The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-25
MASTER KEY"
By
John Fleming Wilson
Now being played In moving pictures
at the Ruby Theater every
Tuesday night.

A moment while they slept and the
plans were his; then when Wilkerson
unsuspectingly presented the idol and
pulled out It's y there would be
nothing!
1t would be George Drake who held
the master key to Jean Darnell's ava
ricious heart.
SO he dreamed. open eyed. staring
into a future where he played the
master and not the slave.
And In bis waking dream he touched
the bundle and felt beneath the rude
covering the hard contours of the
image.
Again 1t ran through his head like q
call: You have the price Of happiness
beneath your hand.
Slowly he yielded to the temptation.
Gradually. with eyes constantly fixed
on the motionless forms OF Wflkerson
and Dorr, he got the bundle between
his knees; then he unlaced the fasten-
ings TREMENDOUSLY.
The idol came out under his hand,
and he stared nj it. fascinated by Its
ugliness and the thought OF the secret
that 1t held.
No wonder that at every sight OF II
natives bowed In abject worship.
II held wealth. power, love. happi-
ness.
He shook 1t softly. Yes. the plans
were still within: he could hear the
rustic Of the folded papers.
He peered around the hut. and. fnd-
ing all asleep, he set the idol on his
knee and bent over 1t.
He pulled ut the eye which he had
seen Wiikerson dra w out. Ii came
with difficulty. Then he held IL up and
looked into the dark oriHce. There
vas nothing there.
He was about to throw the idol dowI
In disgust when a glimmer of some
thing bright within the hesd caugh
his attention.
He stopped over again and then froz,
into i~mmobility. The spirit of the viii
god was moving within.
The point OF light grew into intense
brightness. 1t approached the darl
frightful fire.
brakes whole body oozed sweat: hi
hands clinched nnwillingly about tn,
form OF the idol. He could not thrus
1t away.
Then the socket was filed. and tn,
devilish eye bnlged outward, phosphor
escent. cleaning with w~ickedness
Drake felt his heart burst In his bosom
Then the snake that had lain SO loni
hid within the hollow of the imag,
struck forth and. having struck. slip
ped away.
"God!' whispered Drake, with thick
ened tongue. and damned the moving
eye back into place.
Then he huddled the Idol itself int,
its bundle. laced the throngs witt
~stiffening fingers.
"Godl' he whispered again. Thel
he fell across the bundle dead, withou
a sound to waken the sleepers.
!. 1t wan three hours before the dawl
that Harry WIlkerson awoke and look
ed about him. All the rest were still
asleep.
He rose softly and peered out Of tn
window. It was very dark outside
and he could see nothing.
He turned his gaze within and saw
Drake huddled over the packs appar
emily sound asleep.
The foolv' muttered Wilkerson
1--we got all out of him l want. But
suppose I've got to take him along
way yet"
He resolved to be rid of the younj
man so soon as he vas through witt
DOR. Then he paused. IN deep thought
his ugly brows bent on the unconsciou'
object Of his hatred.
An instant was sufficient for him I,
make up his mind. He silently wen
to work and bound John firmly In hii
seat.
Then he tried to waken Drake. Ii
shaking him he made sufficient noise {,
stir the natives, and they sat up ant
stared, sleepy eyed.
But when Wilkerson raised the swol
len. discolored face and shrank bacl