Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-03-11

'All right. We'll ride" he said
while you are getting ready I'll writ,
letter to George Everett"
Ruth laid one slender hand on johns
shouldGA
You're always doing things for me
John" she said simply. "Some day III
do something for you" She slipped
away without a backward glance.
Dorr watched her trip down the hill
toward her own little bungalow, ant
It seemed to him as If he held one enc
of golden thread that she was spin
ming through sunshine. 1t was an
chored in his heart That thread woult
be 5000 miles long before she saw
good old Everett. He picked up his
pen and wrote rapidly:
Master Key" Mine, June =
George Everett. Ill Broadway. New York
City:
Dear George-when a young. slender
brown eyed, golden haired girl walks into
your office and says. I'm Ruth Gallon
and hands you the papers that she will
have in her little hand bag please see
that she gets $4,000 Ever yours.
JOHN DORR
He would have added more. His
finer instinct told him that Ruth should
be the first to put the whole scheme
before the cool headed, rather cold
hearted George Everett. He addressed
the envelope and sealed 1t. Then he
went to the telephone and called up
the station ut Silent Valley.
BILL" he said quietly after listening
moment to see II any one was on the
line. II want to send a telegram. Take
1t over the wire. please. I'll be down
in a little while and pay you"
"Sure." 6oated back cheerful voice.
II wish my credit was as good as
yours. ten miles away. but it seems as
If have to be always present when
ask for it. Go ahead. John?'
This Is 1t. Bill" said John:
George Everett. Ill Broadway. New York
City:
Miss Ruth Gallon leaves tonight to sec
you about Master Key" stock. Meet her
and wire me on her arrival Take good
care Of her Or I'll take care Of you.
JOHN DORR.
The operator repeated the message
and involuntarily adopted II little of
Johns savage information OH the last
four words. 1t woke him up to the
fact that he was allowing his feelings
to become public. He begun to see
why 1t was that men looked at him
strangely at times, when 1t was ques-
ton OF Ruth interests. He must re-
strain himself.
The operator did not hang up imme-
diately, but said hesitatingly: Say.
John. there's wire here; just came
in from The Master Key mine. 1t
does not seem to jibe with yours VIII
kerson sent 1t.
I'll play fair" said John to himself.
and he called back over the wire. Bill
ly. that's yours and Wilkerson's bust
ness. not NINE" II he had listened to
the tenor Of the message directed to
Jean Darnell. In New York, he would
have learned what Wilkerson was plot.
ting.
For years Wukerson had built up for
himself golden image in Jean Oar
nell. No one realized better than him
self that she was creature of appe-
tite. a lover OF silk and velvet A wo-
man whose eyes widened at sight of a
Persian cat. Feminine in every de-
gree. womanly III none But he him
self. dominated absolutely. utterly and
completely BY his desires. had fallen
under her spell. and he was going to
win her, no matter how. 1t Is a
strange thing that when dishonest
man finally yields to an honest passion
nothing will satisfy him but the ut
most observance Of the ritual of socie-
ty. Harry Wilkerson's vision was of
walking up the aisle Of great church
to meet his bride Mt the altar.
Yet he had always thought Of her in
terms Of gold: that was a contrast
the pallid. satiny. blue eyed woman.
voluptuous. soft-and his image OF her
built Of yellow gold. dragged out OF
the bowels Of 1.-THE Master Key" mine
This image was now before his eyes:
Instead Of the warm. sun blessed Cali
fornia hills. with their faint scent of
sage and cactus. be saw richly fur
nished room and breathed the odor OF
altar Of roses. Let us not follow him
in his dreams. But looking over his
shoulder an hour later we read:
Master Key" Mine. June
Jean Darnell. Aston House. New York
City:
Find George Everett at Ill Broadway
and meet Ruth Gallon in Chicago or
Sante Fe express leaving here this even
Ing. Introduce Drake as Everett after
you have seen Everett and keep the girl
to yourself until can arrange matters.
HARRY.
II can't send this through any office
near here" he thought. 80 guess I'll
ride down to Vale Vista and hand II
to the conductor. He can send it from
Los Angeles
Three days later Ruth Gallon settled
herself In the seat Of Pullman that
was soon to leave Chicago for New
York. She was excited. In crossing
town from one depot to another
through the streets poaring with traf
&c she had heard sounds that had new
Or met her ears before-the sounds OF
the worlds business which. oddly
enough. seemed to be mostly hauled
over cobbIestones. The faint echo OF
that noise still rang in her ears. 1t ap
palled her to think that she must dwell
with men who lived in such an atmos
phere; also she felt very lonely. She
thought of the mine. Of Tom Kane In
the door Of his cook shanty, of the
great ore bucket swinging across the
gulch toward the mill. of John. bend
ing over his blue prints and papers; OF
the grave on the hill where her father
lay. still within the precincts Of 1.-THE