The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-25
THIRD INSTALLMENT

Jim Borden, crook, tries to wipe out his family by killing his son and him. self, thus ending the criminal curse of the Red Circle birthmark. June Ira wis, girl reformer, tells her nurse Mary of the impulse to commit crime Mary sees the Red Circle on the back of Junes right hand
 Her assumed gayety had fled. Her voice rose to a hysterical pitch that cut sharply into the quiet that was about them Mary put a quick hand over the trembling lips, cutting off the plea.
 Flush! Oh, darling, hush" she be- sought "They will hear you at the house. You mustn't say a word about it any more, not even to me-you mustn't think of it ever again. Prom ise"
 T can't promise anything" persist ed June, fighting to regain her com posture, until you tell me about this mark that has soiled my hand-tell me what you know of it. Just now, when I came downstairs and to my mother, I had to hide my right hand for fear she might see that awful thing. Yet if you refuse to tell me about it now. shall go straight to her and ask her."
 ''Oh, no! No."
 Then tell me-
 As she got up from the bench the old woman leaned heavily on the young arm beside her, for support. She looked cautiously toward the house and then in the opposite direction. With the same nervous fear she stared into the shrubbery surrounding them. then sank back on the bench, her lips nov ing as if in silent prayer
 I'm afraid-Pm afraid she repeat ed weakly
 "Tell me-"
 God knows I've kept the secret so far-she never knew nothing about 1t your mother-and nobody. There isn't anything you can keep a secret forever. But if could "a protected you from it always. precious, I would "a given my soul, pretty near, to do it. It all happened so long ago-2O years it was-full 20 years''
 '"Tell me. Mary" urged June, gently batting her writhing hands
 Twenty years ago Mrs. Travis went west on trip with MT. Travis" said Mary, speaking rapidly, as if forcing each word 'I went along-I was the maid. It was a terrible place, out west was, in those days. And the
  where there was nothing but shacks and saloons and rough-looking men and half-dead looking women
 At the end of the trip Mrs. Travis was pretty near spent. She oughtn't to have been travelling at such time But she just would insist on coming along. I remember MT. Travis and me had to pretty near carry her into the place where we were going to stay while we were there. It wasn't a regu- lar hote1-the sign said Gem Saloon. Also Rooms.' Jake was the name Of the man who kept it. and downstairs. when we went in, was nothing but barroom all filled with tobacco smoke and smell of liquor. There was tables with men drinking and gambling and they stared at us like we were strange animals
 Jake led the way up the stairs and MT. Travis and me put our arms around poor Mrs. Travis and just lifted her up that rickety staircase into the bed room on the second floor"
 Mary's eyes stared duly. back through the mist of 20 years. Her voice faltered-and stopped.
 '"The bedroom on the second floor" repeated June. "and then"
 And then we put her to bed" be- tween ps. MT. Travis and me. He had to go down and speak to some men on business. He had gone out west on some business about a gold mine he was interested in, you know And the reason Mrs. Travis went along was be- cause she was so sick and nervous she said it would "a killed her to stay behind. And then, that afternoon, Mir. Travis and most all the men in the town went into the mountains to see new gold claim.
 ''They were the toughest looking lot