Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-06-28

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 to-
gether on each side of her. She won
dered how on earth Truesdale 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 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 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 he
drew forward. It was tall and narrow
and sOmber like the street outside.
Only fiat-topped desk seemed to
show any human interest. In a copper
urn was bunch of arbutus, and a
little squat silver figure of a Chinese
mandarin perpetually made obeisance
on an inkstand.
I've been planning to do so many
things that never dared even to men
ton before" she told him happily. II
want to go somewhere and build my
self wonderful mountain bungalow
and have horses and a sort Of play
ranch. And then want to give Aunt
Cecilia 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 l
won't have to look after anything at
all, and 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 four. He Won
dered If he would have time to tell
her before Yates arrived.
"When Mr.. Curtis died his affairs
were in very tangled state" ne 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 explain?" asked
Barbara, with touch of her fathers
quick pride.
Much" answered Allan terseIy.
"He had been persuaded to tie up his
money in a 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 out Of the estate. A few of
us who had been close to him carried
ours under interest"
did father even owe you money!"
"Some. was very glad to help
him."
He turned his attention to mass
of papers at his elbow, sorting and
arranging them for her ,perusal, while
Barbara was undergoing, 9 mental res
adjustment. 1t had never occurreSs7 10
her that Tom Curtis, her father, could
possibly be under obligations to any
one. He had<seemed to rule that end
of the state politically, and there had
been hisSailroad aHdvoh, it was alb
surd to &allz so. She looked at Allan
aggressive
E"I dent see how 1t could be true"
"You will find everything here" he
told her a bit YEARLY. "There is moth
ing for you to worry over, Barbara.
You may not be able to found your
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 tale8ng to her in the
same impersonal. aloof way he, had
always used ever since he had found
her on the vernnda with PaultOn. Ana
1t had been so perfectly silly to mag
Inc she cared for him seriously. He
always took things for granted. There
N1tlllE Il Nhll lbt llllLi ia LllS OulGA OAhNO
and he left her alone just as Yates
arrived. Allan told him he would find
Barbara within. But 1t was a different
Barbara who faced him from the girl
he had danced with, ridden with, fiirt-
ed with for the past year.
She was not engaged to him at all,
she told him Indignantly. He had had
no right to tell her guardian that she
was. And Paulton, stung by her tone
and manner, laughed at her faith in
Truesdale.
Everybody knows he's played fast
and loose with your money, Bah. What
have you got left now? i've always
cared for you. you know that, and it
doesn't matter about money with me,
only want you to drop Truesdale."
Allan, on the threshold of the outer
door, heard her answer, and caught