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

Se - IA coth
Keep away from me-" Helen pant
ed. You're a wretch. I'll never give
it to YOU. I'll die first. Don't you
dare come down here. I'll drag you
over the cliff If | have to go over my
self"
Nothing daunted, he came on.
There was but one chance left to get
away and, unhesitating, she took it.
Turning. just as he thought he had
her in his power, she sprang from
where she stood on the edge Of the
precipicc far out over the ocean be-
low. He stood s~pellbound. She struck
with a great splash. He saw her come
up, strike out and sink again, as II
helpless. But he knew her unquench-
able determination, her resource and
her daring, and was shrewd enough
to watch the surface of the bay close
ly. Sure enough, in a little while he
could see her, after swimming a dis
lance under water, regain the surface
and with long, powerful strokes swim
away.
At no great distance from where
she had plunged into the bay a speed
launch lay at anchor. Helen recog-
niZed the boat; it had, in truth, once
been her own, and she had named it
The Spiderwater. 1t belonged now to
the owners of her fathers estate, but
she believed she might borrow it once
ore Seagrue, impotent with rage,
and following her down the shore,
saw her reach the launch and climb
resolutely up over the gunwale into
the cockpit.
Shaking herself like a duck, and
without losing a minute, Helen spread
the wet blue print out on the deck,
broke the motor lock on the ignition
switch, and turned the engine over.
She knew the motor well; it was a
powerful Loew Victor, and after her
second effort it hummed like a dyna-
mo. While it was warming up she
cut the mooring line. Seagrue easily
suspected she meant to get to Rhine
lander at Oceanside. He looked at
his watch. If he could catch the Linn
tied he could still reach the city ahead
Of her. Exasperated, and out Of
breath, he FASTENED back to camp,
routed out his chauffeur and took his
racing car for the station. Hardly a
minute was left to him, and his hope
OF reaching a point where he could
flag the through train vanished when
he heard it's whistle and saw the
CLEAN OF its headlight coming down
the Signal grade.
But he would not give up. Urging
his mar to speed, he gained the high
way paralleling the railroad track,
and as the Limited shot by, Seagrue,
with all the power that could be got
out of his motor, actually held for a
time abreast of it. He yelled and
shouted Is one sleeper after another
drew slowly past-both the train and
the motor car were running very fast
but he could attract no attention.
Helpless with rage, he saw the last
car pulling gradually past, and furi-
Gus at being baked, he stood up on
the seat and as the car drew past him,
he jumped over the rail and landed on
the observation platform.
Helen was pushing the launch to-
ward Oceanside. The ocean below the
bay laps almost the edge Of the rail-
road track, but her heart sank as she
looked back and saw the night train
tearing up the track and rapidly over
hauling her. Instinct told her that
Seagrue would somehow board that
train in an effort to get to the city
first. AS the engine drew nearer, she
picked up a pair of glasses and level
ing them on the cab, discovered
George Storm on the right side. She
waved a signal flag at him, but his
eyes were glued on the track ahead.
Then, as If by an inspiration, she
seized the cord of the air whistle at
her hand and in the Morse code sig
nailed for help. Storm turned his
head and looked back questioningly
along his train; then up at his own
whistle. The whistling continued, and
his attention was finally drawn to the
launch, now dropping behind the train.
Helen caught up her signal flag again.
IN q fash he recognized her, and call
ing his fireman over they listened 20
her appeal.
Give me paper, pencil" shouted
Storm, as he shut off the throttle and
listened to the long and short toots
that re-echoed in jerky succession
from the surface of the sea against the
towering cliffs and through the flying
cab. On a leaf, torn from a pad, Storm
scratched out the signals:
Have survey. Seagrue on your
train. Delay SO I car reach Oceanside
first. HELEN"
The engine whistle shrieked his an
swer to her eager ears.
Something wrong with engine al
ready"
The fireman, learning the truth from
Storm, tried to persuade him, what
ever happened, not to delay the train.
1t would cost Storm, he urged, his job.
Whats the job to met" demanded
Storm, applying the air and bringing
up the train with a jolt. So saying, he
snatched a small handful Of tools from
the box and prepared to get down.