| Show TIt THE AN AND I THE TItE GAME tl l i lJJ 5 Y T JN C O rn D JET r ANK I AUTHOR OF WHISPERING WH SMITH THE MOUNTAIN I DIVIDE STRA STRATEGY TEOY OF GREAT OREA T RAILROAD ETC NOVELIZED FROM FRONT THE MOVING PICTURE PLAT PLAN PL p f OF THE SAME NAME PRODUCED s BY THE M CORPORATION FILM I tots n IY fI CHAPTER I. I Where did dill that d dog g g go gd quivered f In In the midmorning quiet the bathing bathIng bathIng bath- bath Ing beach and the ocean oce lt reflected only ie th the brightness rJ s of Ct t tho inviting g sun But Dut a little JUlIe wa way back fr from the glistenIng glisten glisten- In lag Ing sand and aud converging cOI through a ac 4 c small park k toward a suburban station the streets of the seaside resort were with and hurrying elive men women to the city for the grind of ot the day f 1 Motor tor cars too glided gilded noiselessly along along the boulevards drew up in turn turns 1 s ti before foro the station and discharged their passengers From one of these a mid mid- aged dle-aged Boking oking man General General General Gen Gen- eral Holmes army anex officer and a railroad man alighted on the platform A governess and pretty little girl Helen General Helen General Holmes Holmes' only child child child- f f- f f- f bad had accompanied her lIer father Cather to the train and when he turned to the open to say good good-by Helen sprang Impulsively half haIt into his arms His train pulled in as he be quite simply but affectionately kissed his child and boarded the nearest car H Helen len promised a morning in the park left the motor car with her governess governess gov gov- erness the moment they crossed a small smaIl scenic railroad running back of the beach She already had her eye on on what she wanted anted to 10 play with A contented dog at peace with the world and md sunning himself on a grassy slope bad riveted her alert eye Helen advanced advanced ad ad- joyously to get acquainted The rhe dog seemed not averse to a passive pas pas- sive 0 friendship but the little maid sitting down sought something more and by pulling hard and with Ith confidence confidence dence at his neck soon had his unpromising unpromising unpromising un un- promising head after atter after a fashion at least least least-In in her diminutive lap The strain on his sensibilities appeared appeared ap more than hor amiable and carefree friend could stand After submitting for a time he lolled over Jumped up and tr trotted t briskly away for tor a new seclusion n and a new peace Helen undaunted sprang to her feet and followed Her governess engaged with Ith the chauffeur saw nothing of ot this part of at the incident But a moment mo mo- ment went later the few spectators In the scenic railroad square waiting to board one of ot the miniature trains sa saw saV sawa V Va a protesting dog trotting rapidly 0 away va from Crom a haired curly-haired girl who J briskly and relentlessly followed A A newsboy relaxing against a cont con can enl nt lamp post after the morning rush watched the pursuit for a moment mo- mo moi ment meat with languid interest then turned to look at an approaching train on the scenic road He seemed no more than halt half awake aake His wits in truth were wool woolgathering Every found him absorbed greatly Jn n the mysteries of ot the miniature engine engine engine en- en gine gine- that pulled the scenic railroad train 1 I A shout then a chorus of at cries aroused him lm from his reverie The puffing train puffing train was pulling swiftly swim toward toward toward to- to ward the open space The unhappy dog casting reproachful glances over hIs shoulder 1 at his pitiless friend was galloping ping uncertainly uncertainly but directly down the narrow track toward the oncoming oncoming oncoming on on- coming train Helen seeing or heeding heedIng heed heed- Ing nothing of ot the train and fixed only on her chase ran after at top speed A dozen people saw her danger as the train rounded the curve e just In front of her only her only one of them made a move Dropping his the daydreaming daydreaming daydreaming day day- dreaming newsboy waking sharply ran ran headlong after the heedless girl It was Vas none too soon The fhe dog dismayed alike aUke by the cries and a a. Second pursuit sprang almost in th the t teeth eth of ot the tho engine pilot right across aros the track Helen fast on his heels was ivas ready to jump after aUer but it would have b been been en pretty certainly a jump to her death The newsboy caught a light her arm and whirled her from the engine Just at it shot past with brakes screeching on the drivers Helen sprawled headlong beside the track and the boy unbalanced rolled on th the gravel near bear her He was on his bis feet In a trice standing standIng standing stand- stand Ing over Helen Helen- She was frightened and breathless and without speaking he knelt by her ber Her eyes began began to to fill with big tears She sat feat confusedly confused confused- ly up as as' as her companion brushed the granite dust from rom her skirt an and with a 3 a. a coarse handkerchief began wiping the blood from a a. cut on one of her pink phak knees es Her rescuer rescuer made little little little lit lit- tle of ot the accident He told her notto not notto to cr cry He ire even een brushed the round tears from her cheeks Helen cheeks Helen liked him What is your name little boy she faltered In a would would-be commandIng command command- Ing tone Im no little boy returned her her rescuer gruffly A crowd had gathered and oDd he was already red in the face race Helen gave the bystanders no heed What are you then she demanded gravely Im a n big boy My name Is George Storm Im I'm named after my father He was waa a a. railroad engineer My father got ot killed on OB a tran train Who's your fa fa- fatter a. a thor f Helen not answering Gee I didn't see You pretty near got killed That dog wasn't nn any good declared red the boy scornfully Some daylie day day day- lie he stopped the b blood on her knee once more with his handkerchief chief r and then added firmly I Iam 1 am g going to drive a big engine sometime sometime myself like my Diy father A frantic governess followed by an open mouthed chauffeur came running at that moment toward them The parted reluctantly from her newfound new friend Are you going going go- go o- o ing to be a truly really I engineer an up she asked George faced her unabashed Yo Toi better believe I l' l lam am I dont don't care declared Helea Hele gulping solemnly while the governed tried to hurry her hera away way I wont won't ov av ova forget you no you no matt matter r what you OU are r rAt r At eighteen Helen had lost none the characteristics of her They were held in ht deeper reserve b bi bithey the they were Just as persistent R n strained by convention she was at stil adventurous in spirit and her father one anxiety old soldier though h hi was was that a spirited horse or aj ocean ocean undertow would some day be h daughters daughter's undoing At that he w forced d to admit the reckless girl cowl could get more out of ot a horse than he himsel could Closest among her fathers father's friend was Amos Rhinelander a New YOI man man of large means and Gener Genera Holmes returning on Helens Helen's s eight eighteenth birthday with Rhinelander an and Rhinelander's nephew Robert nephew Robert S Sea Sea t grue himself a young and ambition railroad promoter promoter from from a trip of ot In InspectIon of the tidewater terminals o Holmes' Holmes road was eagerly awaited by his daughter at their country countr hom Ilona among the San Pablo foothills Ai A AJ message se sent t up up to her from Signals the suburban station of the countryseat country seat had asked her to meet her father father that da day on No 20 the through eastern passenger train IThe i 1 iThe The motor car had had gone ahead and Helen taking Rocket Rocket- one of ot her fa j fa hunting horses rode down aher i a at her leisure to the station While far from being a spoiled child chU Helen felt yer very much at home borne anywhere anywhere any any- where on the Copper Range and Tidewater Tidewater Tide Tide- water railroad Reared at home un under i der a discipline almost military and i under teachers held sternly to account i for tor her education by br her only living parent the growing girl had still sUIl preserved preserved pre pre- t served an innate simplicity simplIcity some some something thing almo almost t naive which naive which was re rj i fleeted In her friendship for the employees employees em em- high and low of the entire Tidewater line Une of ot which her father was president nt and in which he own owna owned owned a substantial al interest On the day that Helen cantered lath la laly 1 ly down through the foothills towar towa toward Signal a long west westbound bound freight train tram 4 V 1 c l The Air Pump Had Quit climbing ing the grade east of a big hill known on the dh division sion as Blackbird pass found Itself in trouble The air pump after balking all aU morning had quit and the conductor going d d found the engineer after repeated efforts efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef forts with the big machine helpless 8 Without losing much time the conductor conductor con con- ductor rigged d up his emergency telephone telephone tele tele- phone an and aud asked for instructions from rom his d dispatcher ber The answer to his r request Quest was vas curt Bring in No by hand baud brakes The crew spread to to their posts on the decks and the lumbering string of heavily laden cars painfully ly got under underway Way up the hill It was wa a struggle all the way to the summit summit sum sum- mit then dropping over the hill the thelong thelong thelong long string began rapidly to pick up It picked up indeed too rapidly The crew vainly strove to hold back bach the train Clubs In hand and with the brakes hard jammed they saw their monster getting away from them The rh train crew tumbled forward for a n conference conference confer confer- ence nce to the cab The Iho conductor comparing com com- comparing paring watches with the engineer looked serious within serious within ten minutes tile the they would be running on No time they thoy might oven even meet her at nt the bottom of oC the hill before the they reached Signal The conductor acted quickly Picking Picking Pick PIck- In ing up a lump of ot coal he scratched a a. message on a white signal flag and wrapped It around a wrench CedarGrove CedarGrove Cedar CedarGrove Grove station was hardly a mile ahead As the engine dashed past it the conductor con can ductor In the gangway hurled the message through the office window Picking it up and hastily reading the rough scrawl the startled operator wired tho the tidings In instantly tanU to the next station That station was Signal In the bouncing engine cab there were grave gla faces What ar arfi are you ou goIng goIng going go go- ing to do shouted the engineer Without hesitation the conductor cried Cut oft off the caboose and stop it let it-let let the train go The engineer agreed Weve Weyo only got one life apiece No o time to lose George he yelled to his fireman make mal e for or the tho j caboose The fir fireman m n perhaps the y youngest man In the two crews creYs without answering answering answer answer- ing continued to h hunt nt for a wrench i Wake a ke up George shouted s shouted t d the conductor con con- ductor come of on r 1 Se Searching the tool tool bo box t etil eman shook his head What do you OU mean ean demanded the engineer catching in excitement at his companions companion's arm arent you 1 0 coming The fireman did not hurr hurry his an an- No o. o Ill I'll stay sLay here bere he Ire said turning simply He was a stubborn well set fellow really a big clean clean- looking with boy boy with a heavy head bead of dark hair pushed under his grimy grim cap and a slow clear eye ee matching his hla deliberate wa way of speaking Stay here thundered the conductor tor in surprise Are you crazy Ho Ile caught the firemans fireman's other arm armand armand armand and with the engineer talked to the obstinate toll follow ow The two who liked him pulled the boy toward the tender lIe He shook loose The brakeman Joined tion she saw the huge knife draw moving unmistakably upward Her IIer ayes eyes sought the bridge ridge tower tower the the bridge tender was standing at the open window Her glance swept the stretch of river then she remembered remembered remembered then she understood then she knew all all all-a a river rl tug was bearing hearing rapidly rapid I downstream she could couN see the pilot and the captain in the the wheelhouse wheelhouse wheelhouse wheel- wheel house the bridge was lifting mUng for Cor the boats boat's passage She had had- heard its loud whistle at the moment she rushed from the station The balked girl drove her little spurs into Rocket The horse sprung infuriated to gi greater eater effort If It she could make the draw in fn time she would jump It It-a It a slight rise rise rise-noth- noth nothing ing should keep her back She Sho wildly waved her free hand at the bridge bridge- tender He was watching the tho boat and the Sp span was slowly rising but a afew few tew strides closer and she sho would have risked ri aking the jack knife she knife she she realized now she was too late Without swerving for Cm an instant from her purpose without shrinking from her single alternative and only praying for time still stilt to make good goodher goodher goodher her endea endeavor Helen headed Rocket straight for tor the open draw His Ills feet struck the pier She Sho gave the horse his h head ad The wiry beast saw what yawned ahead He lie heard his mistress mistress' mis mis- mistress tress tress' qU quick word As his feet touched the brink of ot the abutment the horse coiled like liko a spring and aud for fOl an au instant in instant in- in stant stunt quivered iTis ins mistress with a as s sharp harp cr uy cry 01 of command rOtH rote in her hel stirrups then launching himself and ami his burden like an arrow far out the hunter sprang with Helen leanly cleanly into the river rive I There was a great splash slash and aud the waited parted water wilter closed over ocr their heads A pilot captain au and bi to I 1 I a 1 mi n taz gazed Iaz d looking on The The aver ier 1 Vel r ta tta yelling M the cr crew w to quatt quat- quat t tens hurried toward to throw outlines out outlines lines a as soon as us the tug should hould come within reat of or the 1 girl The brid la in the window glued d to the scene ocell watched the circling circling circling cir cir- cling bubbles bubble s where horse hoise and aud rider ruler had plunged l down waiting for or them to reappear For a an as interminable Instant In Instant Instant In- In stant the onlookers waited wailed It seemed scorned as it if t the two t would never tonne come come Ul up Then a girlish head of soaked curls rosy rosa ro c among the rIpples a young face taco erne eme god from the troubled pool and Helen throwing herself free from Rocket Hocket shook the water rom from her eyes and aud nose with witha a swimmers swimmer's quick certain puff and struck out for shore shor Rocket was not far away With a few tew powerful strokes his mistress caught his mane and recovered him The tide running heavily through the channel carried the two together below below be be- low the pier on the opposite bank But Rocket scrambling in a moment from front the water bore his hia charge unhurt unhurt un un- hurt burt up the steep bank and under her urging ran up the track to the tower like a film flIm through her he head t. hielen was dashing out of oC the office olilee when the scream of a whistle signal bore boro down doton on her ears Confused as she was it meant meant- nothing to her bel A chance chanc a hope had flashed lashed across her mind and her resolve had been taken taken to to reach the passing track switch and ond sidetrack sidetrack side side- track the thc |
