Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-06-02

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 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 mistake.
mo mistake at ALL said Rhineland-
er heartily and reassuringly, and to
the watchman'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"-Rhinelande 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 his head.
This is the queerest miX-up | 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 a
knotted problem. He had been try
ing in every way to extract some dam
aging admission from Ward and
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 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 as 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
lander's 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 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, and 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
er, 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.
Within the box car where they had
taken refuge, Ward and Adams were
trying to open Rhinelanders bag.
They had succeeded in negotiating the
lock when, to their CONSERVATION,
Helen, through the open sidedoor,
swung down and in on them from
the roof. The thieves jumped to
their feet. But before Adams was up,
Helen had knocked him over again,
and as Ward jumped at her, she man
aged to shoot out her foot at the hand
bag. BY fortunate chance she kicked
it cleanly out of the car. Freeing her
self from Wards clutches with an en-
ergetic blow, she sprang to the door
herself and jumped after the bag from
the fast-moving car to the ground
Adams, when Helen pushed him
over had struck his head against an
iron bar and he lay on the car floor
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