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

ta1nly nave fallen down On his part
had he not been prompted by Mrs.
Darnell. He was glad to hasten away
to find the elusive taxi.
The real George Everett got out of
his limousine ON the corner of Wander
bilt avenue and hurried through the
revolving doors: brisk. debomir. alert.
decided: with that happy style which
denies foppery and avoids surveillance.
Is seemed strange that he should have
photograph In his hand ut which he
looked intently untn he got in the con-
course. There he stopped and. with the
picture stu In his hand. commenced
watching the faces Of the people
thronging through the gates under the
vast dome. Al he waited he frowned
slsghtly. why had John Dorr sent
hin during business hours on Wild
goose chase?" He thought Of this ar
ticshtely aad then smiled to himself.
"A Wild Desss!' he muttered. 1t
brought up darkling sunset vistas.
lakes smooth 40 quicksilver under the
evening sky. and slim. gray. beautiful
birds honiag downward. The frown
left his forehead.
after al u VIII be good to see some
bsdy from cut Of doors." he said to
himself.
Half an hour later he discovered that
he had irretrievably missed the. ar
rival Of the Chicago express and with
L Ruth Gallon. He went back into
his car and drove to his Office. Once
there he called his head clerk. an an.
cient and fragile man. as crisp and
Wall street. and told him to see at
what hotel Miss Ruth Gallon was stop
ping. Then he wired John Dorr:
LII Broadway. New York.
John Dorr. master Key" Mine. Silent
Valley. Cal:
Could not find Miss Gallon at train Am
the business be settled Immediately. Wire
any possible address
GEORGE EVERETT
Far out ON Broadway. above the
eighties. an operator was ticking off
WilkefsoA. 1t read:
3 A West Eighty-fourth ST.. New York.
Harry Wilkerson. Master Key" Mine. via
Vale Vista. CAL:
Everything all right George met Ruth
She 10 now with me and waiting further
particulars. Have seen Everett under
guise Of prospective purchaser Of stock
Tho girl . charming.
JEAN DARNELL
Some houses, like some people. should
never be illumined with sunshine, and
Mrs. Darnell's residence, overlooking
the Hudson, was of this type. Its dull.
red stone front. marked by windows
that seemed blind to all that went by,
was not distinctive in that neighbor
hood. A thousand doors within mile
would have suggested to the passerby
nothing more nor less than the great
oak portals within which she lived. To
Ruth Gallon. OF course. the house
seemed tremendously formal and state
~. Within she found an atmosphere
20 absolutely strange and alien to all
she had ever known that she shrank
within herself and had nothing to say
until she had been conducted to her
own room on the third door and dis
Greet maid was busy unpacking her
things. Ruth felt that society had al
ready laid its restrictions on her. She
recognized the maid as the gown and
hat' policeman.
This silent. but exceedingly obtrusive
parsonage having retired at last. Ruth
studied her surroundings. When she
had completed her survey she thought
to herself that there were two things
waiting. One was q silk haired Per-
sian cat and the other a flaming color
ed scarf across the bed that completed
the altogether of an apartment severe
" luxurious Then she tried to ana
lyze the odor. delicate yet insistent.
which she was ever afterward to asso-
ciate with Jean Darnell and her expe-
Renee in New York.
At last she traced it to some pallid
fewers In the great green and dark red
vase. whose unwholesome beauty was
that Of plants whose roots have never
been IN good. sound soil. They looked
20 her msch Ike Niles. whose pads had
dOated on some dark and opalescent
pool. visctd with odors of the night.
She was still staring Mt these and
snifhag Their scent through widened
nestrils when Mrs. Darnell knocked ON
the door and entered slowly. She had
changed her street gown for negligee.
which Instantly caught the girls ap-
preciativs eye
"Yoa hook beautiful" she said quick
". Jean Darnell turned her tawny
eyes en- her and smiled family.
Ssv> .,<,,,a L. nv, ,,,fil ,,1o,, .L<
responded. ''and-I am getting old. my
dear" She threw out her jeweled
hands With sparkling gesture of half
connie resignation. Ruth laughed.
John Dorr says everybody gets old
In New York. Don't you like him?"
Mrs. Darneil hooked into the clear
eyes Of the girl and almost failed to
loose throat she saw the heuvy gold of
The Master Key" As If it had su-
rernatural powers. the sight Of that
ley locked the door Of her heart '.Of
course Ike John" she said easily.
I'VE must get everything fixed up.now.
George will be here-George Everett.
Of course. mean-tonight. and you
and he can talk the business over"
you know. we simply must have
the money" Ruth returned earnestly.
1.-The mine isn't paying now. but John
knows where we can find the mother
lode again; then we'll all be rich"
"Ah!" said Jean Darnell. You're
selling stock. | presume?"
II own it ALL" Ruth returned proud
". ITS my mine. My father left it
to me when he died" She did not see
rln