Show I 1 0 M ar UL TH M TT fr V X 7 S Q U var LIDA LARRIMORE 0 co service SYNOPSIS to the quiet household of 0 doctor 33 ballard allard in mulberry square youthful dr D r hugh kennedy comes as an assistant si I to stay a year ile he first meets janle janie nineteen year old daughter or of doctor ballard her older sister cella a petted beauty Is away from rom home hugh regards janle janie a universal al favorite as a a small email girl to be treated as a chum lie ile is s impressed Impre sited by evidences of doctor ballards Dal lards kindness of heart and ills hla popularity hugh bees a photograph of cella and Is impressed by her loveliness CHAPTER IV continued better stop thinking are we friends again janle janie nodded well a relief ile he drew a long gusty sigh tonight well uell celebrate well drive out to riverside park and have supper at the inn janie was mas janle janie retting getting excited al ngien aln hugh was vas smiling janle janie smiled too she gave a little bounce of happiness and smiled tier her wide gay smile the girl ills eyes admired tier ber youre lovely when you smi smile ae lovely I 1 she sto stop smiling 1 I feel like the cheshire cat she said bald just nothing at nil all but a smile ill the ferris wheel circled twice the third time up it stopped the stars very close above them the ground very far below Is something the matter hush hugh fix it in a moment frightened noo N o o you dont seem quite sure ills his arm circled around her her hand band slipped into ills his ile he held it close in a warm comforting clasp her cheek brushed ills his shoulder janle janie was con of a new and bewildering emotion 1 I must be falling in love she troug tL ought lit im falling in love with the wheel began began to turn she wondered if lie were feeling it too this aching blissful emotion they slipped down from the shadows into the dazzle of light ile he lifted her out of the car still holding fast to her land hand what was he thinking she glanced up at him film shyly tier her lashes misted with tears ile he was looking at tier her hand band janle janie ral callard lard he said youve chewed that thumb nail down to the vick I 1 CHAPTER V aunt lucy was having a garden party at sportsmans Sports mans hall the party was not confined exclusively to the garden however in fact no one visited the gardens at all unless led there by uncle frank to admire his peacocks his goldfish or his roses uncle frank boasted that each bud on the luxuriant bushes cost him all things considered exactly one dollar apiece lie was a square thickset thick set man with a ruddy complexion twenty years older than aunt lucy who aho had pure white hair young brown eyes and a beautiful figure all the ballards turned gray early in life aunt lucy bad been clever enough not to tamper with nature she had bad the appearance of being abeln constantly dressed and wigged for a costume party you liked to look at aunt lucy uncle frank on oil the contrary appeared always to be dressed tor for a tussle with one of his horses ile he called himself a gentleman farmer great uncle charlie contended that the title was inaccurate uncle frank grove he wd eald was neither a gentleman nor a farmer great uncle charlie was permitted to say such things merely because nobody on earth could stop him great uncle charlie sat in a rustic chair beneath a copper beech tree on the rolling front lawn aunt lucy seated with nith a group of her guests under a neighboring copper beach at intervals cast an anxious eye in his direction she had hoped that he be present there was neer any telling what the dreadful old man night do or say great uncle charlie was aware of tier her anxiety it helped him bin to endure the boredom of what he considered a very stupid party the armchair was placed conveniently near the punch bowl merely by reaching out his arm jeff was wag able to refill great uncle charlies glass jell jeff had been borrowed for the occasion aunt lucy borrowed jeff on all state occasions she apparently felt that a family servant added atmosphere even though he was riot not strictly speaking attached to her own In inc nage how flow dat punch mintah Cli challe alle jeff asked as lie he once again performed the agreeable ceremony of refilling great uncle charlies glass tolerable jeff tolerable great uncle charlie raised his glass aloft land his waggish smile well heres to mules bull and the civil warl you uncle charlie A mail email determined person in a creamy frock planted herself in front of him and reached for the upraised glass uncle franks father it seemed had made a fortune in shady transactions with mules during the dill war it was great uncle charlies favorite story ile he laughed liu glied all over ills his round paunch quivered so did his shoulders and his fat pink cheeks simple gratitude janie my dear ile he it if mules car can produce all this ills sweeping gesture I 1 included 11 the glorified farm house enuse the oaks and the betch beech trees the lawns and aler itself sparkling and blue in the sunshine well im for them all my sainted aunt marla maria ile ho suddenly exclaimed now what at does lury think of that janies ees followed foll Awed ills his to an oak tret brer along tile drive Mi muriel iriel stand ae jr ja y 2 v 87 OFF muriel standing leaned against the massive trunk ing IDS leaned against the massive trunk her rosy skirt blowing back from her I 1 graceful legs muriel lel ordinarily was ivas not pretty though she had aunt bucys lucys beautiful figure and warm brown eyes her features were heavy but her wide square mouth had a certain charm and she dressed in exquisite taste today she looked almost pretty as she leaned against agal 7 sti the tree talking with ith unaccustomed vivacity to tom mcallister MeAl llster only a little taller than she aunt lucy worry I 1 guess janie said gravely tom know muriel was alive it if cella were here her eyes strayed down over the lawn to the road along the river hugh had promised to come muriel presently strolled by with tom mcallister MeAl llster were going in to dance muriel said in her careful finishing school voice come along janle janie tom added pleasantly no thank you tom it was more pleasant to watch the road dappled over with shadows when do you sou expect cella A shade of annoyance slipped across Murl muriels els face she pretty now she was merely a thin rather sallow girl with a flair for the right sort of clothes soon janle janie answered almost any day almost any dayl day janies eyes returned to the road along the river as muriel and tom strolled on toward tile the house it seemed doubly important por tant now that hugh should keep his promise cella celia spoiled things s for evera everybody body once she too had believed the cella celia myths that was a long time ago whatever has happened to janle janie great uncle charlie glanced ence d down at his favorite grandniece brown as a beechnut beech nut in her creamy embroidered rock frock she sat very still with a sort of a listening look her eyes on the road from to tow n A ray of light pricked through the mist of questions in great uncle charlies head bead what time 14 I 1 it uncle charlie the old man mail consulted a ponderous watch half past four half past tour if something had happened to hugh and then she heard beard it the clatter and racket of a noisy little roadster instantly she was ache all over eyes shining words tumbling creamy kid hid slippers dancing with excitement 1 ties lies come encle uncle charlie Chari lel 1 lies hes come comel chos come santa claus hugh I 1 cut but he coming in iles hes waiting and tooting the horn born it a silly horn uncle charlie it sounds like a cat with the croup oh ob my goodu goodness esol I 1 id better go see sec happened great uncle charlie watched her race down the drive skirt blowing legs twinkling the butterfly bows on OD her slippers lifting like tiny wings the first faint ray of suspicion became as the breaking of dawn so the way the wind blows great uncle charlie ob observed sered to jen jeff when cella celia comes home therell be ructions my saluted sainted aunt maria alarta I 1 I 1 wish I 1 hope ill be II 11 arent you glad clad I 1 youl you hugh in his bathing suit lay among the moss and pine needles on the bank at the tip of the point you exactly janle janie sitting on a blanket to protect her party frock gave a little bounce of pleasure 1 I just came tagging along well anyway were here 1 hugh stretched lazily was it a nice party what did aou ou do janle janie 1 I sat on the grass crass with my iny feet stretched out so people would admire my slippers you tou baby he said you dear little funny kid janies canles spirits dropped for a moment she felt particularly grown up and elegant in the frock of creamy chiffon which aunt lucy had brought from parts paris funny kid eidl I 1 even the dear help very much hugh would persist in treating her like a child and he she reflected was no more than a boy himself with his tempers and whistling and spells 0 of being lazy there he was now chinning himself on a hickory limb and looking to see it if she think he was grand hows that expectantly you babal tilting her chin in the air 11 imp mp jle he swung into the water pulled away from the shore with long even strokes janie sighed with content lovely day hugh had swum out so far that his head bead was a glint in the distance tile the current was strong it something should happen to hugh I 1 there thank goodness he was stroking it back to shore highl you swim out so far why not she tell him exactly why it was all mixed up with the singing inside of her heart funerals are a nuisance s she ie said and I 1 look dreadful in black ile he laughed and threw himself down beside tier her his head on the olive green blanket light me a cigarette youre the laziest person I 1 know my hands are wet she lit it of course puffed once or twice and promptly handed it over they talked hugh discussed his hazy plans for the future 1 I think ill go abroad tor for a year or two to study I 1 mean berlin and vienna berlin berli D I 1 vienna janle janie felt lost and forlorn an interval of silence the pink in the sky a clear pale amethyst now shadows creeping among the trees janle janie harn 1 I thought you had gone to sleep 1 I was thinking what do you hate it terribly hugh hate what you funny kid living with us in the square no I 1 like it and say im crashing into society tony silvers wife invited me to the new silvers christening party shall you go if go with me and what about a present will you get me something gorgeous 11 A silver cup with the name engraved better make it a keg the name Is a victor emanuel Kroa nue Sebast sebastian lan I 1 cant remember the rest another interval of silence hugh we ought to be getting home its pleasant here light me another fag your hands are perfectly dry but you do it so BO well A teasing smile you are a good little egg egg I 1 A lady in a paris frock 1 A long iong indignant silence janle janie IIi nm mm we could have a christmas party tor for the kids lu in the square what made you think of christmas that star up there above the tallest pine A tiny star shining alone in the primrose and amethyst sky they planned a christmas party for the children in the square janie remembered with a pang that three months of the time between this evening and christmas she would be in college three hundred miles away she spoke of it dolefully hugh promised to come for a weekend week end and write to her ery cry often that made it seem less of a trying ordeal funny to feel that way she had liked college pretty well the twilight inspired confidences hugh talked seriously about the things lie he wanted anted to do As though I 1 were more important she thought than just a funny kid she wished it end tills feeling of being close to him sharing ills his dreams planning things for the future maybe some time he would feel it too this closeness this wishing it end mother had married father when she was just nineteen look I ook at our christmas tree now hugh suddenly exclaimed the tallest pine was tipped with a brilliant new star you cant see the tiny first one j janle anle mourned its lost to in the dazzle lost in the dazzle I 1 how it Is with cella and me janle janie thought miser miserably a bly the tiny star had looked so BO 10 lovely vely alone th the e twilight had deepened everything seemed hushed and shadowed and almost heartbreak heart break ugly sad lost in the dazzle I 1 it was always that way janle janie tried to win hack back the tears that gathered on her lashes the attempt was waa unsuccessful they rolled forlornly over her cheeks checks rp splashed lashed down on hughs hand irk in tier her lap are you crying janle janie A negative shake of her head what Is it little fellow 1 I 1 I feel sort of chilly hugh please take me home ill horatius Horat lus stopped with its customary protest in ID front of the old brick house janle janie saw a spurt of light in the living room and then through the buff tinted blinds a soft and flickering glow mother must have callers but why was she lighting the candles it seemed a little odd janie paused to smooth her hair in the mirror above the card tray table hugh had halted at the living room door and seemed rooted to the spot janie walked to his side looked in through the port leres and burled her fondest dreams cella celia in misty white sat at the piano her chin a little raised to show the long iong lovely curve of her throat the candlelight candle light made a radiance about her head and gave her skin the translucent quality of thin creamy porcelain she appeared to be wrapped in reveries and totally unconscious of observing eyes huhs hughs tribute to the picture was almost soundless a quick indrawn breath but janle janie heard beard it cella celia as though she had heard beard it too turned with a pretty start of surprise her violet eyes lost for a moment their dreaming expression her lips curved in a gentle welcoming smile janle janie she murmured in a voice I 1 like plucked silver harp strings its lovely to see you again janle janie drew a long iong deep breath and gallantly lifted her chin cella she said this Is hugh CHAPTER VI celia was at home it made everything different janle janie was seldom allowed to forget that she was merely the plain little sister of the prettiest girl in town not that cella celia was unkind to janle janie she was on the contrary very sweet and affectionate janle janie Is devoted to that playground she would say in the presence of a caller ashes such a busy brown little bee she makes me feel like a butterfly bees of course are dull little creatures and butterflies are enchanting cella was a belle cella celia was what gallant elderly gentlemen called a toast cella celia in short was the prettiest girl in town just at first cella celia paid little attention to hugh janle janie wondered at her lack of appreciation she wanted her to admire him from a safe and disinterested te distance he nice she ask asked ed one evening she was at ching cella celia dress in her airy front bedroom upstairs all lilac and cream crocall and rose as fresh and as dainty as celia herself tie lie looks healthy cella celia was absorbed in the pretty task of brushing her silky hair flair 1 I think hes nice looking janies cheeks were unusually pink and hes bes getting along so well nell father says hugh Is a born doctor ive had enough of doctors I 1 celias voice was almost petulant why cella celia Ball ballardi Ballar aroll dl janies eyes were blazing father Is different of course cella hastened to make amends she had to be approved of even by brown little janie baule but the atmosphere depresses me so sickness and suffering and pain you understand janle janie dear you dont mind such things im so absurdly sensitive from which janle janie gathered with a lifting of her spirits that cella celia had no ambition to be ba a doctors wife the feeling of happiness vanished |