Show aa a A v the 2 I 1 s eav ja its IN N IF MUTE 0 I 1 I 1 n by I 1 i s lida larrimore 49 i marae smith company il service L SYNOPSIS on her eighteenth birthday barbara motherless daughter of chresto christopher thorne artist receives rec elvea a birthday ring from bruce maclalan MacL aln young artist friend ot of the family but more than friend to barbara bruce tells her a story of a gypsy boy a little gypsy girl whom he loves and the song of a silver flute she knows it Is her own love tale her father Is killed in an accident relatives arrive and take charge of things to her dismay barbara learns that she sha and her two brothers and small sister bister are to be sopa separated rated De desperate sperato the four children plot to run away to barbaras godfather uncle stephen drake stephen drake bachelor forty years old still has vivid recollections of barbaras mother whom he had loved eighteen years before ile 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 children arrive and the proposal Is interrupted stephen feels his heart warm to the small daughter of his early love lov L but he tells her he must send them all back kit Is taken ill stephen finds himself unable to resume his lover like feeling for emily CHAPTER VII continued 10 youre very generous emiles lifted eyes shone with flattering admiration mir mi its what I 1 would have expected you to do dear stephen pressed her hei hand touched by the expression in her hei eyes 1 I knew you would understand emiles heart leapt and sank again stephen was glancing at his watch 1 I must go he said and rose from the sofa you have dinner with us emily stood beside him wanting to tc keep him her hand upon his sleeve thank you stephen said ald absently 1 I cant manage it this evening im a bit worried about the boy emiles heart sank lower ile he was thinking of the children and barbara Is there anything I 1 can do she asked annoyed at the flutter in her voice unable to control it IL will you come to see them stephen looked at her so tenderly that her heart leapt again 1 I 1 should like you to know them emily 1 I certainly will poor little darlings I 1 she felt quite fond of the children because stephen wanted her to know them she even felt fond of barbara she smiled at him gently understanding but her spirits drooped again when he had gone she looked at the yellow roses opening in the heat beat they meant no mor more e than an apology had stephen forgot forgotten ten those moments in the conservatory atory ile he had said nothing definite but she was sure he had bad meant if the children come when they did suddenly she bear the aching disappointment her lips trembled her eyes filled with tears she went into her bedroom and quietly closed the door CHAPTER VIII uncle herbert was very angry indeed stephen realized that when uncle herbert exploded in the office lie he was glad he had sent him the office address the children would be spared the worst of the explosion aunt lola who had come with uncle herbert to re presed the relatives angry she was merely very much hurt it was barbaras fault she repeated whenever uncle herbert paused to catch a breath dear little gay would never eer hime have thought of such a thing barbara she feared was like her mother willful and headstrong with no proper regard for other peoples feelings barbara Is an unusual child stephen said nettled by aunt lolas remarks impulsive perhaps but not headstrong she wanted to keep the children together A notion I 1 all a notion I 1 uncle herbert 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 but her expression implied many things poor barbaral barbara I 1 she sighed again im afraid she a happy life stephen had thought her the nap hap blest person he had ever known the barbara he had bad loved through uncle herberts voice he be heard her voice gay and amused through aunt lolas loins perfume which was making his head acho a little he smelled the roses of southern france it seemed an act of treachery to barbara to deliver her children into the hands handa of the enemy but what in the world could he do nit kit Is a bit 11 he said when uncle herberts rage had 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 indignity 1 I must got get back to the office he said louder than was necessary 1 I have wasted a great real of time theres no reason for you yon to stay stephen felt that his patience was fraying at the edges well send kit to you as soon as he Is well enough to travel what about jamie aunt lola asked aunt josephine Is very much annoyed she thought of the irate old lady in the red brick providence house stephen thought of her too as barbara had bad described her ile he felt a disturbing desire to guard and poteet the children lie he knew it was an unreasonable desire but it seemed a shame that barbara should be forced to live where she had once been so unhappy ile he was reluctant to send her to providence stephen of course knew nothing at all about bruce 1 I can take gay at once I 1 suppose aunt lola asked there are such delightful children at the hotel im sure she will have a lovely time hotel child children 1 stephen thought with a silent groan he hall had seen them in many places pert over dressed girls little boys who bullied the porters and maids balds and smoked cigarettes on the sly gay barbaras character looking at aunt lola it was easy to see what pretty gay would probably become still there was no reason why he should make himself responsible lie he was sorry for the four but what in the world could he do 1 I suppose so he said with no great enthusiasm gay he thought would be entirely willing to go with aunt lola but gny gay surprised him when they reached stephens home that afternoon she sat 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 when gay said sweetly but firmly oh no aunt lola I 1 cant leave kit when hes sick but we impose on mr drake aunt lola was hurt by gays lack of interest in the trip to florida are we imposing gay ask asked ed glancing up at stephen from under her long curled lashes they all looked at stephen barbara kit gay and jamie ile he felt that he fall them its pleasant having you here he be said and realized with a start of surprise that what he said was true aunt lola was plaintive but gay wits was firm she leave kit when he was sick it if uncle stephen mind she would very much rather stay uncle stephen mind it was decided that gay should go to florida later uncle herbert behaved very well an excellent esc ellent luncheon had mellowed his temper lie ho scolded the children for running away in a somewhat jocular fashion he asked kit riddles and tousled gays curls and admired jamies electric trains lie ile was agreeable to barbara ile he produced a checkbook and pen quite all right stephen said let me take care of them please think of it M drake uncle herbert was pompous and dignified the family pride was at stake id rather they are my guests I 1 have some claim on them you know he added with a smile Bar barbara barbura tura is Is my little fillette 11 my little fil lettel 1 barbara felt a singing inside of herself uncle stephen she thought was the kindest man in the world if you insist uncle herbert said doubtfully 1 I certa certainly laly do well well the checkbook was restored to uncle herberts pocket he looked kindly at the children we cant expect old heads on young shoulders I 1 suppose he sold said to stephen and accepted another cigar they left some time later declining an invitation to dinner the children greeted him jubilantly when stephen returned to the room where kit lay propped against pillows pl llowd after aunt lola and uncle herbert had gone jamie and gay fell upon him with rapturous cries Step stephen berl felt himself smothered in thin young youn arms and lusty bear like embraces it gild did something strange to his heart ile he looked over their leads heads at barbara standing beside alts bed her eyes eye I 1 thanked him bim she smiled her gayes I 1 smile bless them he be thought ath lb A lump in his throat what jolly young youn 3 stera they were I 1 j they san sang lustily to tell uncle stephen how very happy they were aunt edith opened the door her face beneath waved white hair very stern and disapproving the doctor advised best rest and quiet she said when she could bo heard A little pleasant excitement wont hurt him stephen smiled at kit propped against the pillows were celebrating ho he said the enemy has been routed whoopee peet 1 jamie shouted his bis freckled face shining with happy excitement cit ement they swung into the chorus again chips barked jamie to aunt editha horror borror beat time with a pair of drum sticks that used to be stephens against the foot of the bed kit tinkled the spoon against the glass and croaked like a happy bullfrog gracious 1 aunt edith thought and buttoned her lips toi together ether that evening barbara wrote to bruce kit Is 18 sick but not very just a cold and a temperature I 1 was worried but nit kit says its an act of providence you know the old fashioned way he be talks anyhow uncle stephen will let us stay here until kit Is better although lie he was provoked about us running away I 1 think hes getting to like us a little lie he brought us presents last night a lovely necklace for me and he has been so kind about kit aunt lola and uncle herbert came today but they were very polite I 1 think they were impressed by uncle stephens home 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 what do you think of that its a very educating experience to live in a house that has a name and a butler and cords with tassels cassels to ring for the servants there is a library just full of books and a drawing room all full of rosewood furniture and chandeliers with glass icicles dripping from them and cabinets full of the loveliest things little jade trees and ivory elephants and flowers made out oi of glass and a conservatory III I 1 know people had conservatories conserva tories and drawing rooms except in books did you bruce darling kut but of course this is a very old house we have a great deal to live up to because although mothers relatives are well to do they dont live in places like this gay is simply en I 1 you know how she loves elegance I 1 but I 1 wish we were back in provincetown Province town with martha scolding us and manuel playing his accordion and father coming in from the studio with paint on his trousers and his hair all mussed up ua malting making jokes and telling us stories the way he used to do 1 I miss father so much and I 1 miss you too im dreadfully homesick at night I 1 do get homesick thinking of you because home mean brov Ince town or any special place but just wherever you are I 1 put myself to sleep every night by telling myself a story do you know what the story Is bruce its the one about the silver flute if I 1 keep very still I 1 imagine I 1 can hear it Is that silly and sentimental I 1 suppose it Is but im that way if ever the nute flute stopped playing I 1 should simply want to die dont let it stop playing its one lovely song 1 I love you pretty gypsy girl with the roses in your hair 1 do you see this blot on the paper a tear 1 I help it I 1 want to see you so much it be wonderful if uncle stephen would keep the children and I 1 could come to new york I 1 know be safe and happy here iles hes so lovely and kind but I 1 dont suppose he will his aunt edith like us she wishes we come but its uncle stephens house so she sa say y anything but I 1 know shed like to just the same I 1 a nice disposition have 1 I bruce but what can you expect of a gypsy girl I 1 dont suppose they ever have any manners theres another blott I 1 do love you so much but I 1 told uncle stephen he co might think it was ridiculous because I 1 am only eighteen its a beautiful secret and no one knows it but you and me and the ring with the little gold heart heres all my love except what belongs to tho tha children tied up in paper covered with stars with a huge silver bow it makes a very large package keep it bruce from your babble who loves you very much P S I 1 asked uncle stephen to call me babble instead of barbara ile he does iles hes very accommodating P S no 2 he a crusty old bachelor iles hes nice looking but old I 1 guess he must be forty P S no 3 heres a kiss for goodnight know something I 1 love you TO BE BB CONTIN UrD |