3 THE
COPYRIGHT. 1914. BY JOHN FLEMING WILSON
A Novelized Version of the Motion Picture Drama of the. Same Name Produced by the Universe,
film Manufacturing Company. Illustrated With Photograph from the Picture Production.
t ' ' ----------...-- - -
("The Master Key" begins in se
rial form in this issue of the Obser
ver, and will be run In installments
at the Arcade Theatre weekly com
snencing Dec. 30. Ed.)
CHAPTER I.
In Search of Gold.
JTUANUE tilings breed In tbe
deaerta of aoutbern California
duujc vi iuvui ueuuiuui.
I. iSf some of them symbolic of
endless and terrible thirst.
There are three thirsts In this world
, That for wealth; the one for lire; greut
eat of all, the thirst for love.
The first and tbe last expression or
our civilization la tbe locked door, am)
from the time tbe primal carpenter
laid down bis tools and went within
hla rude house tbe dmir baa stood ror
all time a defense and ao opportunity
la the long vista of life we Uud ninny
locked doors and gutes duors to hup
plneaa, to life and to love. '
Fancy to yourselves thirsty men
knocking with seared knuckle on
tbeae doom Tben realize that sooner
r later experience tells tbem that they
cannot enter without a key. "Who
holds tbe 'master key' to all these lock
ad doors?" we cry.
This waa the silent question In tbe
hearts of two men, wearily struggling
through the sage brush toward the
harp rldgea or tbe San Jacinto moun
tain! in aoutbern California.
"I wonder," said Thomas Gallon, On-
Home Land Cheap
5 hkrrri
PALMER
Im Grande and
IP M?Ui; iAlV. j lv ilitM.'lV'L' "t!'' 1
i rnimpr i.nnns n rn inrntPii nnnim mi ins i rom
Junction, where there is a general merchandise store, postofflce, sta
tion on the O. W. R. & N. etc., is from one to 4 miles of any part of
Of fT these lands.
several years
pored with most logged off lands.
largely been burned and the white
OVER
siderable rolling hills. The soil is a rich deep pine ash. This is a
ratural hny ami stock country K while grain, vegetables and fruit have
LANDS
and springs; the annual rninfull being about 30 inches. If nt all likely
to bo interested investigate further. The price of these lands is only
$15.00 per acre, $1.60 down and the balance payable in 9 annual pay
ments of the same nnfount; interest at C per cent. We will gladly
show you photographs and explain further in detail. If interested we
will take you to look the land over for yourself.
Whenever You Want to Iluy, Sell, Trade, Kent or Insure, See
Geo. H. Currey
HE WHO SELLS
REAL ESTATE
108 ELM ST.
Phone, Black 2001
MASTER
By JOHN FLEMING WILSON
. V,,..' . , K. I 1Wrk I
' : .s" M ' V :..:.. m
www..
,-,-i-mi .-uniri.i-irinrir - - n. .mirj
'eriiiK lilt. pi'iwtMHliirn tfmile' "wneihei
we trill tlml (hut irolil- the mild tin
Indians told na tic nit Yes. I must
rind Hint colli "
"You don't ".rem to realize thin von
nave a pnrtner." snarled IVIIkerson
"Yon are always talking almnt I I It
Haven't I unl H share In this? Haven't
I dug up money? And yet you don't
teem to think that I've any concern In
this matter " .
"Excuse me. partner," said the other
man. Axing bis dim naze on tbe moun
tain. "I'm always thinking of that girl
at mine. You know she's In school, and
she's got to have a good education, and
I've got to work to pay for It Excuse
me, partner; yon know I did not mean
It that tray, hut when I remember ber
mother"- He broke off abruptly, and
both men stopped
"tier mother?" naked Wllkerson.
"Yes. her mother." choked Gallon.
"Tbe girl deserves tbe best there la In
this world. I'm all she's got. and. by
heavens" he hook his flst toward
the distant blue bills "she shall have
It If I have to tear that mountain apart
with my finger nails"
"Well," said Wllkerson 'impatiently,
"let's enrap I'm thirsty."
They stopped In tbe shade of tbe fal
low plume of the Yucca and made their
little fire for coffee, but before the
blaze was well started Wllkerson
picked up the water bug and took a
long drink. His companion suddenly
flashed In anger
"8av.t pnrtner." he said sternly, "that
10 miles from Elgin.' Palmer
These lands have been stumped for
and the cost of clearing is low com-
The brush and slashings have
pine stumps are not difficult to
remove. There are many small meadows already
cleared. The country lies fairly level with con
been raised with excellent results.. This is a dry
farming country, well covered with living creeks
LA GRANDE,
OREGON.
KEY $
- u - uu - Lnrn -iin-iiari" ------....
water baa to last oa ciear to toe moun
tains." ' Wllkerson flung hla bead back and
laughed. "Why worry? Don't you see
tbe snow there on Sun Jacinto peak?
That means creeks down every ravine
and gulch."
Instantly Gallon's eyes dulled. Be
seemed (to once more subside Into a
dream.
"There's where they said the gold
waa," be muttered. "In one of tbem
gulches op there, flold! Gold! Say.
Wllkerson, we'll get that gold, but we
must save the water. I didn't mean
any harm, partner, for calling you
down for drinking that water, but I've
got to get that gold."
Wllkerson once more reached for tbe
water and took a long draft
"I guess this will last till we reach
those foothills." be said But his com
panlon paid no attention to him. atol
Idly preparing their slender meal ot
coffee and beans.
Wheti they bad eaten Oalloo brusque
ly motioned to Wllkerson to clean up
the camp and then silently started op
tbe gulch
"I never beard of finding gold by
moonlight," bis partner muttered to
himself. "Let tbe old man dig around
If bf wants to." And Immediately once
more be yielded to bis physical desires,
this time for aleep. " "
Gallon steadily trudged around tbe
bluff, following tbe stream aa best be
could until be knew tbat be was abso
lutely alone. Chance, tbe master of us
all, delights In strange freaks. Now at
this moment, when be felt hatred In hla
heart for bis partner, when he knew
that be bad come on his final quest
with a weakling to coddle along, Mis
tress Chance laid' her quick finger on
him and whispered, "Herel"
He heard that light whisper and
dropped his gaze to the ground. A mo
ment later be was furiously hammer
log at the outcropping of rock tbat
threw its sharp shadow down tbe bilL
Wllkerson turned sluggishly hi bis
aleep.
"1 wonder where the old man Is," he
muttered to himself. "He's always
prowling round o' nights."
What was that figure slinking aronnd
the bluff? Something In his partner's
attitude as be stopped directly in the
full eheea of tbe moonlight made him
pause.
"He's got something," be thongbt
"Why does be not come down to
He Pulled Out His Revolver and Fired
at the Man.
camp?. I think I'll see." So he wrap
ped himself In bis blanket again, but
his eyes were open aud turned on his
partner.
A few moments later Gallon came to
camp, heavy footed, as if half asleep,
dropped his hammer and kicked the
Ore to a blaze.
"If I bud. a proper partner there
would be coffee for me." be said In U
tone load enough to reach tbe sleeper.
"Wbafa tbe matter, old pair asked
Wilkerxoii. apparently drowsy.
"Ob. nothlug." aald Gallon. "1 Just
thought yon might have left aome cof
fee." ''Did not find anything, did you, part,
ocrr" asked Wllkeinou.
"N'opey; nothing doing. Guess those
Indiana did not give me tbt right
imncb."
Wllkerson turned over as If once
more going to aleep, but hla eyes were
open, and he mis Gallon marking
down some notes on a piece of paper.
"Did yon say the Indiana did not
give you the right hunch?" Wllkerson
asked suddenly "How often have f
got to tell you we're partners. I be
lieve If you got a strike you wouldn't
tell me. Are we partners or not?"
"Yes; w're partners all right I
Oaveu't found auythlim"
"What mis -that xtufT you had In
your hand?" asked Wllkerson d ow
ally "You're always tiruik'tiiK In
lot of dirt and lnukltm ii uvhi hut I
notice you kind of keep that dirt la
vour hand " .
Wllker.sou ouee mure yielded to hla
physleul desire for ' sleep, out . waa
awakened tir Hie tiHrklnu of eovote
on thi- hill ' He sinldeulv raised him
celf aud let out a curse attains! the de
stroyer of his sleep Then he swiftly
realized that Gallon whs still awake,
sitting by the Hi-esulv. writing with
.he same stub oeuetl .
."Tout's my peutii." lie though! dully
"There Is not another pencil m this
desert How cau I write to Dolores If
Old Man Gallon walks off?"
He took out of bis pocket worn
leather wallet and drew out the pic
ture of a woman, whose calm, cold fea
tures, unadorned by tbe photographer's
art, were appealing to the man of his
appetites.
He looked at this a moment, and
tben all the morbid fire In bis blood
flamed toward his heart Love, life
and happiness depended upon tbe pos
session of gold. Therefore, with this
fire In bis heart, Wllkerson suddenly
got that absolute thirst for gold which
traverses deserts, wbicb has killed
more people tban tbe armies of Eu
rope
And in bis sudden access of physical
desire for gold In order to attain this
woman he rose to his feet, and there
cume upon his face a swilt expression,
stealthy but determined.
He put the photograph away and.
pantherllke. stole into the shadow un
der tbe bill and toward tbe man who
bad . been his partner, but whom be
was resolved to kilt. He crept along,
taking all precautions against disturb
Ing a single pebble, until be stood over
Gallon, and in tbe full moonlight be
saw that Gallon was drawing the plans
and marking tbe locations of a mine.
"How far," he thought forcefully to
himself, "has the old man gone What
gulch Is this? What place Is this? He
has found tbe gold, and I'm going to
have It!" He still watched tbe pencil
and saw blm trace In rude letters: -
"This will make you happy."
That moment Gallon saw Wllkerson
smiling at bim.
Smiles and tears, sorrow and laugh
ter have made thla world wbat It Is,
and the smile on tbe saturnine visage
of Wllkerson stirred Gallon to bis
depths Did Wllkerson know? Had
Wllkerson seen? Was Ruth to lose tbe
gold thut he bad found after all these
years? Wllkerson bad peered over bis
shoulder. Wllkerson! Wllkerson! Wll
kerson! There must be no Wllkerson!
He pulled out his revolver and fired
at tbe man smiling at blm from the
shadow.
Wllkerson emptied his revolver at
the old man. But Gallon's trained eye.
backed up by bis overmastering pas
sion, hod directed bis weapon too sure
ly.. Wllkersop realized that his ene
my's bullet bad gone borne.
Still with the blood lust in his heart.
Gallon pulled out the picture of a little
girl aud passionately kissed It
"Yon look like your mother. Ruth."
be whispered.
Bnt while he was yielding to this
queer tenderness his former partner
was struggling to bis feet-dizzy wltb
pain, absolutely cowed by tbe shock of
finding himself physically helpless, yet
driven by Instinct to find other human
beings Where were they? There was
no sound on tbe desert except the
rustling or the dry leaves of the
yuccas and the murmur of the cactus
as it died of drought. He was really of
two minds. One desire was to find tbe
location of tbe gold. The other was to
save bis own life and assuage the bit
ter fast which he knew meant death.
- At last he stumbled to bis feet end
peered across the mist veiled . valley.
Far away be saw a light Gathering
all his strength, be started toward it
for It held out to bim the prospect of
belp for bis physical. Injury, and as he
fingered bis revolver be feverishly
dreamed of finding Gallon aud so
avenging himself.
Under the stars be tramped on. As
men sec their real world In miniature
and their ideal world magnified, as we
all do. the moon,' flooding Its light
down upon his path, did not appear
within bis range of vision. It was
only the little pin points ot stars in
the purple black sky that he discerned
and In the midst of this firmament as
If horizons had been obliterated, be
saw a solitary twinkling light which
meant a human habitation.
"I'll get him yet" be muttered thick
ly. Tbe mere act of articulate speech
died In his throat He realized that be
had no water, and the overpowering
thirst burned In his very marrow
"1 can't make It," be tbougnt to him
seTE "Gallon bos got the best of
me. He found tbat place and mtde
the plan and fooled me." He pain
fully lifted bis clinched hands toward
heaven and cursed vehemently until
bis curses faded Into a perfect delirium
of mad dreams Tar away onTTheTIill
tbe coyotes harked dismally.
No longer stealthily like s man oh
sessed, bin with one desire, br sunn
gled down the litis and out upou the
mesa: Vel there was still ill Iiik eyes
all the Innumerable stars, and he eouiil
not fix His dlrei'Ilou In his mind foi
to bis accent ua let! 'sight ihey all
pea red brilliaut and peculiar Tims tin
got lout
At tlmea. In niomenis when Ihe dead
ly thlrsl which pan-hed nis tlinwn hi
lowed him to drink, lie saw (he "tie
glimmering. Ilitht. whleb marked the
place where be knew liallou had uoue
Miles aud hours liei-mne vn him -J
nothlug. yet finally" luiouitu his simrp
ened senses he smellrd water, and n
the snn was rlslne ovet San .liieitito
mountains be fell face downward imo
stream ' Sohie Instinct told him that
towns were built on hills; that eonse
fluently to' find the town he should go
upstream So he strucgled. stemtnlnu
the current, dragclnir his feet his left
hand clinched Into the olds of bis
shirt over the wound In his heart
was still smoldering the flame whleb
In the fulness of his physical. strength
had been hatred of bis partner, v..
"I'll get blm yel.lne muttered. .
(To Be Continued Tomorrow.)
Notice of Stockholders Meeting.
The annual meeting of the stock
holders of the State Bank of Imbler
will be held at the banking rooms on
January 12, 1915, at 2:00 o'clock p. m.
for the purpose of electing directors
for the ensuing year and for the
transaction of such other business as
may properly come before the meet
ing. SHERWOOD WILLIAMS,
Cashier.
. Dec. 18-25 Jan. 1-8
- E. R1ESLAND,
Plasterer and Contractor.
Cement work of all kinds, Foun-
dations ' and Flue construction.
$ Cement block a specialty. Call
and see these blocks at E. C. 4)
Davis' Marble Shop. Phone Red
371.
H.A. AHKERT
PLANING MILLS
Cor. Greenwood and Madison St.
(Successor to Wenaha Lbr. Co.)
ALL KINDS of custom planing
done promptly. Our guaran
tee behind every job of work.
MAKE A NOTE of the f..ct that an abstract is an absolute
necessity when you purchase real estate. No matter how well posted
you might be you don't Jiave a full history of the parcel, as you
dc when we muke an abstract of it Accuracy guaranteed.
THE ABSTRACT' & TITLE CO.
Foley Hotel Building.
The Land or Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers
CALLS YOU
With SUMMERTIME in WINTER
OUTDOOR AND INDOOR SPORTS BOATING, SURF-BATHING,
DRIVING, GOLF, POLO, TENNIS. FOR REST AND
RECREATION, CALIFORNIA IS DELIGHTFUL.
FOR SAFETY AND COMFORT, GO VIA THE . .
OREGON-WASHINGTON RAILROAD 8 NfiVIEATIDN CO.
THROUGH PORTLAND. RETURN THE SAME WAY.
CALIFORNIA IS STAGING TWO BIG SHOWS
Celebrating Completion of the Panama Canal
. PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
San Francisco, February 20 to December, 4, 1915.
PANAMA-CALIFORNIA EXPOSITION
San Diego, January 1 to December 31, 1915.
They represent the" highest BJid
human endeavor in the world
science and industry. . See both
Tickets, infornation, etc., upon applica
tion to
J. H. KEENEY,
Agent O.-W. R. & N. Co
LA GRANDE, OREGON.
Want Ads.
YEARS AGO Ihe crier an
nouneed the suctin sale then
came the hand bills srtd
their "hit or miss" results
today the effective way is
- the Want Ads the hit the
mark.. That's what counts.
FOR SALE Horse, buggy and har
ness for sale. Inquire at Co
operative store. ' 11-80-tf.
MODERN Steam heated rooms and
apartments for rent 1606 Wash.
Ave. ,-;; 12 21 Imp.
For Rent Five room modern house.
Inquire W. H. Bohnenkamp.
12-12-tf.
LOST Bay three year old geldiag,
small star in face; branded J. H. S.
connected on left shoulder; weight
about 1400 lbs. Return to L. E.
Stanley, R. D. No. 1 La Grande.
$10.00 reward. 12 1 Imp.
. . T 4. ' I"1 '. ! 1 1 ' T
ror xvent rmmaiieu uuuae.. in
quire 101 Greenwood. 12-21-t.
Furnished steam heated bed rooms
Lewis Building; 12-23-4t.
FOR RENT New modern five room
cottage: Fred Schilke. 12 17 tf
FOR RENT Housekeeping rooms.
Red 962. ll-3tf
LOST Bunch of keys. Leave at this
office. 12 24 2t
FOR RENT Two nicely furnished
. housekeeping rooms with bath. Two
blocks from center of town. Phone
Black 3901 or 1512 Adams Ave.
12 24 tf.
LOST Between Pollack's store and
Catholic school a locket with ini
tials R. H. S. Please leave at Ob
server office. 12.26 tf.
STRAYED About 29 head of cows
from the Williamson or Oliver pas
tures in Ladd Canyon. Probably
some calves in band. Branded two
. bars on eight hip; also have other
brands on. Reward for informa
tion leading to recovery, F. E.
Stillwell, La Grande. 12 26 tf.
WANTED Boarders, wither witr.
out rooms. Very close in. 1620
Sixth street, opposite Baptiit
Church. Mrs. Etta Wines.
12 26 Imp.
Chamberlain's Tablets.
This is a medicine intended espe
cially for stomach troubles, bilious
ness and constipation. It is meeting
with much successand rapidly gain
ing in favor and popularity.. Obtain
able everywhere. Adv.
best of
of art,
of them.
MNA