The Ordway new era., 1916-05-19
FOURTH iNsTALLMENT
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER ~.
When Helen Holmes took the day
key at Signal the littls office had al
ready passed from tho quiet kind to
the remorseiessly active kind of those
small way stations that drive inno-
cent men mad. Two rival lines main
taining large construction camps and
getting All their s,,r2lies through Sig
nal station, wero ahgaged in race to
build 4 mc,,c.sn cut-on-and con-
siderable cNs. Despite all the help
Lyops, ia overworked agent, could
xivs Helen, she found the tasks OF her
day about all that her strength would
compass.
Nor could Helen. situated as she
was, escape occasional office visits
from Seagrue. whose activity as head
o. the opposition construction camp
~As undated. Going over to the sta
tsou one day to watch his men unload
: shipment of material. he stepped
TITO the ONCE ostensibly to make in
qniries-in reality TO steal few min
ufes with Helen Holmes, whom he
found busy. but alone.
Seagrue spoke blandly: Il hear
you're becoming quite railroad e1-
pert." She made no effort to reply.
Getting really clever at the key. Ly-
ons rays" Helen, entering waybills,
went on with her writing. by the
way" asked Seagrue. evenly. ANY
word this morning from our steam
shovel?"
She looked toward the window-the
local freight train had just pulled in.
.It may be out there now, on No. 85.
Seagrue seemed in no haste to in
ve4ligate, and Helen had almost lost
hcpe OF any diversion in that direc-
tion. when the ONCE door opened and
George Storm walked in.
He was Just out of his engine cab.
and deliberate and composed as usu-
ally. but his eyes. lighting to greet
Helen. cooled when he saw Seagrue.
Storm nodded curtly toward him and
WAS greeted In kind. Then the stall
rart engine man turned his attention
to Helen. and Seagrue was soon made
to feel the pangs of being distinctly
Safrd Ia the situation and without an
anesthetic..
And the best OF it all is" said
Storm at length to Helen. this is my
last run on local freights. / am as
signed tonight to the Limited
Helen lifted her eyebrows in sur
, prise: Some run they're giving
you!"
Caa o,,,a to,,lr 4t,o ',borca 70 .,i,, cor
eastlcaiiy in Right in line for chief
OF motive power. eh. Storm"
Storm was not to be disturbed. He
only regarded Seagrue calmly for a
moment. Then he turned good-natur-
ediy to thank Helen. While soldier
s,g agreeably at this task. his fire.
ntau fntruded on the scene Ions
enough to remind him they were wait.
Ing for him to get out. Storm, with
an expression of disgust at the inter
yuption. nodded grufiiy to the fireman.
concluded his talk with Helen and
waliced out. Helen rose to go out on
The platform also seagrue intervened
70 distract her attention. It was use
5ass. She must deliver message, she
asid. to the conductor, and Seagrue,
Y jeeved, was left to stay with himself
oe unwfilingly to follow. He followed;
but evsn then II was only to flnd him
s<.3f wstching Storms good-bys waved
- Helen from the cab. Apa she saw
thsm. too: nothing escaped her at
34Atiou.
ishfnesaaaef. in charge Of the Tide
Nstsf sltpe camp. was pushing Seagrue
caesSly ID the cons&ruction race and
III ~ hss4 cf big crew OF men i'm
es4 N1tn ~ SNn spirit was laugh
S4f ~ 1he11s that made SeaErue's
y win equipment actu-
fafsrior was forging
ssfyal. But the man
4 = \ - = note from the
Y Y = susjvs caumittee
~ - 11lssst Daraiyzed his
4 !!1I'5G & n: -ocsaA1bds. Z
or sesyey