Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-08

ilSAI III Liz punSdioW Oh
i the hill across the valle]
|NrSSSN| winked as some one passeJ
49, beneath it and the window.
II can see clearly enough" said vii
kerson, that there is girl mixed
up in this affair Tom Gallon newell
walked like that"
He rode slowly down the steep hill
till he reached the pumping engine
Bill Tubbs, the bulky, sodden faced
engineer, came to the doorway.
rs this The Master Keyr'' id
manded Wilkerson.
ut certainly is" was the response.
"And-old Tom Gallon runs it?'
Wilkerson pulled out a flask, divinin|
Bill Tubbs' ruling vice. and the ed
gneer, after long drink. wiped I'D
mouth with the back of his oily hand, !
$50 you are looking for Thomas Gal
lon, are you? Well. he owns this mind
but it's mostly run by young Gid
there In that bungalow on the hill
You see, Tom amt up to what he useI
to be. The ore is getting worse ever}
day and the old mans sick up there Il
his house." 9a
I'm going up to see him now" SAID
Wilkerson. He rode on a few yard
and surveyed the snug houses, stamI
mill and all the apparatus of the grow|
ing mine and snarIed: so this is wha|
he wanted for himselfr' ~
The man he was seeking lay prod
ped up in bed. To Ruth he gave ed
erything-silks and down and all TIL
soft things of this life. Himself b
still slept on a hard cot with straJ
pillow uSder his head-that IL, he hal
slept. 1t seemed to him that slee|
had forever fled, and he was now looh
ing up into Ruth's face almost plead
ingly, trying to keep his grim old LID
from asking sympathy. There wa
reason In. his mind that he should ad
cept no tender ministration from th|
lovely girl who stood beside him. al
sacrifice must be complete; 80 whe|
his daughter bent over him and aske|
him IL he felt all right he mustered
smile.
There's nothing the matter with md
Ruth" he was saying, and his gland
sought that of John Dorr, who stoo
at the foot Of the bed. The eyes 4
the two men met, and Dorr imperce]
tibly nodded his head In token that d
would not tell. Not that he yet kne1
the secret Of THE Master Key" bd
he recognized the fact that sooner
later he was to know.
Ruth stopped over and said:
"Papa, I don't believe you do fel
well. I'm going to make you soml
thing hot to drink. I'll bring you
today" And she went into the kitcl
en- and shut the door.
When she was gone John nodded
pleasant Good night" and also left.
Then old Thomas Gallon rose afl
went to his worn desk and got his We
thumbed diary.
II am haunted" be wrote slowly. q
ways haunted. Am I to die withoq
knowing whether Wilkerson Is ally
and that Ruth is safer"
At that moment he glanced mp an
thought he saw the sinister face Of b
former partner at the window. By II
strongest effort Of will he managed
control himself and went on writing:
"wilkerson still alive by nigh
When will he come out into the daJ
he shall never have the key thu
would unlock the secret to my lit
girls happiness. I win trust john"
Fancy to yourself scenes that mu1
have fed like swift films before ID
old mans eyes as he put the diar1
away. The desert and its morta
thirst; wflkerson. ever drinking greed
lily of precious water; gold; murdel
his escape with the plans, their los
in the chest when the vessel we1
down In a caldron Of flame; the in,aG
Of his dying wife; the picture Of To
babe he had lifted from her chill brea1
Ruth, for whom he had suffered. 81
bowed his head on his folded arms.
Such is the bitterness that the ntgf
brings upon those who are alone.
| CONTINUED TomorroW.)