell me about it IL I 1 was well disappointed to say the least 1 I know how you felt A and rid you said sat to yourself or maybe out loud must I 1 live for a year in this godforsaken place cl 1 11 the word was a bit stronger he admitted and it if I 1 remember correctly it was addressed to the ladles on the fountain they rhey near you slit grave ly assured him Ir theres beres only one ear for the alie three ill apologize anyway ile hf bowed to la the direction of the fountain they look rather lovely tonight everything looked different he thought lo in the silver wash of moonlight and lie he was finding it pleasant to walk alth ith this friendly small person beneath the shadowy locusts she was evidently a favorite in the square their leisurely stroll was frequently interrupted hello nina A handsome girl leaning half out of a window dusky hair enormous dark eyes a sullen red hello janie A golden voice with the quality of a cello this Is fathers young doctor how do you do enormous black eyes eves turning at once to janle janie it if you see my kids send them home bome nina mantel janle janie explained when hen they had left the dusky bushy beauty behind her children she seems rather young her brothers but nina has raised them I 1 guess the mother deserted them years ago professor mantel gives violin lessons nina has a beautiful voice 1 I noticed that father says she might be famous if she could have it trained tra ineil but she the hurdy gurdy by the fountain has to wash those boys and feed then them and mend their clothes they walked on to the house next nest door good evening miss ellie A thin little woman in gray scurrying down the steps oh its you janle janie A frightened expression A hat with one pink rose this Is fathers young doctor good evening A bow and a murmur fidgeting fingers in cotton gloves shabby lid kid slippers poised for night flight how Is your mother miss bliss ellie no better im afraid if excuse me A nervous nerous cough 1 I 1 I 1 have an errand she slipped past them thein like a small gray ghost crossed the street and was swallowed up by the shadows ashes gone to meet tier her beau janies voice was warm with thy illy you can tell by the rose in her hat why he come here to see her ile he sells dress goods in lelands delands Le lands department part ment store old mrs pope Is a lucas royal koyal purple something like that miss bliss ellie does dressmaking she indicated a modest sign in the window old mrs airs pope lives upstairs slie she simply ignores the dressmaking and pretends the house any at all 1111 funny I 1 1 I think its pathetic you I 1 mean oh ohl I 1 an interval of silence silver edged shadows falling across the sidewalk children playing hide and seek their voices piping and shrill girls in petal colored frocks and boys in their sunday best hello janle janie hello agnes hollo hello jim A woman calling from an upstairs win dow johnny margaretl margaret 1 come in herel its almost nine dine ocl the hurdy gurdy by the fountain we strolled the lanes together the square on saturday night hello uncle charlie A ru round nd rosy old man at the gate in the cortier corner wall old king cole in pearl gra gray Y trousers and an ancient swallow tailed coat well joule hows the authoress tonight r fine but you look bothered rhoda sent a woman to clean ashes been at it all day and not through yet D d nul nuisance sancel 1 I 1 wish I 1 was asleep this Is fathers young doctor owen kennedys Kenn edys sont son I 1 A waggish smile the clasp of a puffy old hand im glad clad to see you my boy come calling janle janie and bring owen ken gedys son sly my sainted aunt marial I 1 wish I 1 was aslee asleep pl 1 great uncle charlie bounced into the house his awall swallow ow tails |