The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1914-11-20
The MASTER KEY
BY JOHN FLEMING WILSON

maid gave one swift glance at her
mysterious aVaricious eyes and van
ished As she closed the door after het
the envelope, torn into shreds, fell e.
the floor.
Mrs. Darnell sat up alertly and
quickly perused the slow. even script
written ON the old fashioned blue lined
paper of country hotel:
Dear Cousin Jean-Since you last heard
from me l have found Gallon. l am Ieav-
ing today fer Silent Valley His Master
Key mine is only ten miles from there.
Won't he be surprised to see me? l will
let you know later how our scheme comes
out.
Goodby for now. Keep mum! AS ever.
HARRY.
When Gallon thought be had killed
WllkerSOn lie became infected with the
ineradicable disease of dread In his
conversation with John Dorr he had
given first expression to his feelings
The young mining engineer on account
Of his youth did not fully understand
that men 90 not speak of such things
HUH aSe-iOosen2r of tOugUeS rs well
as-of the chords of life-suddenIy op-
presses them-makeS them feel help
less. brings them to realization of
what the ultimate fact of death means
He had barely caught the appeal in
the old mans voice when lie had COM
pretended Ruth'S peril
The old man. with shakin. limbs.
had watched the rescue. When he
> L..
also perceived the solution of his prob
lem. Here was Il quick mind needed
to protect Ruth's property Somewhere
in that hill was the richest of Califor
MIA gold. Once more he said 30 him
self. John DOrr eau End the master
kov' -
Feeling himself too weak to meet the
girl who was now ciinging Imply to
her reScuer and also discerning in his
own slowing pulse that his time WAS
short, he went down the hill. crossed
the gulch without word to the won
dering miners and entered the bunga-
low.
4 moment later John Dorr entered.
with Ruth in his arms The Old man
merely looked up. always look after
her. John" he said slowly. "and if vii
kerson comes back
Dorr looked at the Old man with pity
in his eyes. "Shc isn't hurt" he said.
gently putting her down on TIE couch
Then he Strengthened up. IN always
look after her" he promised.
Gallon stared over 1T the white face
of his daughter as she lay unconscious
on the couch 'Humph"- thus eE-
pressing TO himself his own ccmpre-
tension of the fact that there was
coming such period in his own life.
He went out without Il look backward
When he returned the room was empty
He fingered the books on the BILE and
fell into u state of profound thought
He did not hear the door open behind
him.
Ruth, freshly clad and wholly recov-
cred from her experience, wondered at
her fathers attitude She stepped
softly toward him He did not turn
She went nearer. She laid her soft
hands on his shoulder ard then. as if
the fingers of life long fear We're touch
ing the very nerves of his being.
Thomas Gallon slowly twisted his head
by supreme effort of will to see the
sight which of all things in the world
he did not want to see-the face of his
enemy.
BY the magic of the strange phantas-
magOria which represents our mental
processes if we look at them carefully
he did see the face of Harry WiIkersOn,
"A-a-a-h!' he breathed His eyes
closed, compelled TO by his troubled
conscience. but he was recalled by Il
loved and familiar voice: it was Ruth
bending over him. saying, Father,
father. what is the matter?''
The Old man suddenly looked up. still
fearful that he was to see that feared
and hated face. Ruth he Said and
it struck him that on her face was IL
look almost of terror.
He must reaSSUre her Dread and
fear and terror do not belong in the