The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-03-21
Ar Elopement.
[Original.]


some person or persons DESTROYS Of re-
iieving her of it. Bessie Grape had
been tenderly brought up until she was
seventeen years old, when she had the
misfortune to lose her father and
mother in rapid succession. Her moth
er's sister, Miss Barbour, Il spinSter Of
forty, was called in to take charge OF
the house and the young girl as we'll.
The estate was administered by Arnold
Atwater, an attorney, also in middle
life and unmarried. Mr.. Grape had
conceived 4 high regard for Mr. AtW;l-
ter's shrewdness and had left him sole
executor Of his estate.
A pretty girl and a couple Of hundred
thousand dollars were too tempting
prize for Mr.. AtWater's integrity. Win
ming the confidence of Miss Barbour.
he succeeded in keeping the heiress &
virtual prisoner with 4 view to prevent
her marrying-that is. unless he could
succeed in marrying her himself.
All this is an Old story. The interest
in this yarn lies in IN effort made by
young Bob Allison to get the maiden
out of the hands Of the designing atto"-
ney Bob and Bessie had grown ~ t.
gether and had pligAted their cbilCi*li
troth long before either knew anything
about worldly goods. But Bob was =
be the architect Of his own fortune,
and Miss Barbour, who, in her present
position. was in better circumstances;
than she he'd ever been before and G:,a
10 wish 70 l22ve it. made the you-g
mans poverty 4 convenient excuse f0r
opposing hi so it was Bob and Rc&-
sic versus .Atv-ater and Barbour
1t did not tal-e the young couple long
to discover that there was but one
way to win. ana that was to gam fo-
Bob the legal control Of Bessie. which
would also give HIN the control Of her
fortune. 7 90 this marriage was nee
essary, and The only way to eject mar
riage was m e:ope-!ent.
Now, il Opponents It is far easier
for the runaWays to make a start than
to avoid capture Teverton. where
these people lived. was way station
on great railroad. In the event Of
the girl being missed the first place
those desiring to capture her would
look would be the Teverton station
The eXigencieS of the case required
that the couple should take to the
turnpike But how? An automobile
has for enterprises requiring swiftness
taken the place of horses. and Bob il
laying his plans gave the fact due
consideration.
One morning there was a sharp ring
at Mr.. Atwater's telephone. and the
crisp voice of Miss Barbour Informed
him that Bob Allison had come to the
house in an automobile: Bessie had
evidently been expecting him. for she
was dressed for a ride: she had run
out and jumped into the automobile
before she could be prevented. and
they had sped away at q furious pace.
This information was communicated!
in few fragments Of sentences. At
water threw down the receiver. seized
his hat and in two minutes was IN IN
automobile garage Offering any amount
for the lse of the fastest machine in
the place One was Immediately plac-
ed at his disposal and. proceeding to
pic! I'D Miss Barbour. he sped along
in the direction she indicated.
Twice only he was obliged to slow
up before getting on to the main road
TO make inquiries if an automobile lAd
gone that way: brit. the answers being
definite and satisfactory he was not
obliged to ask again. for there was
but one road in the vicinity on which
an automobile could make progress.
that beside the railroad.
Sun1ry vehicles were passed on the
way. and all. hearing 4 ferocious snort
ing behind. nulled out to the side CT
the road. But one OLD trap of station
hack logged along without paying any
attention 10 tie coming CHATTER. AtW9-
ter was obliged to slow I'D. ATTEMPTING
first to get Ivy on one side. then on the
other. the hack driver taking up most
of the road. Atwater. who was Of
suspicious nature suGpecting that tie
man might he in league with the fugi-
tives to delay him. threatened to run
him down If he did not ret out Of I'll"
way This brought the driver to bis
senses, and he drew up on one side
while the automobile whiZZed by like
a cannon ball.
The delay was but slight, and. the
power of the automobile Icing trenlen-
dous. the rursuers forged ahead at the
rate of forty miles an hour. Since
there was no machine to be had at
Teverton that could do better thar
thirty Atwater felt confident of sUe-
cess. Indeed. in turning the next LEI
i'm the road he saw ahead a cloC' ~
dust that he knew concealed an a-.tD-
mobile.
1t was mad chase, dangerous
chase. but from the first it was evident
that the automobile ahead was no
match for the one behind. Ferry mile
passed by the former resulted in half
a mile gain by the latter. The dust
concealed the fugitives. but Atwater
had no doubt whatever that they We're
there, for their machine was putting
on all the speed Of which it was capa-
bic in an evident attempt to distance
him
Tn 1up time the fuwifiVQ machine