The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-01-22
can
Honest Man
BY MARY ELLIS hartley
copyright. 1919 by the Western News
~ paper Union.)

expressive face grave and earnest.
"As my closest and truest friend, you
have right to know. There is
shadow in the background"
II surmised some strong reason for
your generally depressed condition dur
ing the past few weeks" observed Will
fred Lang. "You have been unlike
yourself, and l want to help you if it
is in my power"
II doubt it," replied Ross. somewhat
gioomily. "A skeleton in the closet is
not very comfortable possession. and
] Am sorry to say that l have discov-
cred one"
"Drive it QUIT" suggested Lang, ve-
hemently; "banish it ignore it,"
Alden Ross shook his head sadly. II
wish / could, Lang. but a sense OF
justice. Of duty is involved. Shadow
and skeleton, it is with me constant
ly. And just as there came an angel
to the Threshold"
Wilfred Lang regarded his friend
critically. II say, Ross he rallied,
shave you been absorbing these UNI
Observation-Disclosures rOmance?"
mo, from dread reality" answered
Ross seriously. IL will tell you The
story. briefly. About two months ago
! became acquainted with Il young lady
whom met at Moves Lake. She was
there with some girl companions and
chnpcron, and those few days were
! the most delightful Of my life. We
! drifted into Il most friendly acquaint-
! anrrHhir. You would not blame me
| If YOU knew how charming was Miss
| Ethel Wolcott; less so if YOU coald re-
aize how much I had learned to !ove
| her. told her that had. and she was
gracious and responsive. I WAS placed
! in delicate 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.
The chuperOn at the very last recog-
! nizcu the situation, and at once took
| Ethel under her wing.
| "R;lpid and most promising prog
rpss," commented Lang saucily. "Why
the gloom over such an ideal situa-
| tinn?'
"Hccnuse l have discovered the ut
ter hupcle<SiesS of the caSe,' replied
Ross moodily. "YOu know that what
| little | have in the world was eft to
| me by an aged aunt. My father died
a paupcr. When [ returned from my
! recent trip / contemplated changing
my living quarters. and started i'll to
throw away the letters Of several years.
had only known that my father, from
position Of opuence, in a single day
almost became a poor man. He never
told me why. Such documents ! came
across among his papers three days
after 7 had seen Ethel Wolcott re-
; vealcd the terrible reason"
Lang looked grave. He knew his
friend was not 4 sensationalist. and
his haygard face and sorrowful eyes
! told Lang that he was suffering.
"To you, my closest friend, can I re-
veal this dreadful secret" resumed
Ross "Tn word, Just before my ia
, Tiers strangely sudden transition from
wealth to poverty, his partner, man
named Morse. disappeared. The firm
was Ross & Morse, and they did very
large exporting business. From the
documents happened across, it
seemed that the firm had become in
dehted for a very large amount to
| Robert WOlcott, the father Of the girl
! l love. At the time of giving up bust
ness my father, a widower, with my
self removed to another part of the
country, living secluded and he never
by word of mouth explained the real
situation to me. 4 letter signed by
| Mr.. Wolcott found. denouncing Ross
4 Morse as common swindlers. IN
second letter he demanded tile pay
ment OF his claim or he would send
both my father and his partner to the
| penitentiary. am satisfied that when
the claim was paid it beggared my
father. But the criminal phase! Don't
you see. that the son Of the man Rob-
! ert Wolcott denounced as a thief can
never hope to win his only daughter"'
It was after long thought and con-
sultatjnn with his friend that Ross
/ decided upon the course he would fol-
low. Two days later he visited the
city where Ethel lived. Clearly, truth
! fully. he told her his story. 4 strange
light came into her eyes as the MEN
! ton of his fathers misfortune seemed
to recall something she had heard her
father al,lde to in the past. 49,. =.
Il must see papa" She breathed ex-
! citedly. "Do not go away until I re-
! turn
She re-entered the room few min
utes later with her father, who stepped
/ forward briskly and grasped with
warmth the hand of the bewildered
, Ross D. =" ..s.-
"NIr. Ross" he said, "my daughter
! has told me of You. 1t is great re-
, lief to my mind to meet the son of a
man whom I greatly misjuaged. 1t
! was to save his embezZing partner
from prosecution that your father beg
CARED himself. I did not learn this
until after his death; sought. for him..