The evening world., 1915-12-24

that held her 80 closely was the only
reply June received-or desired. The
girl slipped to the moor and, kneeiinx
there. her face against Mary's breast,
she told her story.
1T began just the other day. M
whispered. "All In flash. You re-
member. I told you about my going
TO the prison with mother the day
Circle jim Borden was released
and the way he repulsed me whom I
spoke to him7"
'Yesl Yesi" assented Mary. her
lined face paling and an unaccount-
able shudder convulsing her slender
old body. II remember"
Why do you CULVER hike that,
Nary" asked the girl. "And when /
first told you about meeting Borden
at the prison your face went CHASTITY.
l asked you why, and you wouldn't
tell me. Did you ever know him
Or
moi No. indeed!" disciairned the
nurse. ''Ot course. didn't. What a
foolish ideai'
Then why
"oh, I don't know. dearie Perhaps
because l hate to think Of folks being
sent TO jail like he was. Go on with
about H."
We'll" resumed June. "tust a few
hours after 1 left the prison, all at
once l had the strangest sensation.
" seemed 10 start In my brain and
go all over me. II was as N some
thing had snapped In my soul. I
can't explain u. And the strnnrsst
impulses came surging through my
m!nn. II felt like q crimlnali"
II did. felt as q criminal must
reel. l felt craving TO commit
crime; a love for Its periis. a hideous
crafty wit AZ escaping the laws pun
shment. II was-it was"-
The Call OF Crime.
Little grill LATHE sirii" sootbed
Mary. as a SOB choked June's hushed
voice. That's nothing. It's lust bad
nerves, most likely. Instead OF going
TO dances and all such gay doing-. ths
way other pretty girls do. you've been
spending too much time visiting Door
Iolks ana reading those nasty prison
reports ana helping jail birds and
SUCH IKE. It's gotten on your mind
MI you're all run down; and you've
begun to feel like a criminal your-
solf. It's the same way with me. ey-
cry time read q patent medicine "a
vertlsement; l begin thinking i've rot
an the symptoms the advertisement
tells about And yet an the time I'm
no more an invalid that you're-than
you're n crtminali"
Il am criminalI"
June spoke tho words very Quietly
and with no trace OF emotion But her
sweet voice was dead. and In her big
dark eyes was an utter hopeless mass
that Vt wrung Aary's soft old heart
"A criminal" repeated the nur,s IN
me scorn. Your You're one Of the
SAT- OF the earth, Baby. That's what
You are. Your souls white enough to
stand before the judgment seat this
very minute. You shan't say such
Things about Marys baby girl. It's ali
along or spending your time working
over the poor and at Jails and"
It's true" persisted June, miser-
ably. Il am a criminal. listen:
nsd heard from so many poor people
about George Grant and the vay ne
bled them. that | had always hated
the man l had longed To rescue some
or his miserable victims-the people
ne kept poor by wringing Outrageous
interest money. But never had
do IT," "
Marys eyes strayed unconsciou.,v
to the newspaper as II lay sprawled
on the hoor--the newspaper on whose
'front.' page was blaIoned the story of
went on:
Then. In . moment, when this
queer criminal impulse attacked me,
| saw how ! could punish George
Grant and free some of his slayes. II
came to mo as an inspiration. I put
on my black motor coat-the white
lined one there In the closet-and a
black veil. ! went to bis once and
managed to get in. He was In the vault,
l shut the vault door. Then I rum
mayed through his desk; got all the
notes / could lay my hands on and
came away"
"ohl" sssped Mary.
Then" pursued June, rho same
strange impulse made me scrfbbis on
one Of his cards on the desk an order
20 hts chauffeur. I made him take me
away in Mr.. Grants car. ! knew III
''Oh, my dearl My deari" moaned
the horri1ed old woman. "And You
did all this, You. the sweet. honest
little girl r. 70
COnfesstoni
Yes" sobbed June. Isn't It hor-
rible3 1 can't understand II any more
than you can, now that the mania
has left me IL 10 as though some
stranger had done IL. l cant realise
Il was I. Why, stole. lied, 1
forged-I, June Travis, who have al
ways been SO intolerant when heard
OF other people being tempted 20 DO
such things Maryl Tell me what
am | to dor"
Her voice broke IN a wall. Shs
sobbed uncontrollably on her nurses
breast. The old woman. dumfounded.
grief-stricken, sought nevertheless to
calm her as best she could.
I'VE must never tell anyone de-
creed Mary at last. mot a soul on
earth. We must keep it q secret, Just
between us two. I'd give my life,
dearie, sooner than let any harm come
TO you. And II shan't Maryil pro-
tect her little girl But II other foiks
should suspect"-
And" broke In June. Il havent
told you the worst part OF Il, yet"
'Is--is there more7" Quivered May.
"Oh, don't say there's worse yeti"
There Is" June returned. That
day--that day when l felt something
snap In my soul. felt q burning sem
sation on the back Of my right hand.
] looked and--oh, II has come and
gone there. of and on, ever sinceI II
is like some hideous birthmark. II
isn't there this morning. butt
She looked at the back of her hand.
as she spoke, and cried aloud In sud-