Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-11-27
How He Got Even.

| Miss Betsy HOWian0 ana MT. DaVlO
BasIer We're engaged to be married in
Elkland township, Pa, nine years
ago. They were children OF well to
do farmers, and their acquaintance
said it was a good match. Six weeks
before the time set for the wedding
Miss Rowland Tilted Mr.. Basler and
eloped with Mr.. Leander Oakford, OF
Lopez township. They were married
by Forkville justice, and when the
fact became known in the runaway
brides neighborhood the gossips as.
serted that they had felt certain all
along that Bets Rowland was never
really in love with Dave Basler. They
also recalled the fact that Mr.. Oak
ford had taken Miss Rowland to sew
eral country balls, and that she al
ways edged up toward Mr.. Oakford
with more fondness than toward Mr..
Basler.
MFR. Oakford took his bride to his
home in Lopez township, and Mr..
Basler went to drinking and became
reckless on accout OF his disappoint-
ment. People said he was going to
the dogs and would probably COM
init suicide, but in less than three
months he braced up and has never
touched drop of liquor since. He
was Woodworking young man and
remained on the farm Of his father,
Mr.. ID. H. Basler. No one ever al
luded to his disappointment, but he
frequently referred to it himself by
declaring that he would get even with
Betsy Rowland sooner or later.
A year ago last summer Mr.. Oak
| ford died, and in the fall his widow
took two children to Elkland town.
ship, and went to living with her
father, farmer Peter r. Rowland.
| When she had been a widow for near
lv wear the old friendship between
her and David Basler was renewed.
| People wondered at it when they
recalled what Mr.. Basler had said
years before about getting even with
Betsy Rowland, but they wondered
still more early in the fall when they
heard that the Widow Oakford and
Mr.. Basler were going to be married
| i'm the latter part of October. They
thought that Dave Basler had forgot
ten his VOW, and that he was so deep
lv i'm love with the widow that he
couldn't live without her.
The wedding of Mrs. Oakford to the
man she had Tilted just nine years
before was announced to take place
at the residence of Mrs. Oakford's
father on the evening OF Thursday,
Oct. 90. All of Mrs. Oakford's Elk
land relatives assembled at the farm
house soon after dark, and Rev.
Charles J. Owen came over from Elk
land Centre to perform the ceremony.
When o'clock came Mr.. Basler had
not arrived His absence caused
great furry and mach talk, and when
il was noticed that none of his rela-
tiyes was present there was sensa-
ton among the guests. Mrs. Oakford
was waiting up stairs, and half an
hour after the ceremony was to have
begun Rev. Mr.. Owen sent a messenger
post haste after Mr.. Basler. 1t was
more than a mile to the Basler farm
house, and when the messenger got
there all the family were in bed, ex-
cept the man who was needed to COM
plete the bridal party. He was sit
ting by the kitchen stove with his
working clothes on, and when the
messenger made known his errand,
Mr.. Basler chuckled and said:
1T took a good while to get square
with Betsy Rowland, but I've paid
her back in her own coin. wouldn't
marry her now for the best farm in
Pennsylvania, and you go back and
tell her so. She fooled Inc nine years
ago, and turn about is fair play, amt
it. Maybe she'll learn to take a
joke"
Mr.. Baslers message to the widow
was speedily delivered, and there
was much indignation over it at the
Rowland residence. Rev. Mr.. Owen
and sympathetic relatives conceded
Mrs. Oakford, who wepJ for two
hours over the humiliation, and at
midnight the guests departed. From
the fact that none OF Mr.. Basler's rel
atives put in an appearance, it is
supposed that they well knew that
Mr.. Basler meant to fool the widow,
for the time set for the wedding was
known to everybody in the neighbor-
| mood.
Last Friday Mrs. Oakford began a
breach Of promise suit against Mr..
Rasler, laying damages at $4,000. Mr.:
Basler is SO years old, and is estimated
to be worth $4,000. He says that
Mrs. Oakford will never get cent Of
his money, and that he put all OF his
property out of his hands before he
got even with her.