Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1914-12-04

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8 bungalow. Thcre was q eIlm.
mer of satisfaction In his dim eyes a.
ne thought Of tho fact that the location
OF the real lode was unknown and
that the plans that might reveal I,
were FAR beneath the waters OF the
Pacinc- He went inside TO tho desk
and picked out OF the locker ora wer
tho golden key which held his secret.
BE stared at II and read the nun
oen that marked the position OF the
lost vessel. and the chest that held the
plans. Whom could he trust with
thisl He looked out Of the window
and called TO John Dorr.
'sJohnr' he Quavered. ~f've already
tDld you little about my finding this
mine and about my old partner"
'fWilkerson7"
~YeA. Wilkerson; but there 10 anoth.
~ secret. lost the location OF the
mother lode in wreck at sea The
chest slipped overheard; but nnd the
wreck and somewhere near It Is that
old carved chest, and when you open
the chest The old man suddenly
gtaggered forward into DORIS arms.
killed him once" he muttered fee
biy. and then the silence which pres
ages the wordlessness or eternity over
came him John gently laid him down
ON the bed and called Ruth.
"Fatherr she called softly as she
anelt by the bedside
Thomas Gallon stood on the great
divide. but he turned back a moment
TO gather his strength. Then he mo-
tioned with his gnsrled hand for John.
The young man stepped quietly for
ward and stopped over.
MY win. Johnl leave Ruth The
Master Key In my desk bring itr'
When the desired paper was brought
he whispered:
''Read itr'
John Dorr opened the document and
cead It aloud;
ssI leave all my property TO my
daughter. Ruth, to come into her fuI
possezsion on her eighteenth birthday. /
direct her never TO let go OF The Master
Key which WIN make my little girl
happy"
So ran the last words. The old man
lifted himself still farther up and call
ed for a pen and ink. Then. muster.
1ng bis falling powers, he wrote In a
drm hand the further words:
direct that my daughter keep Harry
Wilkerson as superintendent until she Il
eighteen appoint as executor of thiA
my last win and testament John Dorr.
THOMAS GALLON.
The pen fell from his fingers, and ne
Z lifted his trembling hand to his throat
and tore at the string that held the
golden key. 1t broke. and he put the
key in Ruth's lap.
THAT Is the secret" he muttered-
~John knows--and Wiikerson. Trust
uohn.' Again he opened his eyes and
motioned toward the desk. -The let
terI'' he croaked. M
Ruths quick intuition led her TO the
desk again. and she found In the same
drawer that had held the win sealed
envelope addressed:
John Dorr.
birthday. Sooner II her welfare II threat
ened.
Gallon turned his dlmming eyes to
Ruth, who took both his chilling hands
In hers.
"Childl The Master Key keep al
ways near you Some day"--he choked
lit viii bring you riches. happiness
and love"
When he first heard that Gallon was
dead Wilkerson was appalled,. He
thought or the woman In New York
and regained his courage. This was
case where he must win by brute force
He must Immediately show his author
fly. He who struck first would win.
ne thought; yet In the back of his con
sciousness was the realization that he
did not know what disposition Gallon
had made OF the property. And where
was that rich vein OF gold that would
buy him Jean Darnell. with her velvet
ways and her dark eyes OF topaz
Perhaps because for several years he
had not handled other men. but been
Aimself mere cog In a great machine.
WLlkerson mistook the spirit OF the
miners He did not understand that
they had profound respect for Thom-
as Gallon.
II must get these people In hand
thought Wilkerson -and do It quick"
He spent the afternoon In making a
schedule for a sweeping reduction 10
wages. Then he sent for Bin Tubbs.
the engineer. when he had come.
gross, liquor sodden and half insolent.
che superintendent laughed at him.
''rubbs, what do you know about
this miner"
We'll" Tubbs answered. "the ore
damned out pretty good for awhile. but |
they lost the mother lode. There amt |
a carload worth a dollar come out OF |
here IN three months, and that little
Eirl up on the hill won't have moth