Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 2, 1915, Page 2

T - ing their ‘naFrative carefully ‘up to the THE MASTER KEY By John Fleming Wilson By special arrangement for this paper a photo-drama corresponding to the installments of *“The Master Key’* may now be seen at the leading mov- ing picture theaters. By arrangement made with the Universal Film Manufacturing company it is not only possible to read ““The Master Key” in this paper, but also after- ward to see moving pictures of our story. COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY JOHN FLEMING WILSON “They agreed with me, but said they 4 c"APTERPXV' couldn’t feed their folks without mon- i The Nlew I;:t- s ey, and if they got no money for it morning brought Jo] why work?” Dorr, Ruth Gallon and Thom- “They baven’t been paid, then?" a: Kanebltogeth:;f to dl's;usa “No. And Wilkerson cut off all cred. the problems ore them. | it at the store. I guess 1 got in bad !I.‘he papers so0 necessary for the con- | with Tubbs when I divided up a lot summation of the deal that Everett | o flour and spuds that was in the zgy p:el:seg«limzer;hzstgg l&@g nfl”}? cook shanty among the ‘worst gnb:;m ~ | There was some ugly talk, an ore deed fallen into Wilkerson's hands, I could kind of settle the boys’ minds ;‘::ew::mtg tell. dB‘:‘ lnore g:‘lmgd"h._fe they treated Bill pretty roughly. So 1 ‘Two plain celolt]hezs xgene:ll‘ezly :nt :ear Joat told mself fhat } won'itlincom: = by, ready to take him to prison on a mkmncls;o anc ex&:lz‘:n i:; 3:; charge of killing Henry Pell. Srach desertad e “It's really only a formaiity,” said mine was closed down and your people pria-Ag were starving.” was s robber and My. Dore teied o | “OB" mourmed Buin. aghast at the capture him, as he hmi eve right to blunt étory. “And I seem to have been 36 803 the tian Was kflleg.? unfortunate ali around, but I know » that John will fix things.” This failed to comfort Ruth. To her Tom Kane fixed his honest old eyes mind the presence of the burly officers, o the fact that John Dorr was under ar- | O the Eicl ana shook 'his head. -I, Test in a strange city, made her feel | 400t Want to discourage you, Ruthie, that her burdems were too great to | said quietly, “but until that man bear. She sat holding the old cook’s | Wilkerson is out of the mine for good band till Everett should come, He |You can’t do more than patch matters up temporarily.” ha ady telephoned, and sh to %ealzeravz uf]lege ';heg'ud cox:e.. tried ‘Meanwhile Wilkerson and Jean Dar- | Bverett arrived, and the moment she | Dell ‘were anxiously awaiting news saw him she heaved a sigh of relief. | from Henry Pell. It was getting along ;Bc was ‘8o capable looking, so cool, so {in the forenoon, and the woman in- \genuinely cordial ‘to John ‘that even |sisted that if he had succeeded in get- ‘Tom Kane softened his grim visage a | ting the papers be should bave been on the ground long before. Her compan- little. i “I'm under arrest,” John told ‘him. *The officers were good enough to let me stay here till you came. Now I must be off. Let me introduce you all around.” 4 This done, John Dorr went on, “They can tell you all ‘about things, and Wwhen you've learned the worst come down and get me out, if you can.” Everett agreed, and Dorr rose, and with a smile said goodby to his com- panions. As he left the hotel with an officer on either side of him Ruth broke down and cried. Tom Kane comforted her ds best he could till Everétt sug- gested that they bad best go to some more private place and discuss mat- ters. In Ruth's room she and the cook ex- plained. affairs brietly. Everett follow- ineldents of the night before. When Ruth bad finished and the cook was silent Everett thought a moument, theo he laughed. *1 don’t mean to wmake fun of al this.” he apologized. “but T've known Jobn Dorr for sears and this is pre- cisely the kind of trouble he revels in.” . 7 i " ~ > But he’s in jail™ Ruth protested “I gom't want to discourage you, tearfully Ruthie.” “True enough.” was the reply. “That ton was worried, but.laid the delay to Pell’s habits and the necessity possibly of avoiding the police. But wten Drake arrived with the “Don’t worry,” was the cheerful re. | morning papers and said nothing artic- sponse. A mwment later he was gone. | Hate and only pointed to the headlines promising to bring Jobn back with ! on the fHrst page both Wilkerson and bim, *“What do you think of Mr. Everett?" Ruth demanded of Tom Kane. The old man lit his pipe and scru- tnized the ceiling. *“Well,” he said Judicially, “considering the looks of them on Wilkerson’s side and them on John's side, | should think that this Everett was on the right side.” With this judgment she had to be content. But she insisted that he tell her all about the conditions at the “Master Key™ mine. *1 Know you have not told we all the truth,” she said. “Well” he answered her, “there's not much to tell one way and a heap in apother. The mine’s practically shut down. You know first you went away. theo Johu and then Wilkerson Pretty much all was left was me aud Rill Tubbs. Bill. he kind ot represent- ed Wilkerson. and 1 stuck up for John. is the first thing | must do. get him out. I'll be off now and ~ee the dis- trict attorney and bail him out.” “Please hurry! Ruth pleaded Mrs. barvell knew that something had happened again to spofl their plans. It was Wilkerson who snatched up the paper and read the news: HOTEL THIEF HURLED TO DEATH. Guests of the Manx Hotel Have Fierce Struggle With Hotel Robber. Shortly before midnight last night Miss Ruth Gallon, a guest at the Hotel Manx, entered her room to find a masked man looting her desk. Her cry for help fright- ened the thief. and he made for the fire escape. followed by Mr. John Dorr, another guest. who heard Miss Gallon's call. Mr. Dorr pursued the man to the roof, and in the ensuing struggle the des- perado was either flung or fell to the street below. He was instantly killed. Shortly afterward the body was identi- fied by the police as that of Samuel Price. alias Henry Pell. an ex-convict and drug fiend : Wilkerson read no turther. He turn- ed his ghastly tace on Mrs. Darnell and said huskily, “He's dead!" “Well, be won't tell any tales,” was the cold response. did he get the pupers? To this question there was no satis- factory answer until Wilkerson read down further and learned that nothing of value had been found on Pell's body. *‘So he didn't get the deeds, and Ruth still bas them,” Mrs, Darnell said bit- terly. “That is the way all your plans succeed.” Wilkerson flushed. *“There is one comfort.” be smid n an agly tone. “Dorr is to be held for Killing him.’ “For how long*” sneered Jean. “Un til his friends get him out. while you do nothing!' She continued in this strain for some time. Drake and Wilkerson moodily listening. They knew that it she once threw the affair up they would be he]p less aud Al theit time and work wnd money would -have gone for naught. Wilkerson was thinking quickly. Sud- denly he interrupted Jean to ask for pen and ink. She got'them, and he sat down at the table to write. Drake and Mrs.: Darnell Kept up a desultory con- versation nntil he had finished. There was a queer look in Jean's eyes as she took the sheet he handed her and glanced at the writing. “1 see vou still can do it.”” she murmured. “The gquestion is. And mean “Please -hurry!™ Rutn pleaded. The :result was that - things : went to * the bad. and :the boys they -come 'tv me, and want to.know how.long they’ve got ‘to_lay off. Mrs. Darnell md k‘m silently ..j and then al peuflng nttm- ney. Jcity it did not occur to them that they Bring the papers too. JOHN DORR. 'Are you sure he is in jail?” demand- ed the woman when she had finished. “And what is the idea of getting the and seo me fn the fafl, but T have something” very 'important to tell you. papers into his hands?” “He'll just turn them over to Ev- erett,”” muttered Drake. Wilkerson smiled slyly. ‘*‘The idea is that Drake here will disguise him- self as a chauffeur. take this note to the hotel. see that it reaches Ruth and then drive her supposedly to the jail, but really to where I’} meet him.” They discussed the plan and at last agreed that it was feasible. . Drake bimself saw nothing dangerous in it 80 10ng:as Wilkerson was to meet him and take Ruth off his bands. He promptly proceeded to dress bimself as a chauffeur and went whistling away to.a garage after receiving ex plicit instructions as to what streets be was to take and where he was tc meet Wilkerson. It was an hour later that Drake drove his rented car up before the ho- tel and delivered. his note. . It found Ruth still deep in conversation with Tom Kane and yet anxious for the re- turn to Dorr and Everett. On the presentation of the note which Wilker- son had ‘forged she instantly took alarm. “Jobn must be in trouble and Mr. Bverett can’t get him out.™ she said. “He's wtitten for me to come down to the jail and see him and bring the pa- ra.” “Humph!” said Kane. *“That sounds funny to me.” Ruth nodded, looking at the note. Then she said, more cheerfully: “T'll dress anyway. Maybe he needs me. Now, you old dear, leave me awhile.” Kane departed, and Ruth quickly changed into street dress. While she was doing this the bellboy returned to say that a machine was waiting for her. “The one that brought the note,” he said. “He says he was told to wait.” “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Tell him I'll be right down.” When the boy had gone she called Tom Kane on the telephone and told him that she was going. *“John sent a ¢ar for me,” she added. e “All right.,” ‘came back the answer. “T'Il just'travel along. Maybe I-might help John myself.” ¥ So it was agreed, and they met in the lobby, where Ruth showed the note to the clerk in her impulsive way. Something in that official’s expression made the old cook unobtrusively: take out his revolver and see that it was in good condition. ~He followed Ruth:te the street and into the waiting ma- chine. /This move disconcerted Dmke. He bad not intended to have two pas- sengers, but he saw no help for it and merely nodded when Ruth ordered him He to take her to the city prison. started his eng(ne and they 8 up the hilt. - - They rode for some tlme and as nel- ther of them was acquainted with the were being rapidly conveyed into a part of town only partly. built up and now veiled in dense clouds of swirling fog. “It's a long way,” Ruth remarked several times, but Kane merely grunt- ed. He was busily pondering over some method of extricating John Dorr. Suddenly “the car. swerved, around a corner, dived down a steep hill and came to.a stop before a big gray build- ing—the boarded up residence of an absentee. Reaching back, Drake open- ed “tbe door, and Rutb sprang out A igure darted across the sldewnlh and she - felt “berself clutched by the arm. She looked into the gleaming, crue! eyes of Wilkerson. “I've got you now!” he said trium- phantly. "Oh!" moaned Ruth. shrinking back in terror. “Yes, indeed.” ber. But at that moment he heard another voice, stern, commanding and familiar. He looked .around into the muzzle of Tom Kane's revolver. ‘For the moment they faced each other, while Ruth shrank back still far- ther. ‘The old ‘man’s eyes gleamed. and his trigger finger seemed to rest on the trigger with a precise and deli- cate touch. “You here!” said Wilkerson with an oath; Suddenty the old man's temper flared up. The other saw death in his eyes. turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could up the street. _ Without a second’s hesitation Kane swung his weapon round till it cover ed Drake. cowering at his wheel. “Now you drive us bick to the;ho- tel.” he thundered. “And if you make a false move I'll drill ye as sure'as God gave me good shooting eyes.” Drake saw that he was helpless and sulkily waited till they were in and then turned his car back toward the center’ of the city. Tom Kane: sat grimly just behind him with his ;gun ready. And his mind was piecing things together. Suddenly he saw a policeman on his beat and realized that luck was playing his eards for him. He ordered ‘Drake to halt and hailed the officer. To that somewhat astonish- ed individual the cook explained brief-. Iy that he had just foiled an abduction plot and that the chauffeur was in-it. Though. Drake strenuously denied: the charge the policeman decided that’it was a case for the captain. 3 “I'll just ride in front here, and we’ll 20 to headquarters,” he remarked. “You can put up that gun, old fellow, for I'll see that young fellow doesn’t] cut up any monkey shines.” :In the meantime Everett had suc- ‘| censfully managed Dorr’s business, and he had been released on nominal bail for a hearing. “And T guess you won't find us very anxious to make it hard Wilkerson taunted Free agaln John lnslsned on mklng the quickest route back to the hotel Everett. sympathetic in this, agreed. and in a few minutes they were at the hotel inquiring for Ruth. “Why. she left only a little while ago to see you in the prison.” said the clerk. *‘She had a note from you.” *“1 wrote no note.” said .John. “Here it is,” was the response. left it on the desk in her hurry.” Eagerly John snatched the sheet of paper, but the instant his eyes lit on it he turned a furious face to Everett. “It’s a forgery, a trick.,” be said. *1 never wrote It!" “She CHAPTER XVI. Too Late! OGETHER Jobn and- Everett went outside, ind from the starter they learned that a car had driven ap, that the chauffeur had delivered a note and that later Ruth Gallon had come down and been driven off. *“There was an old gentleman with her, Mr. Kane, | be- lieve,” the starter added. John heaved a sigh of relief. *“At any rate, Tom will see that she doesn’t come to harm.” he said. After a few more questions. which showed them the futility. of trying to find Ruth, they re-entered the hotel ! and settled down to a discussion of business. They were interrupted by the return of Ruth and the cook, who recounted their adventures. “I'll get Wilkerson,” John Dorr said quietly when they had finished. Mean- while we must get ahead with our fix- ing up cof the affairs of the ‘Master Key’ mine.” Wilkerson's last failure had driven him furious. He did not know what to do. and he especially dreaded re- turning to Jean Darnell with the news. He walked the streets for a long time, lunched in a cheap house and then doggedly started downtown. On the way he bought an evening paper and read of Drake’s arrest. ‘With scowling brows he perused this minutely until he was sure that his tool had not be- trayed him so far. minutes were precious. He must get into' communication with the yowng man and assure his silence. He could not do this without Mrs. Darnell’s belp. As he expected, she flew into a tow- ering rage. but her keen mind saw that Drake must be pacified. and she managed to control herself at last She read the account carefully and then looked through the rest of the paper for some item about John Dorr. Her eye lit upon an advertisement, | which she read twice before speaking; then she pointed it out to Wilkerson. He, too, read it: FOUND.—Deeds to. certain mining prop- erty. On proof of ownership same will be returned. Reward expected.: S. J. C.. 21 Hill street. {“They; must . be.the pupers." he: ac- | knowledged. “Pell probably threw them away for fear of their being used as-evidence against him, and some one | picked them uvp." “This time I shall see to the matter,” Jean said sharply. “Whether they are the papers or not. we must be sure.” *“‘Other people will see that ad.,” he suggested. “All the more reason for hurry,” she snapped. Then she called her maid. “Estelle.” she said. “1 want you to dress for the street and go on an er- rand for me. It is very important. and you must hurry.” “Yes, madame.” “And if you show good judgment yon shan’t be sorry. -You know how A Glance fuld Her That They Be- longed to Ruth. Miss Gallon dresses and acts. I want you to impersonate her’ for a little while.” “But, madame”— “There is no danger at all,” Mrs, Dar- nell went on. “All you have to do is to go to this address and get those pa- pers.” . The maid looked at the advertise: ment and finally consented to .go.to the ‘Hill street address and see if they were really Ruth’s deeds and if so re- cover them. In a few moments she bad departed on her errand, and Wil- kerson and Jean once more resigned themselves to waiting. | Estelle tripped along the street to a car line and took the first car that came along, which, the conductor in.’ formed her, crossed the street lho sought. Arriving at her street, she got ofl' and found herself.{n a neighhorhood ' inhabited by very poor. peopte. She But he knew that : looked with disgust at the tombledown shanties and dirty shacks that littered | the rubbish heaped yards. Two blocks up from the car line she found her number, a house slightly better kept than most. But she noticed in the yard an uptilted ash man’s cart. In the rear was a rickety stable. She entered the gate and rang the bell. A very large, ill dressed Italian wo- man opened the door, letting out a tremendous odor of garlic and cheese She surveyed her caller with suspicion and then: beamed. “‘Oh, you come looka de papes?” she demanded. Estelle merely showed a copy of the advertisement. “Yes, 'my husband be put that in de pape.” the woman said. losing her smile. For some moments Estelle tried to get a glimpse of the documents. The Italian himself came on the scene end demanded a full description. When Estelle 'said that they had been lost from the Manx hotel he nodded and explained that he had been removing the ashes therefrom when his eye had been caught by the folded papers, but he still insisted on an accurate de- scription, which the maid could not glve. At last she said quietly, “The papers are of no value to you, and I am authorized to pay a good reward for them.” At the word reward there was a change. and the woman demanded to know how much it would be. Estelle thought rapidly. It had been impressed on her that haste was nec- f essary. She decided on offering a good- ly sum, yet not enough to make the ash man and his wife think they were in possession of papers of extraordi- nary value. She pulled out her purse { and held out $5. The man was taking it. His wife intervened. “Twenty dolla,” she said cunningly. Estelle bargained for some moments and then said in a tone that was de- cisive, “If you show me the papers and they are the ones 1 want I'll give you $15 and no more.” The deeds were produced, and a glance told her that they belonged to Ruth. She paid the money and hur- ried away. Everett and Dorr had gone over the situation thoroughly together, and the broker agreed that he would help out its feet again. “1 think I can do it tomorrow,” he said. “Just let me have all the pa- pers. and I'll go over them tonight.” “Ruth has them,” John replied *We'd best go up and get them now.” Ruth received them cheerfully and promptly went to her trunk for the deeds. Her first search ‘was not Te- warded, and she lifted a puzzled face to John. Then she once more went through all her belongings. It was fruitless. She then remembered the desk and searched it with the same result. “They’'re gone!” she stammered. *“Impossible!” said Dorr. - “They must be somewhere here.” “No.)* she mourned. everywhere.” Everett was the first to suggest that no. time should be lost in. locating the missing property. He sent for the evening papers and delved into the “Lost and Found” columns, with the result that be very soon handed a pa- per to Dorr and pointed out the adver- tisement which had attracted Wilker- son’s attention. Half an hour later John Dorr turned away from the ash man’s door and said to Everett: “I'll bet that was one of Wilkerson’s crowd. We must no- tify the police before he can get away.” ‘They had soon told their difficulties to the sympathetic ear at headquar- ters and started back for the hotel. John was in the dumps. “It seems as if everything goes wrong when I try to do something for that little woman,” 'he growled. “I begin to think myself that you are playing in hard luck,” was the re- ply. “But | always did like a good “I've looked fight, and this promises to be one. I’ll, stick, John.” They shook hands. They found Ruth and Tom Kane anxiously awaiting them. John sim- ply stated the case and then turned to comfort Ruth. He was startled to see how white she was. “Ruth, Ruth,” he cried in alarm, “what is the matter?” There was no answer. ed away. All else was forgotten for the time being. A maid and a dpetor were quickly summoned, and presently Ruth revived. Old Tom Kane was seated beside her patting her hand. “The papers!” she moaned. “Don’t you worry about the papers,” he said promptly. “We’ll look after them.” *“But the folks at the mine—who will look after them?” she pleaded. The old cook swore that he would do so himself with John’s help. At this point the doctor interfered with orders that she was to be perfectly quiet. In the other room they held a con- sultation. The physician listened to their explanation of what the girl had been through and then said gravely: “She must have an absolute change of scene-for a time. Get her away from here instantly.” -“But where?” Dorr demanded. “Why pot take her to the southern part of: the state for a tlittle while?”" he suggested. “But whatever you do, do it quickly. Her nzrves wan’t stand much more.” “I know just the place,” Knne sald. *Take her to Los Angeles and'then ont into the hills to some quiet hotel. !au -can catch the night train.” ! “Nonsensel” Everett sajd quie.kly. “All of you go with her. I'll look aft- ' er matters here for a week. 'If need be I'll o down to the mine myself.” She had faint- ) in putting the “Master Key” mine on FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1915. With the papers safely in ber posses- sion at last Jean Darnell became onee more the guiding spirit gnd told Wil- kerson that there was only one thing for them to do—get out of town lmme- diately. “Drake i8 in jail, and we’ll have to bail him out through some third party. We daren’t trust ourselves in the lundl “We must save ourselves first.” of the police. You can trust Dorr to be looking for Lhose papers right this minate.” * “1 promised Drake by a messenger that we would have him out before night,” he responded. “We must save ourselves first,” she said angrily. *“And we must be dis- guised.” After some argument Wilkerson agreed, and they decided to go south. “It will give us time to plan things out, and you can work things out at your leisure,” Jean told him. “But how shall T disguise myself?” he demanded. Mrs. Darnell’s eyes gleamed mali- ciously. “You must go as an old man,” she told him—*"my father, you see.” He rebelled, but finally acquiesced, and within a short time Jean and the maid had transformed bim into a very presentable old man. “Now, go and buy our tickets,” she ordered. “Estelle and | will pack up while you are gone.” “Tickets to where?” *“Tickets to. Los Angeles,” she snap- ped. So he departed. to return in an hour with the tickets and an expressman. When the trunks were gone Mrs. Darnell sat down with Wilkerson, and they went over the situation again, with the result that she took his ad- vice and disguised herself and made Estelle also do the same. After a hasty supper they then called a taxi and went to the station. Mrs. Darnell and her maid immediately en- tered the drawing room reserved for them, and Wilkerson feed the porter to make up his berth in the body of the car immediately. “Safe!” he muttered to himself as the wheels_began to turn and .he saw the faces of several plain clothes men on the platform. Neither he nor Mrs. Darnell was aware that in another car ‘Ruth and her ‘maid and ‘John Dorr iand Tom Kane were also beading for the south. (Continued next Friday) By special arrangement The Be- midji Pioneer Publishing: Co. has se- cured extra $5.00 limp leather bibles to offer ‘with one year's subscription tu the Daily Pioneer when paid strict- iy in advance. This offer is good cnly from April 1 to April 10. .Cream Cake , N umesamongalarge numberofwomm us}ng “The Cook’s Book” showed this to be their favorite cake recipe. It is easy to make, certain to turn out well if K C Bak- ing Powder is used, and may be put to- gether with almost any filling or icing. K C Cream Cake By Mrs. Janet McKenzic Hill, Editor of the Boston Cooking School Magume. One-half cup britter; 1 cup sugar; yolks of zfeggs, beaten llght' 13 mpc sifted flour; 2 level te Baking Powder; § cup co whm of 2 eggs, beaten dry. Cream the butter; add the sugar, yolks of eggs and water; then the flour, sifted three times with the baking powder; lastly .the whites of eggs. Bake in two. or three layers; put these together with cream filling, and dredge the top with confectioner’s sugar. Cream Filling One-fourth :cup sifted flour; % tea- spoonful salt; 1 cup hot milk; 1 egg, beaten light; g«.—upsugar, 1 teas vanilla ;';tra,ct 1 ounce chocolate. Mix flour and salt with a very little cold milk; stir_into the hot milk and cook ten ‘minutes; add the_chocolate and stir until it is melted and evenly blended with the flour mixture, then beat in the mixed m!h the sugar,:and lastly the Youneed the K C Cook’s Book, containe E ; : { 1 : E .