The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-18

turned the pages OF the diary as II un.
| consciously counting the years since a
| woman had leaned over his SHOULDER.
RUTH" he murmured again.
The problem before him was no
| longer dim and vague, as 1t had been
In the days Of bis prime, but absolutely
| distinct and clear-wbat was to become
| OF Ruth when he died? With his train.
ed business intelligence he set himself
to solve this question.
lie reviewed In his mind all the men
and women be had known. 1t was a
strange procession. They marched be-
fore his sharpened vision, old partners,
fresh young girls, mature women, men
with check books IN their hands, men
dying Of thirst on the desert-and VIII
kerson. He sternly put out Of bis mind
the thought of his former partner--tho
man was he dead7 IL he had not died
that night In the gulch, If he were still
alive, knowing the secret OF THE Mas
ter Key" who would save Ruth from
his vengeance2
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. lie
himself had broken down the iron bar
| riers OF a cold world for the sake of a
woman whose image Ruth was. He
had seer In John DORIS eyes the grow.
Ing fame Of love. Long experience
had taught the old man that there is
no passion so dependable I'm 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 a man who had
made bis final decision he went out on
the porch and called, "John. Johng'
Within the interior OF the little house
down the Hill the engineer Of Thomas
Gallons mine had abandoned his blue
prints to study the letters on a little
pennant which represented his first
victory, a touchdown on the football
6eld within the last ten seconds of
play. He knew better than any one
that his mission to Vale Vista was
futile. Using every esource at his
command, he could find no paying ore,
and yet-there was the pennant, the
emblem Of victory hard fought and
hard won. Should he give up now?
He heard a clear, stern call from up
the %hill-"John, JohnF'
"Ill win out yet for Ruth's sake,
he said as he answered that imperious
cry.
Other ears heard that call, and as
John FASTENED down the hill he saw
Ruth's figure by the side of the bunga-
low. and as If by the opening OF a
shutter he once more saw the lights OF
Broadway and a table spread with
linen. two people sitting there-his
evil geniuses.
In this complex and highly organized
civilization of ours no man can be as
sured that at any moment some other
man possibly thousands Of miles dis
tant Is not planning an act whose por
tent would never occur to him.
At a table In a New York restaurant
n man and woman were sitting with
the words Gallon" "Dorr" and Evil
kerson' on their lips.
Harry Wilkerson has found Tom
Gallon" she said quietly. II wonder
what will happenr
Her companion laughed. Gallon?
had a college mate named 'Dorr,' who
Is working for a man named Gallon
somewhere out In the mines"
The woman's dark eyes lit up, and
she seemed more strikingly handsome
MS she allowed her sudden passion &c
food her somber face with color,
There is money In that mine, George
Crane" she said. But this man Dor
- what sort OF chap Is he? You min
! Ing stockholders usually nave infor
nation as to all these engineers"
The slender man with the shrewt
face seated opposite her dropped hi
eyes. ITO tell you the truth, Mrs. Oar
nell, | never liked John Dorr."
Il NeilueE uOts IldTTy, size put ii
quickly.
The ~stockbroker looked at his plat
a moment and then pulled out hi
memorandum book. Listen, JEAN" h
said In a tone she recognized as utter
ly businesslike. "Shall l 1y 'Maste
Key stockT
There Is a girl back there sh
wen on intensely.
Crane looked up swiftly. He caugh
a CLINT of the jealousy in the woman
J eyes. For his own purpose she wa
most useful, so he snapped the rubbe
= band around his memorandum book
put II back In his pocket and said witt
inality, Jean, I'll buy Master Key
stock Mt any Dricei'
Mastering the cry which had com
to him from Thomas Gallons bunga
low and realizing that I'm it was a ton
III