The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-07
mire her smartness in getting rid Of a
nd You know where she is?.

you are in search of couldn't get out
of this city without your knowing it;
that is, if you understood your bust
ness. There has no boat left for
up river since last night, and you
would have been at the trains as they
left. don't pretend to know you, but
notice you do not wear the red neck
tie that you sported in New York"
The men looked each other in the
eyes. fleming was the most self
possessed-the other the most stolid.
| His black eyes had flicker in them
that might mean weak establishment
or it might mean contempt.
"And / notice." he said, that you
don't wear the same hair and the same
clothes that you wore when we
boarded the Corinthian.''
Jennings self-possession was here
| tested to the utmost. Il don't know
what you're talking about" he said.
"Were you one of the men that robbed
the steamship Corinthian?" and he
pushed his chair back little with the
impulse of sudden horror at such
close contact.
YES, you and l had hand in it,
but Hendricks got the swag."
Fenning regarded the man with I'M
| disguised establishment. did Mrs.
Hendricks have hand in it, too?''
"See here" said the man, "there
amt a bit of use in this kind of fenc-
ing. was a witness of the first job.
The woman's been singing gold ever
since, while Hendricks is carrying on
his underground works"
"Yes?" said Fcnning, as if coaying a
crazy man to tell more.
And you run the Office in town.
| That's where the woman is now
underground"
This was an admission that he did
not know where the Laran cave was
and fleming was anxious to find out
just how much he did know.
You are right" he said. "She is
| safe by this time. I've got tunnel
| that runs from this office to the under
ground place, but tell me about the
steamship. l have forgotten exactly
how we managed it."
You're a steady one" said his
| there"
81 acknowledge it." said Fenning
"The only trouble is / never can con-
vince the fifty other people who knew
| was here at the time that it's so.
Now dare say, yOu will not have that
difficulty. You haven't told me yet
what you were sneaking after Mrs.
Hendricks for. Was she there?'
Il followed her to find Hendricks
80, then you don't know where he
is?"
Il didn't then, but when l find his
headquarters here and his mate here,
I'm done with the woman"
"You don't know where either Mr..
or Mrs. Hendricks is ut this moment"
Eyes, l do. Hendricks is under
ground He is building an under
ground railroad"
Fenning was surprised, but he
merely smiled. What is it?" he
asked.
Its at the other end of your mall -
replied his companion.
Correct" said Fenning. snow,
then. what do you want to do?'
Il want you to write to him and say
I'm up to the whole thing-have looked
at his underground job at both ends
and want him to meet me there"
Your game is blackinail. How
much?"
well, it's worth ten thousand
dollars or more to the government or
the steamship company, seeing that
two-thirds of the plumber is untouched.
1t ought to be worth twenty-five thou
sand to Hendricks to keep both ends
of his burrow n secret"
''Then why don't you go to him?"
mo, sir"
Then write your letter and 1 will
forward it,
mo, sir"
''Then what the devil do you want to
do? Hendricks may be in the cast"
mo, he isn't. You sent him a mes
sage yesterday morning. This is what
it said: Two hundred rifles shipped
at St. Louis, Barrels and stocks in
different boxes
Fenning was now amazed. He was
at loss for a moment what course to
pursue. How could the man know all
that? Mrs. Hendricks had seen him
on the boat coming from st. Louis at
the time the dispatch was sent.
He saw that it was eXpedient to
adopt a new course with his visitor
whose ferret eyes were watching him
unperturbcd.
Look here, my friend; we might as
well be frank with each other. AS
Stunning that you are not Il monomaniac
and that all you say is true, Hendricks
would naturally accept your PROPOSE
ton if he had any sort of reason to be-
lieve that you would keep your word
on the payment of the money. Assun1-
ing, | say, that you don't turn out to be
crank, how can it all be arranged if it
is to Hendricks interest to meet you?
He must come here"
s'You are not reasonable. If he is
the man who robbed the steamship, he
has too much at stake to take that
risk. Why not go to him? ! should
like to see the thing out. I'll go with
YOU. I'll wire him and ask him if he'll
meet you anc have talk"
Fenning was still more astonished
the same afternoon when the man re-
turned to hear him say: THAT was
risky piece of business sending that
woman off in a box. She was half
dead when they took her out under
that catalpa tree"
There was no possible reply to make
to this. 1t was incomprehensible tc
Fenning, and he had that kind OF
misgiving that an inscrutable mystery
creates.
Il have received two dispatches
from Hendricks. He says that am &c
bring YOU on and talk the matter