The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-17

looked inquirinsly at the stranger
Il was trying 10 begin. he said t''-
delivery Of a message from N"tir .'t
brother He was my partner IA "ls
ness i'm n western city. and ! re-rei +"
say that come 10 announce bis drd' p
Ethel sighed. 1t was rather t!al q
hopcd for support would tot riaierili
ize than grict. for She scarcely rei't'-'
bered her brother Hnt The SlfiI-'i
who gave li,, naaie a. George ..'.''...i.
assured her that her brothers lhleitSt
in the business would le sufficient {"
make her father and herself quit, com
Portable. The story of sam lar'i"i
career was. as Mason had said. "a ''li-
one. and after giving il To her W.
question came up as To what c"GfN'
TO pursue in the matter OF breaking ~
news of Sans death to the father.
Ethel could not make up her iaind to
tell the old man that his son, instead
of having returned To han. was ue...
Al auv rate. she felt thar it must tf
nut OF But she invited MI Mason
remain in the houSe-indeea. her i"tAet
would misunderstood Ter NOT dong
until he returned 90 tile west ih"|
old man was Informed that sam was
i'm business in the west ami must r.
turn there. bat possibly h. mi-m 'aa
his father and sister with hiIl. 'cpr-
Mason before leaving his huS.u..>S .'s
taken in one Of his clerks as 81 parttct
and there was no hurry Tor ~, fe;ln
He remained with the Bartlet> as %
prodigal son. Ethel taking care To ~
form her friends and acluainlamcS a.
to the true state of The case
Several weeks passed, ana Mason
made no move to return To business
Ethel was beginning to fear thai some
stupid person might let the eat out ia
the bag 10 her father BESIDES this.
playing brother and sister 10y two per
sons who were not related was not
likely to 20 O.. without criticism. To
guard against any such issue George
Mason told Ethel that they had better
announce that they were eng, Il.
which was his 'ay of proposing Ethel
didn't quite like that way of doing it,
but she acquiesced.
Livery day il became more risky to
| disabuse the old man and confess the
deception. He was falling 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
In love with each other. wished to be
married and it was necessary that
Mason should return to his business
! 1t would not do to leave the old man
| behind and II they took him with
! 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 ily dying, he grew SO blind
that the Young couple decided TO be
married aud take him west with them
without letting him know the secret
The cerc.lonv was performed private
ly, where he would know nothing
about il, and the .hr.c departed til,
same day for their new home
Months passed, and although Mr.
Bartlct's ears and eyes got no better
his health was no worse The dithcul
~ of Keeping the situation from him
was tritling compared With the absurd
~ of his talking about the Relationship
that he supposed to exist between hi,
two children.
when Sam first came home" h,
said to Il friend. Il feared Ethel would
not forgive him for all the trouble he
had given Us, but now she acts toward
him just like bride and he like Z
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 I,
live as he supposed, with his children
he often wished that one or the othel
would marry. that he might have lit
tie grandson To love him and chez,
him in his old age But to gain thi,
he must give up part of what he al
ready enjoyed. An outsider must b,
introduced into the house. and this h,
knew would endanger the family peac,
and comfort. The thought of bringin.
in another woman appalled, him. for h,
had theory that no woman coul,
come into 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.
she would say. Il am perfectly con
tented as | am. Why do you wish m
to marry"
We'll, you see, I'm lonely during tn
long days when Sam is at business. an
I'd like TO have child for company. /"
Finally about year after the mar
rage the old man gave out One da
he took to his bed. which he neve
again left. His supposed sons all
sence all day at his business was
great trial to the invalid From III
time Mason went away in the morn
ing till his return in the evening th