The Washington times., 1928-12-31

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without word. he started the
car. And Genevieve leaned back,
gIeefully. For the first time in
her Is years1S years and days,
to be accurate she felt free. To
be sure, she had really been free
for the last six days. But all that
while, on the boat, and the day
before that, she had felt that
somehow Cousin Agatha might
find her. She would not have
put 1t past Cousin Agatha to have
had every ship in Christendom
searched for vanished heiress. /"
She was sorry to cause Cousin
Agatha any distress, but the time
had come to strike for freedom
and excitement. and life.
1t was on her eighteenth birth
day that Cousin Agatha had taken
her up to Paris, to see her law
yers and her bank, and to order
an appropriately elegant wardrobe.
You are now Of age. Cousin
Agatha had said. and you have
right to your own fortune,
though I'm sure / don't know how
you'll manage it, you've been so
protected, till row. or course, I'm
perfectly willing to go on protect
iEg you: but you have the right
to handle your own money. 1
suppose really should have let
you handle little before now. OF
course You know how many
francs there are to q dollarR.
T.a%
this. For until now, what money
was put into her hands had been
francs. Cousin Agatha had
brought her abroad from Philadel.
phia when she was u, and since
then she had lived in exclusive
boarding schools, efficiently chap
eroned by reliable gentlewomen
who handled whatever money was
spent. And her vacations were, if
anything, even more chaperoned
by Cousin Agatha, and Cousin
Agatha's elderly friends. Cousin
Agatha always spoke of her. to
her friends, as "the child The
child's clothes ''the child's di-
gestion.'' ''the child's entertain
ment" How weary she had got
of hearing herself considered as a
problem! And what burden poor
Cousin Agatha must have found
her, all these years.
"Of course" Cousin Agatha had
said, on the way to the bank,
you won't long have to bother
about the money, you'll probably
get married shortly. Not" she
added hastily, for Cousin Agatha
had taken great pains to keep
1.-The child from getting con-
ceited. mot that you are-er-
beautiful Only. after all. most
girls do marry. And tomorrow,
well go on to England, to visit
the Ardsleys. Lady Ardsley has
most attractive young grandson
at least she writes very favor
ably about him. And you'll meet
quite nice young people, besides
It was not until that minute
that it had occurred to her that
she could escape the vigilant
chaperonage and managing of
Cousin Agatha. In the excitement
of the idea, she hardly heard the
details which the banker was
explaining-how many hundreds
of thousands of dollars were there
in the Paris bank, and where the
New York bank was which held
the bulk of her fortune; and the
talk of bonds and first mortgages
was Greek to her.
Although she went demurely
back to the luxurious Paris hotel
with Cousin Agatha, she was plan
ming to escape. AS soon as
Cousin Agatha had settled down 10
her afternoon nap, Genevieye tum-
bled a few things into a small
bag-toilet articles. few jewels
that had been her mothers, some
undeFthings, ia negligee and her
passport. and hurried down, in a
in taxi, to the bank on the
Place Vendome.
"CaH / have all the money
want?' And the friendly banker
replied, "Just about"
Then" said Genevieye, "I'll
take a hundred dollar bill for
every year of my age-and some
extra small money. American
money-and some more French
francs"
The banker had hesitated, in a
internal. advisory manner, but
after all, the money belonged to
this girl. Il doubt If yoer guar,
dian-but of course. you are of
age" In an amazingly short
time Genevieve had the crisr vel
low bills. which felt strange and
very substantial to her, after tht
comparative flimsiness OF French
notes, .
Now she was ready to begin tC
s'liye. Just what living woulc
consist of, she didn't know. But
@he would soon find out. This