El Paso Morning Times (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 35TH YEAR, Ed. 1, Sunday, February 14, 1915 Page: 17 of 36
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'2 Johrv Fleminq
Wilsorv
11 TH INSTALLMENT
By special arrangement for tflii paper a photo-drama
corresponding to the installments of "The Master Key. "
may nonv be seen ai té lending movtng picture theaters.
9y arrangement made Vtttth th Universal FOm Mfg.
Co.. H is not only possible to read "The Matter Key"
each week. bat also afterwards to see moving pictures
illustrating our story
(Copyright ISM. by John Fleming Wllaon.)
SYNOPSIS Two prospectors. Jnca Gallea and
nnrry Wllnemon are partner. Gallon makes a rich
' find anil draws a temporary plan of the location of
the vein of gold. Wllkrreea trlea to steal these plans.
(Jniion resist and they quarrel. In the fight Gallo
thinks he has killed his partner and leaves him lying
In the camp. Gallos arrives In a small western town
where he tells the sheriff that he and his partner
were attacked hy outlaws and that hla partner was
killed. The sheriff his posse and Gallon to to the
suene of the light but they do not find Wllkeraon.
The sheriff thinking Gallon has tricked him placea
him under arrest. Meantime Wtlkerssa has recov-
ered and departed. That night Galla makes hla es-
cape and later arrives In San Francisco.' Here Be
takea ship. The captain of this vessel Is a collector
of ourlos. Galtoa'a mind Is uneasy and ha has vis-
ions of wilkinra returning for the plana. In the
captain's cabin is a chest where he keeps his ourlos.
Oaltoa opens this and finds a Japanese Idol with one
eye. He removes the eye and hides the plans In the
Mol. A lire breaks out In the ahlp. oauslng a light
among the sallara to get into the boats. OaUoa re-
turns to the deck to secure th chest and Is left on
board. Tha ship sinks but Gallon saves himself.
Having nothing. on which to write ho takes a key and
an old nail and on the key scratches the probable lo-
cation In latitude and longitude of the ship when It
sank. He Is picked up by a passing steamer and 18
years later endeavors to find ths location of the gold
strike but does not succeed. AJÍ this time John Dorr
the superintendent of the Master Key mine rescues
lata Oalloa's daughter from a tragic death follow-
ing an explosion In the mine. Hote. while exploring
the tunnels. Is thrown Into an oro ear by the explo-
sion which sends .the oar on Its downward flight over
the trestle. Dorr while superintending the operations
for a traveling bucket sees her predicament orders
the bucket swung loose by Its cable and hanging
down by his legs he swings over ths girl and pulls
her up to him. the car rushing on and smashing over
tlie ore dump. Constantly thinking of his former
partner. Wllkeraoa Jarnos Gallea la haunted by an
apparition of the man he had robbed. His troubled
mind almost becomes unbalanced by his anxiety
wiikeraon who is alive has continually searched for
i. niton and writes his cousin a lira Darnell In Haw
York that he Is at last on the right track. He ar-
rive at the mine and confronts Gallen who faints
from fright. Wllkeraon Is seeking gold for the sake
of u woman John Dorr the mining engineer In
whose charge Ruth was left. Is also fighting to And
tho secret which Thomas Gallón apparently took with
him to his grave.
to tat oat of sight of the mocking heap of rub-
bish that had coat so much.
Presently a sailor made excuse to come aft
and peered at the pile of Junk. The Idol caught
his aye and he stealthily caught tt up and hid It
in his shirt.
"Good in pawnshop" he chuckled.
Thns once more the plane of tha mother lode of
the Master Key mine escaped from Wllkerson's
filching flngars.
When the launch put into Ban Pedro Mrs. Dar
nail did not watt for Wllkerson.
"I'm going to Los Angeles" she said. "You'll
find me at the hotel if you think it worth while."
Ha looked up from his business of settling with
ths divers and made a gesture to detain her; he
ssemed to cali out some Inarticulate plea. She
merely smiled again and left. She paid no atten-
tion to ohe of the sailors who brushed by her
clutching a concealed object beneath his jacket.
This individual once clear of the water front
quickly- made his way to a pawnbroker's shop and
the idol changed hands for a small sum after
much haggling.
Before Wllkerson had settled with" 'the diver
John Dorr's launch also made Its landing and the
two enemies would have met except that Wllker-
son .had to go to bank; to cash a draft. Aa he
slipped sway 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 that is to find out what
Dorr curiously when he asked whether a man had
been In to dispose of an Idol.
"That thing seems to he wanted pretty much"
ha remarked. "But 1 bought It in good faith and
aold It to a Hindu a little white after for a rug.
Maybe you would like to buy a rug?"
They made it plain that rugs did not Interest
them and departed with tha poor satisfaction of
knowing that the object of their search wss In
the hands of an unknown wandering peddler of
rugs who was presumably an East Indian.
"We can't do any more Just now" John told
Ruth.
"No" was the response. "But I am going to keep
an eye out for a Hindu rug seller. I don't Imagine
there are very many of them here so It ought to
be an easy matter to pick him up."
As they walked back to the hotel Ruth grew
moro cheerful. "At any rate Wllkerson and Mrs.
Darnell missed It" she remarked.
"I never understood just' why that woman mixed
herself up in this" John said thoughtfully. "You
must have got some notion Ruth. Tou ware with
her some time."
"Tes I have an Idea'' the responded. "I'm not
sure of all the details but it seems Mrs Darnell
knew both father and' Harry Wllkerson in the old
days and and"
"And what?"
"Well" sho went on blushing divinely "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."
That night ha sought out Jean Darnell She re-
ceived htm in a manner that told him distinctly
that she waa in a towering rage though she was
outwardly calm.
Wllkerson paid no attention apparently to her
biasing eyes nor to her restrained "Well once
more your schemes have failed."
"Not fallad" ha said boldly. "I adult we nearly
passed up what we were looking for Do you re-
member that Idol that was in the chest?"
Jean stopped her nervous pacing of the floor and
fixed her great tawny eyes on Wllkerson.
"Harry" she aald huskily "I am weary of this."
"Walt a moment" he pleaded. "When I went
back to the launch I found that Dorr had been
quisslng the men about that Image."
"And I suppose he had got it!"
"No he didn't. One of the sailors had picked
it up and taken it to a pawnshop and sold It."
8he stamped her foot. "Where Is 11 ? What
has it to do vitl the plans?"
"I don't know where it Is" he responded sullen
ly. "A Hindu rug peddler bought it."
"And. Dorr bought tt from him?" r
"Not yet" he said risking the statement. "Now
all I have to do Is to find Mr. Peddler and get It
back."
Mrs. Darnell Hung 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 clenching her
soft hands on her knees. "Do you know all you
When the chest was hove on deck dripping with
ocean slime corroded and mysterious Harry Wll-
kerson stared at it stupidly. His mind went back
down tha years to that night when Thomas Chal-
lón had drawn a plan by candle light to tha
quarrel to his own desperate' plight and escape.
And now he was about to see for the first time
the fatal paper to know the secret of the wealth
of the Master Key. He forgot his surroundings.
It was Jean Darnell who recalled him to the
present. She leaned pver his shoulder as he
knelt and the perfume of her breathed into hla
nostrils. He looked up laughed and then ordered
the box taken aft. .
"I Was dreaming" he said slowly. Then he
looked at her directly and she saw the flame in
his eyes.
"Why dream when things are coming 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 nothing less than great treasure.
Otherwise why this costly expedition?
But Wllkerson did not start Immediately to
open the chest. Its very appearance seemed to
bewilder him and his hands shook. It was Jean
Darnell who stirred him to activity.
"Now you've got it" sha said impatiently "hur-
ry and open It! The other launch is chasing us I"
Wllkerson stared around and picked up a mar-
tin spike. 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 assented. "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 had pried the lid back from
its setting of rust and elime and they were all
staring at the sodden contents. There was no
sound except the trundling of the swiftly revolv-
ing propeller snd the heavy breathing of the
sailors. Suddenly Wllkerson swung round angrily
and ordered everybody forward. Then he began
his slow search.
Old jackets almost disintegrated by tkp action
of water pulpy paper various odds and ends
came to his hand. The pulp he carefully laid
aside aa being possibly what he waa looking
for.
"I'm afraid the plans are gone" Jean wbls-
pered.
"We must find them!" he snarled and went
on with" his task.
Half way down he came upon a grotesque fig-
ure dripping with weedy ooze. It stiffly stared up
at him as he held it.
"An idol!" laughed Mrs. Darnell. "Some sailor's
curio! Weil gq on! Idols don't talk."
An hour afterwards Harry Wllkerson rose to
bis feet and kicked the scattered contents of the
safest into the scuppers. The idol rolled away and
came to 4 stop upright against the bulwarks where
tt presented glased mysterious ayes.
"No plans!" muttered Wllkerson with a curse.
"Only an idol!" laughed Jean in wild derision.
Then her handsome face flamed with wrath. She
turned her back contemptuously on Wilkerson-and
stared across the water at the launch which was
pursuing them. In the bitterness of her heart was
no mingling of pity for her tool; only self-contempt
that she had depended on hint helped him.
When she could control herself she went forward
Ths New Possessor of the Idol Wss Hastening to Take Steamer.
Wllkerson did with what he got from your father's
chest."
The captain of the other boat reoeived them with
a good-humored grin and in answer to tbslr in-
quiries pointed to the open box and the articles
scattered on the deck.
"So far as I could make out" he went on
"there wasn't anything in the old chest worth the
trouble of going after. At any rate Mr. Wllkerson
and the lady seemed disappointed and put out."
"Didn't they take . anything?" demanded Ruth
peering curiously at the moldy chest.
"Not V thing so far as I could discover" was the
reply. "In fact 1 heard the two of them kind of
quarreling and the lady want off by herself.".
The three of them stared down at the memen-
toes of the long-past tragedy and then the captain
suddenly ejaculated: "Yes. there is one thing miss-
ing." "What is that?" demanded John.
"An old idol. But I'm sure neither of them
took it"
"But what became of It?" John continued try-
ing to conceal his anxiety.
"Maybe one of the men picked It up for a curio."
the akipper said apologetically. "Everybody
seemed to think the old thing was worthless and
yon know a sailor will grab at Just that kind of
thing. Better ask some of the crew."
A few moments later Dorr had learned that one
uf tha sailors had Indeed taken the Image and gone
uptown with It apparently to sell It.
John thanked the captain and when he and Ruth
were out of earshot ha said "That idol is what we
are after Rnth."
"But where can ws Had it?" she mourned.
"We must trace the sailor. Ten to one hell try
to sell It to a secondhand man- Our best plan Is
to look Into the pawn shops I think. Roth." he
answered.
The first places they visited gave up no infor-
mation of value; the third pawnbroker looked at
"Wllkerson is certainly in love with bar" John
said presently.
"I think he is" Ruth assented. "But she doesn't
care anything about him I'm sura. All she Is after
Is money."
Later In the evening as they discussed the events
of the day John brought up the subjsot of Wllker-
son's anxiety for the papers again and recalled the
fact that old Tom Gallon bad always Insisted on
Wllkerson's knowledge of something.
"I wonder Just what It was" he went on. "If he
knows just where that rich lode is he's concealed
his knowledge 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 thts 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 Master Key nine."
"And we've lost the deeds and the key and
wo haven't found the plans" she sighed.
"I'll And that Hindu and hla precious idol it I
have to go to India" he said promptly. ."One
thing we won't have Harry Wllkerson spoiling our
schemes. He'll give up now."
But Wllkerson had not given up. On hla re-
turn from the bank he had learned from the
launch captain of Dorr's Interest in the idol snd
he had promptly followed this due with the re-
sult that he knew as much about Its whereabouts
as John and Ruth did. so far as its getting into the
hands of an East Indian peddler waa concerned.
Whether Dorr had recovered tha image from him
he did not know.
have made me go through 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 finally getting us you tell me that a
tramp has got what we want I'm done!"
Wllkerson had expected and feared this. He saw
hla wild efforts going for nothing. Without her as-
sistance and her money he waa helpless. And pro-
founder even than his hatred of Dorr and his desire
for the hidden wealth was his agony at the thought
of his failure to win thin woman whom he loved.
liove Is a noun which conveys no definite mean-
ing without an adjective to the ordinary mortal.
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 power-
less. Too often we must describe it as lawless.
Yet It also exists when it evokes reverence of the
most cynical. Wllkerson's love for Jean Darnell
waa the very essence of his being. It had made
a bravo of a coward. It had welded a doxen
strands of vlclousness weakness wickedness and
treacherousness Into a strong character strong
only In its relation to the woman. The past few
weeks with their wlldness risk crime and contin-
ual plotting had made the Harry Wllkerson who
was a weakling and sport of circumstance 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 quiet-
ly his eyes burning steadily en hers "but the more
dlsappointmenta I have to overcome ths more
worth while It makes you."
"Quite an old time knight!" she aaid scornfully
but with an effort.
"I am going to get that id&l" he west on. "I
know just two things: there are millions In gold
bidden in the Master Key mine and the plans are
concealed In that Image."
"When will you have them?" she orlad trying to
fight against the man's evil power.
"Tomorrow" he returned.
"Even if Dorr and Ruth?"
He nodded gravely. She read the message la
his eyes and shuddered. Wllkerson laughed. He
had won. He had conquered not only the womsn
In that moment but himself. He was ready to do
murder deliberately without a qualm. There had
bean born In him another physical thirst the
blood lust
He left Immediately without uncovering bis
plans.' He knew thst the final victory would not
be won until he could fill Jean Darnell's soft and
avaricious palms with gliUertng gold heaps or
gold gold that ran over that spilled in luxuriant
streams over her clutching fingers gold that rang
under her feet that mounted like an enveloping
flood about her till her flesh was bathed in it.
That night he paced the floor of hla room dream-
ing of gold and of blood.
So the next morning when John Dorr fared
forth on his quest for the rug peddler Harry Wll-
kerson wss not far behind him. watching his every
move studying him trying to read what was in
his mind. And all with the great 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 toll.
When Ood conceals himself from us in time of
stress and agony when he has closed his braen
heavens and our prayers die in the empty air It la
human to build for ourselves a tangible god one
whom we can see snd feel into whose face we can
look and before 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 offer-
ings at a thoussnd shrines. There had been no
response. The smoke of the burning ghata by the
aide of the -shrunken river told the sorry . tale of
prayer unanswered.
And in their last misery men turned as men
will to one who dreamed. Reality was death.
Dreams held out the promise of life. And this
dreamer as do sll who follow a vision made his
dream into a god.
People listened to his tale of a deity who was
merciful to listen and powerful to save. They fed
on the dreamer's words and called him a prophet
Yet still the earth refused food and the river
shrank within its bed. Then they went to tho
prophet and called on htm to save them and to
call his god to their aid. Like" many prophets he
found hlmBelf forced to materialise his dream in
order that the common folk might see and be-
lieve; 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 Are and made an image
of his god and made a shrine for tt and set the
image in the shrine where all might aee and wor-
ship. And' the people' prayed to this new god and laid'
offerings at his feet and looked into his eyes and
called upon him to save them aa his prophet had
said he waa able.
Thus with tha folk believing on the god of bis
vision the prophet prayed also to the spirit of the
deity and the rains came from the hills and the
river rose and the earth grew green. When they
had been .saved and their bellies 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 re-
turned to hts worship so that In season other
prophets of him arose and erected a temple and
taught the people to bring offerings 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; hts priesthood prospered his temple
was never empty. And one day a drunken sailor
wandered 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 acolytes through-
out the world to seek and recover the Image.
"How shsll we And htm?" they asked.
"By a path .of death and destruction" was the
answer.
So they Bet out and found the sailor who had
stolsn it dead In a lane with a knife between his
shoulders. And his murderer they discovered in
a Chinese seaport gaping horridly at the sky with
a rope twisted tightly about bis neck. So the
image passed from hand to hand always bringing
with it death until some sailor hid it In hla chest
snd when he had been washed overside In a storm
snd his effects were distributed a captain bought
the idol for a curio. It was in his chest that Thomas
Gallon baa found It when seeking a safe place to
hide his precious papers In time of mutiny and
Are.
Now st last it had fallen Into the hands of one
of the seskars snd he took tt to his little tene-
ment room and prayed to it and swore that he
would return tt to Its proper plsce In the temple.
There was no response from the Image but when
the Indian fell asleep on his rug that night in the
alien American city he dreamed that his god ap-
peared to him and apoke of death and destruction
yet to follow commanding him to start instantly
for the East.
The next day while Dorr was seeking tor a Hin-
du selling rugs and Wllkerson was shadowing him
the new possessor of the idol was hastening to
San Francisco to take steamer for India and the
city by the river. The Image was concealed with
all reverence in his bundle of rugs snd 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
Wllkerson's passion for a woman without a heart
In the possession of a grotesque image made by
a dreamer in far off India centuries before when a
city died snd a river waned within ita bedl
(To Be Continued.)
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El Paso Morning Times (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 35TH YEAR, Ed. 1, Sunday, February 14, 1915, newspaper, February 14, 1915; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth197314/m1/17/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting University of Texas at El Paso.