Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-05-10

eHceS must De at work against MIN.
He suspected Capelle, still a board
member and~a~ continual intriguer.
Capelle was a master worker in I'M
derground effects and besides being
Seagrue'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 as well as those of his client.
Rhinelander's decision as to what
must be done to meet this opposition
was prompt.
He consulted a timetable, called his
foreman, asked for man to carry his
handbags to the station and began
changing his clothes for 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-
ers cutoff, as we know he cannot
produce survey. CAPELLE."
In Seagrue's hut party of newspa-
per men from Oceanside were waiting
to be taken ON an inspection trip over
the construction.
I'm ready for you. boys" said Sea-
grue, in high spirits, to the journalists.
"We1l look over the work near here
first" he announced, ripping open q
box of cigars.
Hold it, Mr.. Seagrue," cried cam
era man, focusing on the manager.
1--WE want you, first, right there where
you are, at your desk. Hold it,
The picture was taken, copy prom
Used to Seagrue within an hour and the
party started out. Had he left his hut
two minutes carrier he might have
seen Amos Rhinelander, followed by
Seagrue's own Spike with Rhipeland
er's bags, entering the waiting room
door of Signal station.
Helen, looking up from her table,
perceived Rhinelander's anxiety re-
fiected in his manner.
Jun uEWSs AlClElls uG bdANB pun
ing at once into the unpleasant sub
ject. Il am on my way to Oceanside,"
he added, when she had read Bowers
ncte. THE directors meet tonight.
Someone is trying to undermine US.
But whether / succeed in changing
their views or net, 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 read in
reaching the mountains with cutoff
first. Rhinelander, worried though
he was, tried tt 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
Rhinelaader board it, and, mingling
with Seagrue's men, walked unob-
served over to the latters 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 get 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 at 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
CT the print and recalled Spike. Take
this over to Helen Holmes. Give it
to her with my compliments" So
saying he turned to the photographer.
Spikes reception at the station was
always a chilly one. This time Helen
took his message and 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 contemptucusly impaled Il
on a steel file near at hand. = mo-
ment later, removing the print to file
a message, she locked at the picture
again. Her attention was attracted
to a paper lying on Seagrues desk.
It had been caught by the camera
lens. The longer she looked the more
carefully her eyes fixed on this OBJ
ject revealed in the photograph. Very
curious now. Helen opened a drawer.
took from it a reading glass and
studied the contents of Seagrue's
desk. Her heart almost stopped beat
ing as she realized that her suspicious
must be correct. With the aid of the
ordinary glass she could plainly see
the survey that had been stolen from
her fathers library.
Helen looked toward Seagrues
camp. 1t was there even now, and if
she could recover the precious find it
was not too late to save her own in
terests as well as those Of her own
good friend, Amos Rhinelan6er.
How could she recover it? With
fast kindling hatred Of it's dishonest
possessor, a dozen projects for regain
ing her own flashed across her mind.
The more she thought the more i'm