The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-02-19
CHAPTER v.
The Niqht Rider.

EGN%N3| winked as some one passed
Vzsg beneath it and the window.
u can see clearly enough" said Viii.
kerson. that there is a girl mixed
up in this affair. Tom Gallon never
walked like that
He rode slowly down the steep hill
till he reached the pumping engine.
Bill Tubbs, the bulky, sodden faced
engineer, came to the doorway.
us this The Master Keyr" de.
manded Wilkerson.
1T certainly u.s." was the response.
"And-old Tom Gallon runs it?"
Wilkerson pulled out flask, divining
Bill Tubbs' ruling vice. and the en-
glneer. after long drink. wiped his
mouth with the back of his oily hands.
$50 you are looking for Thomas Gal.
Ion. are you? Well, he owns this mine,
but it's mostly run by young girl
there In that bungalow on the hill.
You see, Tom amt up to what he used
to be. The ore is getting worse every
day and the old mans sick up there In
his house."
I'm going up to see him now" said
Wilkerson. He rode on a few Yards
and surveyed the snug houses, stamp
mill and all the apparatus of the grow.
ing mine and snarled: $50 this is what
he wanted for himselfv'
The man he was seeking lay prop.
ped up in bed To Ruth he gave ev-
erything-silks and down and all the
soft things Of this life. Himself he
still slept on a hard cot with a straw
pillow under his head-that is, he had
slept. 1t seemed to him that sleep
had forever fed, and he was now look.
ing up into Ruth's face almost plead.
ingly, trying to keep his grim old lips
from asking sympathy. There was
reason in his mind that he should &C.
cept no tender ministration from the
lovely girl who stood beside him. His
sacrifice must be complete; so when
his daughter bent over him and asked
him if he felt all right he mustered
smile.
There's nothing the matter with me,
Ruth" he was saying, and his glance
sought that Of John Dorr, who stood
at the foot Of the bed. The eyes of
the two men met, and Dorr impercep.
tibly nodded his head in token that he
would not tell. Not that he yet knew
the secret of "The Master Key" but
he recognized the fact that sooner or
later he was to know.
Ruth stopped over and said:
Papa, don't believe you do feel
we'll. I'm going to make you some.
thing hot to drink. I'll bring you
toddy." And she went into the kitch-
en- and shut the door.
When she was gone John nodded a
pleasant Good night" and also left.
Then old Thomas Gallon rose and
went to his worn desk and got his we'll
thumbed diary.
II am haunted" he wrote slowly, al
ways haunted. Am l to die without
knowing whether Wilkerson is alive
and that Ruth is safer
At that moment be glanced up and
thought he saw the sinister face of his
former partner at the window. By the
strongest effort Of will he managed to
control himself and went on writing:
"Wilkerson still alive by night!
When will he come out into the day?
He shall never have the key that
would unlock the secret to my little
girls happiness. will trust John"
Fancy to yourself scenes that must
have fed like swift films before the
old mans eyes as he put the diary
away. The desert and its mortal
ipct wi
lily of precious water; gold; murder;
bis escape with the plans, their loss
in the chest when the vessel went
down in a caldron of flame; the image
Of his dying wife; the picture of the
babe he had lifted from her chill breast
Ruth, for whom he had suffered. He
bowed his head on his folded arms.
Such is the bitterness that the night
brings upon those who are alone.
When Ruth came in with the steam
ing glass Of toddy she quietly set the
glass down and went out on the porch
to look at the light across the gulcb
which marked John DORIS window.
Youth was calling to youth.
1t was no apparition that Gallon had
seen at the window this time. 1t was
really Wilkerson, who, after one salts:
fed glance, rode swiftly away.
1t was midnight when he raped at
the door Of the Vale Vista railroad
station and called the sleepy agent.
II want to get telegram through
right away" he said brusquely, '"There
is an extra dollar in your pocket If you
can rush It,"
The slender boy who represented the
Rocky Mountain Southern railroad ST.
lently led the way in, turned up the
wick Of the lamp and showed blanks
and pencil across the counter.
You look half asleep to me-" Wilker
son growled as he picked up the pen
ell.
The boy scanned the stranger quiet
~ and opened the drawer Of his tel
egraph desk and faced his visitor
again. Wilkerson caught the CLINT of
the steel barrel Of a revolver in that
drawer.
"You must have some money in the
safe," he snarled.
The boy looked at him with steely
blue eyes and stated In perfectly
matter of fact tone, IT merely wanted
to show you that I am awake" Their
glances met. 1t was Wilkerson's eyes
that fell.
He grasped the pencil and wrote on
the yellow blank:
Vale Vista, Cal, March II.
Jean Darnen, Aston House. New York
City, N. Y: '..... ...-,.
Have found Gallon at last Address
master Key mine tomorrow.