 Clint is determined to marry Ellie, the county s schoolteacher, and he is building a house for them to live in. But Ellie is not interested, and she tells him that she has just become engaged to another man. Clint is enraged, and when he meets Ellie s fiancé, he kills him with an ax. He decides to hide in the bell tower of Ellie s schoolhouse, since he thinks no one will look for him there. He also likes the idea of being close to Ellie, so that he can have the chance to strike back at her too.