The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-07-18
Held In Trust
BY lola FORESTER
By zoLA FORESTER

gray walls towering so closely to-
gether on each side Of her, She won
dered how on earth T%ruesdale could
spend half 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 twelve,
she remembered him as a young man
who rarely smiled, Her nun had al
ways said he was so reliable and
steady-qualities which had never rec
commended him TO Rarbara's favor.
She went up in the elevator now with
a feeling Of relief that she was twenty
one and his guardianship was ended az
last.
Allan was alone in his inner office
waiting for her, the clerk said. She
glanced around it %curlously as she
sank down In the leather armchair he
drew forward. Ii was tall and narrow
and somber like the street outside.
Only a %lat-topped desk seemed to
show any human interest. In a copper
urn was n bunch Of arbutus, and a
little squat silver figure Of a Chinese
mandarin perpetually made obeisance
on nm inkStand.
1--WE been planning to do so many
things that I never dared even to men
tion before" She told him happily. 81
want 10 go somewhere and build my
self n wonderful mountain bungalow
and have horses aud a sort Of play
ranch. And then / want TO give Aunt
Cecilia a solid annuity so she won't feel
as II her whole life was to be spent
keeping one eye on me. And I'd Ike to
lust sell out the whole business so I
won't have to look after anything at
all. and thought I'd love to found nm
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. It was nearly four. He won
dered IL 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 to e~xplain2" asked
Barbara. with a touch of her fathers
quick pride.
"Much,' answered Allan tersely.
"He had been persuaded 10 tie up his
money in a lot Of unsafe speculation.
and had borrowed heavily TO his
own outstanding liabilities. These oh
legations to banks and friends had to
be paid out of the estate. A few Of
us who had been close TO him carried
ours under interest" \
"pid father even owe you money!
"Some. I was very glad to help
him"
He turned bis attention to a mass
Of papers at his elbow, sorting and
arranging them for her perusal. while
Barbara was undergoing a mental re-
adjustment. II had never occurred t.
her that Tom Curtis. her fnther. could
possibly be under obligations to any
one. He had seemed TO rule that enc
Of the state politically, and there hat
been his railroad. and-oh, Il was ah
sura 10 talk SO. She looked at ALLAH
aggreSSively.
% don't see how II could be true
"You will find everything here h,
told her a bit YEARLY. "There is moth
lng for YOU to worry over, Barbara
You may not be able to found you
%orphanage, but you could stil have
) bungalow, Another thing ! should tel
= YOU before We part as ward and gum
dian. Pulton Yates has told me yoi
are engaged 70 be married"
, Barbara did not look at him thi
time. Only from his voice she c0ul
tell that he did moi care one singl
BIT. lie went on talking To her in tb
same imperSonal, aloof way he ha
always used ever since he had foun
: her on The versuda with Paulton. An
= il had been SO perfectly silly to ina;
inc she cared for him seriously. II
always took things for granted. rheI
. came a call for him IN the outer nihC
J and he lefi her alone lust as Yat'
arrived, Allan told him he would fin
Barharn within. But It was a dlferel
Barbara who faced him from the q
he had danced with, ridden with, hir
ed with for the past year.
She was not engaged to him at a
she told him Indignantly. He Ind hi
no right to tel her guardian that 81
was, And Paulton, stung by her ton
and manner. lnuehed at her faith
d Truesdale.
Everybody knows he's played IA
and loose with your money Bah. VIII
= have you got left now7 rye alwa
cared for you you know that aud
a doesn't natter about money with n
le only ! want you to drop T%ruesdale. =
~ Allan. ON the threshold OF the out
z door. heard her answer, and Gang
Yates muttered curse as he left h,
It was like him 10 do 1t that way
thought. lose his temper and ncct
him OF wrongdoing.
And be was really n very dece
IN solld sort NJ fpllow WIN wouldn't ma