Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-01-13
0. BY Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

w SAV W 4AGSAdAO
Roger Bennett had grown up ir
the shadow Of his fathers disgrace
Since his early school days he had be
come accustomed to sly ~innuendoes
and looks askance, which 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 hel
the whole bitter tale; how his father
had misappropriated trust funds, hao
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 of 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 a 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, but
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 beer
born the one great hate and n great
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.
It had been Wilbur's slurring re
marks concerning Rogers father tina
had made Virginia, at that time {
slim, leggy little girl with swapping
brown eyes and fyaway pigtails
thrust a protecting arn through Rog
er's and declare: You're a hateful
thing, Wilbur, If ,sou are my cousin
and no matter What you say abou
Rogers father he has the most beau
tiful mothsfin the world!" Virginia
own mother vas dead.
Roger had forgotten her par
tisa6ship. Not that the old antago
rism between her and her cousin ha
developed. Rather the contrary. Fo
as Virginia grew into a tall, slende
girl with her pigtails loosened Int
waves and curls on her stately heat
and Wilbur became a dapper yout
with a thin mustache of which he wa
Unfortunately proud, people began t
hint that the kinship between the tw
was not going to prove an obstacl
to a closer relation, and Roger feare
the downfall of the hopes he had Ion
cherished.
And people limited at other thing
also. For instance, there were thos
who, when Roger was taken into tn
bank, shook their heads and gave u
terance to vague remarks about herec
ity, "bred in the bone," "like fathe
like son." And Wilbur himself, a vic
president Of the bank largely throug
the grace of being the president
nephew, had felt it incumbent upC
his position to demonstrate with h
uncle.
"Uncle WILL" he began with a sligl
embarrassed pull at his mustach
isn't it-er-rather risky to emplt
young Bennett"
William Howard laid down the r
port he was reading and regarded h
nephew over the rims of his glasse
"How so?" he asked CURLY.
swell, his father"
"Tm not employing his father. he
Dead" said Uncle Will. "Close Il
door as you go out, Wilbur"
Then, late one winter evening, Ro
er, returning to the bank for a forge
ten package, surprised a light in {
inner office. Investigation discover
Wilbur, rather frustrated, who aft
an involved explanation of his pre-
ence, departed hastily. Roger puzzl,
over the. matter, then dismissed
from his mind. He could not kno
of course, that Wilbur vas forgettil
his own dismay in wondering VIII
was the nature Of his (Roger's) {
rand.
1t CHANGED that on the day the bal
examiners elected to visit Tylervil
Wilbur was out of town. AS he G
off the train on his return he stepp
into such a hubbub of excitement
his native village had not known I
years. Knots of people stood Oh
corners in gesticulative discussit
An attempt to use a telephone fou
all lines busy. The one evening par
Haunted the news in glaring tyl
Large sums missing from local ba
books tempered with-suspicion
rected toward certain well-kno'
y citizen"
With fingers that tried In vain
be steady Wilbur held the sheet a
Tread. Only at the end, as he saw Il
Popor Rnnnatf WAS heinp held for