The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1919-07-07

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B, z0LA FORESTER {
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(CepEHGhA 100 4. .by. xhs A[eGlaeev Nev1S-
paper syndicsts)
Barbara leaned forward a. the car
turned off Nassau street into Liberty,
How. narrow, it was down here. and
how like canyons with, the great dull
gray walls towering 80, closely t.
eether on, each side Of, her. She won:
'dered how on earth Truesdalee could
spend half his life In such a. place.
Yet In q way he was like It, deter:
mined and silent. Even before her
father died, when she was only twelve,
she remembered him a. = young man
who rarely smiled. Her aunt had, al
ways said he was 20 reliable and
steady-Qualitles which had never rec.
ommended him to Barbara's favor.
She went up In the elevator now with
4 feeling Of relief that she was twenty
one and his guardianship was ended at
last.
Allan was alone in his inner office
waiting for her. the clerk said She
glanced around 1t curiously as she.
sank down In the leather armchair he
drew forward. It was tall and narrow
and soW0er like the street outside.
Only a hat7topped desk seemed to
show any human interest. In a copper
urn was a bunch Of -arbutus. and q
little squat silver figure of>a Chinese
mandarin perpetually made obeisance
on an inkstand.
'1've been planning to do 80 many
things that / never dared even to men
tion before" she told him happily. II
want to 60 somewhere and build my
self q wonderful mountain bungalow
and have horses and a sort Of play
ranch. And then want to give Aunt
Cecilia q solid annuity so she won't feel
as if her whole life was to be spent
keeping one eye on me. And I'd like to
just sell out the whole business - I
"ou UaSC W lOOA ,d1UGl NAythtAS -
all. and thought I'd love to- fouad an
orphanage or something Nike that"
Allan listened attentively, but with
no smile on his close lips. He was
marking star shapes on his blOtter and
watching the clock above her head now
and then. 1t Was nearly four He won
dered II he would have time to tell
her before Yates arrived.
"When Mr.. Curtis died his affairs
were in, a very tangled-state," he said.
''He always suspected lawyers and his
death came So suddenly there was no
chance for him to attend to anything
or to explain anything
"What was there t0hexplainr asked
Barbara. with a touch Of her fathers
quick pride.
"Much," answered Allan tersely.
''He had been persuaded to tie up his
money In lot Of unsafe speculation,
and had borrowed heavily to cover his
own outstanding liabilities. These OBJ
legations to banks and friends had to
be paid ont Of the estate. A Few Of
us who had beenr close to him carried
ours under interest"
"Dil father even owe you money!
'Soine. was very glad to help
him."
He turned his attention to a. mass
Of papers at his elbow, sorting and
arranging them for her perusal. while
Barbara mas nndesEsfn8 espsDtd. re-
adjustment It had never occurred to
|-Aer thse. Tom Curtis. sieF Aathef, could
possibly be under obligations to any
one. He had seemed to rule that end
OF the state politically, and there had
been his railroad, lndi-oh, 1t Was a.
surd to talk 80. Shs looked At Aha
aggressively.
II don't see how it could be true"
You will find everything here," -
told her 4 bit YEARLY. There IL. moth
ing for you to worry over, Barbara.
You may not be able to found yeuf
orphanage. but you could still have q
bungalow. Another thing / should tell
you before we part. as~ward and guar
dian. Paulton Yates has told me you
are engaged to be married"
Barbara did not look at him this
time. Only from his voice she could
tell that he did not care one single
bit He went on talking to her In the
same ,impersonal, .aloofs way he had
always used everysinee2 he had found
her on the verantia with Paulton. And
It had been so perfectly silly to inag-
fne she cared for him seriously. He
always took things 'for granted. There
came call for him in the outer ONCE
and he left her alone just as Yates
arrived. Allan told; him he would find
Barbara withiA. Bat it was a different
Barbara who facedA him frem the girl
he had danssd withA nddep with. &sFt-