The Washington times., 1915-12-14

You never met me. But you were
pointed out to me at the opera one
evening by Charlie Graham. a chum
OF yours. He told me all about your
detective work. And it interested me
tremendously. You see. l had never
met a real. live det--'
Crime specialist" put in Lamar.
Crime specIalist-please. Miss-Miss
Travis" answered June. adding
oh; here is my mother. I want you to
meet her.
Az Lamar helped the two ladies' into
the Joy of hearing June say:
Wont YOU come and see us-and tell
us more about YOUR work.?
SputterinE some half-coherent reply
the usually cool-headed man stood
staring in foolish he ppiness after the
car. To his own surprise. he found
himself trying to recall every infection
of June Travis sweet voice. every eX-
With a start he came to himself. He
had hastened to. the prison to see
"Circle" lin Borden released. and to fol-
low him. And-all because OF one girl
he had quite forgotten Jim's very ex'
way. A pretty crime specialist. for
sooth, And now to pick up the trail
in that dense labyrinth OF a clty-tc
trace ono wild beast among thousands
Of human beings.
Ted Borden was out II Job. This
was no novelty to him. Though he was
barely TWENTY-FIVE. this was the eighth
position he had managed to lose. There
were hut three things on earth in which
the lad felt even n languid interest
and loafng. To acquire the first two
he sometimes sacrificed the third. by
working somewhere for a more or less
irregular interval.
office two hours late. A little after
noon he had secretly lighted cigar
cite in the varnish room. The superin-
tendent had caught him at It. in time
to avert a blaze: and had forthwith dis
charged him
with half a weeks pay in his pocket
/, Ted had repaired to the Golden Sta'
saloon. the HEADQUARTERS of his selec
crowd Of friends. None of his acquain
tances were there. so he Consoled him
self with his lonely ioblessncss b!
| seven drinks Of horribly bad whi:k,
into crap game.
At the end of an hour Ted ha'
slouched out Of the place. penniless
J considerably more than half drunk: ant
/ with his last cigarette hanging iron
! one corner of his mouth.
He leaned Glumly against the saloo'
| corner. taking account OF stock. II
| was broke. out of work. and with NJ
means 10 buy even a 5-cent box
| cigarettes.
| There arc a thousand wonderful way
to spend an aftNrnoon off-if one ha
| cash. II one has not. an idle Afternoon
may seem longer than a busy year.
| Ted had had vague idea OF Soin
to the ball game. Now that TINT wa
! out Of the question. he presently decide
to loaf around to the square in from
OF the chronicle office and watch tn
| score. II was next best to seeing tn
| game. A bad next hest" but his onl
alternative.
As he lounged along. in the sot
spring sunshine. he reviewed his lis
OF acuuaintances: pondcring which on
might be induced to lerd hiw enoug
money to get through the week. II
could not think of any who were likcl
to show such Childlike trust in him.
Perhaps somc of his fathers oil
cronies might help him-some Of tn
HellCat district gang to whom Circle
Jim Borden's name was one wherewit
TO conjurc-the gang with whom HI
father had sternlv forbidden the boy
associate,
Ted knew his father was q crool
And he had ALWAYS resented Jim's e.
forts to keep him straight. deeme
those pitiful attempts the acme {
hypocrisv. His father was due to 81
out of prison some time soon. The
there was certain to be enough none
for them both-until Circle Jim's nc1
term.
(To Be Continued Tomorrow