The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-02-19
'CHAPTER VI.
The Golden Key.

u 1FTER he had left his former
IAI partner in the Office Thomas
5l9S. Gallon slowly went up to the
G2&:&&) bungalow. There was glim-
mer of satisfaction in his dim eyes as
be thought of the fact that the location
Of the real lode was unknown and
that the plans that might reveal it
were far beneath the waters of the
Pacific. He went inside to the desk
and picked out of the locker drawer
the golden key which held his secret.
He stared at it and read the mum
bers that marked the position Of the
lost vessel, and the chest that held the
plans. Whom could he trust with
this? He looked out Of the window
and called to John Dorr.
"John!' he quavered. '1've already
told you little about my finding this
mine and about my old partner"
"Wilkerson?" {
Eyes. Wilkerson; but there is anoth-
er secret. lost the location of the
mother lode in a wreck at sea. The
chest slipped overboard; but find the
wreck and somewhere near it is that
old carved chest, and when you open
the chest The old man suddenly
staggered forward into DORIS arms.
81 killed him once" he muttered fee.
bly,, and then the silence which pres.
ages the wordlessness Of eternity over
came him. John gently laid him down
on the bed and called Ruth.
"Fatherr' she called softly as she
knelt by, the bedside.
Thomas Gallon stood on the great
divide, but; he turned back a moment
to gather his strength. Then he mo-
toned with his gnarled hand for John.
The young man stepped quietly for
ward and stopped over
my will, John! I leave Ruth The
Master Key In my desk-bring tt!
90 When the desired paper was brought
he whispered:
Read it!'
John Dorr opened the document and
read it aloud:
- leave all my property to my
daughter, Ruth, to come into her full
possession on her eighteenth birthday. l
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 pen and ink. Then, muster
ing his failing powers, he wrote in a
firm hand the further words:
I direct that my daughter keep Harry
Wilkerson as superintendent until she Is
eighteen. I 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. 1t 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. 1.-The let.
ter" he croaked..
Ruth's quick intuition led her to the
desk again. and she found in the same
drawer that had held the will sealed
envelope addressed:
John Dorr:
TO be opened on Ruth's eighteenth
birthday. Sooner If her welfare is threat
ened.
Gallon turned his dimming eyes to
Ruth, who took both his chilling hands
in hers.
. "Child! The Master Key keep al.
ways near you. Some day''-he choked
lit will bring you riches, happiness
and love-"
- = -
When he first heard that Gallon was
dead Wflkerson was appalled,. He
thought of the woman in New York
and regained his courage. This was a
case where he must win by brute force.
he must Immediately show his author
fty. He who struck first would win.
he thought; yet in the back of his con.
seriousness 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 ana her dark eyes of topaz?
Perhaps because for several years he
had not handled other men, but been
himself a mere cog in great machine,
Wilkerson mistook the spirit of the
miners. He did not understand that
they had a 9profound respect for Thorn
as Gallon.
II must. get these people in hand"
thought Wilke ''and do it quick"
He spent the afternoon in making a.
schedule for sweeping reduction in
wages. Then he sent for Bill Tubbs.
the engineer. When. he had come
gross, liquor spdden and half insolent.
the uperintendent laughed at him.
erubbs, what do you know about:
this mine?''
Well" Tubbs answered. 1.-THE ore.
panned out pretty good for awhile, but:
they lost the mother lode There amt
9 carload worth dollar come out Of
here In three months. and that little
girl uD on the. hin won't have moth !: