The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-06-21


Barbara leaned forward as the car d
turned off Nassau street into Liberty.
How narrow it was down here, and d
how like canyons, with the great dull Il Il
gray walls towering so closely to-
gether on each side of her. She Won
dered how on earth Truesdale could d
spend half his life in such place.
Yet in a way he was like it, deter
mined and silent. Even before her
father died, when she was only twelve
she remembered him as young man
who rarely smiled. Her aunt had al
ways said he was so reliable anu
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 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 it curiOusly as she
sank down in the leather armchair ne
drew forward 1t was tall and narrow
and somber like the street outside. |
Only a flat-tOpped desk seemed to
show any human interest. In copper |
urn was bunch of arbutus, and a |
little squat silver figure of Chinese
mandarin perpetually made obeisance
on an inkstand.
1--WE been planning to do so many
things that never dared even to men
ton BEFORE" she told him happily. u
want to go somewhere and build my
self a wonderful mountain bungalow
and have horses and O sort OF play
ranch. And then I want to give Aunt
1 Cecilia solid annuity so she won't feel
8 as If her whole life was to be spent
keeping one eye on me. And I'd like to
l. just sell out the whole business so
;" won't have to look after anything at
Il all, and l thought I'd love to found an
orphanage or something like that"
3 Allan listened attentively, but with
l. no smile on his close lips He was
d marking star shapes on his blotter and
It watching the clock above her head now
h and then. 1t was nearly four. He won
10 dered if he would have time to tell
le her before Yates arrived.
n "When Mr.. Curtis died his affairs
r. were in a 7ery tangled state" he said.
s. "He always suspected lawyers and his
a. death came so suddenly there was nc
IS chance for him to attend to anything
&c or to explain anything
ed "What was there to explain?" asked
Barbara, with a touch of her fathers
er, quick pride
n Much" answered Allan tersely
nd "He had been persuaded to tie up MI
ef- money in a lot of unsafe speculation
by and had borrowed heavily to cover hi
IN own outstanding liabilities. These Oh
Is, legations to banks and friends had f
M he paid out of the estate. A few o
of us who had been close to him carrie
1t ours under interest"
to "Did father even owe you money?
on "Some. l was very glad to hel
nat him."
Law He turned his attention to a mas
hat Of papers at his elbow sorting an
be arranging them for her perusal, viii
IN Barbara was undergoing mental
adjustment. It had never occurred
her that Tom Curtis her father cou
possibly be under obligations to al
one. He had seemed to rule that Ell
of the state politically, and there nj
heen his railroad, and-oh, it was a
0"U srrd TO talk so. She looked at All;
nan sun -
ont aggressively.
ol' 81 don't see how it could be true
ar "You will find everything here"
IN told her bit YEARLY. "There is not
ena' ing for you to worry over, Barbal
en- You NAV not be able to found 20
nts orphanage, but you could still have
the bungalow. Another thing / should t
Gil- YOU before we part as ward and gu
e. dian. Paulton Yates has told me y
am are engaged to be married"
'om- Barbara did not look at him 7
ests fine. Only from his VOICE she COZ
that fell that he did, not care one sin
'ess, hit He went on talking to her in
the same impersonal, aloof way he
always used ever since he had FOL
her on the ver0nda with Paulton.
it had been so perfectly silly to I'm
varo inc she cared for him seriously.
,ndi- always took things for granted In
q in came a call for him In the outer oil
hicb and he left her alone just as Va
onio arrived. Allan told him he would
Barbara within, But it was a dlfter
Barbara who faced him from the
ants he had danced with, ridden with, I
have ed with for the past year.
,rmv She was not engaged to him at
Vest. she told him Indignantly. He had
The no right to tell her guardian that
was was. And Paulton, stung by her
and manner, laughed at her taitl
Truesdale.
everybody knows he's played
!. and loose with your money, Bah. Y
Lieu have YOU got left now? I've alV
ned cared for you, you know thai, an
lie as doesn't matter about money win
D.