Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-17
FOURTH INsTALLMENT.

When Helen Holmes took the day key
at Signal the little office had already
passed from the quiet kind to the re-
morselessly active kind of those small
way stations that drive innocent men
mad. Two rival lines, maintaining large
construction camps and getting all their
supplies through Signal station. were en-
gagged in a race to build mountain
cutoff and considerable one. Despite
all the help Lyons, the overworked
agent, could give Helen, she found the
tasks of her day about all that her
strength would compass. There were
little moments of respite. The railroad
men were, every one. considerable OF her.
Nor could Helen. situated as she was,
escape OCCASIONAL office visits from Sea-
srue, whose activity as head of the OPP
position construction camp was I'M
abated Going over to the station one
day to watch his men unload shipment
Of material he stepped into the office
ostensfbly to make inquiries-in reality
to steal a few minutes with Helen
. X5lmes, whom he found busy but alone
Seagrue smoke blandly: 1T hear you're
becoming quite a railroad expert" She
made no effort to reply. Getting really
clever at the key. Lyons says" Helen
entering waybil,s. went on with her writ
ing. BY Ine way dShto Dpo6i ~
amy word this morning from pur steam
shovel?'' ,1
She looked toward the window-the local
freight train had just pulled in. 1t may
be out there now. Oh No. s."
seaerue seemed in no haste to investi-
gate and Helen had almost lost hope
Of anv diversion in that direction when
the office door opened and George storm
walked in.
He was lust out of his engine cab, and
deliberate and composed as usually, but
his eyes, lighting to greet Helen, cooled
when he saw Seagrue Storm nodded
curtly, toward him and was greeted In
kind. Then the stalwart engineman turned
his attention to fIelen and Seagrue was
soon made to feel the pangs of being
distinctly third i'm the situation and with
out an anesthetic.
And the best OF It all is said Storm
at length to Helen. this is my last run
on local freights. am assigned tonight
to the Limited"
Helen lifted her eyebrows in surprise;
Some run they're giving your
Seagrue took the chance to join sar-
castlcalIy in: Fright in line for chief OF
motive power. sh. Storm"
storm was not to be disturbed. He only
regarded Seagrue calmly for moment
Then he turned good naturally to thank
Helen. While soldering agreeably at this
task his fireman intruded on the scene
F<eng enough TO remind him they were
waiting for him TO get out Storm with
q an expression OF disgust at the Interrupt
~ ton, nodded grutfly to the fireman. con-
4 cluded his talk with Helen and walked
out. Helen rose to go out on the plat
form also. Seag-ue interviewed to distract
her attention. II was useless. She must
deliver a message. she said, to the con-
ductor, and Seagrue peeved was left &c
stay with himself or unwilllngly to follow
II lie followed; but even then it was only
to find himself watching Storms good
bys waved 10 Helen from the cab. AnC
she saw them, too. nothing escaped hel
attention.
Seagrue followed her with his eyes as
she walked into the office. The more
she showed her indifference TO him-in.
difference sometimes bordering on con
tempt-the more she piqued his interest
He turned with better luck TO look fol-
the overdue steam shovel. The equip
ment had come and a gang OF his mer
were preparing to set 1t up.
Rhinelander in charge Of the Tidewatel
line camp. was pushing Seagrue closely
in the construction race and as the head
OF big crew of men imbued with his
own spirit was laughing at obstacles
that made Seagrue's head ache; and witt
equipment actually somewhat inferior
was forging daily ahead OF his rival. But
Vie mail now brought him a note from
the chairman of the executive committee
Of his board that almost parslyzed hii
activities:
"Oceanside.
Dear Rhnelander; Our survey party
advise that they cannot relocate the pas
over the Superstition range. Unless vol
can furnish survey Of the cutoff pas
before the first. our people will with
draw their financial support
BOWERS"
Amos Rhinelander, sitting at his dust,
and Uttered desk stared at the abrup
communication. Bowers was his friend
the executive committee OF the boar,
we're with him-this he felt assured OF
y But somewhere influences must be a
work against him. He suspected Capelle
stiIl a board member. and a continue
intriguer. capelle was a master worke
in underground effects and besides belnl
seagrue's own attorney was himsei
heavily interested in opposing enterprise
OF the Coast line. To throttle Rhine
lander IN the construction effort begu
by Helen's own father before his deaf
was 20 advance his own interests as we
as those OF his client Rninelander's de
cision as TO what must be done TO NEE
this opposition was prompt
! He consulted a timetable. called HI
foreman. asked for man TO carry hi
N handbags TO the station and began chang
ing his clothes for trip
Not far away, and at about the sam
time, seagrue was reading his own mai
u contained this note:
Unsuccessful report concerning pas