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To Aurora Googe, the mother of her imaginative ideal, Aileen, attracted from the first by her beauty and motherly kindness towards an orphan waif, gave a child's demonstrative love, afterwards a girl's adoration. In all this devotion she was abetted by Elvira Caukins to whom Aurora Googe had always been an ideal of womanhood.
The little group of special friends from The Gore came last, just a little while before the face they loved was to be covered forever from human gaze: Aileen with her four-months' babe in her arms, Aurora Googe leading little Honoré by the hand, Margaret McCann with her boy, Elvira Caukins and her two daughters.
Evidently they were full of secrets they were always a close corporation of two and their inane giggles and breathless suppression of what they were obviously longing to impart to their mother and Aileen, told on Mrs. Caukins' already much worn nerves. "I wish you wouldn't stay out so long after sundown, children, you worry me to death.
"Doosie is with me, Elvira; I would let well enough alone for the present, if I were you," said the Colonel admonishingly. His wife wisely took the hint. "Come up, Dulcie," he called, "father's ready." Dulcie hopped up stairs. "You haven't said what matters of importance kept you last night." Mrs. Caukins returned to her muttons with redoubled energy.
"At it again, Milton Caukins!" It was Mr. Wiggins who, entering the office, interrupted the flow, "dammed the torrent", he was wont to say. He extended a hand to young Googe. "Glad to see you, Champney. I hear there is a prospect of your remaining with us. Quimber tells us he heard something to the effect that a position might be offered you by the syndicate." "It's the first I've heard of it.
"Faith, I know one who knows her own mind on all subjects at twenty!" he laughed heartily as if at some amusing remembrance "and that's Aileen; by the way, where is she, Aunt Meda?" "She was going up to Mrs. Caukins'. I suppose she is there now why?" "Because I want to talk about her, and I don't want her to come in on us suddenly." "What about Aileen?" She spoke indifferently.
So incorrigible an optimist was Milton Caukins that any slight degree of success, which might attend the promotion of any one of his numerous schemes, caused an elation that amounted to hilarity.
Caukins has never made one of it, in fact, has aired the subject pretty thoroughly, you know her way " Champney looked up and smiled. "I'm glad she hasn't changed." "But of course you don't know it. The fact is she had set heart on having for a daughter-in-law Aileen Armagh you remember little Aileen?" Champney Googe's hands closed spasmodically on the arms of his chair.
"What is it, Colonel?" he asked anxiously, joining him. For answer Milton Caukins held out the telegram. It was from the State authorities; its purport that the Colonel was to form a posse and be prepared to aid, to the extent of his powers, the New York detectives who were coming on the early evening train. The fugitive from justice had left New York and been traced to Hallsport.
Wiggins' voice was what might be called thorough-bass, and was apt to carry more weight with his townspeople than his opinions, which latter were not always acceptable to Colonel Caukins. "Look at it now! This town has never been bonded; we're free from debt and a good balance on hand for improvements. And between 'em our noses are going to be held right down on the grindstone.
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