The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-02-03


member, and a continual intriguer.
Capelle was a master worker in un-
d%erground effects and besides being
S~eagrue's own attorney, was himself
heavily interested in opposing enter
prises of the Coast line. To throttle
Rhinelander in the construction effort
begun by Helen's own father before
his death, was to advance his own in
~terests rs well as those of his client.
Rhineiander's decision as to what
must be done to meet this opposition
was prompt.
He consulted a timetable, called his
foreman, asked for a man to carry his
handbags to the station and began
changing his clothes for a trip.
Not far away, and at about the same
time, Seagrue was reading his own
mail. 1t contained this note:
Unsuccessful report concerning
pass submitted. Persuaded hackers
to withdraw support on the first.
This will stop operation on Rhineland-
er's cutoff, as we know he cannot
produce survey. CAPELLE."
In Seagrue's hut a party of newspa-
per men from Oceanside were waiting
to be taken on an inspection trip over
the construction.
Pm ready for you, boys" said Sea-
grue, In high spirits. to the journalists.
Wen look over the work near here
first" he announced, ripping open q
box of cigars.
Hold 1t, Mr.. Seagrue,' cried a cam
era man, focusing on the manager.
"We want you, first, right there where
you are, at your desk. Hold it,"
The picture was taken, a copy prom
ised to Seagrue within an hour and the
party started out. Had he left his hut
two minutes earlier he might have
seen Amos Rhinelander, followed by
S%eagrue's own Spike with Rhineland-
er's bags, entering the waiting room
door of Signal station.
Helen, looking up from her table,
perceived R~hinelander's anxiety re-
Elected in his manner.
Bed news, Helen" he said, plung-
Ing at once into the unpleasant sub
ject. Il am on my way to Oceanside,"
he added, when she had read Bowers
note. "The directors meet tonight.
Someone Is trying to undermine us.
But whether l succeed in changing
their views or not, I'm going to fight
If ! have to fight all night
Helen was too upset to speak for a
minute. For her, so much depended
on the success of her own road in
reaching the mountains with a cutoff
first. Rhinelander, worried though
he was, tried to cheer her up. Spike
outside, listening, gathered that Rhine.
lander was on his way to the city.
He hung around the platform till the
local passenger pulled in. watched
Rhinelander board 1t, and, mingling
with Seagrue's men, walked unob-
served over to the iatter's camp. He
found his boss with the journalists.
what is it?' demanded Seagrue,
seeming news in Spikes appearance.
"Rhinelander has just gone to
Oceanside."
Seagrue smiled. did he got a let
ter this morning.
"He did"
Their confab was broken In on by
one OF the newspaper men who had a
print OF the photo he had taken Of
Seagrue ut his desk. Seagrue inspect
ed this with the greatest pleasure.
"Fine!" he exclaimed. Good pic
ture!"
A whimsical idea seized him. He
wrote a word or two across the back
of the print and recalled Spike. Take
this over to Helen Holmes. Give 1t
to her with my compliments" So
saying he turned to the photographer.
Spikes reception at the station was
always o chilly one. This time Helen
took his message aud dismissed him
before she opened the envelope. When
she saw what Seagrue had sent she
was angry. Her first impulse was to
tear the hateful print in two. In
stead, she CONTEMPORARY impaled il
on a steel file near at hand. A mo-
ment later, removing the print to file
o message, she looked at the picture
again. Her attention was extracted
to q paper lying on Seagrue's desk.
1t had been caught by the caEera
lens. The longer she looked the more
carefully her ayes fixed on this OBJ
ject revealed In the photograph. Very
curious now. Helen opened q drawer.
took from It q reading glass and
studied the contents OF Seagrue's
desk. Her heart almost stopped beat
Ing as abe realized that her suspicious
must be correct. With the aid Of the
ordinary glass she could plainly e
the survey that had been stolen from
her fathers library.
Helen looked toward Seagrue's
camp. II was there even now, and IL
che could recover the precious find 1t
was not too late to say her own In
terests as we'll - those Of her own
good friend. Amos Rhinelander.
How could she recover it, With
fast kindiing hatred OF tn dishonest
pcssessor. = dozen projects for lvyain-
Ing her own flashed across hac mind.
The more sne THOUGHT the 0Ase Inn