Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-03-11

One moment she was In q tlgerish
rage: the next hour she was staring at
the fog haunted hills with eyes that
saw nothing.
He stormed and argued to no pur-
pose. He recalled to her constantly
the fact that he had the deeds. the
master key itself. the plans Of the To-
cation Of the mother lode.
She either listened llstlessly or drove
him away with furious upbraidings.
Yet iD the end she accompanied him
to Silent Valley.
It was bitter moment for old Tom
Kane when the stage drove up and
Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell got out In.
stead Of John Dorr and Ruth.
He had hoped against hope. and now
his dreams were in ashes, for Wilker
son instantly took charge, the men, as
Tom put it to himself, followed the
paymaster. and so far as outward ap-
pearance went the Master Key" mine
was firmly in Wilkerson's possession.
Mrs. Darnell here proved herself the
shrewder mind Though she was little
seen. her influence was potent.
And more than anything else she
worked on Wilkerson so that he did
not use the plans and open up the
rich vein.
patient Our whole power here Is In
the fact that we have the secret. Once
that is public Wen likely lose every.
thing"
But we ought to be at work before
Dorr gets back" he would argue.
"Yes. and every court in the land
will help him to regain this mine and
its wealth. Don't you see? Compro-
miser'
Compromise he repeated duly.
"Yes. you fool!'
"But howf"
"Wait-wait till John and Ruth get
back. They'll be glad enough to buy
those plans, Harry"
When John Dorr and Ruth arrived
on the following steamer Everett met
them at the pier and told them the
news as he had gathered it from faith
full Tom Kane whom Jean Darnell had
insisted should resume his duties as
cook, sagely observing to Wilkerson
that II would he well for them to have
witness whose veracIty Dorr would
not impugn.
Settled in the hotel, Dorr briefly re.
cited the experiences of the past
months and then bluntly asked, What
are we to doT'
Everett was ready with his answer
COMPROMISED
be bit his lip Had all his work gone
for nothing?
Everett laid friendly hand on his
knee. Now listen,' lie said graYeiy.
Here Is Miss Ruth minus her key,
practically ousted from possession OF
her property and. If we are not mis-
taken. unable to lay her hands on her
most precious interchangeable plans OF
the mother lode. They're in Wuker-
sons possession"
"And he's digging the gold night and
dayw John burst out
With a swift glance to reassure Ruth,
who sat in mournful silence, Everett
went on:
THAT is the shrewd part of Wilker.
sons play. He knows that the law
will give Miss Ruth here back her mine
and all that it contains. 1t would
take time, but rs sure us we are sit.
ting here. and no one knows it better
than he-justice would strip him Of ev-
cry Ill gotten cent and send him to-
prison with his accomplice. So what
does he do? Hastily uncover the real
prize? No. He cOnceals ii still and
merely works the original mine.
But we can put him out of fathers
mine. can't WEI" demanded Ruth.
And when we do we shall still be
no wiser as TO the location OF the real
gold. All our trouble and expense will
have gone for naught. Wilkerson will.
still hold the secret Of the Master
Key"
"And how are we going TO get it
from him?" demanded Dorr. clinching
his fist
Everett smiled by buying it from
him"
HE will ask milliousr'
The broker smiled again.
Consider WilkersOn's position for q
He Is liable to arrest. trial
ind long Imprisonment on n dozen
charges. Within twentyrfour hours we
'an have him behind the bars. But
we wouldn't be helping ourselves much.
would We? Yet wifkers0n and Mrs.
Darnell don't want TO 20 TO Jail. We
hold that club over them.
They have the secret we must have
snd we can ruin their lives. Therefore
we make trade. We give them asi
surance that we will not prosecute
them, that we will even enrich them.
II need be. and they In return for this.
hand us over the plans that ThomaI