Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-05-18
CHAPTER TX

Office in Memphis whose sign reads:
'-Charles Fenning, Real Estate. Office
of the Laran Sanatarium.
1t has long been remarked that Mr..
Fenning's mails are enormous. lie
gets sometimes as many five hundred
letters in day. 1t is not known that
most II not all of these go to Laran.
But it is known to few persons in
Memphis that he has private wire to
one branch of the Laran establishment
and that he ships great quantities OF
goods in boxes and carts and barrels.
The fact is, Mr.. Charles Fenning is
Hendricks most confidential lieuten-
ant, and under the simple guise of real
estate operations and an agency for
the furnishing of information about
the Laran sanatarium, stands as a
CLOSE connecting link between his hid
den principal and the world with which
that principal is carrying on active
operations.
His business is so pressing that he
works late at night in his Office. He
has two assistants; one is a messenger
and Office runner; the other Is con-
fdential secretary, assistant and tel
egraph operator. She is a very pretty
young lady and her name Is Cornelia
Laport.
Fenning has three rooms on the
ground floor; one is public office; an
other is smaller and private Office; the
third room connecting with q side
street Is shipping room and is well
filed at this time with goods waiting
to be sent to the depot on the Wash
bayou.
One night in April, the door to Mr..
Jennings public flee was opened-a
woman stepped in quickly and, shutting
IL after her. glided across the room in
the direction Of the private Office,
merely saying in a low tone: "Mr. Fen
ming"
Mr.. Fenning was sitting at his desk
and Miss Laport, not ten feet away,
was seated at another sorting a bundle
of letters.
without moments hesitation Mr..
Fenning followed the woman into the
private Office and closed the door.
They stood face TO face and the wom-
an said Immediately, with every indi-
cation that she had been walking rap
idly:
~ have been followed from New
York. must get TO the bayou to-
night"
Fenning showed no signs Of alarm.
he offered her chair "Do you think
anyone saw you come in herep" he
asked.
~ think not, but cannot be GER
tain"
"Pray be seated" said Fenning.
"You surprise me. Why should anyone
suspect your
Zone or more of my letters have been
intercepted"
Fenning looked grave. "Ahl" he
said, as they sat down, "Do you re-
member the contents?"
CLEARLY"
"To whom were they addressed?"
"To Hendriclss, In Washington. Can
you get me TO the bayou to-nightP"
Fenning shook his head. 81 can
get you on the way" he said. at Ia
thirty miles 10 Upton county. must
say that l am surprised at your coming
here. There Is nothing at all can
be proved against you and you run the
risk Of connecting this office In the
chain Of suspicious, whatever they are"
"But," said the woman, sit is imper-
atively necessary TO all interests that
get to Laran."
"What have you got about your per-
son?''
Papers and money" she replied,
Immediately taking a packet from her
bosom and handing IL 10 Fenning and
pulling "a roll Of bills from her satchel.
He placed both In n large envelope
and put II In an inner breast pocket.
SIS that Miss Laport2" she asked, re-
fcrring TO the young woman In the
outer Office.
"Yos," replied Fcnning
"Can you trust her?"
Certainly. She is very grateful on
her fathers account, but she is queer.
"Can you get her TO change dresses
with me7"
"What do you want 10 do?"
"Tbe quickest and safest thing.
Some one followed mo TO st. Louis.
When ! took the boat ! thought j had
lodged him. Just us was about to
land / saw him through tho cabin
window. / had tclegraphed 70 the
hotel here for room. / camc TO the
hotel In a hack. AS passed the main
entrance TO reach the ladies' entrance
on the other street, saw tho man In
the vcstibulc OF the Office. lie had got
there before me. lie must have seen
my telegram"
"You should have stayed there and
faced him." said Fcnning. at would
have been absolutely impossible to
connect you with the operations at
Lnrnn."
"You forget" she replied, II had
papers. / believe tho Central Office In
New York has got the key 10 our
cipher At all events, several things
have occurred lately which have
hastened me west. When / arrived at
the hotel, tho register was brought TO
me In the lady's waiting-room. I was
| given No. ~ on the second floor In
the wing, but noticed that the clerk
was examining me as II making "A com
| parison Of my appearance with a de-
Bcription In his mind. A hall boy was
sent mp one fight TO my room with me,
| The Office IL two hundred feet away.
/ told him / was tired and was going
Immediately TO bed. The moment he
left me slipped down the stairs. II
was ten o'clock. There was ono
chance in "a hundred that the door Of
the lady's entrance was not locked.
The hall boy had gone 10 tho Office 20
report There was no one In the
hall. The door had not been locked.
| / went gut softly. The s!de street was