ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19056, 8 July 1924, Page 5

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE

AN AUCKLAND STORY, (Per Press Ansedat'on.T AUCKLAND, July 7. . A romance in real life has been rrw vcaled here. Some four years ago a man who had been reduced to emplefr* ment as a hotel porter inherited siderable property and went to En£ land, which he left some twenty-tw* years previously, having then divorced his wife. Returning to Now Zealand the man purchased a country property near Auckland. One day there camo to him on business a young lad whose features seemed familiar, an£ the man discovered that their names were the same. Inquiries in regard to the lad’B mother’s maiden name led the older man to speak disparagingly of her, at which the younger grew indignant. Finally the elder told the younger he was th© former’s son. Afterwards the elder confessed to a friend that what made him admire the boy was that he had stood up for his mother. The father determined to test the son, so did not divulge his actual financial position, though a friendship developed between the two, who met frequently. Then the son invited his father to his wedding, but the father very gruffly refused < point blank to take any part in th© ceremony. The lad was plainly hurt, and then the older man told him gently that there were certain reasons why he did not wish to go, but he said “I will be pleased to meet your wife afterwards.” Then, telling his son to wait, he went to a table, wrote for a moment and handed him a sealed envelope. ‘Give this to your wife after the wedding to-morrow,” he said, “do not let her open it before.” When opened at the stipulated time a cheque for £lOOO was revealed.