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

he had never heard before, John Dorr
strobe down the hill. AS he crossed the
gulch he saw the door Of the bungalow
open, and Ruth appeared.
IL thought | heard your father CALL"
he said awkwardly.
HE was calling you" she answered
quietly, but he went over toward the
dump. l think he wants you there"
Ruth laid her little hand on John
DORIS brawny arm. john she said,
the swift color rising In her cheeks, 81
don't want to say anything to make
trouble, but father Is worried. He
trusts you; but, you know. we haven't
recovered the lost vein"
John looked her straight In the eye.
Leave 1t to me-"
Her appealing hands crept up bis
arms, and for one moment she al
lowed him to read her soul. She made
q potent plea, directed by the instinct
Of a woman who is loved. John, look
after him. He is doing 1t for me-"
Dorr hesitated a moment. 1t was
the first thing Ruth had ever asked
him. He felt that he ought to re-
spond to this appeal In some most con
vincing way, but he could formulate
10 phrase that would express at ace
his determination to do everything I'm
his power to help her father and his
gratitude that she had taken him into
her confidence, 80 he merely smiled,
waved his hand and went down the
hill toward the dump beneath the head
end OF the spraddIing trestle.
She called him back. 81 forgot IT
was lunchtime," she said shyly.
Il must get down to your father" he
said rather brusquely.
Then I'll bring you both down your
lunches to the mine" she said. "We
can, have n little picnic all by our.
selves"
AS he went up toward the end OF the
trestle Dorr observed that the engineer
running the donkey engine seemed
| hardly to know his business.
my dear fellow he said quietly.
you're allowing too much slack on
your cable. IL is dangerous. Those ore
cars are coming down that trestle too
fast. II their brakes give way Ii means
disasterl'
whats the %trouble?" said Gallon.
coming up with a piece of ore In his
hand
81 was Just telling Bill Tubbs that II
he did not keep up the slack on his
cable on those cars he would whip
L AI1aY, A,rnc sh1 ovxH re fhu kuaafIn ~ rnfl
John.
He turned toward the old man and
said In a different voice: you called
me. What Is 1t that you want?"
Look at this. John" said the older
man. handing out the piece of ore
dirt. not gold bearing quartz. ! want
TO talk to you; I've got something to
say to you"
~Involuntarily John looked down the
street. He saw Ruth coming. swinging
the lunch basket In her hand. He re
membered her shy appeal that he
would do the best he could for THE
Master Key"
II think we had better 20 into the
mine; we can talk there" he said.
"They are setting off a blast" Gallon
remarked.
Dorr looked up at the car roaring
past them overhead aud said suddenly:
Before anything else you ought to Fix
that trestle. Some day "A car will go
over on the dump
Gallon looked up and then glanced at
Dorr. II GUESS you're right, John; I've
thought Of that myself. Things have
kind OF gone at loose ends. Now III
see to 1t myself with your help. be
cause | have something TO say to you"
There comes Ruth with a basket OF
lunch" said Dorr.
"Oh, yes, When | am away from
the house she often picnics with me
here In the mine. Say, I'm going up
on the trcstle. Have another talk
with Tubbs. He is all right, but he
has got careless. Tell him to keep UP
the slack of bis cable. | tell you,
John. | have wanted TO talk to you
for a long time, but first I'm going to
look after that cable, because l can
see you are right and we might have
a bad accident"
ITO be continued.)