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Show special Arrangement for tkxs caper, a photo-dram responding to the installments of "The Master Key." may now be seen at the leading moving picture f heaters. y arrangement made with the Universal Film SMfg. Co.. it is not only possible io reid "The faster Key'' tch week, but also afterwards to see moving pictures illustrating our story 5TH INSTALLMENT fc rCogyrlffet, 1914. by John Fleming Wiiion ) m STKOPS1S Door open upon Strang thlnfel How miny locked loom r th-r In thla world 1 How many p.npA sr thrr trying: to rind ' Th Muter Key?" Thome Gallon i found gold H thought of two thlnKB hie du enter Ruth nd iW for her t.niion died becauee hie partner wiikrr- onivh..ni thought lie had kllUd tho deaeri cam II- fcirfc nd rf-mnTidd a. ahar of hla find. liUrrnon is k- ijs. tor fold for thf aBk- or a Tvomar, ,Tohn linrf (h( Inln nyln'fr in Whose rhnrec Ruth w h-ft 18 flio flghtlnir to jpd tho etc-ret vvhlch Thomas Oallon apparently took with tO um '0 his gre.e 8, 1 Jj When Ruth Gallon did not call upon him and ho found himself unable to locate her. Charles ,s Everett was at a loss what to do. He had wired Dorr of Lis anxiety about her and had received y word in reply that the young engineer had re- if ceived conflicting messages. l- Unhappily for the girl, Everett, was called out of town. And so when he found himself forced to make a hurried trip to San Francisco, her predicament pre-dicament became the more pronounced. The false Everett, George Drake, took it upon 5 himself to call at the Ritz for her mail and return- l ing with word that there was none for her, Ruth felt a strange 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 stamped on features and form. "Dearie," purred the hostess. ,!you look as if you had lost your last friend on earth. Do cheer Iup. What Is the trouble'" Ruth turned her head but remained in the same queer little attitude, replying in a plaintive voice: I do not understand why Mr. Dorr has not written writ-ten or Mired me. Really, Mrs. Darnell, I am beginning be-ginning to fear that something has happened to him." Mrs. Darnell looked at her searehingly, but re covered quickly under the questioning return gaze. "Do not worry, Ruth. Everything will come out til right, Supposing we take a drive. The air and sunshine will do you a world of good." Every minute was one of delight to the unsophisticated unsophis-ticated girl and each new sight and vista opened a new world to her inexperienced mind. After a stop at Grant's tomb they speeded downtown, reaching Columbus circle after a run through Central Cen-tral park. A blowout of one of the tires caused a delay Ruth tired of sitting in the car and jumping jump-ing out she spied a florist's window. Before Mrs. Darnell could think of the possibility of a miscarriage mis-carriage of her well-laid plans, the girl was inside. She purchased .violets for both and was on her way out when she saw a telephone. Intuitively, rather than from any other motive, she hastily called up Mr. Everett's office. To her amazement guc learned that he had gone West. Her news was even more startling to Mrs. Darnell Dar-nell then it had been to Ruth. Quick action was needed, and leaving Ruth in the car with a prevaricated prevari-cated excuse, the older woman was soon phoning :j Drake, telling him to go West at once and In- ruciing him to meet them in San Francisco, re lie waej to pose as Ev erett and continue car-'.ag car-'.ag out the plot to secure possession of Ruth's tnfwng property. And thus it came about that five days later found them in the metropolis of the Pacific coast, where they were met by Drake, still posing as Bi erett. The greatest difficulty lay in reconciling Ruth's mind to the mystery of Everett's sudden departure, depar-ture, after she had seen him at Mrs Darnell's the night before. But the cleverness of the schemer counterbalanced all doubts and the girl was therefore there-fore persuaded to hasten to San Francisco to carry out her plans. Accordingly she wired Dorr, but again "the w ires crossed," for although he learned that she was going to the western city, he again learned that Everett had failed to connect with her. Ruth had been gone many days when John Dorr received another telegram from Everett that made his heart stop 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. After all his pain and his careful forethought for her comfort and safety something had gone wrong. Everett was brief: "San Francisco, 2nd April 'John Dorr, Silent Valley, Cal.: "Have been unable to find Miss Gallon. "EVERETT." For a while his mind refused to work logically. All that he could think of was little Ruth Gallon, he of the slender hands and pure eyes, lost m the great city and plteously seeking a familiar face. But he pulled himself vigorously together and called up the agent at the station. "Bill," he said over the telephone. "This is Dorr. I want to get a wire through to San Francisco." Fran-cisco." "All right, John; what is It?" John thought a moment and then dictated thi6 message: .nanes Everett, Call Bunding, San Francisco: Mi6s Gallon was to have gone to the St. Francis, as I wired you before. DORR " After moiling over the problem he felt that he must confide in someone: of all the men In the mine he trusted only Tom Kane. He strode down the hill to the cook shanty and found the old man engaged in his task of preparing the noonday meal- "Look here, Tom," John said abruptly, holding out the telegram, "I haven't said anything before, but Ruth is lost in San Francisco. I've wired Ev-. Ev-. erett before; he can't find her." Without a word the cook reached for the yellow slip and read it slowly He glanced up and said with the utmost simplicity: "I reckon you'd better catch this evening's express." But my work here somebody has got to look after the mine and Wilkereon" Tom Kane glanced at him and then at the bit of paper. ' I know how you feel," he muttered. ' But I've cooked years enough to know that if you leave things on the fire they'll burn This business won't wait" He smiled magnificently. "And you Just leave this to roe. I've been here since tho mine started and I guess I can attend to It from cook ehnty to Wllkerson. 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 'Frisco and help her. Likely she's found herself pretty much a stranger. 1 got lost in- New Orleans onco and I reckon 'Frisco is bigger." 'I'll go," said Dorr, promptly. 'Ill leave my papers pa-pers and my new plans in your charge, Tom " Jhe 0,d man laid his warm hand on John's ami 'New plans?" he whispered. "Have von found the mother lode" Don't say anything to Wilkerson." "But he Is the superintendent''' "Not of this shanty. I never trust an egg until I've broken It ' In Harry Wilkereon's dark heart there was what ho might, in his iwisted vocabulary, have termed happiness. His plans were working out to perfection. 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 Georgo Drake had done their part. But he wondered why it was that John Dorr, who must certainly bo anxiously awaiting word from Ruth, neither said anything nor displayed a sign of impatience. It did not escape him that Tom Kane and the young engineer were in consultation several times. What were they planning9 He determined to probe boldly. When Dorr came into the of!:ce in the afternoon aft-ernoon ad began to clear up his dosk Wilkerson asked quietly. "What's the news from San Francisco? Fran-cisco? Has Ruth wired?" John had been expecting this perfectly natural question and was ready with his answer. "Everything seems to be all right " "Good!" said the superintendent dryly. "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 without our salaries for a while." John looked up and caught himself. He was in no position to quarrel with this man "Pay the men first, of course," he said. He proceeded to get into a package of blueprints and mrmoranda. "Going to move?" suggested Wilkerson. "I'm going for a trip and 1 thought I'd look over my notes in the meanwhile,"' was the response. Wilkerson said no mom. he went on the alert From Bill Tubbs he learned that Dorr v.as going to run into either Valle Vista or Silent Valley with the motor truck. The superintendent of the Master Key belonged to the type that is catlike In its quickness of action, based on intuition rather than on reason. While Ruth Oallon was carefully concealed, it was nioro than possible that Dorr would so stir things up with the aid of Everett that all plans to size control con-trol of the mine's stock would bo f ut lie He must not be allowed to go to San Francisco. But how to preent him? WiMceraon pondered this problem till his dark face was suffused with angry blood. There was no way hut the way of violence. Among his sensuous appetltei 'as none for blood. But he nerved himself lo his task and shortly after midday called for his horse and rode out, stating that he was going across tne divide to see about a fresh supply of wood. In the saddle scabbard he carried a short saw. Spanning an arroyo between two hillf half-way to Silent. Valley was a short bridge of considerable height It was mid-afternoon when Harry Wilkerson Wilker-son threw the bridle rein over his pony's head and climbed down the hill Slope till he v.as directly under the bridge. Then h; pulled the little saw out of his shirt bosom and bean Work Fifteen rainuteB later ho climbed up to the road, broke the saw in two, flung the pieces into the brush and rode away. He did not go far. From his place of vantage half way up the hill he waited. Tho hour that elapsed before he heard the coughing of tho motor seemed an endless succession suc-cession of deadly seconds, each marked by a stabbing stab-bing breath. Then ho saw tho truck emerge from the cut and commence to rumble heavily down the slope. John Dorr was driving With him was one of the hands. The heavy truck bumped upon the bridge and in the desert silence the man on the hill saw it quietly quiet-ly sway to one side and then plunge downward to the rocks below. Before the sound of that crash could reach his listening ears he saw a sudden burst of flame shoot up, a dense swirl or smoke. Then, like the faraway crackling of a fire came the noise of the yielding timbers, followed by a dull boom. "My God!' whispered Wilkerson to himself-"The himself-"The gasoline tank exploded and the ear is on Are." He crouched in the brush, waiting to see whether anyone emerged from the gulch. No one did The hridpe burned fiercely. At least no one would ever know the cause of this catastrophe and John Dorr would not po to San Francisco. Instinct told him to flee the scene, but a stronger strong-er passion overcame him, he must see for himself what had happened. He mounted his horse and rode swiftly down the slope. The truck had turned completely over and lay broken and smoldering across the waterworn bowl ders. Wilkerson could not see two forms; all he discerned through the eddying smoke was the body of John Dorr, flung some distance from the truck, hi3 pallid face turned to the blazing sky, "Dead1" muttered Wilkerson, chilled with the horror of the thing he had done. It bit into his very soul, that scene, until he could not stand it longer and rode furiously away toward the other side of the divide. He must go on his supposed errand er-rand about the wood and know nothing of this. On the crest of the mountain he halted ami looked back. Far below him a thin curl of gray smoke marked the site of the murder. Knowing ihat he was safe, Wilkerson experienced a tremendous tremen-dous reaction. He raised himself exultantly in his stirrups He was now master of the Master Key mine. With quick decision he turned his horse toward Valle Vista. He felt in his pockets to see how-much how-much money he had. He discovered that through an oversight he had put into his pocket before-leaving before-leaving the office the last San Francisco mint check tor something like three thousand dollars There was besides this a couple of hundred dollars. dol-lars. He pulled this out. stared at it, lauyhed and went on. " 'Frisco for mine," said he The evening sun was pouring a pale blu light through a high Pacific fog when John Dorr came to his aenses John Dorr Regains Consciousness. Twenty feet away the machine was smoldering and the smell of oil and varnish lay like a miasma in the gulch. Ho could hardly breathe. He struggled strug-gled painfully up the slope toward the road and then lost consciousness again. It was only for a moment , for Tom Kane, dessert-wise, traveling in the cool of the evening, stopped his burros at tho top of the declivity, wondering what the fire was He saw that the bridge was cone, this might be due io iramps camped In the dry bed of the cre k, cot attending to their blaze. He led the burros off tho road and down the slope, only to stop with an ezi lamation such as he had not used in years. John Dorr lay there with his fingers clutched into the gray marl. He stooped over and saw that the body, hulking heavilj in the misty light, still held Its vital spark. "Where is Hickman, tho driver'"' The cook peered around and then onco more bent over the motionless form of the young engineer. With great exertion ho managed to lift him up and place him across one of the pack saddles, John's arm automatically auto-matically clasping the little animal's neck. Seeiug him :ecure, and coming to his senses, Kane went down to the smoldering remains of the machine to Bearch for his companion. One glance was sufficient; suffi-cient; he quietly went hack and started his journey toward the mine. His old hands, seared by vcara of cooking, patted tho almost inanimate form of Dorr. They were almost to the Master Key mine when Dorr came to himself, slipped off tho pack-saddle and stood up weakly. "What happened ?" he muttered. "Nothing much," said Kane, putting his arm about bim; "you had a bad fall; that bridge never was any too strong " "Bridge!" snld Dorr; "the bridge is gone?" "Sure," said old Tom Kane, easily, whistling to his burros again; "you just como along with me." "But I haven't got my coat"' The cook looked at him with swift understand ing. His coat had been in the seat of the machine and was burned. "I'll get you another coat when wo get back to camp." he said comfortingly. So they progressed the long and dusty road baok to the Master Key. It was dark when they arrived and Kane was unable to take his dazed and much-bruised much-bruised charge into the cook shanty without, being observed by any of the miners. Dorr was still but half conscious and willingly submitted to being put to bed. though he still protested that he wanted his coat. ' What do you want your coat for?" demanded Kane. John opened his eyes widely, for the first time cognizant of his surroundings. Then he leaped from the bed. "All my money is In it!" Tom Kane sat on the chair beside him, dish towel in hand, as a sort of emblem of authority, and demanded in his careful tones. "There wasn't an thing else In the coat, John?" He bent his white head, as If to catch a whisper; instead, Dorr gave a raucous shout: ' There was that check from the mint " "I saw you myself give that check to Wilkerson." said the cook soothingly. "But that doesn't change matters any. You've got to get to San FranciBco and you're busted." Tom Kane pulled out an old deerskin poke and from it spilled on the table a few hundred dollars. "Just as soon as you get able. John," he said huskily, "you take this money and got to 'Frisco. Find Ruth. That's all that matters, find that little girl. "Hurry!" he whispered. "Wilkerson is gone. BJUBi He's been gone since mid-afternoon" "But I am badly hurt." said John Dorr, stupidly. Then Kane understood that he must take desperate desper-ate measures. Fifteen minutes later Dorr was pounding down the road toward Silent Valley. His head was roushly bandaged, his chest had been tightly strapped with the ripped woolen blanket and in hla nostrils was the pungent odor of ammonia. He was at last awake and knew that in his pocket was a thousand dollars in gold. An hour later he boarded the Sunset express and automatically paid his fare, bought his Pullman ticket, and notwithstanding not-withstanding the porter's earnest inquiry as to his injuries, went to bed as silently as he arrived in San Francisco a day later. Exultant in his triumph, Wilkerson stifled the small voice of his conscience and strode on. One thought now mastered his every action. He must reach San Francisco and Jean Darnell! Jean Darnell! The woman who stirred him to the depths of his innermost soul. Jean Darnell and the Master Key! Arrived at the station he sent her a wire telling of his coming. Two minutes later he was aboard the train. As he gazed backward a bend of 0 tho rails drew a curtain to his musings and he turned and entered the car. Upon their arrival in San Francisco Mrs. Darnell acted upon her decision made during the Journey that they would stop at a less pretentious hotel than tho St. Fraucis. where the chances of her plans being spoiled by chance meetings with the real Everett, or perhaps John Dorr, were too great. And so they took a taxi to the Manx. A word with Drake and the older woman stepped lo the desk and in a firm, bold hand wrote: "Mrs, Darnell and daughter, New York." Quickly she turned to Ruth and following the lead of the bellboy escorted her toward tho elevators. ele-vators. No sooner had they removed their wraps in the luxurious apartments than a rap at the door interrupted inter-rupted their talk ' See who it is," commanded Mrs. Darnell to her maid. The latter returned with a telegram from Harry Wilkerson saying that he was on his way and would join them soon. Wenried by the long trip across tho continent. Ruth was glad to retire early and shortly after the dinner hour she was tucked in her bed and sleeping soundly. Drake hastened to the depot and met Wilkerson, driving him to the Manx with all haste. Im awfully glad to sec you, Harry," waa the effusive greeting he received from Jean. !H His heart pounded with the joy of it! ' )fB After all. his scheming and plotting wg -worth ' WM while. He would win the mine and the woman M also. HO The mine! The Master Key! Bfljj The thought brought him back like the oeftmB iHB of a whip. MB "Where is the girl?" he asked almost hraMraery. JS "In there," and Mrs. Darnell pointed to the cui MS tains dividing Ruth's room from the other. Wilkerson started toward the archway. iSlH "Harry 1" ?gS He turned. gH "You mustn't go in there." i3m3i "Why not?" BBS "She's sleeping you'll awaken her." "Oh, all right." He paused and looked from Drake to Mtb. Darnell. "Well, let's get down to f$E business. Where are the papers? Have yon gotten Man them yet?" mm "Ssh! Not so loud" and Mr. Darnell looked iJf&j apprehensively toward the heavy plush hingingt. 'H "Oh, that's all right, Jean. But we mint hurry js&j this thing up." IsaH In her bed Ruth stirred. The murmur of voices 8fS came to her as in a troubled dream. Whose wera they? Where had she heard that voice before? nJftJ The heavy one? She turned on her side and the JjcH moonlight shone on her in a white light. fvjKl! "I tell you, Jean, you must do as I say? If w kJ want to get possession of those papers and secure ff??S the mine, we must act!" VrWi "Will you be quiet!" Mrs. Darnell's eyes blazed In angered resentment. P'-1 What were the voices saying? Ruth sat np listened slipped from the bed and tiptoed to the curtains "You'll do as I say ot " W- :p "Harry!" r?"' "Oh. come, old man. What's the use of all this Wffi argument?" and Drake laid his hand on Wilkeraon's arm restrainlngly. Their eyes met Wilkerson WM calmed himself. "Oh, all right As you say," and he stepped to Jean and turned her around to him. Slam! Bang! fwH "Hello! Hello!" gy With one rush the trio were upon her. Mrs. Dar- fPf nell seized the affrighted girl and dragged her from WiM the phone. She screamed! ,rn "Stop her yelling! Stop her!" comminded Wll- kerson. "George! For God's sake, do something!" jH With her hand over the girl's mouth, Mrs. Dar- I I nell held her by sheer strength, while the alwaya If fill cowardly Wilkerson screamed his commands in a IrK louder tone than those of the girl had been. if;y Her head fell backward and her body became k-'"-" limp. IpS "She's fainted! Call a taxi at once! We must iJV; get her out of this hotel!" In less than five minutes they were shooting P - down in the elevator. Another quarter minute and Wilkerson, with the unconscious form of the girl , I in his arms, her face covered by the cape of the maid, was rushing across the lobby preceded by Drake Mrs. Darnell stopped at the desk long enough to throw down a twrenty-dollar bill. "The girl is sick and we must hurry her to a hoe-pital," hoe-pital," she managed to gasp. Before the dumfounded clerk or the amazed guests could stop to act, they were out of the hotel ho-tel and in a taxi J The house detective sprang from almost out of j nowhere and in a second was speeding after the i fleeing ones, accompanied by another plain clothes I man. They sighted the first taxi as it rounded the cor- J ner of Powell and Eddy streets. "keep that car in sight and catch It if you can!" J The chauffeur made answer with his foot. j As the detectives saw the course the other car wai takiug they both murmured "Chinatown!" I Into the realm of the yellow man shot the auto. I Before a doorway they stopped. Rap' Pause Rap! Rap' Pause Rap! j A face appeared as the door creaked open' the I face of a Chinaman deeply lined the almond- ! shaped eyes scarcely visible through the nearly j closed lids. A signal and a whispered word from Wilkerson and the door widened the opening and all passed through. With a whisk it closed. Around bends and corners and down steps an- J other bend and another flight of stairs. Then along j a long corridor where scarcely a ray of light was H visible. All the time the shuffling feet of the little H yellow man could be heard in the advance j I Then a door stopped the procession. Another . series of signals. Another long wsit, The door ; opened with a peculiar rumbling sound- They en- '! tered a queerly arranged room At first glance it I seemed very small, but as the eye traveled around 1 , H its walls its strange shape gave one a feeling of fearsome apprehension. It was completely cylin- H I drlcal. I Wilkereon at a Bign from the Chinaman, laid Iv' , 'i ? Ruth on the floor and a Chinese woman shuffled f; I I to her at the beck of the yellow man. Leaving her F .. -f v in the charge of the Oriental, the others returnea H-, ' ; the way they had come. T i&f Dorr Arrives in San Franciseo. On the arrival of Dorr in San Francisco he was w5 met by Everett at the ferry and together they fh started the search for Ruth. First they began a Iff'K round of the hotels. Failing to locate her at any IjW of the smaller hotels, first inquiring at the St. Fran- ifwSMlti cis. where she was supposed to stop they arrived lfw?l at the Manx, !K? Wean and sore from his narrow escape of the SJi night before, Dorr was ready to retire to his room, f$j3 intending to purchase wearing apparel the next t$$51l day. I ttja Desiring to put some of his personal effects away . rJa he tried to open the dresser drawers and discov- I ; ered them to be locked. He sent for a key and to f I'-M his amazement on opening one of the drawers he discovered Ruth's papers to the mine. IVvl He made speedy Inquiry at the office and from BilJJ the clerk and the detective learned of the getaway of Mrs Darnell and her party. f :r$M Drake in the interim secured quarters for the lB quartet, and still leaving Ruth in the secure hid- R'V'fB ing, guarded by the watchful Wah Sing, a former tefeil'B smuggling partner of Wilkerson in the days of the f''B "opium ring" they walked to the lodging bouse if tH and settled themselves to await further develop- ments. f!a (Ti he continued.) |