The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-04-08
cAn
Honest Man
00
BY MARY ELLIS hartley

expressive f1ce grave and s1rnest.
AS my cIS and trusst snesd. roo
d have q RI % know. There q .
!. shndow In background.
/. Il sdfm r. some strong reason for
: your generally depressed coalition dur
Ing the past few weeks" observed VII
fred Lang. you have been unlike
Yourself and want to help you II Il
r is In my power'
k Il doubt IT," replied Ross. somewhat
4 gloomily. "A skeleton in the closet II
not very comfortable possession, and
am sorry II say that have discov-
cred one"
Drive II out r. suggested Ling. 70
hemently; danish It ignore mr.
|. Alden Ross shook his head sadly. II
wish ! could, Lang. but aense OF
justice. Of duty In involved. Shadow
and skeleton. II Is with me constant
IT, And just as there came an angel
to the threshold"
Wiifred Lang regarded his friend
critically. II say, Ross" he rallied.
have you been absorbing these un-
wholesome sentiments out OF some old |
Observation-Disclosures romance?"
mo, from dread reality" answered |
Ross seriously. II Will tell yon the
story briefly About two months ago |
became acquainted with young lady
whom met Mt Moves Lake. She was
there with some girl companions and
chsperon. and those few days were
the most delightful Of my llfe We
drfted into q most friendly acQuaInt-
anceshlp. You would not blame me
" You knew how charming was Miss
Ethel Wolcoti less so II you could re-
alize how much | had learned to love
her. ] told her that had. and she was
gracious and responsive. was placed5
In deiicnte position. meeting her and !,
becoming engaged TO her. all within !,
two weeks time
"She came of family high up In a
social way. and of extensive wealth. 5,
The chaperon at the very last recog-
nzed the situation. and at once took
Ethel under her wing :
Rapid and most promising prog
ross commented Lang saucily. why =.
the gloom over such an ideal sltua- :.
tlon?"
I..l
ter hopelessness OF the case,'t replied 1,
Ross moodily. you know that what !.
little | have In the world was left to :,
me by an aged aunt My father died s
a paHper. WhensI returned from, my Ia,
recent trip I contemplated changing :,
my living quarters, and started in to T.,
throw away the letters OF several years. =,
had only known that my father, from ~
a position of opulence, In a single day =.
almost became poor man. He never a.,
told me why. Such documents came
across among his papers three days
after I had seen Ethel Wolcott re-
fealed the terrible reason"
Lang looked grave He knew his us
'riend WIS not u sensationalist. and Oh
Ms haggard face and sorrowful eyes an
old Lang that he was suffering. nc
ITO you. my closest friend, can re- ~
zeal this dreadful secret resumetPpet,
ioss. "ln word Just before my IA d'
hers strangely sudden transition from is'
eealth to poverty. his partner, man "e'
AIMED Morse. Disappeared The Arm an
fss Ross 4 Morse and they did very 'h'
irge exporting business. From the an
ocunents | happened across. It TOT
eemed that the firm had become In 'ht
ebted for very large amount to me
obert Wocott. the father OF the girl ius
love. AT the time Of giving up bust 'ne
ess my father. w.dower with my ch'
~ removed to another part OF the s'g
)untry. living secluded. and he never tiR'
/, word NJ mouth exnlained tho ra.I jec
tuation to me. A letter signed by ~
IT, Wolcott found, denouncing Ross
Morse AS common swlndlers In
second letter he demanded the pay A
ent OF his claim or he would send tie,
9TH my father and his partner to the the
nm satisfied that when rho
e claim was paid II beggared my non
ther. hut the criminal phase Don't req
~ see that the son of the man Rob no .
I Wolcott denounced ms thief can we,
'yer hope to win his only danghter," duk
II was after long Thought and con. he
liation with his friend that Ross nfts
clded upon the course he would fol- find
w. Two days later ne visited the II I
" where Ethel lived. Clearly. truth nv
n.y. he told her his story. A strange wee
+ht came into her eyes rs the men ,iuk
N OF his fathers misfortune seemed nnnt
recall something she had heard her In I
Their ,nllu,ie 10 in the past. naul
II must see papa" she breathed ex.
eddy. DO go away until re-
rn." aes :.
She re-entered the room few min.
Is later with her father, who stepped su''
ward briskly and grasped with sN'l
rmth the hand of the bewiIdered ner'
ss Sod'
Mr.. Ross" he said my daughter 2
. told me 81 You. II Is great re- Iorf
7 10 my mind TO meet the non OF a iofr
N whom | greatly m'sIudged, II isia
: to save his embezxiinK partner nsn'
m prosecution thar your father beg Dut
ed himself. ! did not learn this sign
~ after his death; sought for him. mad
I'D not md him, and placed the er
pcy he paid ME in an investment Mag
l..S, ~ IN ia la rDe 0aIna aud ,,ht.A