12
THE MASTER KEY
By John Fleming Wilson
ap«cln! tfranjemwrt for thl* ptocr • photo-drun cormponding to the
tactailmeots of "The Muter Key" may no* be teen at the leading mo*,
tag iikluw* theater*. By arrangement made with the Unhrenal
dim Manufacturing company tt It not only pouible to
•nd "The Master Key" in thb paper, but alio alter,
ward to tee moving picture* aI our ttory.
COPYRIGHT, 1014, BY JOHN FLEMING WILSON
Unhappily for the girl, Everett was]
called out of town. And so when he
found himself forced to make a hur
ried trip to San Francisco her predica
ment became the more pronounced.
The false Everett. George Drake, took
It upon himself to call at the lUtz for
her mall, and, returning with word
that there was none for her, Ruth felt
a »t range premonition that matters
were not progressing as they should.
Mrs. Darnell found her gazing out of
the drawing room window, huddled In [
a pathetic little heap, dejection stamp- j
ed on features and form.
"Dearie," purred the hostess, "you
look as if you had lost your last friend
on earth. Do cheer up. What la the
trouble?"
Ruth tarned her head, but remained
In the same queer little attitude, reply
ing in a plaintive voice:
"I do not understand why Mr. Dorr
has not written or wired me. Really,
Mrs. Darnell. I am beginning to fear
that something has happened to him."
Mrs. Darnell looked at her searchlng
ly, but recovered quickly under the
questioning return gaze.
"Do not worry, Ruth. Everything
will come out all right. Supposing we
take a drive. The air and sunshine
will do you a world of goo 4"
Every minute was one of delight to
the unsophisticated girl, and each new
sight and vista opened a new world
■to
atoi»"at Grant's tomb they speeded
downtown, reaching Columbus circle
after a run through Central park. A j
blowout of one of the tires caused a :
delay. Ruth tired of sitting In the,
car, and, jumping out, she spied a flor- j
lst's window. Before Mrs. Darnell,
could think of the possibility of a mis
carriage of her well laid plans the girl
was inside. She purchased violets foi
both and was on her way out when
she saw a telephone. Intuitively, rath
er than from any other motive, she
hastily called up Mr. Everett's office.
To her amazement she learned that he
had gone west.
Her news was even more startling
to Mrs. Darnell than it had been to
Ruth. Quick action was needed, and,
leaving Ruth In the car with a pre
varicated excuse, the older women was
soon phoning to Drake, telling him to
go west at once and Instructing him
to meet them In San Francisco, where
he was to pose as Everett and continue
carrying out the plot to secure posses
sion of Ruth's mining property.
And thns it came about that Ave
days later found them in the metrop
olis of the Pacific coast, where they
were met by Drake, still posing as Ev
erett
The greatest difficulty lay In reconcil
ing Ruth's mind to the mystery of
Everett's sudden departure after she
had seen him at Mrs. Darnell's the ]
.night before. But the cleverness of
"""
Ruth Spied a Florist's Window.
'the schemer counterbalanced all doubts,
and the girl was therefore persuaded
to hasten to San Francisco to carry out
her plans.
Accordingly she wired Dorr, but
again "the wires crossed," for, al
though he learned that she was go
ling to the western city, he again learn
.ed that Everett had failed to connect
with her. /
Ruth had been g<roe many days
when John Dorr received another tele
gram from Everett that made hie heart
>etop its regular beat. Alone In his
cabin he pored over it as if there
must be some hidden meaning beneath
;the words. It was unbelievable. Aft
er all his pain and his very careful
forethought for her comfort and safe
ty something had gone wrong. Ev
erett was brief:
San Francisco, April I.
John Dorr, Silent Valley, Cal.:
Have been unable to find Miss Gallon,
i EVERETT.
For awhile his mind refused to work
logically. All that he could think of
was little Ruth Gallon, she of the slen
der liauds and pure eyes, lost in the
pre&t city and piteously seeking a fa
miliar face. But he pulled himself vig
orously together and called up the
lament at the station.
"Bill," he said over the telephone.
"This la Dorr. I want to get a wire
through to Ban Francisco."
j "All right John: what Is It?'
John thought a moment and then dic
tated this message:
{Charlea Everett. Call Building, San Fran
cisco:
Mtas Gallon was to have gone to the St
pYanciii, aa 1 wired you before. DORR.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, ttARRISBURG TELEGRAPU DECEMBER 16, 1014
After moiling over the problem he :
felt that he must confide in some one.
Of all the men in the mine he trusted
only Tom Kane. He strode down the
bill to the cook shanty and found the
old man engaged In his task of prepar- I
ing the noonday meal.
"Look here, Tom," John said ab
ruptly, holding out the telegram. "I
haven't said anything before, but Ruth
is lost. In San Francisco. I've wired j
Everett before. He can't find her."
Without a word the cook reached I
for the yellow slip and read it slowly, j
He glanced up and said with the ut- !
most simplicity, "I reckon you'd bet
ter catch this evening's express."
"But my work here—somebody has j
got to look after the mine and Wllker- |
son"—
Tom Kane glanced at him and titer. I
at the bit of paper. "1 know how you {
feel," he muttered, "but I've cooked 1
years enough to know that if you leave j
Something Had Gone Wrong.
things on the fire they'll burn. This
business wont wait." He smiled mag
nificently. "And yon just leave this
to me. I've been here since the mine
started, and I guess I can attend to 11
from cook shauty to Wllkorson. The
main thing is to find Ruth. I know •
she's safe, for nobody would hurt that
little girl. But you've got to go to j
Frisco and help her. Likely she's |
found herself pretty much a stranger I
I got lost in New Orleans once, and 1 j
reckon Frisco Is bigger."
"I'll go," said Dorr promptly. "I'll j
leave my papers and my new plans in i
your charge. Tom."
The old man laid his warm hand oe !
John's arm. "New plans?" he whis- j
pered. "Have you found the mothet i
lode? Don't say anything to Wllker
son."
"But he Is the superintendent?"
"Not of this shanty. I never trust |
an egg until I've brokcp It."
• ••••*•
In Harry Wilkerson's dark heari
there was what he might in his twist
ed vocabulary have termed happiness.
His plans were working out to perfec
tion. Jean Darnell had wired again
that all was well and that she would
have news for him in a few days. This
meant that she and George Drake hadj
done their part But he wondered why j
it was that John Dorr, who must cer-;
talnly be anxiously awaiting word
from Ruth, neither said anything not
displayed a sign of Impatience.
It did not escape him that Tom Kane
and the young engineer were in con
sultation several times. What were
they planning? He determined tc I
probe boldly. When Dorr came Into
the office in the afternoon and began tc
clear up his desk Wllkerson asked
quietly, "What's the news from Sat!
Francisco? Has Ruth wired?"
John had been expecting this per- j
fectly natural question and was ready
with his answer:
"Everything seems to be all right" !
"Good!" said the superintendent dry-1
ly. "I'd like to get started on that!
new lead pretty soon." He could not ■
repress a sour smile. "Since the old
rate of wages has been restored I
guess you and I may have to do with
out our salaries for awhile."
John looked up and caught himself, j
He was in no position to quarrel with 1
this man. "Fay the men first of j
course," he said. He proceeded to get
Into a package of blueprints and mem- j
oranda.
"Going to move?" suggested Wllker- j
son.
"I'm going for a trip, and I thought
I'd look over my notes In the mean
while," was the response.
Wilkerson said no more. He went on
the alert. From Bill Tubbs he learned
that Dorr was going to run into either (
Valle Vista or Silent Valley with the >
motor truck.
The superintendent of the "Master 1
Key" belonged to the type that Is cat
like in its quickness of action, based \
on Intuition rather than on reason, j
While Ruth Gallon was carefully con
cealed. it was more than possible that
Dorr would so stir things up with the
aid of Everett that all plans to seize
control of the mine's stock would be
futile. He must not be allowed to go
to San Francisco
[To be Continued Friday]
Try Telegraph Want Ads.
AND TERMS r
CW I
Stool, Scarf, Tuning and Delivery]
i I ATTENTION PIANO BUYERS: V??' Elc - " I
& & l 111 To-morrow is the day. This store will be jammed with customers from early morning till late at night. We will cut the El
/ fIJ mil W\ \V\m I II prices still further as a final effort to close out this enormous stock. Come here bright and earlV 4 Bring a few Dollars H
' mi 'miuwrtV \WW \ I along with you. Any advertised price buys a Piano, (ilance over the values listed in this paper to-day. Can you resist
iSII / WWw I the temptation to buy? Come in anyway. Look these instruments over. An opportunity like tliis presents itself about
' / / iKw\ \\\v* 111 once in a lifetime. This sale is apt to close at anv moment. Nothing will prevent us from selling these instruments. I
%'t / /Vt \\\u\\\ 1 /l Nothing should prevent you from being here. YOU ARE NOT UNDER ANY OBLIGATIONS TO BUY UNLESS ■
II ' I YOU SEE THE P!ANO YOU WANT.
a ' S t ' ie Ever Offered
NEW PIANOS S9B, sllO, slls, $l2O up. PLAYER PIANOS REDUCED $l9O, $175, S2OO
AIN APPEAL TO MOTHERS MR. RIAINO PURCHASER
The biggest problem you have Co contend with t<»-da.v is the demoralizing influence or JoL Whttt became or the money you have earned in the past six months. YOl SPENT
the ilance hall and the street congregationscrowtls. KKKI* YOL'R BOYS AXD GIRLS IT- SO.MKBODY ELSE PUT IT IN THE HANK. Why do you let the other fellow
AT HOME. (iHe them the pro|>er amusement and entertainment at home and they save what you earn? Why don't yt>u Invest a pari ol your earnings in the purchast
will not seek it outside. Buy a Piano Tor them at this great sale. Start them on a B ° r a I'iano for the promotion of your home comfort anil happiness? Wliy don't you
musical education now. This act on your part will stand out In their minds as a H take advantage ol this wonderful Piano Sale.' Book at the Pianos. .'' v'w'iii
, . .. ... , ~ ■ and the terms advertised In to-day's paper. We guarantee an actual savhiK of SIOO
living monument to you when you urc dead and gone. It will probably require ■ „„ ully ,», allo ollr establishment. i» av a few dollars down. We will deliver the
some sacHlice on your part. But the deed will justify the act. THERE IS LOGIC H Piano Into your home Immediately. It will become a pari of your estate as much as
AND SENTIMENT IN THIS. THINK IT OVER. the Insurance policy you carry or the home that we hope you own. THINK IT OVER.
'We Will Prepay the Freight to Tl7 TTW HP "K 1 1? PT A ¥fi ' We Will Pay Your Railroad
Any Section of the United WW JLX'C JL JLrfl jOL JL X2&ll V/ Fare Both Ways If You
States Irrespective of Distance 23 N. 4th St., Harrisburg, Pa. H. M. Eldridge, Mgr. Purchase Your Piano Here
DEMANDS MADE FOR COAL
By Associated Press
Reading. Dec. IB.—A great and ur
gent demand for coal set In all along
the Reading system to-day because of
the cold weather. This was the cold
mercury was down to ten degrees
above zero in this city, and along the
Blue mountains it was 2 to 5 below
zero. Many sections of this county
are enjoying excellent sleighing.
<;(IVES A TAFFY PULL
Miss Grace Sprout Is Hostess to Some
of Her Friends
Miss Grace M. Sprout gave a taffy
pull at her home, U2B South Twen
tieth-and-a-half street, with music,
dancing and cards among the social
diversions. A buffet supper, with can
dies for the last course, was served to
Miss Naoini Michael. Miss Ruth AVle
land. Miss Clara Neely, Miss Lillian
Stauffer, Miss Grace M. Sprout, Miss
Mary E. Wolf, of Shippensburg: 3VHH»
Gertrude Manmlller, of Heading: Mr.'
and Mrs. Warren lloudman, Mr. un<l
Mrs. Charles Canning, Thomas Moun
tain, John I<udt, of Carlisle; Charles
E. Sprout, Air. and Mrs. George I!,
i Sprout, and Master Gilbert K. SUwouk,