Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-07-12

geant's message. had arrived, and on
having the suspects, Ward and Adams,
paraded before him. was unable to
identify Seagrue's retainers. In fact.
he distinctly declared these were not
the men that had eaten all his free
lunch and robbed him.
The chief. refusing to be satisfied.
continued to ask questions His in
stinct concerning criminals seemed to
tell him that this pair were crooks.
and. if not answering to one charge,
should justly be held to await another
While this was going on in the office
of the chief. Helen and Spike were
ushered, with the complaining watch
man, into the booking room. Helen
demanded the use of the telephone.
and in spite of the serious charge
lodged against her something in her
bright eyes or her demeanor satisfied
the sergeant she was no criminal. and
he handed her the phone from his
desk. She called Rhinelander up at
Seagrue's rooms.
When the bell rang, Seagrue told
Rhinelander to answer II, and from
Helen at the station the latter learned
of the plight she and Spike were in.
No explanation that Helen and
Spike could make moved the desk SER
geant in any degree. He had directed
the officers to take the two to sepa-
rate cells when a commotion was
heard in the hallway and Rhineland-
e. dashed into the room. IN the
twinkling of an eye the aspect of
everything changed. In Rhinelander.
| the conscientious Waterman recog-
nized the president of his own safe
deposit company, and when the great
transportation magnate rushed up to
Helen to extend his sympathy and
nodded, as an old acquaintance, TO
| Spike. the humble watch dog of the
safe deposit vault gasped. He wait
ed just minute, and in an suspicious
lull in the conversation between
Rhinelander and Helen. Spike stand
ing at attention, the Waterman pushed
into the group to ask whether he had
made a mistake.
mo mistake at all" said Rhineland-
er heartily and reassuringly, and to
the yatchman's great relief. You did
exactly right. You didn't know these
people. They had no business In
there. But they were there not only
| to get my securities out of box. but
to get me out of box!" The watch
man stared. "So"-Rhinelander turned
TO the sergeant in explanation
there's really nobody to blame, ser
geant, except that your men and you
have a box of cigars coming from
somebody and it might as well be me
as anybody else"
The sergeant scratched mis- head.
This is the queerest mix-up l ever
struck" he muttered, perplexed
At Rhinelander's suggestion he sent
for the chief. The moment the latter
appeared everything was made right.
Within his own room the chief had
knotted problem. He had been try
ing in every way to extract some dam
Adams, but unable to do SO, had re-
luctantly dismissed the pair. satisfied
that if justice had her due the two
would be behind the bars.
Just outside the police station.
Helen and Rhinelander-Spike lis
tening-were comforting as TO what
should be done in the awkward emer-
gency facing them. How could they
now save their property from Seagrue's
eager clutches? They moved away
together slowly. just az Ward and
Adams, having got the real handbag
from the sergeant, walked out of the
station The two men encountered the
hating and perplexed trio. Rhine
landers rowing eye fell on the bag as
Ward passed him. He cried out and
pointed. Ward and Adams turned
nervously. stop thief" yelled Rhine
lander, making for them.
Seagrue's men recognized their vic
tim. Away they dashed, Helen and
the two men after them at top speed.
Across a city street a block away the
hind end of long freight train was
rapidly pulling. Ward and Adams
headed for it.
Farther down the line. at a Santa
Fe crossing, Tidewater passenger
train had slowed, aud for this Helen,
Rhinelander and Spike made. But
the excitement and speed were telling
on Rhinelander, who was not in the
class and training of his companions.
He weakened. Spike stopped to help
him along. In that brief interval
Helen made the side OF a coach as
the Tidewater passenger train picked
up speed. Her companions could not
overtake her, but Rhinelander hastily
chartered a passing automobile, and
away he went with Spike after the
two trains. 1t was triangular race.
but the passenger train. on a parallel
track, gained rapidly on the freight
Helen had already climbed to the
coach roof, and, with both trains run
ming. she watched the gap lessening
between the passenger and the
freight that bore the two thieves on
the adjoining track. AS she found her
own train rapidly overhauling the 9th.
err she made up her mind what to
do. The moment her coach pulled
abreast of the last box car in the long
drag she jumped from the top OF the
coach to the top Of the freight car
landed safely, regained her feet, and
looked over the side of the train for
the men she was after.