The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1920-08-13
can
Honest Man
~
BY MARY ELLIS BARLEY
1copyrlsht. 1912 By the western News.
paper Unionl

have a right 20 know. There Is
shadow In the background"
~ surmised some strong reason for
your generally depressed condition dur.
ing the past few weeks" observed VIII
fred Lang. "You have been unlike
yourself. and ! want to help you II Il
Is In my power"
u doubt &C." replied Ross, somewhat
gloomlly. - skeleton In the closet Is
not very comfortable possession. and
! am sorry to say that I have dlscov-
cred one.n
Drive q out" suggested Lang We
hcmontly: Danish itl ignore o."
Alden Ross shook his head sadly. Il
wish could Lang hut sense %
Justice. Of duty Is involved shadow
and skeleton. u g. with me constant.
~. And just ne there came on angel
20 the threshold"
WIlfrod Lang regarded his friend
critically Il say Ross" BE- rallied.
shave you been absorbing these on.
wholesome sentiments out of some old
Observation-Disclosures romanceT"
"No. from dread reality" answered
Ross seriously. Il will tell you the
story. briefly About two months ngo
7 became acquainted with a young lady
whom ! met nt Nuyes Lake. She was
there with some girl companions and q
Chnperun. and those few days were
che most delightful u my life We
drIftrd into o. most friendly acquaint
anccship. You would not blame me
N you knew how charming was Miss
Ethel Wolcoit; less ~ n you could r..
allie how much ! had learned to love
her. ! told her that had. and she was
gracious and responsive was placed
On delicate position. meeting her and
becoming engaged to her. oil within
two weeks time.
"Shc came OF family high M In .
social way and of extensive wealth.
The chapernn at the very last rccog.
uizel the situation. and az once took
Ethci under her wing.
rapid md most promising prog.
ress." commented Lang saucliy. "why
the gloom over such nm ideal sltua.
tlonT"
'iRecnuse have discovered the Ut.
yer hopelessness ~ the case" replied
Ross moodily. "You know that what
little have In the world was left TO
tine by an aged aunt. My father died
a puupcr. when I returned from my
recent trip contemplated changing
my living quarters. and started In 10
uthrow away the letters OF several years.
I had only known that my father. from
a position OF opulence. In a single day
almost became poor man. lie never
rtold me why. Such documents came
across among his papers three days
after / had seen Ethel Wolcott re-
-yeaied the terrible reason"
Lang looked grave. He knew his
friend was not n sensationallst. and
his hnggnrd face and sorrowful eyes
told Lang that he was suffering
''To you, my closest friend. can re-
veal this dreadful secret" resumed
Ross. In n word. Just before my Ia.
Nher's strangely sudden transition from
wealth 20 poverty. his partner, u man
named Morse, disappeared. The Arm
was Ross \ Morse. aud they did n very
large exporting business. From the
documents happened across. II
seemed that the firm had become In,
debted for a very large amount IA
Robert wolcott. the father of the girl
love. A. the time OF giving up busl,
ness my father. widOwer, with my
self removed 10 another part of the
country living secluded. and he never
by word OF mouth explained the real
situation 90 me. A letter signed by
Mr.. Wolcott | found, donounclng Ross
a Morse ms common swindlers. In
second letter he demanded the pay,
ment OF his claim or he would send
both my father and his partner "a the
penltentlary am satisfied that when
the claim was paid Il beggared my
father But the criminal phase Don't
you see, that the son Of the man Rob
-ert WOlcOtt denounced as thief eau
never hope 10 win his only daughterT
II was after long thought and con,
sultation with his friend that Ross
decided upon the course he would fol-
low. Two days later he visited the
city whore Ethel lived, Clearly, truth,
fully, he told her his story. A strange
light came into her eyes as the men
don Of his fathers misfortune seemed
TO recall something she had heard her
Gather allude 10 In the past
~ must see papa" she breathed ex,
citedly. do not go away until | re-
turn"
She ro-entered the room few min
sltes later with her father. who stepped
FORWARD brlskly aud grasped with
warmth the hand OF the bewildered
Ross.
"AIr. Ross" he said, my daughter
has told me OF you. II Is a great re-
lief 10 my mind 10 meet the son OF u
man whom | greatly misjudged II
was 20 save his embezzling partner
from prosecution that your father beg
cared himself. / aha not learn this
until after his death; sought for him
could not nhd HIN, and placed the
money he paid me IN an Investment
which has made large gains, and which
4 planned should revert 30 his heirs.
tEthel," and his eyes rested tenderly
gupon his daughter, fare you sure OF