Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-30
CHAPTER v.
The Niaht Rider.

INV INiSUk nsNOSs
~1HE light In the bungalow on
the hill across the valley
@|zf1 winked as some one passed
GS beneath it and the window.
IT can see clearly enough" said VIII
kerson. that there IS a girl mixed
up In this affair. Tom Gallon never
walked like that" ,
He rode slowly down the steep hill
TIL he reached the pumping engine.
Bill Tubbs, the bulky, sodden faced
engineer, came to. the doorway.
lis this The Master Key?'" de-
manded Wilkerson.
1T certainly u.s." was the response,
"And-old Tom Gallon runs itT", {
Wirkerson pulled out a flask. divfning
Bill Tubbs' ruling vice, and the en-
gineer, after a long drink. wiped bis
mouth with the back Of his oily handa
$50 you are looking for Thomas Gal
Ion. are you? Well. he owns this mine.
but It's mostly u by a young girl
there In that bungalow on the. hill.
You see, Tom amt up to what he used
tolbe. The ore Is getting worse every
day and the old mans sick up there in
his house." ga sT Z
I'm going up to see him now" said
W%llkerson. He rode on a few yards
and surveyed the snug houses. stamp
mill and all the apparatus Of the grow.
ing mine and snarled: so thisais what
he wanted for himself!'f5 ,s
The man he was seeking lay prop
ped up In bed. To Ruth be gave ev.
erything-silks and down and all tho
soft things Of this life. Himself he.
still slept on a hard cot with a straw
pillow under his head-that is. be had
slept. 1t seemed to him that sleep
had forever fed, and he was now look.
Ing up into Ruth's face almost plead.
ingly, trying to keep his grim old lips
from asking sympathy. There was
reason In his mind that he should &C.
cept no tender ministration from the
lovely girl who stood beside him. His
sacrifice must be complete: so when
his daughter bent over him and asked
him II he felt all right he mustered a
smile. III
There's nothing the matter, with me.
Ruth" he was saying, and bis glance
sought that Of John Dorr, who stood
at the foot Of the bed. The eyes of
the two men met, and Dorr impercep-
tibly nodded his head In token that be
would not tell. Not. that, be yet knew
the secret Of THE Master Key" but
he recognized the fact that sooner or
later be was to know. . = 10. -
Ruth stopped over and, said: 4
Papa, L don't believe you. do feel
well. I'm going to make you some.
thing, bot. to drink I'll bring you a
toddy." And she went into the ,kitch.
en- and shut the door. &rH: 40. ~.
When she was gone John nodded a
pleasant Good night" and also left.
Then old Thomas Gallon rose and
went to bis. worn desk and got his well
thumbed diary. /, 5,4e 4
r am haunted" be wrote slowly. al.
ways haunted. Am I to die without
knowing whether Wilkersona Is alive
and that Ruth is safer
At that moment be glanced up and
thought he saw the sinister face OF his
former partner atythe window. BY the
strongest effort Of will he managed tc
control himself and went on writing:
"WNkerson still alive by night
When. will, be come out into the day.
He shall never have the key thai
would unlock the secret to my little
girls happiness. will trust John"
Fancy to yourself scenes that must
have fed like swift films before the
old mans eyes as be put the diary
away. The desert, and Its mortal
thirst: Wilkerson. eve drinking greed
lily OF precious water; gold: murder;
his escape with the plans, their loss
in. the chest when the. vessel went
down In a caldron Of fame: the image
Of HIS dying wife; the picture of the
babe, he had lifted from her, chilli breast
Ruth, for, whom be had suffered. He
bowed bis head on his,folded arms.
Such is the, bitterness that the night
brings upon those who are alone.
When Ruth came in with the steam'
Ing glass, Of teddy she quietly set the
glass down and went out on the porch
to look at the light across the gulch
which marked John DORIS window.
Youth was calling to youth.
It was. no superintendent Gallon had
seer at the window this time. It was
really Wilkerson. who. after n salts
fed alances rode swiftly away.
II. was midnight when he raped al
the door OF the Vale Vista railroad
station and called the sleepy agent-
4 want to- get . telegram through
right away, he said brusquely. There
ii d n extra dollar IN your pocket hyou
can rush It"
The slender boy who represented the
Rocky Mountain Southern railroad 81.
lently led the way in. turned up the
wick Of the lamp and showed blanks
and pencil across the counter.
You look half asleep to- me-" Wilker.
son growled a. he picked up the PEI.
eli.
The boy scanned the stranger quiet.
" and opened the drawer of his tel:
eeraph, desk and faced his visitor
again. Wilkerson caught the CLINT Of
the steel barrel Of a revolver ig that
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