Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-12-24

him during business hours on Wild
goose chaser He thought OF this sr-
tIculately and then smiled TO himself
"A wild gooseg' he muttered- ~
brought up darkling sunset vistasl
lakes smooth as quicksilver under tho
evening sky. and slim. gray. beautiful
birds hOmlng downward. The frown
left his forehead
After all II will be good 10 see some
body from out Of DOORS" he said 10
himself
Half an hour later he discovered that
he had irretrievably missed the ar
rival OF the Chicago express and with
II Ruth Gallon. lie went back Into
his car and drove to his office. Once
there he called his head clerk. an an
Client and fragile man. as crisp and
bloodless as the money that passes on
Wall street. and told him to see nc
what hotel Miss Ruth Gallon was stop
ping. Then be wired John Dorr:
III Broadway. New York.
John Dorr. Master Key Mine. Silent
Valley. Cal:
Could nc. find Miss Gallon at train. Am
seeking for her. as II Is important that
the business be settled Immediately Wire
any possible address
GEORGE EVERETT.
Far opt on Broadway. above the
eighties, an operator was ticking on
another message addressed to Harry
Wilkerson. II read:
q West Eighty-fourth St. New York.
Harry Wilkerson, Master Key Mine. via
Vale Vista, Cali
Everything all right George met Ruth.
She is now with me and waiting further
particulars. Have seen Everett under
guise of prospective purchaser OF stock
The girl Is charming.
JEAN DARNELL.
Some houses. like some people. should
never be lllumined with sunshine, and
Mrs. Darnell's residence, overlooking
the Hudson, was of this type. Its dull.
red stone front. marked by windows
that seemed blind to all that went b5,
was not distinctive in that neighbor-
hood. A thousand doors within mile
would have suggested TO the passerby
nothing more nor less than the great
oak portals within which she lived. To
Ruth Gallon. Of course. the house
seemed tremendously formal and state
iy. Within she found an atmosphere
so absolutely strange and alien to all
she had ever known that she shrank
within herself and had nothing to say
until she had been conducted to her
own room on the third floor and dis
erect maid was busy unpacking her
things. Ruth felt that society had al
ready laid its restrictions on her. She
recognized the maid as the gown ana
hat policeman
This silent. but exceedingly obtrusive
parsonage having retired at last, Ruth
studied her surroundings. When she
had completed her survey she thought
TO herself that there were two things
wanting One was q silk haired Per.
sian cat and the other a flaming color
ed scarf across the bed that completed
the altogether of an apartment severe
ly luxurious. Then she tried to ana
lyze the odor. delicate yet insistent,
which she was ever afterward to asso-
ciate with Jean DarneIl and her expe-
| rience in New York
At last she traced 1t to some pallid
flowers in the great green and dark red
vase. whose unwholesome beauty was
that of plants whose roots have never
been in good. sound SOIL They looked
30 her much like lilies. whose pads had
doated on some dark and opalescent
pool. Viscid with Odors of the night
She was still staring at these and
shifting their scent through widened
aostrils when Mrs Darnell knocked on
the door and entered slowly She had
changed her street gown for a negligee.
which instantly caught the girls ap-
preciative eye.
you look beautiful" she said quick
ly Jean Darnell turned her tawny
eyes on her and smiled family.
IL am not usually up until noon," she
responded, "and-I am getting old. my
dear" She threw cut her jeweled
hands with IA sparkling gesture of half
comic resignation. Ruth laughed
John Dorr says everybody gets old
in New York. Don't you like him?"
Mrs. Darnell looked into the clear
eyes of the girl and almost failed TO
follow her baser instinct Hut at that
loose throat she saw the heavy gold OF
The Master Key: As II IL had ST.
pernatural powers. the sight Of that
key locked the door of her heart "Or
course l like John" she said easily.
I'VE must get everything fixed up now.
George will be heEA-George Everett,
OF course, l mean-tonight, and you
and he can talk the business over"
"You know. we simply must have
the money" Ruth returned earnestly
The mine isn't paying now, but John
knows where we can find the mother
lode again; then Wen all be rich"
"Ah" said Jean Darnell. You're
selling stock. presumeY'
II own It ALL" Ruth returned proud
! ly. IT'S my mine, My father left 1t
TO me when he died" She did not sec
the sullen hatred that slowly famed
until Jean Darnell's eyes fairly blazed
In her own room sine stood moment
breathless Then she tore OF her feecy