Bisbee daily review., 1915-03-28
THE MASTER KEY
cHAprER "


 kersou. tuot there Is girl mixed up in this ahair Tom Gallon never walked like that"
 He rode slowly down the steep hin til he reached Che pumping engine. Bin Tubhs. the bulky sodden faced engineer came Co the doorway.
 "ls this The Master EeyT" de mandel WiIker,ou.
 "lt certainly is" was the response. "And-oId Tom Gallon runs itT'
 Wilkerson pulled out a flask. divining Bin Iubbs ruling vice. and the en. giueer, after a long drink. wiped his mouth with the back of his oily hands "So you are looking for Thomas Gal. lon. are you? Well. he owns this mine. but it's mostly run by a young girl there in that bungalow on the hin You see, Tom ain't up to what he used Co be. The ore is getting worse every duy and the old mans sick up there in his house"
 I'm going up to see him now" said Wikcrson. He rode on few yards aud surveyed the snug houses. stamp mill and an the apparatus of the grow. ing mue and snarlcd. So this is what be wanted for himsefw
 The man he was seeking lay prop. ped up in bed. To Ruth he gave ev. erythiug-silbs and down and an the soft things Of this life Himself he still slept on a hard cot with a straw pillow under his hcad-thut Is. he had slept lt seemed Co him that sleep had forever fled. and he was now look. ing up into Buths face almost plead. ingly, trying To keep his grim old lips from asking sympathy There was reason in his mind that he should acc cept no tender minisuation 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 an right he mustered smile
 There's nothing the matter with me. Ruth he was saying, and bis glance sought that of John Dorr, who stood at the foot of the bed The eyes Of the two men met. and Dorr impercep- ubly nodded his head in token that he would not tell Not that he yet knew tle secret Of "The Master Key" but he recognized the fact that sooner or later he was to know.
 Ruth stopped over and said.
 Papa l don't believe you do feel well I'm going to make you some. thing hot to drink I'll bring you a toddy." And sine 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 well thumbed diary.
 "I am haunted" he wrote slowly, cal ways haunted. Am ! to die without knowing whether WilkersOn is alive and that Ruth is safeY
 At that moment he glanced up and thought he saw the sinister face of his former partner at the window. By the strongest effort or will be managed Co control himself and went on writing: "Wukersou sull alive by nightl When will he come out into the day7 He shall never have the key that would unlock the secret to my little girls happiness. | win trust John" Fancy to yourself scenes that must have dcd like swift films before the old mans eyes as be put the diary away. The desert and its mortal thirst: Wukersuu ever drinking greed fly of precious water; gold; murder; his 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 chiu 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 today she quietly set the glass down and went out on the porch 10 look at the light across the gulch which marked John DoTs window. Youth was calling to youth.
 lt was no apparition shat Gallon had seen at the window this time It was really Wilkers0n, who. after one satis fled glance rode swiftly away.
 It was midnight when he rapped ai the door or the Valle Vista railroad station and called thc sleepy agent
 "I want to get a telegram through right away" he said brusquely. ''Ther' is on extra dollar in your pocket if you can rush it"
 The slender boy who represented the Rocky Mountain Southern railroad si' leutly led the way in. turned up the wick Of the lamp and showed blanks and pencil across the counter.
 ''You look half asleep 10 me, Wilker. son growled as he picked mp the pen cil
 The boy scHuued the stranger quiet ly md opened the drawer of his tel. rgruuh desk und faced his visitor again Wilkerson caught the gllnt of the steel barrel of revolver iu 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, 'I merely wanted Go show you that am awake" Their glances met It was Wilkerson's eyes lhat fell
 He grasped the pencil and wrote on Che yellow blank:
 Vale Vista, Cal. March 17.