Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1910-01-07
WHAT BECAME OF
GEORGE A|KEN2
by TOM GAYLORD.
IcOpyright. 1909. by American Press Asso
ciationJ

NuuN - tuiS iNDOlts Mtiiuhis uDOuN
you aud Mr. AbercrOmbey
1T IL that we are to he married. and
It is true"
And yet people say that aztec man
passes forty he will invariably choose
q woman from fifteen to twenty years
younger than himself"
There are cases where men past
forty marry women they have loved
In their youth"
And yours Is such a rOmance?"
ut is more than romance-it Is
remarkable case"
do tell me. am dying to hear It."
II must go back twenty-four years.
l was then eighteen. Father ut that
time was specializing in cotton and
had made n great deal Of money. He
was very ambitious for me and told
me that. whether or no ] married
wealth. ] must marry polished man.
Father had little opportunity to be-
come refined in his youth. and people
always covet what they have been de-
MED. One day when was out horse
back riding my pony ran away with
me. A farmers boy came galloping
after me and. catching my rein. saved
me from going over a high bank into
the river.
IAN intimacy sprang up between my
self and the youth. whose name was
Aiken. was shrewd little mink
and never said anything at home about
the runaway or the farmers boy.
FINALLY | made up my mind that
could not live without George Aiken
and proposed to elope with him. BE
consented. but very unwillingly. He
loved me, but had too much sense to
consider such a course either honor
able or likely to result in our happi-
ness. called him timid, and this
brought him over to my plan.
my room was on the third story.
procured rope ladder. on which in
tended to descend after the family
were all asleep. and hid 1t in my
closet. Aiken was to BIZ at the foot of
the ladder to receive me. But when
it came to descending the swaying
thing my courage failed me. and !
called on him to come up and help me.
He sprang up the ladder. and just as
we were about to go down together we
heard footsteps coming up the walk.
George Aiken climbed into the window
and drew up the ladder.
Some one came on up to the house
and stopped beneath my window.
peeppd through the Stats and recog.
| nized father He had gone out with
out my knowing 1t. He called up the
| coachman and stationed him under
the window. then came into the house.
~ am ruined | cried, clinging TO
my lover. Father must have seen you
enter the window
George Aiken remained perfectly
cool. Presently he said in a steady,
low voice:
".Give me your watch
II took it from my belt and handed
| it to him.
".Go to bed he said. and pretend to
be asleep.
He opened the door softly and stole
out. In a few minutes had taken Off
my clothes and was in bed. 1 heard
a commotion downstairs, and present
" father came to my door. awakened
me. as he supposed. and told me that
a thief had been caught in the house
with my watch on him.
Then | saw it all. George had sac
rificed himself to save me from dis
grace with my own family. ! was in
agony. begged father not TO prose
cute the thief. but he had already call
ed the police. and in another hour
George was in jail. He was tried. put
in no defense and, being the son OF
reputable farmer. got Off with light
sentence.
II disguised myself. went to the Jail.
saw him and proposed TO confess the
whole affair. He said my reputation
would be lost and that would be worse
than term in the penitentiary for
him. | should have had the strength
TO confess without his consent. but
hadn't. ! who had got him into the
scrape was too mean spirited TO get
him out.
HE served eighteen months When
he came out of prison be did not try
10 see me. but managed to get note
to me undiscovered in which he said
thai my father would never consent &c
my marriage with an ex-convict and
1t would be sin for an ex-convict io
permit me to make the sacrifice. That
was the last heard of him.
Il married. father failed. my hus
band became an invalid. and !. always
anxious TO show some courage TO con
trast with the weakness Of my youth
studied sienography and accented {
position. The afternoon OF my en-
trance on my duties | was called int