The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-06-16
WHAT BECAME OF
GEORGE A|KEN2
BY TOM GAYLORD.
Copyright, 1909. by American Press Asso.
ciation.I

II IL tuHt we uTe W De iudITleu' uuu
II Is true"
"And yet people say that after man
passes forty he will invariably choose
O 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 romancew
at Is more than q romance-it Is q
remarkable case"
"Do tell me. | am dying TO hear it."
IL must go back twenty -four years.
l was then eighteen. Father Mt that
time was speculating in cotton and
had made 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 ont bOrse-
back riding my pony ran away with
me. A farmers boy came galloplng
after me and. catching my rein, saved
me from going over a high bank into
the river.
"An intimacy sprang up between my.
self and the youth, whose name was
Aiken. ! was n 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. He
consented. but very unwilingly. He
loved me, but had too much sense to
consider such 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. l
procured rope ladder. on which ! in
tended to descend after the family
were .all asleep, and hid II In my
closet. Aiken was to be 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. |
peeped through The Stats aud recog-
nized father He had gone out with
out my knowing IT, He called up the
coachman aud stationed him under
| ba mi In ha
"'I am ruined" cried, clinging to
my lover. Father must have seen you
enter the window
George Aiken remained perfectly
cool Presently he said In steady,
low voice:
"'Give me your watch
81 took 1t from my belt and handed
II to him.
"'Go to bed he said. 'and pretend to
be asleep.
HE opened the door softly and stole
out. In few minutes | had taken OFF
my clothes and was In bed. heard
a commotion downstairs, and present
ly father came TO my door. awakened
me, as he supposed. and told me that
thief had been caught in the house
with my watch on him.
"Then ! saw II all George had sac.
rifced 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.
81 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 q 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 ou; Of prison he did not try
to see me, but managed to get a note
to me undiscovered In which he said
that my father would never consent to
my marriage with an eX-convict and
It would be sin for an ex-convict to
permit me to make the sacrifice. That
was the last ! heard of him.
81 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 stenography and accepted
position The afternoon of my en-
trance on my duties ! was called into
the Office OF the head of the firm to
take his dictation OF the days letters
He looked at me curiously and asked
me some questions about myself
"Slx months after this my husband
died. ] had been getting remittances
from time TO time from an unknown
friend whose identity could not pos
sibly discover. After my husbands
death these remittances were doubled.
] won iered II George had prospered,
found me out and helped me without
making himself known.