Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-05-22

udO 10 S0l0cLGu 11dyu0S name as al
alias? Evidently the safe would fur
nish valuable information, possibly
embracing this fact. But Haynes ex
amined it with Increasing dismay
Nothing short of an electric drill and
matchmaking apparatus would force
1t. It was controlled by a combination
word-lock. but what word Robertson
alone knew. If Haynes chose to re
main until his enemy arrived in the
morning he would undoubtedly hold
him at his mercy. But Haynes did
not intend to murder Robertson; his
scheme was far more subtle-an be
sides, he must force him to confess
where his wife was to be found.
There was nothing but to acknowl
edge defeat and go. Yet the man
could not tear himself away, but
kneeled before the safe and pulled
now this way and now that, watching
the letters pass across the lock. His
fingers moved automatically, for his
mind was elsewhere, and he did not
know that he was making words IN
answer to the stimulus of the mental
images. Suddenly he became aware
with awe and something almost ap
preaching terror, that the safe door
was open.
He looked at the word "It was
MARY" His wif0'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 bundle of papers.
They were letters, mostly, and as be
read them he learned for the first time
the full extent and ramifcations of the
plot which had been formed and put
into execution against him; he I'M
derstood, too, why Robertson, guilty
as he was, dared not destroy this evi
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 al
possibility of retribution, Robertson
had removed to Benderville, where he
took up his residence. But his un
easy fears would not leave him. Al
length, finding that life under his own
name was intolerable, he hit upon the
scheme of taking the name of his vic
Haynes, and lived upon the proceeds
of the plumber, which brought him a
substantial income. The house at
Benderville he had not sold, partly
because he feared to show himself
there, partly because his avarice i'm
PEELED him to hold on to property
which yearly appreciated in value. He
also left 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 ii
was his plan to withdraw to Europe
there to dwell In security.
But the letters to which he had
chung in order to hold evidence agains,
the rest of the gang in case he need
ed it-these afforded the reader fol-
the first time a complete understand.
ing of the scheme. Haynes learned to
his amazement that no less 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 1eniency in not insisting upon the
V0tOluS OIL q C0TCdlu Dl11s AuOLuO1 u4AC
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!
John Haynes placed the Governors
letters in his breast pocket, replacing
the remaining papers in the safe,
closed it, stole out, and locked the door
again. There was now no sign that
any midnight visitor had entered the
real estate office. 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