The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-05-14

and he seemed again to feel the soft
threads of the web she wove about
him.
She had found him u young man at
the precise point where a may
either make or mar one for life.
He had been an easy prey for. her
tigeriSh desire for a slave. He had
spent his little money lavishly upon
her, without thought Of other reward
than to be zeal her, until Wilkerson
had appeared out of the darkness Of
her past.
Even then he had still been faithful
to her, Obeyed her every behest, risked
life and liberty in her service, even
aided Wilkerson in an endeavor whose
success meant that he (Drake) would
be cast aside as no longer useful.
And now he sat on guard in 4 hut
in a far country among a crowd of
aliens whose very tongue was gibber-
ish to his ears.
On guard for whom? For what?
That Wilkerson might finally sue
coed and win Jean Darnell Of the
tawny eyes and luxuriant beauty.
In that moment-was it to be too
late?-Drake came into his own.
The mine and its wealth were as
much his as Wilkerson's.
The plans were his as much as
Wilkerson's.
Yet the man asleep on the settle had
taken everything to himself and would
continue to do so.
And Jean?
Drake laughed silently.
He knew her price. He remembered
his last conversations with her, those
half confidential talks when she had
~insinuatingly warned him to keep a
watchful eye on Wilkerson.
He had been given to understand
that it was the gold she wished. And
he Drake). had the key to that gold
in his own keeping for the while.
He set his teeth when he realized
how Wilkerson despised him, had
counted him altogether as a mere pawn
in the great game.
He had.not even troubled to. conceal
from him the hiding place Of the
plans!
They we're once more within the
idol, for Wilkerson had boosted that he
had put them back and would leave
them there till he reached America
again.
He recalled his words: LET the idol
keep 'em for me, just as it did for
Gallon. It's a poor idol that won't
serve two masters"
And the idol lay there wrapped in
the bundle under his feet, The price
Of Jean Darnell!
The thought worked in his mind &C
lively. He could not refrain from fol-
lowing it out to it's logical conclusion.
Why should it be Wilkerson who re-
turned with the plans and claimed her?
! Why should he (Drake) continue to
play the slave?
A moment while they slept and the
plans were his; then when Wilkerson
unsuspectingly presented the idol and
pulled out its eye 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 be played the
master and not the slave.
And in his waking dream he touched
the bundle and felt beneath the rude
covering the hard contours of the
image.
Again it ran through his head like a
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 Wilkerson
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 at it. fascinated by its
| -ugliness and the thought of the secret
that it held.
No wonder that at every sight of 1t
| natives bowed in abject worship.
It held wealth. power, love, happi-
ness:
He shook it softly. Yes, the plans
were still within; he could hear the
rustic Of the folded papers.