Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-31

Keep II here for me in your safe until
| tomorrow" He pushed the open package
OF bills back through the wicket OF the
counter. but i'm doing this he accidentally
overturned a bottle OF ink
Hclcn screamed little and Jumping
aside caught up a piece Of cloth from
the letter press stand, wiped the ink
off the bills as best she could and turned
them over to Lyons. who took the big
package within his charge and placed
II carefully in the safe. Not. however
without having been observed by two
OF the Oceanslde criminals. who were
lettering just then outside of the office
window.
Turning away before they were discov-
cred these men-Sykes and Dan-were
Joined by the third member OF their ex-
petition. and the three headed for Rhine
lander's camp to hunt UP Spike. They en-
eountered him on the way over to the
station to look for them. A consultation
was held in the woods. The four were
now assured that the money had come
and they knew where II had been put.
To the safe expert was left the details.
and when these had been arranged to suit
him the quartet scattered That evening
around the station about the time that
Helen and Lyons were closing up for the
night. Indeed. the latter had hardly
locked the station door before Spike
watching an opportunity. signaled his as
sistants to the freight house window
This. without ceremony. they broke open
and entering the telegraph office from
the freight room took possession of the
premises.
The man known as The Bat. the master
mind OF the visiting trio. at once got
down in front of the safe for an exam
instion. It took him only a moment TO
throw back the bolts and swing the
door open amid the suppressed applause
OF his companions.
They took the pay roll package out just
as Lyons had placed Il within the safe.
But the easy triumph of the expert and
the congratulations of his friends did
not seem enough to satisfy him. To make
the Job artistic. ne directed his assistants
to get together some brown paper. and
after they had taken the bills from the
package, he filled II with waste paper, |
rewrapped the package carefully and re-
placed 1t as he had found il in the safe, |
Leaving by the same way they had
culereu Aooh
their way to Seagrue's camp. He listened |
to all that Spike had TO say and at once |
advised sending the three safe blowers
back to the city This. however, 1t was
decided. after a brief conference, would |
not do. as Spike needed somebody to help |
him foment a disturbance next day. In
the end. a compromise was effected, by
which The Bat was sent to town while
- trov. NIGHT
aid in stirring up Rhinelander's men.
The following day had already been
announced In Rhlnelander's camp as pay |
day. When Helen and Lyons arrived at
the office in the morning for duty theS
found Rhinelander waiting to take the
money. Lyons. very willing to be rid Of
his responsibility. opened the safe and
unsuspectingly turned over TO Rhine |
lander the package he had placed in it
the afternoon before.
When the construction boss reached his
camp, the men were lined up outside his
tent waiting for their pay. Passing
within. Rhinelander cut open the pack
age. To his CONSERVATION he found only
brown paper instead OF currency. Stunned
by the revelation and breathless with
amazement. he made his way. white
faced, back to the station for an ex-
planation,/
Rushing into the office he threw the
doctored package down before Lyons and
Helen. The two paIed in turn with ex-
citement and each Of the three looked
blankly into the faces of the others.
Helen looked at Rhinelander with the
utmost sympathy. He took the catastro-
phe hard. Much had transpired within
recent weeks 20 try his endurance and
this seemed a climax TO all the misfor-
tunes that had gone before.
Rhinelander wiped his brow and turned.
detected. from the counter He had not
the heart TO wire Oeeanside Of the oaiam-
fly The first thing necessary. in any
event. was to make an effort TO appease
the men and. starting TO his camp. he at
tempted 20 do this. The men, made un-
easy by Rhihelander's sudden disappear
shce after his promise TO pay. were
grumbling around Wood. the foreman.
who was using his best efforts TO quiet
them. Rhinelander now reappeared from
the station out empty-handed. He
brought with him the rifled package,
showed this to Wood and 70 the men. ex-
planned that he had been robbed and told
the men they would have 70 wait
Those closest in the group that crowded
around him had been primed for a dis