The Beneficent Burglar

"The Beneficent Burglar" by Charles Neville Buck is an early 20th-century fiction piece that centers on the pursuit of love amidst comical mishaps and societal barriers. The narrative follows Lewis Copewell, who, with the aid of his friend Alexander Hamilton Burrow, embarks on a daring plot to elope with his sweetheart, Mary Asheton, to thwart her family's plans to separate them. As they navigate through miscommunications, misunderstandings, and the escapades of the burglar Rat Connors, the story unfolds into a series of funny events and mistaken encounters. Through humor, the story examines the lengths one will go to for love and the surprising twists that life presents.