The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-28
A TALE Or REVENGE

Manuel. I'll have to leave ycu Tor
some time. Let everything go on as if
1 were here. said Robert Seton one
afternoon.
eyes. seaor. senor has sweet
heart?''
Eyes. Manuel. have g sweetheart:
but doubt if uy arrival in the United
States viii please her as well as it viii
me.
Il shall not see you again before
go, SO goodby. Manuel
"Adois. senior"
Seven years before Robert Seton had
landed ut Caracas with but little money
in his pocket and no friends. lie had
plenty of money now, but was still
without friends.
AS he sat in his tent smoking his
thoughts conferred upon little New
England town. Il viii open their eyes
when l get there" he was thinking
THAT cursed Radcliffe will rue the day
he ever married Maude Adams. She
will be sorry too. So pretty and yet so
false. She said she loved me. but she
Poor father. Banker Adams caused
his death. I'm sure. Curse him. He
wanted the old homestead. so he fore
closed the mortgage he held. Wen,
maybe some wouldn't hold malice to-
ward any one who has treated them
the way those people treated me- l
hold malice. I'll be reyenged for the
death of my father and the loss of my
bride. I'm not one of the soft, forgiv-
ing kind The poor fools. not to know
that / would revenge myself at any
cost
Such thoughts welled up in his mind
whenever he thought of home. Eight
years before he had been in his senior
year at HARVARD. His father was
wealthy-supposedly SO. at least He
was engaged TO be married to beauti-
full girl The world looked very bright
to him Then one morning he received
news that his father was dead-had
blown his brains out, in fact. Follow
ing upon that, the news came that his
father was bankrupt, and letter from
his sweetheart telling him that she
loved another. He learned enough TO
know that Banker Adams had been in
strumental in causing the bankruptcy
of his father and the breaking of his
engagement
When, some years before, Robert Sc
ton had come from college to attend the
funeral of his father and found him
self penniless. his bride promised to
another man, he had solemnly sworn
that he would one day own the Seton
homestead and cause the bankruptcy Of
Banker Adams, as his father had been
made bankrupt Then Maude Adams,
she who had never known poyerty's
blighting, cursfng effects, should suffer
too. He would bankrupt her husband
too. His vengeance would be com
plete indeed.
Now it is morning, and the wagon
train has started out. 1t is still dark.
The white capped wagon containing
the bedding and provisions and the
ore wagons form the main body. The
mounted men, each one carrying a gun
and revolver, ride ahead. The noun
tains are infested with bandits, and
one must go armed. No bandit, how
ever, is likely to attack the Americana
So say the swarthy transfers as they
wrap their clOakS more closely about
them. Now they are starting up q long
ridge, and the drivers jump from the
wagons and walk up. Seton's thoughts
ramble from one thing to another, but
always come back to the home of his
childhood. He wondered if Maude
Adams, now Radcliffe, was happs.
What mattered it to him? His poor
old fathers image as he lay cold in
death came back to him. 81 wonder
how Adams will look after I'm through
with him?" he muttered. He has the
courage to kill himself
It was still dark. a man rode up to
MIN and in excited tones informed him
of the presence of bandits few miles
ahead. Seton rode forward and, plac-
ing a dozen men under his lieutenant,
ordered him to advance and engage the
bandits if there were any. He knew
this fellow, the bandit chief, Montero.
He had pursued him for 100 miles, He
was not at all uneasy; SO many reports
are only rumors. How will he an
nounce his arrival at home? What will
people think of him? He does not care
for their opinion. He thinks only of
his poor dead father. Banker Adams
might at least have spared his old
friend. He has them Under his thumb
now. Say the word and they are pen
niless. 1t IS lighter now As they go
higher and higher up the slope the
lighter it gets. A faint breeze springs
up. The time between sunrise and
break of day is here. Hark, What is
that? The faint crack of rifles is heard
now. He spurs his horse forward and
with the guard dashes up the road
Now they have reached the place Two
or three men are lying upon the ground.
Farther down the road they are fight
ing, hand to hand. His men have beer