The sun., 1897-03-14
A LITTLE MAINE MYSTERY.
EDO ECOMB,S EXPORTS TO DISCOVER
ABBIE NUTTER's SECRET.
she Lived In seclnsion ana People Concluded
There Must Be Something Wrong About II
ATTEMPTS OF the Neiwhboriy Instinct TO
Yind Out what II was-A Tale or Rural Iifc,

Finu Out "nat u "ns-A Tale OF Rural Lilo.
This thing might have happened In some
other place. but 1t isn't likely. The neigh.
bor's instinct" Is Developed more or less broad
ly In every rural community. and especially
In New England. but nowhere outside OF Maine
does II reach 70 positive fashion for the man
agement Of the business and life Of those who
dwell next you as in the old Pine Tree state.
There 1t 10 n thing wonderful to contemplate.
From generation to generation Maine rustics
have managed their individual affairs with an
apparent community of interest. The instinct
has b, come tue legitimate inheritance of every
child. from Mooseheai Lake and tho great
woods beyond to the Passamnquoddy. 1t de-
velops and expands. feeding upon itself as the
,hild grows. II Is like the appetite OF the glut-
ton who sometimes ate more than at other
times. but never less" Every action Of every
man. woman. and child must be explained
satisfactorily Tn every other man. wom An. and
child In tho township. II the explanation
fails 10 satisfy. trouble steps In. The minute
there Is anything abou. the life or business OF
any one which all the rest do not understand
fully. the row begins. Once begun, 1t rarely
ends. for their inordinate curiosity has taught
these people an amazing secretiveness. and
when once the finger or nrighbory suspicion
and inqunitiveness begins tn point at al! at
any man, instantly he summons oil the re-
sources Of has cunning. and standing on the
lofty ground of "mlnding his own business and
letting other folks mind theirs" he whets tho
edge OF the neighborly fashion by bidding de-
hsnco to IL.
This row started almost eleven years ago.
For a time, soon after Its commencement, IL
wns pretty lively. Then tho great persi,tency
OF the neighbors was worn down ty the greater
VIII OF the uncommunicative MAJ. and gradu-
ally the passion OF curiosity subsidized. The
neighbors were constrained to content them.
selves with unsatisfactory speculation and un-
supported imaginings. A desultory pkirmish
OF apparently disinterested visits to the score
tive mans house was kept up. but It yielded
nothing. Suddenly. however. something detl-
nlto aid tangible happened. and Instantly tho
neighborly passion famed up. The whole towa
OF Edgecomb was consumed In tho conRagra-
tion. 1t became impossible longer to sit supInely
down aud let things drift. The MAZE tv Of the
law was invoked, and because Alfred Dodge
and his wife did not choose to consult their
neighbors about their care for Miss Abbls Nut
ter. Mrs. Dodce's cousin. they have been tho
subject Of judicial inquiry. and Miss utter
was required TO 20 into the Probate Court OF
Llnsoln county and there TO demonstrate TO
the satisfaction of the Judxr and her neighbors
her own ability to care for he self without tho
protection OF guardian appointed by tho
Court. The Dodges declare that It 1. an out.
RAGE. but the neigh Dors smile and are happy.
Abbie Nutter was born In wiscasset abe u.
twenty-five years AGO. Her family was one OF
tho oldest In the town and her father was q
veteran OF the Union army. He died when she
was very young and left property worth several
thousand dollars TO her motEer. When Abbs
wIs twelve y6ars old Mrs. Nittsr died and
Abbie aud her bro her Richard. who was sew
eral years her senior. camo into the property.
Up 10 this time Abble had attended the Wis.
casset school aud had been one Of Its brightest
pupils. The young people OF wiscasset remem-
b~r her as u paio. LENDER little girl. who was
ALWAYS busy with her books and ever ready To
do her part on show days Richard Nut'er ran
through his share OF the money and went h. a
Naj. and doesn't appear again N this story.
Mrs. Dodge says that with almost her last
breath Mrs. Natter asked her 10 look after
broken up the girl went to EdgcruinI TO the
home Of the Dodgrs. and there the trouble began
ef,ectua.ls swallowed T up 'H in Edseeoms c MS a. a.
though she had gone to Africa. She never APP
peared in Wlsrasset; her old school friends
never saw her: even the people al Edr-cOmb
got only occasional Rlimpses Of her. as at rare
intervals she wal ked nut around the house.
The Dodge home L. IN u rather lonesome place
Its IA biz. weather. beaten. wood .colored house
several rods from the highway AID below the
level Of {. road. There are no near neigh hors.
and even the farm ouses that are within half
"a mile are hidden BY the hill. GRADUALLY tho
brtaht Wiseas-.t school girl dropped out OF the
forrcd TO as he strange recluse at tho Dodge
arm. The neixhbcrs couldn't understnn nd ~ at
ali They ddn', M know why 4 was tina: young
ful sports Of her country Icghborhood didn't
have Il and avoided companionsli ~. :Sho didn't
exactly rebuff those VINO tried to press their
attention o. her. but she kept TO her room nd
avoided visitors.
The neahbors began to talk about tho case
In eArncrt. and their stOriea M snrsnI
That's always the way In tho country: if they
don't know what the real story Is. they make
one to NJ what they think must be tho situA-
tion. The girl kept herself so much In retire.
ment that almost any rto-y would pass. Tor no
who were really concerned in her welfare took
no trouble tn deny the rcpol Is that went lroad.
some Of the stories made her out rnving ma
MAC. People said she Was confined in an at
tic; that she was kept chained Ia her room;
that she wa. hyn""tize and made to do hard
nished more material for idle gossip in Edge
;omb than anything else has in years.
,o.6 In" n,.d mon; mebhry b hSals gals ~ Wisoassst had
state in tho Wi.ca.sst Savings Hank. and on .
port, Al various times Mr.. ingalls, heard stor-
les 4. the effect that his ward vas beinr badly
the Dodge house and hal several long talks. bSt
failed tO discover any evidence of M treatment
o. aHytt ing else which would Justify the stor.
became generally serious Mr.. Ingalls, sent hi,
daughter 10 visit Miss Nutter and TO endeavor
to persuade the girl TO come to his own houss
In Wiscasset. in order TO get her away from
Anv nossible undue influence. but Miss Nutter
refused to leave her cousins.
Mr.. ingalls, was discharged from his guard
innshlu two wears ago. his ward having at
tnincd her majority. He paid over 10 Miss
Nutt"r 81 POI. AZ aud one s,iare of bank stock
the whole amounting 10 something over 81, 400
The transfer was merely In form, tho money
renal ing on deposit In the bank where IL had
been du ing the term of guardianship Soon
after Mr.. Ingallss trust was terminated n
ch 'ck for 5000, signed by tho girl, was present.
el ut the bank ~ Mr.. DODGE. The check was
paid. and not very long aiterward another
check for $500 was presentedVhy Mr.. Dodge,
learned that Abhlc Nutter had drawn 500
oIt OF the hank In less than yesr. and tongues
waEgcd in earnest. All sorts OF wild rumors
were circulated. II WIS asserted that AIr.
Dodge had the girl 50 completely under con.
trOl that Ahhie was compelled To do ANYTHING
her cousin wilcd Coupled with these stories
was the repbrt tnat Mr.. Dodge had discharged
the mortgage on his farm Il was fact tnaL
eyeryhOdy could sre that Mr.. Dudrcs Aarn
was newly shingl"d and that varloas Improve.
ments hnd been made ABOUT tho place. Edge
O.. NIB was fairly COnvulsed wit the serious.
ness Of the affair. .he neiphOrs redoutl led
their efforts To sre the girl. but she folcd
them ull and Mr. and Mrs. Dodge prGvok ingy
kent their own counsel.
EdRecomb was at its wits end wi en-, unex-