Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-10-30
The Fool Killer
Ioriginal.l

4
| ,.aus hter Carrie had Inherited lo.-
| tune from her father and another from
her aunt; nevertheless Mrs. Cleaners
supreme object Was to marry he..
! DAT liter to rich man.
| NJ Alyernon Bedell was composed
Of two parts, man and money. There
!, was very little to the man. but 'e:it
| de;N to the money, which his father had
4 mace for him out of bones. The only
/ notable thing AR. Be,,e.l had ever done
| was to give a G,aner 10 dozen person.
costing $1,000 cover. He was looking
abo t for another opportunity u dis
tin. fish himself when he met and
! wood Carrie Cieaver. She supplied
/ him with a method for gaining new
4 distinction.
| Mammal" said Miss Cleaver one Gay
/ after her mother had taken ten poua;,s
! 5f fash or the girl in her Efforts to in
| duce her to wed Mr.. Bedell. Il will
consent on enc condition. ! must be
1 abducted"
| ".tbductedr' exclaimed the mother.
Yes. AM of romantic disposition
! and Mr.. Be<.ell has aspirations for dis
tinctioa. An elopement would set all
The world agog."
| Caroline" said Mrs. Cleaver amaz
| ed. have you taken leave of youi
senses" And she swept out of the
4 room.
| But Mr. Bedell, though he feared the
alb sence of motive would render the
I MIA n ,,pc,1;<a hlo RI his n,,rpoSo cf;Il had
| mind for 1t, and so told Mrs. Cleaver
That lady. being absorbed in the main
/ object, the marriage, finally consented
to allow the pair Ito make fools of
themselves If they liked
All things must end, even engage
ment periods. and the day finally ar
| rived, or, rather, the night, when Miss
/ Cleaver was to be abducted. She was is
sleep in a wing of the house. where her
mother would not be likely to become
| aware of her fight. Miss Cleaver In
sisted on carrying out all the details
the same as in a real elopeme1t. Mr..
Bedell was to bring a ladder AMI q
carriage. and the fugitive was to take
only hand bag. An address was t.
be left on Miss Bedelrs pincushion to
which the trunks were to he sent the
next day.
Soon after dark on the evening of the
elopement wagon drove up to the
Cleaver residence. man carried lad
der into the back yard, and the wagon
was driven away empty. Mrs. CleaveF
looked out of the window, saw the pro
ceeding and wondered why her daugh.
ter preferred to see ladder carried
into the back yard to numerous costly
4 presents carried in at the front dor.
Carrie" she called, the ladder has
come II tue fool killer should hap
pen by he might feel disposed to put L.
up to your window and carry you OF
himself"
Would he take Algy, tooT' drawled
Miss Cleaver.
Mr. Bedell only consents to this fol
ly to humor you"
We'll, mother dear. il the fool kille:
comes l hope he and Algy will meet.
It would he so romantic to have them
fight for me-"
Romance, romance. nothing but ro-
nance. l call it idiocy."
L Eleven o'clock was fixed for tils
elopement, and as the cathedral cloc,;
in the neighborhood struck that houf
Mr.. Bedell drove up to corner or
posite the Cleaver mansion, alighte1
and walked across to the Cleaver bac.i
yard. He was surprised to see the lac.
der standing up against the brick wall
and Miss Cleaver's window Open All
| ofI, =,
press him at the time-a carriage driv-
ing away from point near the gate.
just as he alighted.
However. resolved to carry out the
programme, he mounted the ladder to
the open window and was about to
look In before entering when he heard
roliceman's club strike the curb on
posite, SO he tumbled in at once. The
room was pitch dark. He called. but
there was no answer. He heard some
one coming up the ladder and, looking
out. saw the street lamp shining on
brass. A policeman was mounting. At
the same time there was loud ham.
mering on the front door. The next
thing that happened was Mrs. Cleave-
coming into her daughters room in her
nightdrcss, though this was simultane.
Gus with the entrance of the policeman
by the window. Mr. Bedell made a
dive under the bed
We've got him, ma'am," said the DO
nceman. He's here. Lock the door"
Mr.. Bede.l was dragged from under
the bed and stood looking at his In
tended mother-in-law and the guardian
of the city, who had stepped to the
dresser, brought his lantern to bear on
button and turned on the light.
What's this?" he said, picking up n
bit OF paper fastened to pincushion.
Mrs. Cleaver snatched it from him.
ran her eye over It and held it, crushed,
In her clinched fist. Meanwhile there
was renewed hammering at the door.
500 dOWnSfairc - sho cold 70 NJ 10