The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-28
THE MASTER KEY"
John Fleming Wilson
Now being played i'm moving pictures
at the Ruby Theater every
Tuesday night.

that II Is Miss Ruth Gallon. the heir
ess to the 'Magter Key mine. whom she
Is abducting," His passion blazed
forth In spite OF his self restraint. n
must find her and save her"
might | ask what relation you are
To the young lady, asked the detec-
tive mildly.
John stared at him and then realized
the oddity % his actions and words.
He briefly exI lained his position at the
mine and his ~wardship of the heiress.
He also went into detail as to what he
suspected WiIkcrson of, describing him
carefully.
He was II Ut them, sure enough"
agreed the detective. but young heir
esscs amt being kidnapped days like
these out Of hotels like this"
II may be mistaken" John assented
YEARLY. "All | know OF Mrs. Darnell
Is from occasional words dropped by
Wilkerson. But | suppose we might
get q clew rs 10 where they wen any
way
After some search OF the long line of
taxis they came to one which the de
tectiye identified IA the one Mrs Oar
nell had taken the night before.
Driver, take us where you did those
fares who were in such a hurry last
night" the detective ordered.
The chauffeur shook his head. You
can search me for the address," he re
turned. There wasn't any"
The driver leaned out from his seat
and went on earnestly: You know
how they jumped In and we rolled off.
Well. 1t seemed II was "A case Of life
and death, according to the woman,
and ] stepped on the machine and
FASTENED some toward the North Pa
cidc hospital. But when we got into
Chinatown one Of the mel hailed me
and told me to drive just as be said
He got out here 10 front with me. and
when we reached n certain spot they
all beat It."
"Can you take us to that spot?'
II was inst wondering TO myself
whether I could find It." was the re
Spouse. but Ill try"
He threw In his clutch mud the car
left the line and started mp the hill
toward California street. John Dorr
leaned back against the cushions with
way toward his goal. He barely heard
his companions murmur, Evidently
they took her into the lower part OF
Chinatown"
We usually credit the oriental with
little or no imagination. pointing to
his art. his clothes and his language as
evidences. AS the fact runs. even the
Chinese eoolIe uses the faculty of
imagination more frequently than his
white brother on nm equal social plane
Sing Wah. or Wah Sing. as he was
lndiferently called, was %outwardly a
stolid. dull eyed Chinese of uncertain
middle age. His picture-it was In the
gallery OF every secret service office
from Singapore to PhiladeIphia-was
not less changeless OF expression. nor
O teciturn than he. Yet In spite of
his scmber clothes and general air of
blank stupidity. Sing wah was q man
Of mark. a man with a history replete
with adventure and. not too seldom
with crime.
IL the ordinary criminal could have
an ONCE or a store he would quadruple
his profits. But the common run Of
rascals must steal and ny. Their post
Office address Is a igment. They are
not at home when opportunity knocks.
Sing Wah knew this, and 1t was his
boast that for thirty years any one
who wanted him. either day or night,
could find him.
So he sat at the back OF his little
store night after night. blinking
through the wooden screen at the va.
rious customers who came In to trade
or barter. And year after year they
came to his door, the pirate and tie
thief, the smuggler and the robber, and
he took his toll OF them and passed
them on. Whittier? Sing Wah never
told. And because he did not tell they
came back with greater loot and rich
err booty. and he again passed them
through his store to vanish utterly
from the haunts Of men and the pur.
view Of the police.
Among the many hundreds who had
nvailed themselves of Sing Wah's aid
was Wilkerson, who, during dark pc.
riods OF his career, had several times
run athwart the barriers of the law
and been compelled to seek refuge
where he could.
Harry Wilkerson was not a fool. In
some ways he was brilliantly endowed
He recognized Sing Wah's superiority
to all others In the great game Of out.
whiting the law. He perceived beneath
the stolid mask the alert. active. stu.
dious mind which was ever vigilant,
9 ~forgetful. always in~telligently
watching the world that passed before
his filmed eyes. The Chinese had, as
well, acknowledged Wilkerson's adept
81 and persistency. In several deals
they had been partners t their mutual
profit
You are a very good fellow, Har
~" Sing Wah had told him once az
they drank tea in a little room In the
.sYou are a smart man-almosi
rs smart as | am But you are toe
hungry. Yon cannot resist your appe.
dies. Now. The made a slight ges.
y Of distaste with bis lean brown
h9ad--sI lave no appeutes."