Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-04

chest slipped overheard; but find the
wreck and somewhere near it is that
old carved chest and when you open
the chest The old man suddenly
staggered forward into DORIS arms.
81 killed him once" he muttered fee
bly,. and then the silence which pres
ages the wordlessness of eternity over
came him. John gently laid him down
on the bed and called Ruth.
Father she called softly as she
knelt by the bedside.
Thomas Gallon stood on the great
divide, but he turned back a moment
to gather his strength. Then he mo-
toned with his gnarled hand for John
The young man stepped quietly for
ward and stopped over
"My will, John! / leave Ruth THE
Master Key In my desk-bring itv'
When the desired paper was brought
he whispered:
"Read it,?
John Dorr opened the document and
read it aloud:
"s leave all my property to my
| daughter. Ruth, to come into her full
possession on her eighteenth birthday.
direct her never to let go of The Master
| Key. which will make my little girl
| happy"
| So ran the last words. The old man
lifted himself still farther up and call
ed for pen and ink. Then. muster
ing his failing powers, he wrote in a
| firm hand the further words:
/ direct that my daughter keep Harry
| Wilkerson as superintendent until she is
eighteen. 1 appoint as executor of this,
my last will and testament, John Dorr.
THOMAS GALLON.
The pen fell from his fingers, and he
lifted his trembling hand to his throat
and tore at the string that held the
| golden key. 1t broke, and he put the
key in Ruth's lap.
"That is the secret" he muttered.
John knows-and Wilkerson. Trust
John" Again he opened his eyes and
teri" he croaked.
Ruth's quick intuition led her to the
desk again. and she found in the same
drawer that had held the will a sealed
envelope addressed:
John Dorr:
To be opened ON Ruths eighteenth
birthday. Sooner If her welfare is threat
ened.
Gallon turned his dimming eyes to
Ruth, who took both his chilling hands
in hers.
"Child! The Master Key keep al
ways near you. Some day"-he choked
-"it will bring you riches, happiness
and love-"
When he first heard that Gallon was
dead Wilkerson was appalled, He
| thought of the woman in New York
and regained his courage. This was a
case where he must win by brute force.
He must Immediately show his author
iy. He who struck first would win,
he thought; vet in the back of his con-
sciousness was the realization that he
did not know what disposition Gallon
had made of the property. And where
was that rich vein of gold that would
buy him Jean Darnell, with her velvet
ways and her dark eyes of topazl
| Perhaps because for several years he
had not handled other men, but been
himself a mere cog in a great machine,
Wilkerson mistook the spirit of the
miners. He did not understand that
they had a profound respect for Thorn
| as Gallon.
| 81 must get these people In hand"
thought Wilkerson, "and do 1t quick"
| He spent the afternoon in making a
schedule for sweeping reduction In
wages. Then he sent for Bill Tubbs.
the engineer. When he had come.
gross, liquor sodden and half insolent,
the superintendent laughed at him.
''Tubbs, what do you know about
this miner"
"Well," Tubbs answered, "the ore
panned out pretty good for awhile, but
they lost the mother lode. There amt
carload worth a dollar come out of
here In three months, and that little
girl up on the hill won't have moth
ing at all unless she takes the advice
OF some of us old timers and fires that
young squirt of an engineer, John
Dorr."
Wilkerson leaned over and his face
suddenly grew white in its intensity of
expression.
| 'Pm the superintendent of this mine.
/ Now goP'
Tubbs looked astonished at the tone,
but obeyed
Wilkerson smiled to himself. One
man, and he one of the most impor-
tant in the camp, was his absolute tool
and slave. He took his pen and rap.
idly wrote out an order:
AFTER this day all wages in this
mine will be reduced % per cent"
He called one of the boskkeepers and
curtly ordered MIN to post it on the
wall of the Office outside. A surprise
awaited him. however. in the attitude
Of the miners. They paid no attention
to the notice he had posted on the office
wall. nor did they seem to recognize
the presence of the new superintend-
ent. He questioned Ed Mayer, the
loading boss.
miss Ruth is running The Master
Key!" Mayer replied.
After the passing of Thomas Gallon
things at the mine went very quietly
for a few weeks. John Dorr had ac-
cepted the subordinate position un-
der Wilkerson and was faithfully de
voting himself in the intervals of his