The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-12-23
v.
The Night Rider

Il can see clearly enough said WI.
kersor. that there Is a girl mixed
up In this affair. Tom Gallon never
walked like that"
lie rode slowly down the steep hiil
tHl he reached the pumping engine
Bti Tubba. the bulky, sodden faced
engineer. came 10 the doorway.
Us this The Master KeyT" de
mandcd wilkerson.
1T certainly is," was the response.
"And-old Tom Gallon runs IT."
WilkersOn pulled out a flask. dlvinlng
hin Tubbs' ruling vice. and the en-.
gipeer, after "A long drink. wiped his
mouth with the back OF his oily hands.
$50 you are looking for Thomas Gal
lon, are your Well. he owns this mine.
but MS mostly run by n young girl
there IN that bungalow on the Hill
You see. Tom Amt M 20 what he used
to be. The ore is getting worse every
day and the old mans sick up there In
his house"
I'm going up TO see him now" said
WIkerson. He rode on a few yards
aud surveyed the snug houses, stamp
mill and oil the apparatus OF the grow.
ing mine and snaried $50 this Is what
be wanted fer himselfg'
The man he was seeking lay prop
ped up In bed To Ruth he gave CIV.
erythlng-sllks and down and oil the
soft things OF this life. Himself he
still slept on n hard cot with a straw
pillow under his head-that is. he had
slept IL seemed 70 him that sleep
had forever ied. and ne was new look
ing up into Ruth's face almost plead.
ingly. trying 90 keep his grim old lips
from asking sympathy. There was
reason In his mind that he should nc.
cept no tender mlnistrntlon from the
lovely girl who stood beside him. Ills
sacrifice must be complete; 40 when
his daughter beat over him and asked
him u he felt all right he mustered q
smile.
There's nothing the matter with me.
Ruth" he was saying. aud his glance
sought that OF John Dorr. who stood
at the foot OF the bed. The eyes OF
the two met met. and Dorr impercep
tibly nodded his head IN token that he
would o tell. Not that he yet knew
tho secret OF 'srhe Master Key" but
he recognized the fact that sooner OF
later he was 70 know.
Ruth stopped over ana said:
Papa, ! don't believe yen do feel
we'll I'm going 20 make you some.
thing hot I o drink. III bring you a
toddy." And she went into the kitch.
en- and shut the door.
When she was gone John nodded a
pleasant Good night" and also left
Then old Thomas Gallon rose and
went 20 hts worn desk and got his well
thumbed diary.
Il am haunted" be wrote slowly, al
ways haunted. Am ! 10 die without
knowing whether wiiksTs0n In alive
and TINT Ruth ~ safer"
At that moment he glanced up and
thought he saw the Sinister face OF HIS
former partner AT TIRE w.Edo.S. by the
strongest effort OF wid he managed "a
control himself and went on writing:
"wHkerson stll Hiiye by night
When will he come cut into the dsyi
lie shall never hive the key tia:
would unlock the secret to my little
girls happiness. win trust John"
Fancy TO yourself scenes that must
have fed like swift films before the
old mans eyes as he put the diary
away. The desert and its mortal
thirst: Wilkinson. eve drinking greed
iiy Of precious winter; gold murder;
his escape with the plans. their loss
IN the chest when the vessel went
4wur. A. 4. .nVAW.A - nwwa.. A.. frawa.
OF his dying wife; the picture Of the
babe he bad lifted from her chm breast
Ruth. for whom he had suffered. He
bowed his head on his folded arms.
Such is the bitterness that the night
brings upon those who are alone.
when Roth came IN with the steam.
ing glass OF teddy she quietly see the
glass down aBd went a on the porch
20 look at the light across the gulch
which marked John DORIS window.
Youth was calling 10 youth.
IL Was no apparition chat Gallon had
seen az the window tiss time. II was
really wiikeFson, who. after one salts
ned glance. rode swiftly away.
Il was midnight when nc raped Al
the door OF the Vale Vista railroad
station and called the sleepy agent
Il want % get a telegram through
right away" be said brusQuely. 'Thers
Il m extra dollar IN your pocket II you
can rush a."
rha slender boy who represented tho
Rocky Mountain Southern railrond si.
lently led the way m turned up the
wick Of the lamp and showed blanks
and pencil across the counter.
"You look half asleep 20 me-" wnker-
non growlcd a. be picked W the pen.
cl.
The boy scanned the stranger quiet
~ aud opened the drawer % his tel
enrnnh desk and faced bis visitor
analn. Wnkeraon caught the CLINT u
the steel barnel Of a revolver IN that
Ora aver.
aYon must have some money In tho
nafe.H be ennflcA
THE boz looked AZ nlm with fteely
hlne efes and stated IN q perfectly
msfltf Of nef tone : merely wegs-'