The Washington times., 1916-01-04
FOURTH INsTALLMENI
(Continued from YesteruayJ

No answer. Then in a moment the
sound Of a key in the lock. The door
swung open. The woman OF the mouse
stood In the garage Threshold June
found herself holding the corner ot the
empty coat -,
ashe-she is gomez" stammered June
her temples pulsing and buEzing Win
yes" snapped the woman. she got
out of the coat and then 9uI o. sno Uo
ploring the alley for her. I'm goin8 70
watch him pick up clues. II Is nelie
amusing. Almost as amusing as Held
day at lunatic asylum.
The girl checked her impulse to tol-
low her involuntary hostess. She knew
that Mary must be out OF sight petofS
this time; and she trusted TO the oio
woman's keen wits and spry feet TO
carry her safe home without being seen
a new terror beset June: the coat
that she still held, was menace. she
began to realize this: Lamar would
assuredly seize upon 1t as clue. From
The makers name, he could in time
fSace its ownership to her.
June longed to hide the coat some
where. But she dared not. Such an
act would stir into fresh life Lamar
newly lulled suspicious against her.
She turned the coat over; exposing
the label She pulled at corner OF
the little square of lettered satin; but
It was too strongly Sewed to be dis
lodged so edsily. RaAsing the label to
her lips. June drove her keen white
teeth into It; severlng the threads, un-
til one edge had been loosened.
Then, with & jerk she tore away the
whole label; and thrust 1t into the
front Of her dress.
She heard Lamar returning; and she
carelessly dropped the coat across the
sill of the open door.
"Well?" uueried June, interestedly, as
Max came in sight around the cor
nerla.Oe the garage. What news of
the Yelled woman
Got clean away" he reported. sulk-
ily mo trace of her.
He caught sight OF the coat lying
where June had dropped It, His look
of chagrin frightened to one of keen
eagerness. He snatched the coat from
the greasy floor and twisted 1t around SO
as to bring the inside of the neckband
into view. And again his face dark
ened.
Clever woman!" he muttered Even
the tailor's label is gone. Well, there's
this coat to police headquarters and
have Allen send a man around with IT
to every tailor in the city. One Of
them Is bound to recognize 1t. And we'll
catch our woman that way, before an
June's heart sank like lead. The
momentary buoyancy that had hlled
her soul was gone. She realized how
shrewd and yet how simple was this
latest plan OF Lamar's; and how GER
tain to prove successful.
And now" cut in the cold voice OF
the woman of the house, who had fol-
lowed Lamar from the alley, ''if you
two are quite done playing Old Sleuth
all over the grounds. let me suggest
that this path leads straight to the
street. Good day, Mr.. Detective
Madam snorted the nettled Lamar.
as she turned to leave them, If any
thing could add to the unpleasantness
of this wild-goose chase of mine, IT
would be to hear YOU call me, for the
second time, a detective When you
remember my fair young face. in your
pure dreams, OH moonlit nights. may l
beg and beseech and implore and entreat
and Insist that you remember 1t as the
face of a crime specialist-not OF de-
tectivev Come Miss Travis"
They left the grounds and gained the
sidewalk. AS they turned in the direc-
tion Of the Travis home, Lamar broke
silence.
~ want to thank you ever so much.
Miss Travis" he said, for being such
a brick; and helping me as you have,
today. But for your showing me
where you had seen the Yelled Woman,
should never have gotten on her track.
1t was splendid of you"
1T wasn't" she contradicted. II was
glad to be OF any help. When / waa
hanging on TO lndL RIDICULOUS coat
corner, like grim death, j felt quite a
heroine. But"
There's another thing" he said. hes
tatingly. "a thing l hate like blue
poison to say; but it's got to be said.
WIN you try to forgive me, in ad-
How omnous! she laughed, what
is it2"
showed you the torn note, an hour
ago said Max. YncomfoTtably, do
you know what l thought? I thought
you were the Yelled Woman"
Mr.. Lamar" cried June her sweet
voice vibrant with amazed Teproach.
Wort you forgive me-" lie pleaded
What was to think? 1t all seemed
to fit in. with such horrible exactness
How else could account for part Of the
stolen note being found in your room
And your explanation seemed so lame
so. uncOnvincing. The simple truth
often does, you know. Won't you for
"You-you doubted my word?" mur.
INJURED June, incredulously. You act
ually thought"
I'm so ashamed" he broke in "Rut
paid for my mistake. never was
more hideously miserable in all my life
than was at that very moment. II
seemed as II all my air castles-au my
drearus and ideals of glorious woman
hood-Were crashing to fragments abou
my ears. I'D have given my right arm
20 find myself mistaken, And, thRnt
God, ] was mistaken. Why, when
saw that Yelled Woman standing look
ing at us, could-I could nave kisse'
her; for giving me back my taith il
you. +"
please don't say any more about II.
said June, coldly 81 suppose your pro
fession makeA you look with suspicion
on everyone. The law Is supposed 10 be
lieVe people innocent. until guilt is prov
ed. But. with officers OF the law
seems just the other way around. Yol
suspect me, because it's your profes
sion to-"
Neither my profession nor anything
else could make me suspect YOU again.
he urgal Vehemently. Tell ne I'm fCr
Eivn-that I may call on you--that--"
Aslt womanhke, she would not sur