Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-07-17

preaching terror. that the safe door
was open.
He looked at the word. 1T was
Mary" His wife's name-for his
thoughts had been Of her; and that
was the name Robertson had selected!
A sudden flush Of anger made his lips
culver and his face grew hot: then.
swinging back the door. he reached in
and drew out a bundle of papers.
They we're letters, mostly, and as he
read them he learned for the first time
the full extent and ramifications of the
plot which had been formed and put
into execution against him; he un-
derstood. too, why Robertson, guilty
as he was, dared not destroy this evt
dence which kept him secure against
betrayal by the power that it gave
him over his confederates.
When the conspirators, having Sc
cured John Haynes within the peni
tertiary at Nokomis Falls, spread the
report that he had accepted one mil.
lion dollars in settlement of his claim
to an estate worth more than ten
times that amount, this sum was de-
tached from the total capital and be-
came the spoil Of Robertson, the lying
lawyer who had betrayed Haynes to
his enemies. Resolved to obviate all
possibility Of retribution, Robertson
had removed to Benderville, where he
took up his residence. But his un-
easy fears would not leave him. At
length, finding that life under his own
name was intolerable. he hit upon the
scheme of taking the name of his vic
tim. He settled In Omaha as John
Haynes. and lived upon the proceeds
of the plumber, which brought him a
substantial income. The house at
Benderville he had mot sold, partly
because he feared to show himself
there, partly because his avarice i'm
PEELED him to hold on to a property
which yearly appreciated in value. He
also left a thousand dollars in the
bank there, undisturbed. OF late.
however, he had come to the resolu-
ton to cut the last connection with
his past. and had employed an agent.
who had been a minor member in the
conspiracy, to visit the house by
stealth and receive communications
from him there addressed under his
own name. He had rented the real
estate office to cover his tracks in
Omaha: when the sale was effected 1t
1T. v1o~ 90 Nth 20 ES,,rnDa
there to dwell in security.
But the letters-to which he had
chung in order to hold evidence against
the rest of the gang in case he need
ed it-these afforded the reader for
the first time q complete understand
ing Of the scheme. Haynes learned to
his amazement that no less a person
than the governor Of the state was
implicated. He had then been a no
toriously corrupt Senator; now he was
Governor, and Robertson had not al
lowed the wretched man to forget his
past. One letter, written In despair
by Governor Harding himself. al
though not signed. implored Robert
sons leniency in not insisting upon the
vetoing of a certain bill. Another hint
ed at the place where Mary Haynes
was concealed. And, as he read this.
Haynes heart leaped; now he knew
that he could discover her abode at
any time without the necessity of
bargaining with Robertson. On him
he could wreak vengeance to the full.
And she still lived, thank God!
He would not seek her out until he
had accomplished, all that he had
planned; then he would take her and
Eleanor and return to England. leav-
Ing Nokomis and his stolen lands be.
hind him. The Governor should re-
veal her hiding place at the appointed
time.
John Haynes placed the Governors
letters in his breast pocket. replacing
the remaining papers in the safe
closed 1t, stole out, and locked the door
again. There was now no sign that
any midnight visitor had entered the
real estate ONCE. At four o'clock he
stood upon the streets of Omaha. AT
six he was once more in Benderville:
and ten minutes later he was back
In Robertson's house.
That morning he took up his resi-.
dence at the most fashionable hotel.
signing his name as Chauncey e. Rob.
ertson upon the register. BY nightfall
all the town knew that Mr.. Robertson
had returned to live In the community.
Next day the shutters upon the win
dows of the house were folded back
and an army Of workmen was placed
at work upon its renovation. As the
days passed, Haynes grew secure in
the conviction that Robertson was
personally unknown to anyone In
Benderville. He made secret inquiries
and discovered that none Of the ON.
Gals in the local bank had been there
more than three years. Everything
pointed to the success Of his under.
taking.
Haynes knew that, sooner or later
Robertson's agent would learn and
bring him news concerning this bold
usurpation Of his principals name and
interests. But for more than two
months nothing occurred. This suited
the Englishman's plans. for. the long
er the period that should elapse before
the crisis arrived. the better he would
be able to establish his identity in the
town. He did not scruple to state that
he had come from Nokomis, or that
he had owned shares in the land com
pany. To the full he adopted his