Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 23, 1915, Page 8

-| was pursuing them.. By John Fleming Wilson CHAPTER XXI. “Only an idol.” HEN the chest was hove on leck, dripping with ocean \'slime, corroded and mysteri- Hes & ous, Harry Wilkerson stared at it stupidly. His mind went back down the years to that night when Thomas Gallon—scheming for his lit- tle daughter—had drawn a plan by candlelight, to the quarrel, to his own desperate flight and escape. And now he was about to see for the Hrst time the fatal paper—to know the secret of the wealth of the “‘Master Key.” He forgot his surroundings. Tt was Jean Darnell who recalled him to the present. She leaned over ‘Thomas Gallon and His Little Daughter. his shoulder as he knelt, and the per- fume of her breathed into his nostrils. He looked up, laughed and then or- dered the box taken aft. “lI was dreaming.” he said slowly. Then he looked at her directly. and she saw the flame in his eyes. *“Why dream when things are com- ing true?” she parried. “I wonder whether they will all come true,” he said moodily and followed the chest aft. The curious sailors set the box down and waited. It was evident from their attitudes that they expected to see nothing less than great treasure. Oth- erwise, why this costly expedition? But Wilkerson did not start immedi- ately to open the chest. Its very ap- pearance seemed to bewilder him, and his hands shook. It was Jean Darnell who stirred him to activity. “Now you've got it she said impa- tiently, “hurry and open it! The other launch is chasing us!’ Wilkerson stared around and picke@ up a marlinspike. He began to pry at the lock. Mrs. Darnell angrily jerked at his:shoulder. “Harry, you fool, here is the key!” He took the article she handed him and nodded. *‘Sure enough,” he assent- ed, “we have the Key! Funny I had forgot that.” With some difficulty he managed to clear the lock and insert the key. It turned with difficulty. A moment later he hqd pried the lid back from its setting of rust and slime. and they were all staring at the sod- den contents. There was no sound except the trun- dling .of the swiftly revolving propel- ler and the heavy breathing of the sailors. Suddenly Wilkerson swung round an- grily and ordered everybody forward. Then he began his slow search. O1d ‘jackets almost disintegrated ‘by the action of water. pulpy papers and various: odds and ends came to his hand:© The pulp he carefully laid aside as being possibly what he was look- ing for. “I'm afraid the plans are gone,” Jean whispered. “We must find them!” he snarled and went on with his task. Halfway down he came upon a gro- tesque figure dripping with woody ooze. It stiffly stared up at him as he held it. “An fidol"” laughed Mrs. Darnell. “Some - sailor’s curio. Well, go on. Idols don’t talk.” An: hour afterward Harry Wilkerson rose to his feet and kicked the scatter- ed contents of the chest into the scup- pers. The- idol rolled away and came to a stop upright against the bulwarks, when it presented glazed, mysterious a.curse. [ ,'minallng of‘pity for-her tool;:only:sel eyes. . No'plans!” mutw Mwlfll jPAwWELraker laoked &t Dorr curiously | when he asked whether a.manihad; m%*fl!fl” ofvan ddeli ¥ “THat thing seems to-be: wanted pret- ty ‘mruch,” he remarked.” “But I'boughty| 1t:in good faith and:sold-it to a Hindwi Uttle:while after: for a.rug. - Maybe: you.would:lke to buya ug?¥! ‘Theysmade it:platnithat rags:Qid nok {interest: theneand ‘departedd withs the:| | poor. satisfaction of knowing that thes "olijeettof their search was in the handsj| contempt that:she- had "dependéd™ flnvo‘g,n un‘ku;own wandering ‘peddler of §: him, helped ‘him. TUES; who was prasumably an Edst In:i ‘When she could.control” herself*she| dign. . went forward:.to get out of sight of] «wg.cant: do any: more. just: now," the mocking heap of rubbish’ thut had"| John told Ruth. cost so much. . “No,” was the response. “But.I am: Presently a sailor made; excuse: to| going-to: keep:an eye out for'a Hindu! come aft and peered at the pile of | rug seller. I don’t imagine there are| Junk. The-idol caught: his-eyey.and he | very many of them here, so it ought to| stealthily caught it up ' and’hiili:it"in | be an easy matter to pick him up.” his shirt. . Am, they. walked back to the hotel “Good in a pawnshop,” he:-chuckled:: | Ratligpaw. more cheerful. “At any; Thus, once: more the plans . oftl rate;; Wilkersen:and: Mis: Darnell:miss: mother lode:of the “Master-Key* mine:|ied it she:remarited: escaped’ from- Wilkerson’s- filching fin-| “I never understood just why that gers. womén mixed herself up in this,” John ‘When the launch put into San Pedro Mrs. Darnell did not wait for Wilker- son. “I'm going to Los Angeles,” she said. “Youw'll find me at the hotel—if you think it worth your while.” He looked up from his business: of settling with the divers and: made: a gesture to detain her. He seemed' to call out some inarticulate ples:. She merely smiled again and: left: She paid no attention to one:of the sailors who brushed by her, clutching: a concealed object beneath his: Jacket. This individual, once clear of:the wa- ter front, quickly made his way to a pawnbroker’s shop, and the idol changed hands for a small sum: after much haggling. Before Wilkerson had settled with the diver John Dorr's launch also made its landing, and the two:enemies would have met except that Wilkerson had to go to bank to cash a draft. As he slipped away he saw the other boat and laughed bitterly. Dorr was welcome to what there was in the old chest. “There is just one thing to do,” John told the broken hearted Ruth, “and . “Only-an ldoll"'lunxhflk.‘l‘m .Imwlld @erision. Then: her ‘handsome face.flamed: wrath: She turned- her - back-’con- temptuously * on- Wilkérsen- and" stare across the water at the launch which- ; In the bitterness of ber heart was no “All she is after is money.” said thoughtfully. *“You must have got some notion, Ruth. You were with her some time.” “Yes, 1 have an idea,” she responded. “I'm not sure of all the details, but it seems Mrs. Darnell knew both fa- ther- and Harry Wilkerson in the old days:and—and”— “And what?” “Well,” she went on, blushing divine- ly, “father didn’t like Jean and wouldn’t-have anything to do with her nor allow me: to- either. She always hated father after that.” “Wilkerson' is certainly in love with her,” John said-. presently. “I think he is,” Ruth-asserted. *But she doesn't carve: anything about him, I’m sure. All she:is.after is money.” Later intheievening:as they discuss- ed-the events:of the:day John brought up: the subjeet. of Wilkersen’s anxiety for: the: papers-again and:recalled the fact-that. ol Tom Gallon: had always insisted on Wilkerson’s: knowledge of something. “I wonder:just: what it was,”” he went on; “IF" he- knows' just where that i rich lode is he’s coneesled: his; knowl- edge pretty well, and the eagerness he is showing to get hold of the plans is proof that he isn’t sure.” “He Is spending lots of money,” she sighed. “How- much longer can we keep this up. John? Surely we are broke again?”’ “Not so long as good old Everett sticks by us,” was the response: “But—maybe father was mistaken, and we:can’t pay it all back!” “Nonsense!” he said reassuringly. “I { can: make the mine pay just as it stands: But.I promised your father I'd see that you got all your rights, and he certainly meant for you:to have the wealth hidden somewhere in the ‘Mas- ter Key’ mine.” “I'm going to Los Angeles,” she said. that is to find out what Wilkerson did with what he got from your father's chest.” The captain of the other boat re- ceived them with a good bumored grin and in answer to their inguiries pointed to the open box and the :arti- cles scattered on the deck. “So far as I could make out,” be went on, “there wasn’t-anything in the: old chest worth the trouble. of .going after. At any rate Mr. Wilkerson and the lady seemed disappointed. and put!! out.” 2 « » » d “And we’ve. lost the deeds and the ‘Didw't they take anything? 1 key, and we haven’t found the plans,” manded Ruth, peering curiously: at t.h;»-sh e sighed fucldy sea.chiest. “I'll find that Hindu and his pre- o N"f, a thing, 8o far as f °9‘““ ‘{' clous idol if‘I have to.go to India,” he cover,” was the .reply. ;n fact, l« said promptly. “One thing—we won't heard the two of ‘them.kind:of .qusme: have Harry Wilkerson spoiling our reling, and the lady went off by. hes- schemes, He'll give up now.” self.” But Wilkerson. had not given up. On The three of them stared down-aty yig return from the bank he hndplenrn- the: mementos :of ‘the:long \paRtitrage: | 43: from- the launch: captain of Dorr's dy, and then the captain suddenly ejac- ulated, “Yes, there is one thing miss- ing.” “What is that?” demanded John. *“An old idol. But It sure nelher: of them took it.” “But what became of :it?” John con- tinued, trying to conceal his anxiety. “Maybe one of the men pickedst up for a curio,” the skipper said apolo getically. “Everybody seemed to think the old thing was worthless, .and: you know a sailor will grab at‘just:that kind of thing. Better askvsome of ‘the crew.” ' A few moments later Dorr had:learn~ ed that one of the sailors had.indeed: taken the image and gone uptswn with | it, apparently to sell it. John thanked the captain, and.whes:: he and Ruth: were- out of ‘earshot he: sald, “That idol is what we are after, {sehemes have-failed.” Ruth.” “Not: failed,” he said boldly. “I ad- “But where: can- we findit?” shejmit we nearly passed up what we were mourned: looking for. Do you remember that “We must trace the -sailor; ' Ten to- {idol that was in the chest?”’ one he'll try to sell it to a secondhand..] Jean stopped her nervous pacing of man. Our best plan is-to look into the-| ithe floor and- fixed: her great, tawny pawnshops, 1 think, Ruth,” he an- {eyes on Wilkerson. swered. “Harry,” she said huskily, “I am The first places they visited: mcw \ myof this” uo, information ‘of value._The-third*) “Weit- a. moment.” ly followed this clew, with the result that he knew as much about its where- abonts: as.John and Ruth did, so far as its: getting into the hands of ‘an East. Indian.: peddler- was concerned. 1 Whether Dorr had recovered the image from him he did not know. CHAPTER XXII. The Quest of the Hindu. HAT night Wilkerson sought out Jean Darnell. She re- ceived him in a manner that 2 told ' him distinctly that she was-In-a towering rage, though she ‘was outwardly calm. ‘Wilkerson paid no attention appar- ently to'her blazing eyes.nor to her re- “Well, once more your he; , Dleaded. | me go through, /| this. interest in the idolj:and he had prompt--| “When 1 went back to the launch ‘T found that:Dorr had been quizzingithe men about that image.” “And I suppose he had got it.” “No, he didn’t. One of’ the sailors “Wait a moment,” he pleaded. bad picked it up and taken it to a pawnshop and sold. it.” She stamped- her foot. “Where is it? What has it to do with the plans?” “I don’t know where- it i8,” he re- sponded: sullenly. “A Hindu rug:ped- dler bought it.” “And Dorr bought it from him?” “Not yet,” he said, risking the state- ment. “Now all I have to do is to find Mr. Peddler and get it back.” Mrs. Darnell flung herself into a chair and laughed hysterically. “You mean to tell me Tom Gallon hid his plans in a heathen idol and that we overlooked them and that a rug peddler has them now?” She leaned forward, clinching her soft hands on her knees. . “Do you know all you have made Harry? Kidnaping. theft, murder—yes, murder—and at the end of it all, when we neither of us dare breathe for fear of the police fin- | ally getting us, you tell me that a tramp has got what we want! I'm done!” Wilkerson had expected and feared He saw his wild efforts going for nothing. Without her assistance and her money he was helpless. And profounder even than his hatred of Dorr and his desire for the hidden wealth was his agony at the'thought of his failure to win this woman whom he loved. Love is a noun which conveys to the ordinary mortal no definite meaning without an adjective. There is, indeed, an essence of love, a complete and all ‘absorbing passion, before which even the gods bow and against which the world is powerless. Too often we must describe it as lawless. Yet it also exists when it evokes the reverence of the most cynical. Wil- kerson’s love for Jean Darnell was the very essence of his being. It had made a bravo of a coward. It had welded a dozen strands of vi- ciousness, weakness, wickedness and treacherousness into a strong charac- ter—strong only in its relation to the Woman. The past few weeks, with their wild- ness, risk, crime -and continual plot- ting, had made the Harry Wilkerson who was a weakling and sport of cir- cumstances into a personality who must be dealt with. Jean Darnell realized something of this when he next spoke. “All this has been disappointing,” he said quietly, his eyes burning steadily on hers. “But the more disappoint- ments I have to overcome the more worth while it will make you.” “Quite an old time knight,” she said scornfully, but with an effort. “I am' going to get that idol,” he went on. “I know just two things— ‘u'm-going to: get that idol? there are millions in .gold hidden in the ‘Master Key’ minég, and the plans are concealed in that image.” “When will you have them?’ she cried, trying to fight against the man’s evil power. “Tomorrow,” he returned. “Bven if Dorr and Ruth”— He nodded gravely. She read the message In his eyes and shuddered. Wilkerson laughed. He had won. He had conquered not only the woman in that moment, but himself. He was ready to do murder deliber- ately, without a qualm. Thlere had been born in him another physical thirst—the blood lust. He left immediately witliout uncov- ering his plans. He knew that the final victory would not' be: won until he: could fill Jean Darnell’s soft and: avariclous palms' with glittering: gold, heaps of gold, gold that ran: over, that spilled: in luxuriant streams over her. clutching fingers; gold that rang under her feet; that mounted like an envel- oping: flood-about her till her flesh was bathed: in it. That night he paced-the floor-of his room, dreaming of gold and of blood. fared forth on his quest for the rug peddler-Harry- Wilkerson was not far studying him; trying; to read what was in his mind. Amnd.all with the great - Bo the"hext Torning when John Dorr behind him, watching his every move, question before: him: Had John Dorr the idol? ‘While these (two were: seeking for the strange image of an unknown god there was a third who had found in it the goal of his life’s toil. When God conceals himself from us! In time of stress and agony. when he. has clased his brazen heavens and our prayers die in the empty air it is hu man to build for ourselves a tangible God, one whom ‘we can:see and feel, into whose face we can look and be- fore whose feet we can lay our offer- ings and our petitions. In a far city in India men had died of famine. The. earth had turned to iron under their plows and the heavens | to brass.above them. They had implored a hundred gods for help and: made offerings at a thou- sand shrines. There had been no re- sponse. The smoke of the burning ghats by the side of the shrunken riv- er told the sorry tale of prayer unan- swered. 5 And in their last misery men turned, as men will, to one who dreamed. Re- ality was‘death. Dreams held out the promise of life. And this dreamer, as do all who fol- low a vision, made his dream into a god. People listened to his tale of a deity who was merciful to listen and power- ful to save. Tliey fed on the dream- er's words and called him a prophet. Yet still the earth refused food, and the river shrank within its bed. Then they went to the prophet and called on him to save them and to call his god to their aid. Like many prophets, he found him- self forced: to materialize his dream in order that the common folk might see and believe, for he had taught them [, that unless they believed there was no |- salvation. “How can we believe in a god whom we cannot see?” they cried. “I believe, though I do not see nor feel' he told them. But they were not satisfied and menaced him with death. So he took metals and fire and made an image of his god and made a shrine for it and set the image in the shrine, where all might see and worship. And the people prayed to this new god and laid offerings at his feet and lon’ had found it when seeking a safe place to hide his precious papers in time of mutiny and fire. Now, at last. it had fallen into the hands of one of the seekers, and he took it to his little tenement room and prayed to it and swore that he would return it to its proper place in the tem- ple. There was no response from the im- age, but when the Indian fell asleep on his rug that night in the alien Amer- ' Dorrs Dreams of Love. ican city he dreamed that his god ap- peared to him and spoke of death and destruction yet to follow. commanding him to start instantly for the east. The next day. while Dorr was seek- ing for a Ilindu selling rugs and Wil- kerson was sbadowing him the new possessor of the idol was hastening to San Francisco to take steamer for In- dia and the city the river. The image was conceated with all reverence in his bundle of rugs, and he moved cautiously. because . of the dream. Strange destiny that centered old Tom Gallon’s plans for his daughter's happiness, Dorr’s dreams of love, Jean Darnell’s lust for wealth and Harry Wilkerson’s passion for a woman with- out a heart in the possession of a gro- vesque image made by a dreamer in faroff India centuries before when a city died and a river waned within its bed. (Continued next Friday) ONLY ONE The Record in Bemidji Is a Unique One. If the reader has a “bad back” or any kidney ills and is looking for an effective kidney medicine, better de- pend on the remedy endorsed by peo- ple you know. Doan’s Kidney Pills have given great satisfaction in such cases. Bemidji citizens testify to this. Here is a case of it: Mrs. D. G. Miller, 31314 Second St., A Hindu Selling Rugs. looked into his eyes and called upon him to save them, as his prophet had said he was able. Thus, with the folk believing on the god of his vision, the prophet prayed also to the spirit of the deity, and the rains came from the hills, and the riv- er rose, and the earth grew green. ‘When they had been saved and their stcmachs -were full the people went away and left the prophet alone with his:god and his deserted shrine. Yet always in time of trouble and stress they remembered the god who had saved them and returned to his ‘worship, so that in season other proph- ets of him arose and erected a temple and taught the people to bring offer- ings at all times. Thus the image became the image of the tutelary deity of the city and its river, with other images to do him homage and obey his commands. Centuries passed, and the god still maintained his place. His priesthood prospered; his temple was never empty. And: one day a drunken sailor wan- dered into the temple to stare at the heathen wonders, and when he slipped away the niche of the god was vacant. “He has gone on a journey,” said the terrified priests and concealed the theft. But the high priest sent several of his chosen acqlytes throughout the world to seek for and recover the image. “How shall we find him?" they asked. “By a path of death and destruc- tion,” was the answer. So they set out and found the sailor who had stolen it dead in a lane with a knife between his sboulders. And his murderer they discovered in a Chi- nese seaport gaping horridly at the sky, with a rope twisted tightly about his neck. So the image passed from hand to hand, always bringing with it death, until some sailor hid it in his chest, and when he had been washed over- side in a storm and his effects were distributed a captain bought the idol for a curio. .| It was-in his chest that Thomas Gal- Bemidji, says: “I don’t know what brought on the complaint I had un- less it was hard work. I had back- ache and dull pains across my loins. The trouble bothered me day and night. A tired, languid feeling robbed me of energy and I was caused annoyance by the kidney sec- retions. Doan’s Kidney Pills, pro- cured at Barker’s Drug Store, quickly relieved me of the pain in my back and toned up my kidneys. I am a poor hand to take medicine, but when I feel signs of kidney com- plaint coming on, I use Doan’s Kidney Pills and they do good work.” Price 50c, at all dealers. Don't simply ask for a kidney remedy—get Doan’s Kidney Pills—the same that Mrs. Miller had. Foster-Milburn Co., Props., Buffalo, N. Y. HOW FRENCH PEOPLE CURE STOMACH TROUBLE A household remedy of the French peasantry, consisting of pure vegetable oil, and said to possess wonderful merit in the treatment of stomach, liver and intestinal troubles, has been 'introduced in this country by George H. Mayr, who for twenty years has been one of the leading down-town druggists of Chi- cago and who himself was cured by its use. So quick and effective is its action that a single dose is usua ally enough to bring pronounced relief in the most stubborn cases, and manv people who have tried it declare they never heard of anything to produce such_remarkable results in so short a time. Tt is known as Mayr’s Wonderful Remedy and can now be had at all leading drug stores. It is sold with the positive ‘understand- ing that your money will be refunded without question or quibble if ONE bottle fails to give you absolute satis- faction. RELIABLE FAMILY MEDICINES at one-third price of advertised preparations. Write for catalogue. 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