The $500 Check — page 299: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

280 THE $500 CHEOK. the place of a young actor who was taken sick.”’ ‘You act as if you had been trained to it. But how came you to be at Harrisburg? That is not your home ?”’ ‘“No. As you were my father’s friend, I will tell you what brought me out there.’’ Bert briefly related the story that is already known to the reader. Hiram French listened with great attention. ‘‘T remember Ralph MHarding,”’ he said. ‘He was not popular among his shopmates, especially after his agency in throwing suspi- cion upon your father.’’ ‘Was it generally thought that my father was guilty ?’’ asked Bert. “No; while circumstances were strong against him, no one could believe that a man whose reputation for integrity was as high as your father’s would be guilty of stealing. But the good will of his associates could not help him.’’ ‘* Did you know Mr. Marlowe ?”’ ‘‘ Albert Marlowe? Yes.’’ **'Was he well liked ?’’