Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 137, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1915 — THE MAN IN CHARGE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE MAN IN CHARGE

By FLORENCE LILLIAN HENDERSON.

iCopyrisht. Uli, by W. G. Cnapnupi.) ' "It’s your duty, Eloise. You should look up this guardian of yours at once and call him to time.” “I certainly do not like his methods,” responded Eloise Thayer. “I wish brother Earle was home. He would take this matter in hand.” “Why don’t you just go to the city and give this lawyer, Rolfe, a piece of your mind?” “I believe I will do so, auntie. It seems to me it is my duty.” The speaker, however, did not look as though she coveted the task set ' for her. One year previously she and her brother Earl had inherited an estate valued at about $20,000 from their 'Uncle Reuben Thayer. The latter had left the settlement of the estate in the hands of Adrian Rolfe, whom Eloise had never seen. At the end of six months Eloise was notified that the estate had been adjusted and that her share was $lO,--000. This was invested in improved real estate, the income from which was S6OO per annum. Her brother Earle was to receive cash and securi-

ties. He went to the city and did not return. His, great hope for years had been to travel abroad. He wrote to Eloise that at last he had his heart’s desire. Eloise was glad that he was having a happy time before settling down into business life. Now she had not heard from him for some months. This worried her somewhat. Then her- guardian was acting strangely. She had been planning to secure quite a sum of money through the sale of a small piece of property UncldAßeuben had left her, to help her Aunt Huldah build an addition to her home. To this the city lawyer had paid no attention. Two monthly payments had been passed. What was wrong? Something—so, picturing one of those avaricious, grasping ogres of a lawyer she had read about, Eloise started for the city to demand an explanation for these irregularities. Eloise had "‘the address of the lawyer, but first went to install herself at the home of a friend of her aunt’s, not knowing but that her business in the city might take up several days. Her aunt had filled her mind with decided prejudice against Lawyer Rolfe. Eloise set her lips very firmly as she reached the address of the attorney’s office. She was inexperienced in city ways. The hurry and bustle of the streets had confused her. She stood before a door on the second floor of a big office building. It bore the name of Adrian Rolfe. There were the names of other attorneys also. The hall was somewhat dim. Eloise did not notice In smaller lettering: "Entrance at No. 16.” She tried the door. It did not givfe. Eloise supposed the usual occupantsof the room to be absent temporarily. She went down to the street again and looked into the store windows for a spell. Then she returned to the office building. Again she tried the door —-still locked. Four times during the morning she repeated.the calls. There was disappointment each time. She went to the house of the friend of her aunt where she was stopping and recited her experience. • “In my opinion this lawyer Is keeping out of your way,” said the lady, who was old and cranky and suspicious, jupt like Aunt Huldah. “Oh, do you think so?” murmured the distressed Eloise. "Then what am I going to do?" “Consult some other lawyer.” “I will try to reach Mr. Rolfe once more first,” decided Eloise. "I hope he hasn’t run away with all the property and money belonging to Earle and myself.” “Just as likely,” returned her cross grained consoler. “This wicked world is full of crooked men.” * Eloise went to the office building after dinner. Again she found the door locked. She walked slowly past adjoining offices. The door of one was open. Had it not been'so, she would have been able to have seen the same names as were on the closed door and the word in large letters: “Entrance.”

Seated at a desk in a neatly wr nished inner room, Eloise made out a young man. At a glance his handsome open face attracted her. She decided if he was a lawyer and she needed one, it would be a bright intelligent young man like himself she would choose. - “Oh, dear! I feel so flustered —everything is so strange to me,” breathed Eloise timorously. "I must do Something, though, to settle this matter,” and she entered the office and confronted the young man at the desk. “Please pardon me,” she said, “but I am a stranger in the city and wish to consult with some lawyer.” The young man sprang up all courtesy. He bowed her to a chair. "I am an attorney, Miss,” he said. “Can I be of service to you?” “I hope you can,” replied Eloise, and she handed him her card. "I have come to the city to see my guardian, or rather the man in charge of the estate of my dead uncle. My friends fear he is not —that is, attending to the affairs of my brother and myself as well as he should. I have tried allthe morning to reach him in his office, but have not succeeded.” If Eloise had not been so confused, she would have observed a strange expression come over the face of her companion. He appeared about to break out into speech. Then he bit his lips, looked startled, then serious, and finally said: “I shall be pleased to have you state your case, Miss Thayer.” Eloise did* so. She was too gentlehearted to accuse Mr. Roife of deliberate fraud, but she made a clear, plain statement of the circumstances. “If you will leave your present city address, I will look up this matter and advise you this evening,” he said. Eloise went home, feeling that she had placed her business in competent hands. "So intelligent looking! He Just seemed to see through the case in a flash,” Eloise told her landlady. (No wonder!) "And* so-—well, so handsome, too.” (And she blushed.) The lawyer called that evening. It took him —he called himself Mr. Edwards —an hour, although it took him only five minutes to state that he could not settle with Mr. Rolfe for a day or two. He called the next evening and stayed two hours. At leaving, he told Eloise that if she would call at his office the following morning he would have the delinquent monthly payments for her. “You had better return home then, Miss Thayer,” he advised, “and in a week I will see that this —this negligent rascal of a Rolfe sends you a full and complete .statement of how your business affairs stand.” Mr. Edwards had given her the money at his office next day- and Eloise was about to leave, when a voice that startled her spoke, and, turning, to her profound amazement she faced her brother. "I won’t see you in a false position, Rolfe,” he declared. “Eloise, this is the best friend I ever had. He has not given you his full name —it is Adrian Edwards Rolfe. I have been foolish and extravagant. Some ready cash had to be got to lift me out of my troubles. The money due you and what Rolfe has kindly added, about saved me,” and a full explanation followed. "What can you think of me, Mr. Rolfe,” fluttered Eloise, blushing with embarrassment, “after the terrible picture I painted of you?" "I shall try to make you think better of me in the future,” laughed Rente. Which he did—aided by Earle Thayer, future brother-in-law.

Four Times She Repeated the Calls.