Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-08-26
CHAPTER XVI.

day when DIR. Fothergill had made her
startling statements about the loco root
found the case at a standstill. Each
side was waiting for the other, and for
half hour after court had opened
there was nothing doing save a pother
among the attorneys.
Your honor" it spoke, Il am Fran
els Wayne, the brother of the dead
woman whose death you are trying TO
probe"
LIE Malheureux!" exclaimed john
son and Larry Morris in a breath. The
figure bowed to them and turned again
to the Judge
If your honor please" said LIE Mall
heureux, with all apologies for my
tardness and for myself, l would like
to tell my story. In this wallet are the
documents of proof.
My story is my fathers shame. His
name was John Francis Wayne, and
he was the son of Thomas James
Wayne, once bishop of the diocese of
Georgia. Among the slaves my grand
father owned was a fine fellow named
Ben, who had been stolen from the
Gold Coast. He had son, also named
noni that you have just thrown into
jail, because he has kept silence out of
respect for my infirmity. His son Ben
and my father grew up in that rela-
tionship that once existed in the South
between boy master and boy-slave.
Ben's father had told his son how their
people were kings in mid-Africa, and
of the enormous wealth they held there,
all vested in diamond mines. The
black lad and the white one were ad-
venturous youths, and planned from
boyhood up to sail to Africa as soon
as they were grown to manhood. Ben
was to be restored to his ancestral
power and my father was to be enrich
ed with half the wealth Of the king
dom and to return here to America to
live. Father wanted to be a physician,
so his parents sent him to Germany
and later to France to study. Ben, the
slave, went with him as his valet
though they were more like foster
brothers, and with good reason, as
| Ben's mother had been my fathers wet
| nurse. Ben was bright and to fit him.
self to rule over his people and to head
his dreams of vast African colonial
ton he studied side by side with my
father. They saved their money, did
these two boys, and when they were
matriculated made ready to go to AZ
rica. Hovering around Paris before
| their departure my father met the
beautiful twin daughters of French
man of rank and wealth, the Mademoi-
selles Desiree and Marie De La Roux.
They were like as two peas, and of ex-
ceptional grace and charm, and for
long while father did not know which
to choose. He loved them both. FL
nally he decided upon Desiree, pro-
posed, was accepted and married with
| in a fortnight AS the two sisters had
never been separated Marie accom-
panied the newly welded pair to Al
rica. Shortly after their arrival In the
| ancient kingdom OF Ben's father a
! journey accomplished only after terri
BILE hardships, Ben married Tyoga, the
mother of Benoni. and the foster moth
er of Meta now Benonis wife. The
natives gave them short shrft at first.
Had not my fathers really marvellous
knowledge Of electricity and his clever
acquaintance with black art as It was
then practiced in some portions OF Ger
many stood them in good stead. their
| lives would not have been worth much.
AS 1t was the barbarians considered
my father a terrible sorcerer and ex-
alted him to be their ruler. Shortly
afterwards Ben and father quarreled
and father had the faithful slave exc
cuted with terrible torture. for the sight
| Of the wealth in this African kingdom,
| and it's almost lmitless diamond fields
had disclosed all the avarcious quali-
| ties of my fathers nature, and he felt
no affection except for the glittering
| jewels that his thousands of serfs piled
up at his feet. Tyoga remained staun,h
to her lonely young mistress even after
the fearful death of Ben. her husband.
"Then Benoni and were born-with-
in a month of each other, when the
first year of the sojourn on Africa soil
was barely ended. Tyoga consecrated
Benoni to my service at his birth. and
he has been more faithful and loyal
than a brother ever since. Within the
next year my sister Cerisse was born.
In appearance I was like my father,
but I had my mothers disposition.
| Cerisse was the image of our mother
and of our Aunt Marie. but her nature
was that Of our father. Intensely vain,
selfish and overbearing Cerisse would
have been hated by all around the cas-
tie but for her exceptional beauty. She
was barely two years old when a young
captain in the French army. Raoul de
L'Enclose, stationed in camp a few
rods from our demesne. met my Aunt
Marie. They fell violently in love with
each other, and despite my fathers op-
| position were married by the old
| French Cure who had accompanied the
party on its migration into the African
wilderness. Father was wild with an
ger about the marriage. He forbade
my aunt and her husband the house,