Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-12-17

/ --Nf - NASNiufS newspaper syndicate
Roger Bennett had grown up in
the shadow Of his fathers disgrace.
Since his early school days he had be-
come accustomed to sly innuendoes
and looks askance, when at first he
attributed TO some popularity of his
own. But little by little he gathered
stray bits of information until one
memorable day shortly before his
graduation from high school he CON
fronted his mother with his scraps of
half-knowledge and learned from her
the whole bitter tale; how his father
had Incorporated trust funds. had
been indicted and had committed sui
eide in prison while serving his sen
| tence.
Don't forget. my son." she had con-
cluded at the end CT the sad story.
that now it lies with you to make
worthy the name you bear. 1t was
your fathers also. but through you
IT may again become honorable"
And it was with this thought al
ways in mind that Roger left the high
school, went through college and came
back to make living for himself and
mother, whose scanty resources had
been practically depleted by the ex-
pense of her sons education. Then.
shortly after his return. his mother
had died, and Roger. bitterly, hut
truthfully, blamed the heavy burden
of sorrow she had borne for so many
years for her untimely death and his
| consequent great loneliness.
His one comfort during the sad days
was the kindness of Virginia Dacre.
Back in Rogers school days had been
born the one great hate and one grea5
love of his life. The love was for this
same Virginia. the hate for her cousin,
| Wilbur Howard, nephew of the pres
ident of the bank where Roger
worked
1t had been Wilbur's slurring re-
marks concerning Rogers father that
had made Virginia, at that time a
SLIM leggy little girl with swapping
brown eyes and tlyaway pigtails,
thrust a protecting arm through Rog-
er's and declare: you're a hateful
thing Wilbur, if you are my cousin,
and NO matter what you say about
Rogers father. he has the most bean
tiful mother in the worldw Virginia.
own mother was dead.
Roger had never forgotten her par
| dsanship Not that the old antagO-
nism between her and her cousin had
| developed. Rather the contrary. For
| as Virginia grew into tall, slender
| girl with her pigtails loosened into
| waves and curls on her stately head
| and Wilbur became dapper youth
| with a thin mustache of which he was
inordinately proud people began to
hint that the kinship between the two
was not going to prove an obstacle
to a closer relation. and Roger feared
the downfall of the hopes re had long
cherished
also. For instance, there were those
who when Roger was taken into the
| bank. shook their heads and gave ut
rerance to vague remarks about hered-
ity. bred in the hone" like father,
like SON" And Wilbur himself, a vice
president of the bank largely through
the grace of being the presidents
nephew. had felt it incumbent upon
his position TO demonstrate with his
| uncle
"Unc,e Will" he began with a slight
embarrassed pull at his mustache
"isn't it-er-rather risky to employ
young Bennett?"
William Howard laid down the re-
port he was reading and regarded his
nephew over the rims of his glasses
"How SOP" he asked CURLY.
swell. his father"
"rm not employing his father He's
dead" said Uncle VIII "Close the
door as you go out, Wilbur"
Then. late one winter evening, Rog-
err, returning to the bank for a forgot
ten package surprised light in an
inner Office. Investigation discovered
Wilbur. rather frustrated, who after
an involved explanation of his pres
ence. departed hastily. Roger puzzled
over the matter, then dismissed it
from his mind. He could not know
Of course, that Wilbur was forgetting
his own dismay in wondering what
was the nature of his (Roger's) er-
rand.
1t CHANGED that on the day the bank
examiners elected to visit Tylerville
Wilbur was out of town. As he goi
off the train on his return lie stepped
into such hubbub of excitement as
bis native village had not known fol
years. Knots of people stood on the
corners in gesticulatiye discussion
| An attempt to use a telephone found
all lines busy. The one evening paper
Haunted the news in glaring type'
Large sums missing from local bank
books tempered with--snspicion o.
] rac+ad toxvard certain Well-knOWu