An Honest Man

Originally Aired: August 5, 1948

Suspense #301, "An Honest Man," stars Charles Lawton as Freddie, a 44-year-old store clerk whose lifelong devotion to his mother has just ended with her death. For 26 years, Freddie has worked faithfully for Mr. Kelsey, shaped by his mother's harsh childhood lesson that dishonesty is the worst sin imaginable. But after his mother's passing, Freddie experiences an unsettling revelation: he's actually glad she's gone. His newfound freedom draws him to Dora, an attractive co-worker who has caught his eye.

When Freddie works up the courage to walk Dora home, their conversation takes a fateful turn. She reveals her "dream man" must have a steady job and a thousand dollars saved in the bank—a nest egg Freddie knows will take him years to accumulate. As temptation looms and his desperation grows, the honest man his mother created faces a terrible choice. With the store's daily receipts sitting in the safe and Mr. Kelsey's complete trust in his hands, Freddie must decide whether a lifetime of honesty can withstand his first real chance at happiness.