The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-23
EVENING STORY
Held in Trust.
BY IZoLA FORESTER.


Barbara leaned forward as 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 so closely togeth-
er on each side of her. She wondered
| how on earth Truesdale could spend
half of his life in such a place.
Yet in a way he was like it. deter
mined and silent. Even before her
father died, when she was only IL,
she remembered him as a young man
who rarely smiled Her aunt had al
ways said he was so reliable and
steady-qualities which had never rec
commended him to Barbara's favor.
| She went up in the elevator now with
! a feeling of relief that she was 81 and
| his guardianship was ended at last.
Allan was alone in his inner office
waiting for her, the clerk said. She
glanced around it curiously as she
sank down in the leather armchair
narrow and somber like the street
outside. Only flat-topped desk
seemed to show any human interest
In copper urn was a bunch of ar
| butus, and a little squat silver figure
| of Chinese mandarin perpetually
made oPeisance on an inkstand.
I've been planning to do so many
| things that 1 never dared even to men,
| ton before" she told him happily. 81
want to go somewhere and build my
SELF a WONDERFUL mountain bungalow
| and have horses and a sort of play
| ranch. And then 1 want to give Aunt
Cecilia a 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
so I won't have to look after anything
at all, and I thought I'd love to found
an orphanage or something like 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 4. He
wondered if he would have time to tel
\ 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 nc
chance for him to attend to anything
or 70 explain anything"
What was there to explain p
| asked Barbara, with a touch of hel
fathers quick pride.
Much answered Allan tersely
HE had been persuaded to tie up hi:
money in a lot of unsafe speculation
and had borrowed heavily to cover hi:
own outstanding liabilities. These OBJ
| legations to banks and friends had tt
| be paid out of the estate. few Of
US who had been close to him carried
ours under interest"
did father even owe you, money!
| Some. 1 was very glad to hell
| him."
! Returned his attention to a mas
of papers at his elbow, sorting anC
arranging them for. her perusal, whil'
Barbara was undergoing a mentalNre
| adjustment. 1t had never occurred t.
| her that Tom Curtis, her father, coulC
possibly be under obligations to an!
| one. He had seemed to rule that enc
of the state politically. and there hat
been his railroad, and-oh, it was alb
surd to talk so. She looked at Altar
aggressively.
| 81 don't see how it could be true
''You will find everything here" h,
told her a bit YEARLY. There is moth
| ing for you to worry over. Barbara
| You may not be able to found YOU
orphanage, but you could still have {
bungalow. Another thing should
tell you before we part as ward ant