The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1891-01-10

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loved uayne guilty for more than three
years-it Is only within tive last year OF
80 began to have doubts; and 90 took
Clancy into d company and soon made
Mrs. Clancy a laundress. But she made
trouble for u all, and there was some
thing uncanhy about them. She kept
throwing out mysterious hints I could
not understand when rumors Of them
reached me; and ut last came the fire
that burned them out, and then the
stories Of what Clancy had said in his
delirium; and then she came to my wife
and told her q yarn that-she swore to
its truth, and nearly drove Mrs. Rayner
wild with anxiety. She sworc that when
Clancy got to drinking he imagined he
had seen me take that money from Capt.
Hulrs saddle bags and replace the sealed
package; she said no WINS ready to swear
that no and Gower-tho deserter-and
two Of our men. honorably discharged
now and living on ranches down in
Nebraska, could oil swcar-would all
swcar-to the same thing-that was
the thief. Sure you, know 1t couldn't
be 60, ,na'am; and yet he wants to 20
and tell. NJ. Hayne,' sho would say;
there's the -four. of ''cm would swear to
it, though Covers evidence would be NO
good; but the two men could hurt tho
captain Her ingenuity was devilish,
for ono Of the men I had.severely pun
ished onco in the Black Hills, and both
hated me and had sworn they would get
even with me yet. God help me, col
onel. seeing every dry the growing
conviction that Hayne was limo
cent, that somebody else must
be guilty, I thought, what II this
man should, in drunken gratitude to
Haync for saving his life, 60 to him and
tell him this story. then back it up be-
fore the officials and call in these two
otherss I was weak, but it appalled, me.
determined to get him opt OF tho way
Of such possibility. got his discharge,
and meantime strove to prevent his
drinking or going near Haync. She
knew the real story he would tell. This
washer devilish plan to keep mo ON watch
against him.. 1 never dreamed the real.
truth. Sho swore to me that $500 was
oil the money they had. I believed that
when he confessed Il would be what abe
declared. I never dreamed that Clancy
and his confederate werc the thieves; I
never believed the money was taken
until after Hayne received IL saw how
Haynes guilt was believed in even in
tho face OF contradictory evidence before
tho court. What would be tho tendency
it three men together wero to swear
against me, now tlat everybody thought
him wrongede know very well what
you will think Of my cowardicc. I know
you and your officers will say should
l,avo given him every chance should
have courted investigation; and I meant
to TO 90, but FIRST wanted to hear from
those discharged men in Nebraska. The
whole scheme would have been exploded
two months ago had I not been . COW.
ard; but night after night something
kept whispering to me, You have wreck
Cd and ruined friendless young soldiers
life. You shalt be brought rs low"
The colonel was, as he afterwards re.
marked, hardly equal to the occasion.
He had as much contempt for moral
weakness in a soldier as he had for ply
sical cowardice; but Rayner's almost alb
ject recital of his months of misery really
LETT him nothing to say. Had the cap
tain sought to defend or justify aay de-
tail at his conduct, he would. have
bounced on him like panther. Twice
the adjutant. sitting an absorbed and
silent listener, thought the chief on the
verge Of an outbreak; but It never came.
For some minutes after Rayner ceased
tho colonel sat steadily regarding him.
At last he spoke:
"You have been so frank in your state
mcnt. captain. that feel you fully APP
prcciate how such deplorable weakness
must Ike regarded in an officer. II is un-
necessary for me to speak Of that. The
full particulars of Clancy's confession
are not yet with me. Maj. Waldron has
It all in writing. and Mr.. Billings has
merely told me the general features.
Ut course You shall have copy OF it in
good time. AS you so east today and
have your wife and household to think
for. it may be rs well that you do not at
tempt to see Mr.. Hayne before starting.
And this matter will not Ike discussed"
And SO it happened that when the
l:ayncrs drove to the station that bright
afternoon and throng of ladies' and
officers gathered to see them off. some of
the youngsters going with them into
town to await the coming Of the train,
Nellie Travers had been surrounded by
friends of both sexes, con-
stantly occupied and yet constantly
looking for the face Of one who came
not. For an hour before their depart.
are every tongue in garrison that
"asSed at all-and few there were that
wHS=esl no:--were discoursipy on the