The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-27

tald that IL was long Story ne uau
20 tell and be was tired lie would
tell it TO Ethel and she could rePeat
as much of ii as she liked to their fa
thcr. The old man. opposed by both
his children. was Obliged 10 give In
and left them together As soon rs he
had gone Ethel closed the door and
looked inquiringly at the stranger.
II was trying to Begin he said. '.the
delivery of message from Your late
brother. lie was my partner III bust
ness in a western city, and ! regret TO
say that come to announce his death"
Ethel sighed Ii was rather that a
hoped for support would not material
iZe than grief, for she scarcely remem
bered her brother BUT the stranger.
who gave his name as George Mason.
assured her that her brothers interest
in the business would he sufficient To
make her father and herself quite com
Portable. The story of sam Eartlet'S
career was. as Mason bad said, a long
one and after giving it To her The
question came up as to what course
to pursue in the matter of breaking the
news of Sans death 10 the father.
Ethel could not make up her mind to
/ tell the old man that his son. instead
of having returned to him, was dead
! At any rate. she felt that ii must be
put off. But she invited Mr. Mason t.
remain in the house-indeed. her father
1 would misunderstood her not doing 50
| until he returned TO the west The
/ old man was Informed that Sam was
| in business in the west and must re-
! turn there, but possibly he might take
, his father and sister with him George
| Mason before leaving his business had
/ taken in one of his clerks as partner
and there was no hurry for his return
He remained with the Bartlets as IA
prodigal son, Ethel taking care To i'll
form her friends and acquaintances as
/ TO the true state of the case.
Several weeks passed, and Mason
made no move to return to business
! Ethel was beginning to fear that some
stupid person might let the cat out of
the bag to her father. Besides this,
playing brother and sister by two per-
sons who were not related was not
| likely to 90 on without criticism. To
guard against any such issue George
Mason told Ethel that they had better
announce that they were engaged.
which was his way of proposing. Ethel
didn't quite like that way of doing 1t.
but she acquiesced
Every day 1t became more risky to
| disabuse the old man and confess the
deception. He was failing rapidly, and
it was feared that the shock Of know
ing that his son had not returned to
him, but was dead, would kill him.
Mason and Ethel, who were very much
i'm love with each other, wished to be
married, and it was necessary that
Mason should return to his business
II would not do to leave the old man
them. blind as he was. they could not
live together as man and wife without
his knowledge of their relationship
The puzzle seemed insoluble.
However. though Mr.. Bartlett would
not solve it by dying, he grew so blind
llIdl tllt AOullS tbul'lc dNNiutu " III
married and take him west with them
without letting him know the secret
The ceremony was performed private
~, where he would know nothing
about it. and the three departed the
same day for their new home.
Months passed. and. although Mr.
Bartlet's ears and eyes got no better
his health was no worse. The Difficult
ty of keeping the situation from him
was trifling compared with the absurd
ty of his talking about the relationship
that he supposed TO exist between his
two children
when Sam first came home" hi
said to friend. Il feared Ethel would
not forgive him for all the trouble he
had given US. but now she acts TOWARD
him just like a bride and he like q
young husband. They kiss when h,
goes down to business in the morning
and when he comes home in the even
ing. never saw such loving brother
: and sister"
While the old man was content t,
live, as he supposed, with his children
. he often wished that one or the othe
would marry, that he might have lit
tie grandson to love him and chez
t him in his old age. But to gain thi
, he must give up part of what he al
} ready enjoyed. IN outsider must b,
introduced into the house. and this h,
knew would endanger the family peac
and comfort The thought of bringin:
e in another woman appalled, him. for h
: had theory that no woman coull
come into a house without sooner o
! later taking over its management. Blu
he saw no difficulty in introducing an
other man. So he occasionally hinte'
to his daughter that she should marry
Il have no wish TO marry, father.
i she would say. Il am perfectly con