The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-04-09

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 KeyT" de
manded Wilkersun.
ut certainly Is." was the response
"And-0ld Tom Gallon runs itT'
Wilkerson pulled out flask, divining
Bill Tubbs' ruling vice, and the en-.
gineer, after a long drink, wiped his
mouth with the back of his oily hands
$50 you are looking for Thomas Gal
Ion, are your Well, he owns this mine.
but it's mostly run by a 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"
"Tm going up to see him now" said
WilkerSon. He rode on few yards
and surveyed the snug houses, stamp
mill and all the apparatus of the grow
Ing mine and snarled: so this is what
he wanted for himselfr'
The man he was seeking lay prop
ped up In bed. To Ruth be gave ev
erything-sllks and down and all the
soft things of this life Himself he
still slept on a hard cot with straw
pillow under his head-that is he had
slept IL 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 ac
cept no tender ministration from the
lovely girl who stood beside him. His
sacrifice must be complete; so when
bis daughter bent over him and asked
him II he felt all right he mustered a
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
dbiy 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
ldGeE ue WIS 10 KNOW
Ruth stopped over and said
"Papa, ! don't believe yuu do fpel
well. I'm going to make you some
thing hot to drink >I'll bring YOU a
toddy." And she went into the kitch
en- and shut the door
When she wnS gone John nrided
pleasant Good night" and MISC eft
Then old Thomas Gallon rose ana
went to his worn desk and got ms well
thumbed diary
II am haunted ne wrote slowly al
ways haunted Am | 10 die without
knowing whether Wilkerson is alive
and that Ruth Is snfpr'
At that moment ne CLAN, I'd up ami
thought he saw the sinister face Of his
former partner at the window BY the
strongest effort of viii he managed to
control himself ana went ON writing:
"WtlkersOn still alive by night
When will he come ont into the day
He shall never have the KEY that
would unlock the secret to my little
girls happiness. | will trust John
Fancy to yonrSrt scenes that must
have ded like swift films before the
old mans eyes nv he run the diary
away. The desert aud its MORTAL
thirst: WilkerSOn pvpr drinking greed
lily Of precious water. gold murder
his escape with the plans their loss
In the chest when the vessel went
down in a Caldron of tame. the image
OF his dying wife; the picture of the
babe be had lifted from her chill breast
Ruth, for whom he had suffered lie
bowed hts head on his folded arms
Such Is the bitterness that the night
brings upon those who are alone
When Ruth cume 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 gulch
which marked John DORIS window
Youth was calling to youth
1t was no apparition that Gallon had
seen at the window this time. II was
really Wilkerson. who, after one salts
fed glance. rode swiftly away
II was midnight when he raped at
the door of the Vale Vista railroad
StobAOu anu SahSN tue SltOpI dSeul
Il want to get a 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 al
lently led the way in. turned up the
wick Of the lamp and showed hlaris
and pencil across the counter
"YOu look half asleep to me" Wuker
son grOwled as be 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 revolver in that
dra wer
you must have some money in the
SAFE" he snarled
The boy looked NJ him with steely
blue eyes and stated IN perfectly
matter of fact tone, Il merely wanted
TO show you that am awake" Their
glances met II was Wilkprsnn's eyes
that fell