Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-04-14


man in the room, watching apprehen.
sively, could draw a full breath, the
two men crashed violently through
the skylight together almost ON top
of him. AS it was, they landed in a
heap on the bed. The Bat sprang at
once on the helpless policeman. 1t
would have gone hard with him but
for instant aid FROM Helen. She
dropped down the open skylight,
caught the revolver from the Off cer's
hand and held the two criminals at
the point of it until the policeman
could slip handouts On them. When
the two men were secured, Helen de-
manded the stolen money.
The man Bat did most of the talk
ing.
Il don't know what you are talking
about" he said jovially, while Heler's
accusations were launched at him. II
am a piano tuner, officer. l don't
know this man." he pointed calmly at
Sykes. 81 never saw hina in my life
till he smashed my skylight. What
do you mean, anyway, by breaking
into my room? I'll put the 5lue-sky
laws on YOU. Who's going to pay for
all this glass?" he demanded with an
injured air. "The landlord is going to
come after me for it. I'll have our
whole bunch arrested the minute I
get to the police station. l don't know
anything about your money. l don't
believe you've got any money OF have
had any,"
What did you attack the policeman
for as soon as he dropped into the
room?' cried Helen, Indignantly.
why, miss, l am near-sighted. 1
thought that man was a piano tuner
when l saw him-a man that's tried to
let the light into me two or three
times with a CUNTS a fact!"
The officer shut off The Bats talk,
and Helen, with the a~stuteness of a.
detective, searched him, with the re-
suit that from his various pockets she
recovered every package of the bills
stolen from the safe, and nearly all
of them intact.
The fat man lost none of his nerve
when confronted with the result. He
declared he had been made the victim
of a plot, that his character and repu-
tation were known everywhere in the
city-which was quite true. And hav-
ing denounced all u%nwarranted intru-
sions such as he had been made the
victim of, he resigned himself to &c,
as prisoner with a much better grace
than his sullen companion did. They
were taken together to the police sta
ton.
Helen telephoned Immediately for a
motor car, and, accompanied by her
friendly officer, and with the money
slowed away on her person, she.
stepped into the car and ordered it
driven in haste to Signal. Fast as.
the landscape few by it did not keep
pace with Helen's impatience. They
drew in sight Of ~Rhinelander's camp.
Smoke still rose from where the fire
had threatened it's complete destruc-
ton. Rhinelander and Wood, with
their men, had finally extinguished the
confagration, though not until a heavy
toll of damage had been taken by the
flames. Helen caught sight of Rhine
lander just as the car raced up to the
camp and, ~alighting, called him joyful
ly to her, waving the money in her
great excitement, in her hands.
IT'S here" she cried. "Most every
bit of it."
What do you mean?"
THE pay roll! We've got it-alE
of 1.-THE money stolen from the safe.
1t is here in this package"
Rhinelander, half-dazed, could hard
ly ask explanations. Bit by bit Helen
told the story. Her foster uncle caught
her in his arms. money and all. To-
gether-the men crowding around
they walked with the recovered treas
ure through the half-burned camp.
Ito RE CQNTINIIED