The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-21

When the desired paper was brought
he whispered:
Read IT.
John Dorr opened the document and
read 1t aloud:
"sssl leave all my property To my
daughter, Ruth. to come into her full
possession on her eighteenth birthday. /
direct her never TO let go OF THE Master
Key. which will make my little girl
happy"
SO ran the last words. The old man
lifted himself still farther up and call
ed for a pen and Ink. Then, muster
ing his failing powers. be wrote In n
firm hand the further words:
| direct that my daughter keep Harry
Wilkerson as superintendent until she Is
eighteen. | appoint as executor OF this
my last will and testament. John Dorr.
THOMAS GALLON
The pen fell from his fingers. and he
lifted his trembling hand to his throat
and tore at the string that held the
golden key. IL broke. and he put the
key In Ruth's lap.
THAT Is the secret" he muttered
John knows-and Wilkerson. Trust
John" Again he opened his eyes and
motioned toward the desk. THE let
teri" he croaked.
Ruth's quick intuition led her 10 the
desk again. and she found In the same
drawer that had held the will d sealed
envelope addressed:
John Dorr:
To be opened on Ruth's eighteenth
b4rShAuU EnrnAr 80 har xua1fa -. g. 3Eraaf
ened.
Gallon turned his dimning eyes TO
Ruth, who took both his chilling hands
In hers.
Child! The Master Key keep al
ways near you. Some day"-he choked
-"it will bring you riches. happiness
and love-"
When he first heard that Gallon was
dead Wilkerson was appalled,. He
thought of the woman In New York
and regained his courage. This was a
ease where he must win by brute force
He must Immediately show his author
lty. He who struck first would win.
he thought: yet In the back of his con
sciousness was the realization that he
did not know what disposition Gallon
had made of the property. And where
was that rich vein OF gold that would
buy him Jean Darnell. with her velvet
ways and her dark eyes OF topaz1
Perhaps because for several years he
had not handled other men, but been
himself a mere cog In a great machine.
Wilkerson mistook the spirit of the
miners. He did not understand that
they had a profound respect for Thorn
as Gallon.
III must get these people In hand
thought Wilkerson. "and do 1t quick"
He spent the afternoon In making a
schedule for a sweeping reduction In
wages. Then he sent for Bill Tubbs
| the engineer. When he had come
gross. liquor sodden and half ipsolent
the superintendent laughed at him.
'Tubbs. what do you know about
this miner"
We'll" Tubbs answered. 1.-The ore
| panned out pretty good for awhile. but
| they lost the mother lode. There ain't
/ " NuEtOdu WOILu u Ott NOlnO Out vi
| here In three months. and that little
| girl up on the I'LL won't have moth
/ Ing at all unless she takes the advice
| OF some OF us old timers and fires that
young squirt Of an engineer. John
| Dorr."
Wukerson leaned over and his face
| suddenly grew white In It's intensity of
expression.
I'm the superintendent of this mine.
| Now gor'
Tubbs looked astonished at the tone.
but obeyed-
Wikerson smiled to himself. One
man, and he one Of the most impor.
tant in the camp. was his absolute tool
and slave. He took his pen and rap
idly wrote out an order:
after this day all wages In THU
mine will be reduced 25 per cent"
He called one OF the bookkeepers and
CURLY ordered him to post 1t on the
wall of the office outside. A surprise
awaited him. however. in the attitude
Of the miners. They paid no attention
to the notice he had posted on the Office
wall. nor did they seem to recognize
the presence Of the new superintend
emit He questioned Ed Mayer. the
loading boss.
Miss Ruth Ia running The Master
Keyr" Mayer replied.
After the passing Of Thomas Gallon
things at the mine went very quietly
for a few weekA John Dorr had &C
cepted the subordinate position I'm
der Wilkerson and xas faithfully de
voting himself In the intervals Of his
duties to soothing Ruth's grief. Tht
girl had really been enormously de
pendent upon her father. She was
only a child. but now In her solitari
ness she turned to John and old Ton
Kane with impulsive trust and afec
ton. She tried hard to be brave. but
the days were long and the nights long
er. The cook house bloomed with frest
roses every day, an excuse for her 90
ipg down r. talk With old Tim s0f