Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-03-17
Continued From Page y

He was at that moment seated in the
garden with Helen-Holmes' daughter
and Helen was being alternately
amused and bored by the patiently
forced efforts of the easterner to in
terest her in himself and his affairs.
More than once during his stay she
had refused to listen seriously to him
and now to annoy him, she professed
to wonder, as the blast of a freight
engine whistle sounded at the moment
through the hills, whether that might
not be George Storm, one of her ia
theirs many engineers-a man to
whom she had lately rendered a great
and gratuitOus service and about whom
Seagrue himself had once tried to twit
her. And it SO CHANGED that it really
was young Storms train running by
them for the passing track. He had
orders to wait there for the directors
special
Toward noon, Holmes and his guests,
together with Helen, started for the
station to meet the train. It's arrival
was the occasion of many greetings
for Helen from old New York friends
who declared that the mountain sun
and air had wrought wonders for the
once delicate girl.
1t was while she stood thus on the
platform surrounded by her newly ar
rived guests that a young engineman
&14 ~
After slight hesitation he walked up
to her as if he would speak. Again,
as if undecided, he halted just before
Helen. She noticed the rather grimy
appearance of the stalwart engineman,
obviously just from his cab, but did
not look closely enough to recognize
him. If he was pausing as he stood,
for courage, it rose in him, for as her
eyes returned to him, he stepped near
er to her: II think it was you who
saved my life the other day. he said
somewhat haltingly. Then he Ques-
tioningly held out his hand. "Will you
accept my thanks?"
The moment he spoke, Helen knew
hint was Storm, tha4ireman of the
freight wreck. Indeed, she remem-
bered him almost too we'll Her face
flushed with embarrassment. Her
guests, without catching what he had
said, were critically inspecting the
smoked engineer. Something like
wave of resentment swept over Helen.
Why should he choose this, of ali mo.
ments, TO speak to her? She was
quite innocent of false pride; but her
friends could not possibly understand
the situation and Storm with real
western impulsiveness had chosen, it
seemed, the most inopportune time
possible to express his gratitude.
But there was his outstretched hand
should she ignore it? Anger swayed
her-yet something within her, and
something in Storms eyes and his
manner, pleaded against cutting him
dead. With furiOusly red cheeks but
sweeping aside the cost, Helen put out
her hand. 1T was nothing" she said
quickly. do not think of it," Then
she repaid Storms impulsive stupid
ity, as she thought it deserved Oy
catching at something Seagrue was
saying and failing TO see Storm again.
The engineer had come up prepared
really to say how grateful he was; he
found himself, in a 1eeting second,
already well launched on the social
toboggan and shooting toward the bot
tom of long hill Seagrue, almost be-
oT~
laughing at Helen and pointing to her
glove The white, soft kid now bore
beyond repair the heavy, black finger
prints of the engineman's hand.
Questions and gatherings from her
companions contributed nothing to-
ward restoring Helen's composure. But
as the group moved to the waiting mo-
tor cars, she unostentatiously drew
the offending glove over her wrist and
threw it away One pair of eyes
watched the action closely; Storm
collecting his wits after his social dis
aster, noted what she had done. He
was too philosophical to resent it. In
stead, crossing the platform, when tbs
party had driven away, he picked up
the discarded glove and put it in his
pocket.
Nor did he, in his turn, escape I'M
seen. AS one Of the cars Whirled
around a nearby corner Helen, look
ing back at the scene OF her annoy
ance, saw Storm picking up something
white; she knew it was her glove.
On reaching home-where the ladies'
were taken to their various rooms and
the men went to their business
Helen, from her own room overlook
ing the passing track, watched the
freight, bearing Storm, draw out and
stop before the station for orders.
Turning to her glass more than
once to see whether her cheeks were
still as flushed as they felt, she was
gratified to find that traces of her hui
initiation had disappeared. Her nina,
from which she had tried to dismiss