The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-12-26


till be reached the pumping engine
Bill Tubbs. the bulky, sodden faced
engineer. came to the doorway.
lis this The Master KeyT" de
manded Wilkerson.
"lt certainly is" was the response.
"And-ols Tom Gallon runs it?"
WiIkersou pulled out flask. divinlns
Bill 1nhbs ruling vice. and the ell.
gineer. after long drink. wiped bis
mouth with the back of his oily hands
so you are looking for Thomns Gal
lon. are your Well. he owns this mine.
but It's mostly run by a young girl
there In that bungalow on the bill
You see, Tom amt up to what lie used
TO be. The ore is getting worse every
dny and the old mans sick up there In
his house"
I'm going up To see him now" said
Nilkerson lie rode on u few yards
and surveyed the snug houses, stamp
mill ard all the apparatus of tho grow
ing mine and snarled: $50 this Is what
he wanted for himselfT'
The man be was seeking lay prop
ped M in bed To Ruth he gave ev-
prythag-silks and down and all the
soft things OF this lfc Himself he
still slept Oh Il hard cot with Il straw
pillow under his head that Is. he bad
slept. 1t seemed to him that sleep
bad forever fled and he was now look.
ing up into lsuth's face almost plead.
lnaly, trying 10 keep his grim old lips
from asking sympathy. There was
reason In his mind that he should ac-
cept no tender ministration from the
lovely girl who stood beside him. IIis
sacrifice must be complete so when !
his daughter bent over him and asked !
him II he felt all right he mustered n
smile.
There's nothing the matter with me.
Ruth" he was saying. and his 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 bis head in token that he
would not TELL Not that he yet knew
the secret Of "The Master Key" but
be recognized the fact that sooner of
later he was TO know.
Ruth stopped over and said.
"rapa, + don't believe yon do feel
well I'm going TO make YOU some
thing hot to drink III bring you n
toddy." And she went into the kitch
en- and shut the door
When she was gone John nodded
pleasant Good night" and also left
Then old Thomas Gallon rose and
went 10 his worn desk and got his web
thumbed diary
Il am haunted." he wrote SLOWLY, mi
ways haunted Am | 10 die without
knowing whether Wllkers0n is alive
md that Ruth in safeT
at that moment be glanced up and
thought lAe saw the sinister face Of his
former partner NJ the window by the
strongest effort Of will he managed to
control himself and went on writing:
"Wikerson still nlIye by night
When will he come out into tho dnyf
ae shall never have tho key that
would unlock the secret 10 my little
iris happiness. will trust John"
Fancy to yourself scenes TINT must
ave fed like swift films before the
Id mans eyes ns he put the diary
way. The desert and It's mortal
hirst: Wilkcrson. ever drinking greed
y OF precious water; gold; murder;
is escape with the plans, their loss
] the chest when the vessel went
own in a caldron OF fame; the image I
his dying wife: the picture Of the {
abe he had lifted from her chill breast
Ruth. for whom he had suffered. He :
owed his head on his folded arms. ?
Such is the bitterness that the night
rings upon those who are alone. {
When Ruth came in with the steam. S
Ig glass OF toddy she quietly set the {
ass down and went out on the porch v
look Mt the light across the gulch b
hich marked John DORIS window
outh was calling TO youth. {
IL was no apparition shat Gallon had :.
zen M the window this time. II was I,
ally wilkerson. who. after one salts a
ID glance. rode swiftly away. -
1t was midnight when he raped at b
Ie door OF the Vale Vista railroad 4
alton and called the sleepy agent.
Il want to set telegram through
ght away" he said brusqnely There Fl
an eTtra dollar in your pocket If you b
n rush Il"
The slender boy who represented the ST
)cky Mountain Southern railroad ST.
ltly led the way IN turned up the y,
ck OF the lamp and showed blanks 80
d pencil across the counter
'You look half asleep TO me-" wilker- K,
q grOwled as lie picked up the pen m
b;
The boy scanned the stranger quiet a
and opened the drawer of his tel W
raph desk and faced his visitor hs
ain. Wlkersun caught the CLINT OF
2 steel barrel " a revolver in that ST
aver. n,
You must have some money In the fr
fe." he snaried
The boy looked AZ him with steely do
le eyes and stated In perfectly CO
tter Of fact tone. Il merely wanted dc
show you that am awake" Their be
noes met u was Wiikerson's eyes M
Il fell
Ie grasped TIE rencii and wrote on IN
. yellow blank. NJ