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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1917)
THE dMAHA SUNDAY BEEt APRIL 8. 1917. 4 S The Busy ASTER of all the festivals of the Christian year is the most important T and the most joyful. From of old it has been the happiest of days, M the Sunday of joy, and the festival of festivals. Eostur or Easter 1 'J wa! so called because the spring sun had its new birth in the east. It lpells happiness and a rare beauty of new life, for life n never more beautiful than when it comes up new and fresh in the spring. Have you heard the Easter egg legend? , .... , Many hundreds of years ago, during just such a time as this, when cruel war was devastating the land and homes of the German people, a noble woman the Duchess Rosalinda von Lindenburgwas obliged to flee from her palace with her little children and an old servant. Finding refuge in a small village in the mountains, she lived with the simple people, who had very little to eat, never even having heard of eggs. So one day, as the story goes, she sent the servant back to her country to inquire about her husband, who was fighting, and incidentally to get some fowls. The natives were amazed when they saw the little fluff ball chicks which hatchedout so bright and yellow at Easter time. ., , . , As she wished to do something on Easter day -for the children of the village who had been so good to her own little ones, and she had no gifts to give them, she decided to color the eggs with mosses and roots and have in Easter egg hunt, just as you Busy Bees hive been doing all week. Easter Sunday after church, she invited the children to her garden and took them to the neighboring wood, where she bade them gather moss and sticks with which to make nests. Then she took them back to the garden, where she gave them a feast, and afterwards, when they went back to the forest, they shouted with delight, for there were five colored eggs in each nest. As some little girl thought that the little b.inny she had seen when she was building her nest had laid them, the children repeated Thelittle hare laid -'hen'ul ArmTtook his wife aid children back home, the duchess left a ium of money which was to be expended each year on an annual Easter oartv. The custom, which is still observed inEutope, has drifted to America,' but it is only in the Vaterland that the eggs' are supposed to be laid byt the little hare. -a- " The winner of the garden contest is Lizzie L. Rath of St. Francis, Kan., who sent a lovely colored garden plan which is worthy of reproduction and would be printed if we were not so pressed for space. Grace Hindley of Blair, Neb., receives honorable mention for a splendid vegetable garden plan. : The prize book last week was won by Laura Richardson of the Blue lide. Vera Lundberg of the Blue side and Frances Conlm of the Red side von honorable mention. , ' , ' . Nice letters from Josephine Friedricb and Irma Doherty could not be jrinted for lack of space. Little Stories L r - ' (Priw Story). . . . An Easter Surprise. By Laura Richardson, Aged 9 Years, 149 North Forty-first Street, Omaha, Neb. Blue Side. I like to write stories, and intend to be an authoress when I grow up. Here is a little Easter story called "Gerald and Geraldine' Easter:" Gerald and Geraldine were twins and lived in New York. There the busy streets were crowded from morning till night, and these children couldn't play marbles in the road as you country Busy Bee can. Neither could they ride bicycles nor skate, be cause their mother was afraid they would be run over by an automobile. They had no yard, as they lived in an apartment, so bhey could not run around in the house very much. As Easter drew -near Mrs. Welch wondered what she could have for a surprise for the children. They couldn't have an egg hunt as they did when they lived in the country. Sud denly she thought of an idea. On Easter morning when Gerald and Geraldine awoke and ran to get their clothes, . there, weren't any clothes to be found. , They went into their mother's room to tell her and she smiled and drew out from under her bed two rabbit costumes. The children put them on and thought that the best Easter surprise ever... , -, . - ,. , ' '' HonorabIe Mention). - , ; Obedience. By Vera Lundberg, Aged 13 Years, Randolph, Neb. Blue bide. "Alice," called mother from ,,the kitchen window, "take this basket to THE GREAT SECRET I A, Novelised From the .Metro WonderpUy Serial of the SameJName. in Which Francis . X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne'are Co-Start V BY J. M, LOUGHBOROUGH , . Author of th Nwillutloa of Clydt Fitch' Uy, MHr Sitter." Kit Backdoor , Roman co, a4 othor abort aterlM. ! 1 v What Hat Gone Before. I tvnilam Montgomery Strong, wealthy ! jrounr clubman, meeta Bovorly Clark whon fa aneounUro band of kldnappora who bay aiid th girl, Strong reacuoa hor. Ha laarns that bar unci, Thomaa Clarke, haa aant for hor. Tha uncle, who la dying, la ft member of the Secret Seven, ft hand of wealthy and brainy New York ertmlnala, ruled by a myeterloua Individual known ae The Great Meater, He haa pledged htpiaeif to leave Mi million to the Secret Seven, but death bed repentance cornea to htm and he decJdea to leave It to Beverly. He glvei her ft oaiket filled with treasurea, and atrelghtway hVrellnga'of The Secret Seven puraue her. The girl la the Innocent eauae of Strong'a engagement to Eunice Morton, a toclety girl, being broken off, and after ward ahe la aetaed by thuga from The Secret Seven and carried to their rendeavoua. Strong traces her there, la terribly beaten In a terrible tight, and the police carry him ta hi home unconectoua while the kld napera aplrlt Beverly away to a Chlneae dB, where they try to compel her to reveal the hiding place of the treaiure, which la in th poaalon of Chief of Detective Aokerton, although th girl doea not know thla. Strong, dlsguleed a a Chinaman, gain entrance to the den, and la the mean of aving neverty. . CHAPTER IX. ' ' Cunid's Puxzle. Strong, safe in his home, with the faithful Wee See at his elbow, had much to be thankful for, but his silent thanksgiving was centered on one big event He had restored. Beverly Clarke to her mother, just as he had promised to do. As he thought of this he sighed and smiled. Beverly meant much to him. The great, grinding god of strife and turmoil had brought them together, and then that tentle but pitiless little god, Cupid, had sin gled them out. Cupid had triumphed. Strong was in love with Beverly? she aaorea nim. V Perhaps it is because trouble gen erally accompanies pleasure that Strong sighed as he smiled over the great happiness in his life. Certain it was that grim trouble awaited him that trouble and tragedy were even then standing on the threshold of Ueverly Clarke s life. , " The enormous wealth left by her uncle was responsible for it all. Chief of Detectives Ackerton had that wealth locked in a safe in his office. He was planning on that day to turn it over to Beverly. A few minutes be fore Ackertonentered his office, a tall, slender figure, masked and carrying a pistol, crept into the place and went , (straight to the safe which was, in the great detective's laboratory. All was dark. The figure fumbled at the safe-lock with nervous deter mination. Just then Ackerton ap peared. With drawn pistol he strode into the laboratory. There were two flashes, and a man fell dead. It was Bees by Little Folk the orchard arid bring me some apples to make some pies. Alice was sitting in her swing on the large shady veranda, but she did not go. "Alice," have you brought the apples," asked her mother, when enough time had passed for her to have done the errand. "No. mamma, I am going in a min ute." . 1 Mrs. Clark came to the doorway, and seeing some chickens in the yard called ''Collie. Collie 1" The dog an swered her call' and drove the chickens out of the yard. ... Mrs. Clark returned to her work and Alice took the basket and with Collie by her' side, went for the apples. To the dog she said: v "I , have learned a lesson from you today and after this I am going to obey, too, as soon as I am called." I hope some of you will write to me. I will be glad to answer every letter I receive. i (Honorable Mention.) -i, Grandmother1-Ghost. By Frances Conlin, ''Aged 12 Years, 1918 Cass Street, Omaha. ; . - In 'the evening when the work was done we all aat by the" fireplace. "Tell us a story," said Mary. "Oh, do," said John. v "Very well." said -grandmother. "I will tell you the story about my ghost so ail be quiet. One day many years ago when we hadn't any place to bake our bread, we had to let it rise and put it in a fan and carry it to the baker's. When passed a graveyard I felt fright ened anyway, but whe:. I looked up 'in the window of the church and saw Ackerton. The masked fours fled without having opened the safe.. Soon afterward Ackerton' assistant walked into the place and almost stumbled over the body of his chief. Horrified, he rushed to a telephone and called up Detective Rodman Sears, known as "the Sherlock Holmes of New York,' -- v..., . . ,., . Sears, after a thordusth examination of the laboratory,' during which he gathered many, finger-marks on the sate, announced that one of. the slay er's finger wa missing. . What doe that mean?' asked Ack, erton a assistant ' It means that we must search for a man with three fingers," wa the la conic reply. "Perhaps we will get him; perhaps we won't. What wa in the safe that prompted thi attempted robbery?" The assistant told of Beverly Clarke treasure and of the tortures through which she had gone. .now,' said sears, "our search nar rows down to a three-fingered mem ber of this band. But we must get more evidence. I am going to Strong's nome witn tnese securities and see what else he know of the case. Bv the way, thi young fellow Strong wnat does he do tor a living besides vein wcauny ciuDmanr "Why, until lie got into this Clarke case he looked after a big factory which he owns that, is you know. Rich young man. Factory ran itself; he spent the money. Didn't have to pay much attention to it.1 -"Humph!" v. muttered Sears. "Wouldn't do him any harm if he had to perform ome real work. Well, I am going to call on him. See you later." , Right at the time Sears was learn ing of Strong' business interests The Secret Seven was plotting to shatter uii uusnicss, ii anotnrr method of ruining Strong, whose life had been so marvelously saved twice after Dr. j.uipn naa ordered htm killed. Tim Pearsall, member of The Secret Seven, who "worked" 'in Wall street, was the chief schemer thu ;m tu- first thing Pearsall did was to ham mer at strong s securities until they began tumbling in the stock market. Next he bred discontent among the laborers in the fartnrv. ,kn . delegation to see Strong 'and demand higher -wages. The delegation reached Ium just after he had received news of the slump in his securities. 'Gentlemen," he said. "I believe in a square deal. But you can see for yourself that I have been 'hit' in the stock market. It would be an utter BUSY BEE WITH TALENT FOR MUSIC. JTAJfTHA GRAHAM Here is little Martha Graham, 4 years old, growing on 5. Martha likes the poems that Busy Bees write for their town page and commits verse after verse to memory. Since her daddy is one of Omaha's well known musicians, Martha prob ably takes after him in her talent for music. She only needs to hear a song once to know it and it is her greatest delight to attend a concert with her parents. a ladder swinging, I dropped my bread and ran to the village square. I told the people about it, but they did not believe me. We all started out for the church, When we reached it the ladder was stilt swinging. The watchman who rang the bell for the people to tell the time in the village, heard us talk ing and ran out to see what was the trouble. . "There is a ghost in the church;" J 'said. , "Well, if there is, we shall go in after him. Come on boys," he cried, as he went in swinging his lantern. When they neared the ladder the man put his lantern on the table and the lantern was not swinging. They laughed and were going away when they saw the ladder swinging again. "Oh, I know what! it is," said the man, "when I swing my lantern the shadow of the ladder swings, too." ''"That is a good story," said the children, tell us another." "No," said grandma, "it is time to go to bed." Bunny Rabbit. By Floyd Smith, Aged 12 Yean. Red Oak, la. Blue Side. Bunny Rabbit was a very small rabbit. He lived in a stump of a tree, which the wood choppers had chopped down a long time ago. . One day he said he was going to have a party. He invited a number of his friends. They had many good and cabbages. After they had eaten THE DETECTIVE DISCOVERS MARKS. ' . impossibility to give you an increase at present. present. All right, mt. strong, was tne defiant reply. 'Ve like you. but lik - ing doesn t ret its money. We go on strike at oncx. We'll wreck your fac - Their Own Page idkdayook Six Yeara Old Tomorrow (April 9): Name. School. Hanson, Bernice Vinton McGinley, Doris Hawthorne Mullen, Mary Virginia. .. . ... .Lake Mugan, John Richard.. St. Bridget's Seven Year Old Tomorrow: Ballard, Mildred Central Gordon, Frederick Lothrop Greene, Arthur Morton. .Saratoga Hefflinger, Eleanor West Side Levinson, Harry Kellom Moore, Josephine F.... Long Morton, Eleanor Hjll Franklin Pazderka, Rose 7. ...Pacific Stambaugh, Carlotta E Mason Eight Year Old Tomorrow: Hettner, Mary Ann .'.Castelar Lehnhoff, Janie . Franklin Nelsen, Jacobina..Howard Kennedy Newhouse, LeRoy Lake O'Donnell, Helen M.. Sacred Heart Regan, Thomas West Side Slobodisky, Ruth Kellom Nine Year Old Tomorrow: Kroupa, Georgia . . Edw Rosewater O'Brien, Helen ? Cass PowelLArchibald C Lake Stacy, Iva Irene... Edw. Rosewater Wichect, Alfrida Holy Angels Wortman, Harry Bancroft their lunch they played games. Bunny did not like to be it because he said it was so hard to find the others. When they were ready to start home they saw another rabbit com ing as fast as he- could go towards them. They waited td see what v(as the matter. He came up to them and said that there were four men coming after them. He said he had run two miles to tell them. One smart rabbit said that he would stay there and after a shdrt time the hunters came' and killed him. A A Good Fairy. - By Helen Crabb, Aged 9 Years, 4016 North Thirty-fourth Avenue, Omaha,' Neb. Red Side. Once upon a time there lived in Omaha a little girl who seemed to be watched over by a good fairy. When she needed a new dress she had hard ly, time to wish for it before her mamma gave it to ner, ana tne same with new pairs of shoes. When she had a hard lesson the fairy helped her, and when she want ed to learn anything about house keeping this same fairy was glad and anxious to show her. But best of all was when she was sick. She had scarlet fever and it was then that the good fairy helped her. Thi good fairy was so gentle and kind that she was up at any time in the night and never seemed to get tired, but just smiled and said, vine little girl will soon be well." - This good fairy is my mamma, and almost every little girl and boy has a aood fairv risrht at home."but they don't always treat her as they should. The High Cost of Living! By Josie Prosvar Aged 11 Years, Koute no. i, Kicniana, Neb. Red Side. Hello. Busy Bees, here I am again. among you. I am writing a story about the high cost of living which X' THE TELL TALE FINGER , .i. ...' . I tory." I htroi strong, roused to instant action bv f . i tnis threat, was preparing to hurry lover to the establishment when Sears entered. And as he appeared an evil 1 spirit of The Secret Seven the Rules for Young Writers 1. Writ plainly Mi en tld f the paper oalr and number tha paves. t. I'm pan aad Ink, not pencil. (. snarl and painted, artlelea wMI be given preference. Da Mt nee over too worde. 4. Original teriee a lettera enljr will be need. 5. Write rear name, ace and address S the top of the tint page. A prise been will be given each week far the beet contribution. Address nil eoiamunlrationa to Chil dren' Department, Omnnn Bee, Omaha, Neb. tells the troth about tome of the peo ple. The up-to-date people want to make life easy. Some people have to have everything so nice and com fortable that they want to have everything to eat that their appetites desire. Especially when everything is high priced, such as eggs, butter and meat. They think if the farmer can have it, they can, too. ' But sometimes they are wrong. A farmer Vaises these things, and when everything is so high priced we would sooner sell them and do without while the up-to-date people in town have 'to buy them. They just think they cannot do without them. The rich 'people can have the'm, but the poorer don't have to have everything. People boycott eggs and make all kinds of talk about the food and clothing. The. poor people are glad to have, something to .eat, while the rich don't even care for the plain food at all. - - I thing if we would save and spare all that we can it would come out different. - Story of t Snow Man. By Marie K. Paulsen, Aged 12 Year, Route 4, Box 80, BlairNeb. - . Red Side. T am a ariniu mn ti4 ti1t ..... - niu oiiv win icu yuu hill; T urea nrAm TUr.. Ktt. .'1. made me. First taking a little ball of snow ana roiling and rolling in until I was so big that they couldn't roll me any more. inen they made another ball, but didn't make it quite a large a the first. The were going to put that on the other, but couldn't lift it. They naa tneir orother come and help them. y , Next they made a little ball for my head and then one of the girls went for a shovel with which to smooth me. They took three chunks of coal for my eyes and nose, a corncob for my mouth and two sticks for my arms. They also put a coat and cap on me and a gun in my hand, v Their mother j:ame out with - a camera and took my picture. Thev all laiioherl at m. KA.... T looked so funny.. One day something sad happened. Th nn ram ,,t al . I melted and ran down into the creek wun my irienas and where my grandfather went last year. Poem on Spring. By Florence Seward,, Aged 10 Years, 1634 Vinton Street, Omaha. "Cheer up, spring will soon be here," Whispered a sweet voice very near. "Thi is no time to be grouchy and sad. For all things in spring are merry ana giaa. Ttit leaven on the tree are budding grass in ine meadow is green, The birds and beasts are rejoicing an ic rare treasure 01 spring. Snider Trent a1nna.'rto . -..-It f ill clubman a home, aeized the telephone wire there and "tapped" it Sears. after" introducing himself to Strong, took out the treasure belonging to Beverly. 'This renreeente r,trmA..a ...1.t. u uc aam. me generous-nearted strong di unce lorrnr n i nwe rrnnhia. telephoned to the Clarke home. - 'Come right over with vour moth er," he almost shouted. "A hie- for. tune awatte vn,f here " n..t D greatest joy was not in hearing these uuiitgs. n was in nearing the voice of the man she loved. Smilingly she iuiucu iiiu rem ner motner wnat Wil, Iiam had said, and then she and Mrs, Clark went In , I. QtMnM "These aeriiritiee are the e..l..-1- of a great fortune," Sears announced to tnem. i ney can be converted into cash at once." . , "Alfin. thev are u.ti.t Th. C . ' J "..wfc cu Cl Seven has been seeking," explained vv.iiiara. ir one ot tnem knew that the fortune Urae heee 1J t besieged. Why,. Mrs. Clarke" Here is was interrupted Dy a shrill cry out in the atreet. It was a newsboy an nouncing an extra edition: Wee See scurried out to get one. The. ahrewrl little A I - ...... ..tt.v m,tci neiiicu Chinaman eye bulged with a great surprise when he reappeared. Strong iii.iicu me paper irom nis hand and read: "Receiver appointed for Wil. Ham Strong & Co. Factory closed Employes demand more money while Drice of the nrnrinrt fall. " Crushed in saint- StrAna, tntiereri from the room. Beverlv. seeing, the intense agitation and not realizing wuai ihmeant, lonoweo nim and de manded an explanation. At first he re fused to tell her, but when she snatched the paper from his hand, he stood witn bowed head while she read that he Was a rilinerl man pinlchinn the article, she held her head ud prouaiy ana lacea mm. "This ends mv life nf nieaor said Strong. "Someone some fnrre. has ruined me. I'll have to find something to do." ; . - you helped m obtain the money i now nave, saia oeveriy sottly and tendertv "Wnn't vn,t let me t..t you now? Repay me when you can. nh i a.. h.. C -t ' .r.j- -wiiy my pattry ricnes are as notlt- .heart"- ' t lu liic weaim nr leenne, ,n mv "No," protested Strong viiorouslv. 'I. thaitk VOU for Vrtlir lrinrlnee. Rt l am a man. I would .lot acceDt mon eV from a WOman ven II a Inan I'll fight my own way. It shatters many ambitious plans I had, Miss Clarke pians nnccitng you ana myseit. rer- hane I ran htlitrl ,,n a fnrlnna Tf en well, the great secret of life is to bear ins ana joys with equal inditterence. i ii worn at wnat my nanas can tind in rln ,J I'll he h,-,n . ' " l'v "epFJ. And then, just a the pitiless little god, Cupid, thought he had scored an other hit, did fresh complications spoil nis pians. 9 I End nf Chanter 1X1 THE RAILROAD RAIJERS ' CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Copyright, 1917. By FRANK H. SPEARMAN Adopted from the Waiters Picture Version Produced by Signal Film Corporation and Featuring Helen Holmes. . jja ! " Trouble on the Western division". was indicated the moment Frost, the general superintendent, reached his office in Mountain Springs that morn ing. : If he did not press all his desk bnzzers at once, he sank one after another in very curt succession, giv ing his orders rapidly while wuson, his secretary, and his subordinates hurried in and out. The moment he could get routine matters out of the way he summoned the chief special officer of the division, Morton Webb. With his assistant Wallace Burke, Webb in his own office was already getting his desk cleared for action. The repeated looting of cars on the division and the repeated thefts of wav freight had forced the claim de partment to work overtime, and Webb was called this morning to frost s of fice only to find Davidson, the general manager, reporting by wire the loss through the - negligence of Arnold, local agent at Garden City of two steers from a shipment of the Garden City Caftle company. ."The fourth complaint from Garden City," commented Webb grimly, "in side month 1" And Webb, talking fast and earnestly to his superior. made no secret of his suspicion that Steve Arnold, the Garden City agent, was responsible for all the trouble at that point. Frost, casting the evi dence up, decided it was high time to investigate Arnold and -fix, once for all, the responsibility. At Garden City, Arnold himselt was at that moment entertaining queer uuests. Outside his own home, near the station, stood a group of Panamint Indians. They came periodically trom the Fpneral mountains to trade jerked beef and baskets for white man's food. Just why the Panamint should be crazy about canned tomatoes no eth nologist has yet discovered, but Ar nold knew their weakness well and traded profitably on it. On this occa sion, his supply of tomatoes had run sliort, but loosening, without scruple, the brake of a merchandise car stand ing partly unloaded on the hopse track, Arnold worked the car, with a pinchbar, down close to his bungalow. To carry over half a dozen cases of canned goods, billed to local mer chants, was the work of a moment; and Arnold was soon driving a good trade with the Indians. ' The merest accident interrupted him. The fast freight train now due ia whistling: in the east. Arnold had unfortunately pinched his merchandise car too close to the main line switcn. The engineer of the tretght saw tne danger too late and as the train came on the heavy Mogul tore a big hole in the side ot tne mercnanaise car. Most unluckily, Frost's private car was attached' to the hind end of the freight train; with Webb and Wilson he hurried forward. Arnold, the brazen agent,. was abusing the engi neer when Frost, coming up, asked why the wrecked car had been left to foul the main line. r. "The brakes wouldn't hold it," de clared Arnold, "and the west, wind blew her way down the track.' Krost and Webb exchanged glances. Arnold was ordered to check up his ... hill. One he tried to destroy. but too late. Evidence of his crooked ness accumulated. WeDO questionca the Indians, who were, one and all, smeared with tomatoes, got a chance to look into Arnold' bungalow. To matoes, everywhere, told the story. "This," declared Frost icily, to Wil son, "calls for nothing but a constable. Arrest this man Arnold, and get the night man here quick to take the day trick.". . , ' V Thk sleepy old corrstable of Garden City, after much delay, was moved to slow action. He took Arnold into cus tody. But it was one thing to arrest Arnold and another to hold him. As the fast freight was pulling out, the guilty agent tripping the constable who was really only a joker-flipped the outgoing train and, secret.ng him self between box cars, rode safely un til the train pulled into Deer s Head, a small town in Panamint valley. At Deer's Head, Helen Holmes, the dainty daughter of the local agent and known owing to her popularity cm the division as The Daughter of the Road acted, with her pet dog, as as sistant to her father, David Holmes. Helen's world was all comprised in the little desert town and station where she spent her time busied with railroad duties. - Jhi morning it happened that the hamlet of Deer's Head was already excited when Arnold arrived. A gang of confidence men selling cheap watches to the natives had just been driven from town and had camped on the outskirts on the river bottom be tween the railroad track and the river itself. Arnold, when the train stopped meantime gone out to the train. Her left it to hunt up something to eat A ' - ' ' convenient lunch room afforded a few sandwiches and the fugitive sat down on the station platform to enjoy them. The day was wartir, the windowrwere open, and as Helen and her father worked within the office, a puff of wind lifting a paper from the opera tor's desk, carried it outside and dropped it near Arnold, who was fin ishing his lunch. Picking up the paper, he wrapped it in his last sand wich and put this in his pocket for supper. A livelier gust blew other papers from the office desks before Helen and the freight crew who were talking with her could reach them. To pick these Up, they ran out on the , platform. Arnold already had a num. ber of reports and telegrams in his hands. These he turned over to Holmes and strolled on up the yard; but not before the freight conductor had seen him. Pointing, the conductor turned to his brakeman:""Why did you let that crooked agent ride up irom Garden City?" ' " . "I did not know he was on the train," was the answer. "See that he gets no farther." The train pulled out, but without losing Arnold. Again he made himself safe; this time, however, in vain. The crew discovered him and a sharp fight ended in Arnold's being knocked off a box car. He struck the right of way, as luck would have it, just where the disgruntled confidence men were then finishing their own repast. The gang gathered curiously about the stunned man and their leader, f Buck Masters, relieved Arnold speed ily of his coat, vest, watch and purse, and the .gang dragged. him over to their camp. Arnold, recovering, thanked his chance companion and asked incidentally for his coat He soon discovered the theft of his timer piece and purse and made no bone about demanding them. Masters laughed at him. Arnold, in no wise disconcerted, sprang on the cheeky thief. The encounter was spirited but short In record time the ex-railroad man, pulling from his pocket a hand ful of pepper, cleaned out not only the leader but his companions, disarmed them, called for milk to relieve the eye strain he had put upon them and the next instant actually found him-, self among friends. He was, in effect, already the leader of the gang. ' He presently scrutinized Masters closely: "You're the living image of the agentit Deer's Head," he declared "mustache is a little longer. We'll hang around for day or two. Some thing might turn up." . ,. , - ' One important thing did turn up. 1 Arnold tossed his extra sandwich to ward the fire. Masters took the paper from it, to light a cigarette, and read it to his companions. "Agent Deer's Head: '.'Express shipment seventeen thou sand for Deer's City National bank on' Number Seven. H. F." Sensation followed.' Everyone saw ' the possibilities. Plans were hastily concocted to rob the train that night and Arnold determined to turn Mas ter's resemblance to David Holmes, the agent to advantage. While Helen in the office.Nall unsuspecting, was busy selling tickets, Arnold followed by Masters climbed through a window into the dark bag-age room adjoin ing.' There they began to knock over boxes, one after another. - Helen had father ran into the baggage room to investigate the noises. Overpower ing Holmes, Arnold taking his coat Snd .cap, rigged Masters in them and sent him into the office to represent Holmes. At the train, Helen had signed for the money package. Enter ing the office she tossed it across the counter to her father as she sup posed who took it. But, as the crew went out, Masters, her supposed father, dodged back into the baggage room. Here the gang now -released poor Holmes, and money in hand, de; camped through the window. Holmes staggered into the station. He told Helen of the robbery. Number Seven had gone, but Helen ' instantly advised the dispatcher' of fice. - Webb and Frost wese sum moned from Garden City. They reached the holdup scene in record time, but after their morning experi ence with one crooked agent they were in no humor to listen to ex planations from Helen and her (till dazed father. Under Frost' re.lent less orders, Webb took Holmes into custody, ''Your evideuce'alone," de- ' clared Frost harshly to .Helen, "is enough to convict him." The tragedy long clouded Helen -Holmes' life. But crudest of all, wa her ordeal of giving the evidence that sentenced her own fathe to impris onment in the penitentiary. The sen tence she did not hear; ihe had fainted. - (End of First Episode.)