The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-12-23

~A tculate. Thomas Ga o II
SSsJ dreaming of two women. tact
turn and silent us he was. wrote dow,
the thoughts which he could not ey
press in speech. His diary. well thumb
ell, held the history Of many Il lonely
night. but of all these nights there was
one that stood out in his mind.
1t was the darkness inclOSing Il WON
an on a bed. He still heard her wills.
percd cry. You speak Of God. Tom
but ! have no religion but mother
hood" Before his, closed eyes came the
vision of Il lamp lit. then almost an ap-
parition--the face of his daughter. On.
life had fled. possibly appalled, by til
horrors of world that rccks ROT of gu;
poor humanity. Yet there was In 'h'
dead woman's arms Il child. gro
tesuuely asleep. as if unnwakcned to
the sorrows this mother had known.
Ruth" he cried. There WAS no an
swcr from the still woman in the dark
ness. but thus he had cllriStcncd his
only child.
1t seemed to him as If that echo still
reverberated from the moon washed
hills which marked the site of 1.-THE
Master Key"
II am getting old" he thought as he
turned the pages of the diary us if un.
consciously counting the years since 4
woman had leaned over his shoulder.
Ruth he murmurch again.
Tile problem before him was no
longer dim and vague. as it had been
in the days Of his prime. hut absolutely
distinct and clear what was to become
of Ruth when he died? With his train
ed business Intelligence lie set himself
to solve this question.
He reviewed in his mind all the men
and women he had known. 1t was II
strange procession. They marched he.
fore his sharpcnrd vision. old partners,
fresh young girls. mature women. men
with check books in their hands. men
dying of thirst on tlc. deSert-and vii,
kerson. He atcrnly put out of his mind
the thought Of his former partner the
man was he dead? II he had not died
that night In the sulch. if he We're still
alive. knowing the secret of 1.-THE Mas
ter Key" who would save Ruth from
his vengeance?
Then there rose before his mind the
straight. strong. almost austere figure
OF his mining engineer, John Dorr-
youthful. of course, but he had proved
himself wholly competent in almost
every task that had been given him.
The old man thought more deeply.
He recalled his own former years. He
himself had broken down the iron bar
riers OF cold world for the sake of a
woman whose image Ruth was. He
had seen in John DORIS eyes the grow
ing fame of love. Long experience
had taught the old man that there ia
no passion SO dependable in this world
as love.
John Dorr loved Ruth. 1t needed no
monetary bond to assure his fidelity to
her interests. and with the sudden,
swift. alert step of Il man VIII" had
made his final decision he went ont on
the porch and called. "John. john.
Within the interior of the little house
down the hill the engineer Of Thomas
Gallons niue had abandoned his blue
prints to study the letters on little
pennant which represented his first
victory. Il touchdown on the football
play. He knew better than any one
that his mission to Vale Vista was
futile Using every Resource at his
command. II" could find no paying ore,
and yGt-tlicrc was the pc,lnant, tn"
emblem of victory hard fought nad
hard won. Should he give up now:
He heard Il clear, stern call from up
the hil-".Iohn. John
III win out vet for Ru:l1'S sake
he said as he answered that impcrious
cry.
Other ears heard that call. and as
John FASTENED down the hill hn saw
Ruth's figure hy the side of the blin.n
low, and as If by the Oprnin: Of
shutter he once more saw the lights of !
Broadway and table spread with |
linen. two people sittn. thcrc-hiS
evil gcuiuseS.
In this complex and highly organized
of ours no man can be rs |
I,lretl that ut any moment some other |
man possibly thousands of miles dis
tant is not planning an act Whose ror
tent would never occur To him.
At table in Il New York restaurant
n man and woman were sitting with
The words Gallon" ''Durr" and xvii.
kerson" on their lips.
Harry N'ikcrson has found Ton
she said quietly. Il wonder
what will happen"
Her companion laughed. "Galon: J
had college mate named 'Dolr.' who
IS working for Il man named Gallon
ont in the mines"
The woman'S dark eyes lit M. and
she seemed more strikingly handsome
IS she allowed her sudden passion to
lood her Somber face with c~,ur.
There is money In that mine. George
Crane" she said. But this man Dorr
what sOr. OF chap is he: iUi Mn