Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-03-04

There was hut one person who mfane
reward him-thc woman they beem
loved Jean Darnril
His mind went buck to his first dsUl
OF acauaintance with her ~ New Y0A
and he seemed again to feel the -
threads OF the web she wOve sba0
him.
She had found him a young man -
the precise point where woman my
either make or mar one for life.
He had been an easy prey for hR
tigerish desire for a slav" He haA
spent his little money lavishly upss
her, without thought OF other rewnB1
than to be near her, until Wikerpa
had appeared out Of the darkness -
her past
Even then he had still been faithfA
to der. obeyed her every brhest. risnpA
| life and liberty in her service, even
aided Wilkerson In an endravor Who's
success meant that he UrakeJ woeAa
be cast aside as no longer useful
And now he sat on guard in q kut
! In a far country among u crowd q
aliens whose very tongue was gibeesN
ish to his ears.
On guard for whom7 For what2
That Wilkerson might finally sas-
coed and win Jean Darnell OF ths
tawny eyes and luxuriant beauty.
In that mOment-was IL TO be 10
late?-Drake came int bis own.
The mine and its wealth were -
mach his as wilkerssn's.
The plans were his as much -
Wilkersoa's.
Yet the man asleep on the settle h.
taken everything to himself and weusa
continue TO do so.
And Jeanr
Drake laughed silently.
He knew her price. He rcmembere4
| his last conversations with her. those
half confidential talks when she hsA
insinuatingly warned him to keep q
watchful eye on Wilkersou
| 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 be realizes
how Wilkerson despised him, had
counted him altogether a. mere pawn
in the great game.
He had not even troubled to conceal
from him the hiding place of the
plans,
They were once more within the
idol, for Wilkerson had boaSted that he
had put them back and would leave
them there till he reached America
again.
He recalled his words Let the idue
keep 'em for me, Just rs it did for
Gallon. It's a poor lido that won't
serve two masters"
And the idol lay there wrapped In
the bundle under his feet The prtcs
Of Jean Darnell!
The thought worked IN his mind ac-
lively. He could not refrain from fss-
lowing IL out to its logicai conclusion
Why should 1t be Wilkcrson who re-
turned with the plans and claimed her,
| why should he Drake continue 10
. play the slave?
, A moment while they slept and tho
plans were his: then wEnu Wilkersou
unsuspectingly presented he idol and
pulled out its eye thcrr would 10
nothing!
1t would be George DraEc who held
the master Key to Jean Darnel'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 II 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 ~ Wilkerson
and Dorr. he got the bundle between
his knees: then he unlaccd the fasten-
inSs TREMENDOUSLY.
The idol came out Undrr his hand.
and he stared at it, fascinated by Its
ugliness and the thought ~ the secret
that II held.
No wonder that at every sight OF Il
natives bowed In AFFECT worship.
II held wealth. power love. happi-
ness.
He shook II softly. NoS the plans
were sun within: he cuuId near the
rustic OF the folded papers
He peered around the hut, and, ind
lag all asleep. he set til, idol on his
knee and bent over II,
He pulled at the eye which he had
seen WilkersOn draw on II came
with dificulty. Then he he'd il up and
locked into the dark Oln'c. There
was nothing there
lie was about 10 throw th, idh down
. in disgust when Gimme at some
| thing hrigbt within the head caught