Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-12-03
CHAPTER XVI.

there was nothing doing save 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 breath. The
figure bowed to them and turned again
to the Judge.
IF your honor please" said LIE NAL
heureux. with all apologies for my
hardness 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 fine fellow named
Ben, who had been stolen from the
Gold Coast. He had a son. also named
Ben and the father of the African Be-
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 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
Bens mother had been my fathers wet
nurse. Ben was bright, and to mt him.
self to rule over his people and to head
his dreams of a 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 At
RIGA. lowering 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 a
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 AT
RIGA. Shortly after their arrival in he
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
err OF Meta. now Benoni's wife. The
natives gave them short shrift at first
Had not my fathers really marvellous
knowledge OF electricity and his clever
acquaintance with black art as 1t was
then practiced in some portions Of Ger
many stood them in good stead. their
lives would not have been worth much
AS It was the barbarians considered
my father a terrible sorcerer. and ex-
allied 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 its almost limitless diamond fields
had disclosed all the avarlcious quail
ties of my fathers nature. and he felt
no affection except for the glitterlne
Jewels that his thousands OF serfs piled
up at his feet Tyoga remained staun n
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 African sol
was barely ended. Tyoga consecrated
Benoni to my service at his birth, and
he has been more faithful and loya'
than a brother ever since Within tbs
next year my sister Cerisse was born,
In appearance I was like my father
but l had my mothers disposition
Cerlsse was the image OF our mother
and OF our Aunt Marie. but he, 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 youns
captain in the French army. Raoul do
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 Cd
position were married BY the ole
French Cure who had accompanied III,
|. party on its migration into the African
wilderness. Father was wild with an.
ger about the marriage. He forbad.
my aunt and her husband the house
and returned to my Aunt Marie hel
half OF the Joint fortune that she ant
her sister had brought with them I,
, Africa, only because he feared tina
Capt. de L'Enclos might invoke an in.
vestigation OF the Wayne desmene IA,
the French government. My aunt wa,
, by now thoroughly enrapturad viii
life In the tropics. which was but nat.
: ural, as the De La Roux had original,
! come from Martinique. Africa wa.
! barred to them. because both she ans
: her husband feared my fathers vindic
tiveness.
(Tc ba rSonfiuuad