The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-04-02

% ticulate. Thomas Ca o n
1911 dreaming Of two women. tact
turn and silent as he was, wrote down
the thoughts which he could not ex
press in speech His diary, well thumb
ed. held the history Of many lonely
night, but of all these nights there was
one that stood out In his mind.
1t was the darkness inclOsing WON
an on a bed. He still heard her wills
pered cry. You speak Of Cod Tom,
but | have no religion but mother
hood" Before his closed eyes came the
vision of a lamp lit. then almost an APP
parItion-the face of his daughter One
life had fed, possibly appalled, by the
horrors Of n world that recks not of our
poor humanity. Yet there was In the
dead wOman's arms Il child. gro
tesquely asleep. as If unuwukened to
the sorrows this mother had known
RUTH he cried. There was no an
swer from the still woman In the dark,
ness. but thus he had christened his
only child.
II seemed to him as If that echo still
reverberated from the moon washed
hills which marked the site Of THE
Master Key"
Il am getting old" he thought as he
turned the pages of the diary as If un-
consciously counting the years since
woman had leaned over his shoulder.
Ruth" he murmured again.
The problem before him was no
longer dim and vague. as it had been
In the days OF his prime. but absolutely
distinct and clear what was to become
OF Ruth when he died? With his train.
ed business intelligence he set himself
to solve this question
He reviewed in his mind all the men
and women he had known 1t was
strange procession. The.P marched be,
fore his sharpened vsiCSl. old partners.
fresh young girls. mature women. men
with check books In their hands, men
dying Of thirst on the desert-und, VIII
kerson He sternly put out Of his mind
the thought Of his former partncr-the
that night In the gulch, If he were still
alive, knowing the secret of The Mas.
ter Key" who would save Ruth from
his vengeance?
Then there rose before his mind the
straight, strong, almost auStere figure
OF his mining engineer, John Dorr-
youthful, of course. but he had proved
himself wholly competent In almost
every task that had been given him.
The old man thought more deeply
he recalled his own former years He
himself had broken down the iron bar
riers of cold world for the sake of q
woman whose image Ruth was. He
had seen in John DORIS eyes the grow
ing fame Of love Long experience
had taught the old man that there is
no passion so dependable in this world
as love.
John Dorr loved Ruth II needed no
monetary bond to assure his fidelity to
her interests, and with the sudden
swift. alert step of man who had
made his final decision he went out on
the porch and called. John. john
Within the interior Of the little house
down the hill the engineer Of Thomas
Gallons mine had abandoned his blue.
prints to study the letters on little
pennant which represented his first
victory, a touchdown on the football
Geld within the last ten seconds OF
play. He knew better than any one
that his mission to Vale Vista was
futile. Using every resource at his
command. he could find no paying ore
and yet-there was the pennant. the
emblem Of victory hard fought and
hard won. Should he give up now?
He heard a clear. stern call from up
the hill-"John, Johnr'
I'll win out yet for Ruth's sake"
he said as he answered that imperious
cry.
Other ears heard that call. and aS
John fastened down the hill he saw
Ruth's figure by the side of the bunga
low, and as If by the opening of Il
shutter he once more saw the lights OF |
Broadway and table spread with |
linen, two people sitting there-hiS |
evil geniuses.
In this complex and highly orgunize,
civilization Of ours no man can he as
sured that at any moment some other
man possibly thousands Of miles dis
tant is not planning an act whose pOr
tent would never occur to him /
At a table in a New York restaurant
man and woman were sitting with |
the words "Gallon." "Dorr' and "Wn
kerSOn" on their lips
Harry WilkerSon his found Tom
Gallon" she said quietly Il wonder
what will happen?"
Her companion laughed Gallon?
had a college mate named 'norr. who
is working for a man named Gallon
out in the. mines"
The wOman's dark eyes III up. and
she seemed more strikingly handsome
~ she allowed her sudden passion to
hO0d her SOmber face with color
There is money I'm that mine George.
lrdne" she said But this man Dor
. what sort OF chap i he: IOu mn,