Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-03-09
An Aeroplane
Elopenent
A Story Of 1883
BY JASON JUDsON
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
A Story Of is5,
BY JASON JUDsoN

| MISS ANITA Ber1t0n loved poor man,
and her father desired that she should
wed a rich one. Young Van. Damn
Follansbee had but beggarly ten mil.
lion, while the old widower Plankin-
ham Porkenpaker possessed cool bill
lion. Follansbee should have seen the
improperly Of asking for a girl he
could not support In the style to which
she had been accustomed, but he came
Of an old Dutch family on his moth
er's side. and the Dutchmen who set
tied New York were proverbially obsti-
nate and stupid.
One would suppose that the Beritons,
who owned a railroad starting from
New York. running to New Orleans
and thence around the Pacific coast
and back through Canada, might afford
to let their daughter marry a poor
man. But panic at the time Of the
courtship had reduced their dividends
to 20 per cent, and they felt unusually
| poor Mrs. Beriton, who had married
her husband when he was brakeman
on one Of the railroads which he after.
ward united In the circular coast line
system and became that systems own
er, sympathized with her daughter, but
Beriton swore round oath that he
would have no beggars in his family.
On the morning Of June 10, 1885,
Miss Anita Beriton was sitting with
her mother and younger sister in the
spacious roof garden of her fathers
residence occupying the four blocks
between Five Hundred and Tenth and
Five Hundred and Fourteenth streets
and avenues D and Fl, New York.
when Mrs. Beriton proposed ride.
One Of the family aeroplanes was call
ed and in few minutes lit upon the
roof garden. Mr.. Beriton, fearing that
his daughter Anita might in some of
these rides elope with Follansbee, had
given orders that August Spindleton,
driver of his own choosing, should
at all times conduct the machine, and
on this occasion Spindleton was in his
accustomed seat
Mrs. Beriton and her two daughters
entered the machine, which rose, light
ly circling upward for thousand feet,
coed southwark along the coast for
brief trip to Annapolis They were
moving at a moderate pace of some
sixty miles an hour, when Spindleton
east glance to the right and. seeing
machine coming toward the party,
clapped on double speed.
Mr.. Beriton's fears had proved to
be well grounded. Mr.. Van Damn
Follansbee was out in a machine of
new pattern and was bearing down
upon them. 1t was evident that Fol-
lansbee was intending to get into
communication with Mrs. Anita Beri-
ton.
Spindleton was true to his employer
He drove his machine at its best speed,
passing over cities, bays and rivers,
but his aeroplane was gradually gain
ed upon by Follansbee. lowering over
Philadelphia. Spindleton endeavored
to descend. but Follansbee glanced
down like bird and reached a plane
beneath him. Spindleton then rose
and made a bee line for Baltimore.
But Follansbee. evidently with the de-
termination to drive him out to sea,
got to the west of him and forced him
over Chesapeake bay. In few min
utes more the pursuer had the party
over Fortress Monroe. flying due east.
The race was won. Spindleton was
not prepared to cross the ocean, and
there was no way for him to get back
except by encountering Follansbee.
Spindleton slowed down. and Follans-
bee glided up beside the Beriton aero
plane. A conference took place, after
which Mrs. Beriton and her two daugh-
ters stepped from their own aeroplane
into that of Mr.. Follansbee.
Meanwhile Mr.. Beriton had left the
roof Of his office building downtown
In One Hundred and Twenty fifth
street, intending to go home. Soon aft
er rising he saw in the direction of his
mansion an aeroplane starting. and,
Selling a glass he always carried in
the smoking room of his capacious
bird-car. brought it to bear on the one
just setting out. Discovering that its
occupants were his wife and daughters
with his own aviator in control, he
was about to lay aside his glass when
he saw another aeroplane lowering
near his home. Bringing his glass to
bear on this machine, he saw Follans-
bee alone in it and just starting for
the one occupied by the Beritons.
! Mr.. Beriton noticed that Follansbee's
aeroplane was of a kind he had not
seen before. 1t was Of the bird type,
and on its PROV was sharp ram.
The merchant was at once filled with
apprehension. 1t was plain that Fol-
lansbee was bent on some course con-
nected with the Beriton family, but
it was impossible to imagine what
that course would be. 1t was not to
be expected that he would run down
the Beriton car and thereby precipitate
the girl he loved to distance OF some
600 feet. Nevertheless he was soon In
full chase. Mr. Beriton directed his
aviator to follow the two aerOplanes.